Neighbors trampoline
My neighbors on Tompkins Place put up a huge trampoline 20 feet long and goes 5’ over my fence. Their boys are out there all day long and that is now our view out the window. Plus the noise. They already cut down the huge trees in their backyard when they bought the place to make a backyard gym. Super sucks. Any advice?
Guest User | 5 years and 10 months ago
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BKALLDAY | 5 years and 9 months ago
Trampolines are on many insurers list of worst things ever. You could be a good neighbor and live with it (Hell get your own small one and when they are jumping you go jump and make weird faces at them) or you can find out who insures them and rat them out. Their premiums will go through the roof and problem solved. It’s a horrible thing to say but in this day an age we are forgetting how to live with and among each other. I had neighbors who son shot every ball imaginable over our fence. He broke pottery, lanterns, balls got stuck in my pergola. Then he discovered girls a few years later and no more balls. This too shall pass. Good luck.
WRPListings | 5 years and 9 months ago
The music seems to be something that you could ask them about since that is a noise nuisance. Truth be told, we have a trampoline in our backyard for our 9 year olds. They are out there a lot and it’s a life saver for us. I don’t know if you live in a historic district in bed stuy, but for us, the constant construction behind and around our house is a much bigger concern, and frankly a nuisance for us. But we figure that this is living in brooklyn- you have to deal with other people right there. We are annoying sometimes I’m sure, and others are annoying to us (parties that go on until midnight with a dj in the summer, etc). Kids need to move, and trampolines are great for that. Everything changes, and I’m sure this will too. We just finished 2 years of construction next to us and behind us with workers looking right into our yard (and watching our kids on the trampoline) every weekday until 7pm. Now we have 20 somethings out on their terraces overlooking our trampoline.
Guest User | 5 years and 9 months ago
I have no problem throwing back my neighbor’s kids soccer balls that come into my r”yard. Nor do I care about my other neighbors basketball dribbling.
This is a totally different thing a huge large net above my fence line with kids, teens bouncing in it with a boom box ,Morning and afternoon They should build a higher fence or replace all the trees they cut down. No consideration for any of the surrounding neighbors.
hkapstein | 5 years and 9 months ago
I remember growing up there was one neighbor who freaked out every time we went to retrieve a ball from her front yard. Now everyone is like that.
adamdigiuliogroupre | 5 years and 9 months ago
I live in an attached townhouse. My neighbors have 3 teenagers, a trampoline and a basketball hoop. I was just thinking last night how I love the sound of the kids outside having fun, especially on a February night.
mozeeatupu | 5 years and 9 months ago
Cheapest permissible option to make the fence higher is lattice with greenery
Guest User | 5 years and 9 months ago
I know you cannot go higher on the fence height so maybe have plant bamboo trees.
Guest User | 5 years and 9 months ago
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panda10 | 5 years and 9 months ago
One thing not mentioned in costs are obvious ones to me. First, debt service: assuming you have a mortgage of some kind on the project house while living someplace else. My gut reno took a year. I considered the 12 month carrying cost while not living there an expense towards the reno. And 12 months is considerable. Architect fee I assume is in the 25K range? Maybe less. Expediter I have probably spend at least 4K and my engineer I spent probably 5K. Thats at least 100K in costs that you really need to consider. That’s assuming you have no surprises during demo. I didnt’ have surprises per se but I spent at least 50K that was not in the original scope. 10K was probably “surprise” and the rest was us- which I think is normal. We changed our minds during a year long reno on things that cost money. Every contractor will tell you to have at least 10% contingency. I would say 15% is better and I would plan to spend it all. So just contingency and costs OUTSIDE your co ntractor is at least 150K. If you invest you would consider every dollar spent so you should consider that same even if it’s for yourself.
helen40
in General Discussion 5 years and 9 months ago
You cant build a fence higher than 6′ with or without your neighbor’s permission. Its not permissible under the NYC Building Code. As @brokelin says, a row of trees might create a legal, natural screen.
I think your best bet is a conversation with the neighbor with a polite request that the trampoline use end at a certain time of night. Its their yard and they can pretty much recreate there as they wish, even if you think the trampoline belongs in a “big backyard.”
hkapstein | 5 years and 9 months ago
A fence is anchored in the ground, but the trampoline most likely is not, and I believe that distinction impacts whether it is would require a building permit. However, it would appear that there is nothing stopping you from constructing a larger, more imposing trampoline.
brokelin | 5 years and 9 months ago
From your first post, I thought the trampoline was above your yard. From you latest, it sound like it is just TALLER than your fence , but completely IN their yard – so not OVER your yard, as you originally wrote. But your answer is not clear on this, as you state you need to get your neighbors onboard to extend your fence higher – could you answer the question clearly as to which direction the trampoline protrudes 5 feet?
I’m not sure why you would need your next door neighbors to be on board with extending your fence. If you talking about different neighbors than the ones with the trampoline, as it sounds like you might be, why would what you do in your yard affect them? You can block your view – whether they have a view of the trampoline that they want to block is up to them, no? Or is the trampoline actually on on the property behind your next door neighbor’s property and not behind yours? Or, does the neighbor with the trampoline have a wider lot so that it is behind both your properties? Still, can’t see why you couldn’t block your view.
Is there some r ule about how tall a fence can be? I’m guessing there likely is. Have you looked into that? You don’t want to spend money building a fence that would be in violation of that law. You need to find out how tall a fence can be, and then figure out if a fence within the legal limit would solve your problem. That is why greenery might be your best best – there’s no restriction on how tall trees can grow.
Alternatively, if there is a restriction on how tall a fence can be, and the trampoline is taller than that, perhaps there is also a restriction on how tall something else can be in a yard near the property line that is like a fence (as netting or the tall bars of a trampoline might be).
mozeeatupu | 5 years and 9 months ago
> The option of talking to the neighbors with the trampoline is slim because they don’t seem to care
How can they care about something they’re not aware of? Are they supposed to sense your issues?
hkapstein | 5 years and 9 months ago
Can we at least get a picture of this massive trampoline?
Guest User | 5 years and 9 months ago
The trampoline is 12’-15’feet high. It is something meant to be in big back yards! Yes thinking of building a high fence attachment but I have to get my next door neighbors on board because it effects us both. The option of talking to the neighbors with the trampoline is slim because they don’t seem to care. As I mentioned they cut down several old large trees, so I feel we are stuck .
hkapstein | 5 years and 9 months ago
I am also confused about how the trampoline goes 5′ over the fence. Is it 11 feet tall? That would be insane. Perhaps there’s netting around it that goes up that high? It doesn’t sound like it’s on the OP’s property, in that case it would be clear how to handle it. I think your best option is to talk to the neighbor and see if they might work with you on this. You could put up a stink, but in the end I don’t see why they wouldnt be allowed to have a trampoline on their property.
brokelin | 5 years and 9 months ago
I’m nota clear clear if it is “above” the fence, or “past” the fence over your yard. If the former, you could put up a taller fence perhaps, or plant fast-growing greenery to block the trampoline from you view. If the latter, have you tried talking to your neighbor about it?
brokelin | 5 years and 9 months ago
I wouldn’t assume that…
Guest User | 5 years and 9 months ago
Thank you for your support. I think the homeowner is a lawyer so we feel stuck.