Ask A Cop: Inconsiderate Neighbors

Is there anything you have ever wanted to know from the police department? Well, this is your chance to ask. We will be teaming up with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies from around the county to answer your questions.

Whether you have a question about certain laws and how they might affect you, your family or friends or how to stay safe in certain situations, we want you to ask them. Every week we will run one question and answer. To submit a question, email jennifer.squires@patch.com.

Question:

I have a neighbor who blasts his music and he has been asked to turn it down which he does for about 20 minutes and up it goes again. I don't like to call the police department on a matter like this as I know you have more important things to look into but neighbors and I are at our wits end!! It's affecting our quality of life.

Answer:

Since you have already discussed the issue with you neighbor about his music, try contacting the property management or his landlord. Most tenants have a lease agreement which includes a clause regarding noise allowed at the residence. If this does not resolve your issue, contact your local law enforcement agency and have your neighbor cited for the applicable municipal or penal code. 

Any questions regarding city, or county codes, in your area: do an internet search on “Name city municipal codes” (ie: Scotts Valley city municipal codes) or “Name county municipal codes” and get a complete listing. Here are some examples of codes that may be relevant to your situation.

• Watsonville municipal code 5-8.01 states between the hours of 10:00 pm and 7:00 am it shall be unlawful for any person on residential property or a public way to make or continue, or cause to be made or continued, any offensive, excessive, unnecessary, or unusually loud noise or any noise which either annoys, disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace, or safety of others on residential property or public ways within the City.
• Penal code 415(2) states any person who maliciously and willfully disturbs another person by loud and unreasonable noise shall is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Regarding the other nuisance issues at your mobile home park, Watsonville’s Code Enforcement Division has the primary responsibility for the investigation and enforcement of all Watsonville Municipal Code violations related to building and zoning.  This includes non-permitted construction, property maintenance, public nuisances, zoning/land use, substandard rental housing, commercial signage, graffiti and unlicensed businesses. 

Some applicable codes are:

• Watsonville municipal code 7-7.03 states it shall be unlawful for any person owning, occupying, renting, managing, or controlling any real property in the City to permit any debris, or to allow debris to remain on any real property in the City.  It shall be the duty of every such person to remove said debris.   
• Watsonville municipal code 5-17.01 states anything within the City which is injurious to health, indecent, offensive to the senses, an obstruction to the free use of property so as to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property.

The Division’s highest priority is to quickly respond to life—safety concerns, such as hazardous living conditions, health hazards, dangerous occupied garages, improper mechanical equipment or improper electrical installations.

If you have a concern regarding a possible code violation, contact the Community Development Department.  You must provide the address of the suspected violation and your name and contact information.  All contact information is kept confidential and will not be shared.

—Michelle Burhans is a deputy with the Sheriff’s Office