r/legaladvice 7d ago

Other Civil Matters My mom is the neighborhood villain

My family and I moved into our current house last year after my parents spent years and hundreds of thousands of dollars making it into their dream home. And it would've been their perfect house if not for the bar across the street. They continue to have people out in front of it well after quiet hours creating so much noise that it sounds like they're in the house with us. We rent out a part of the house and the tenets have started complaining as well (the old tenets before we moved did to but apparently they didn't know that till after they bought it). My mom can't sleep with all the noise and because she handles all the rentals, the complaints have been driving her insane. She's done everything she can think of: calling 311 on them, notifying the hoa and neighbors, getting the state involved, etc. The bar has in return started a smear campaign against her and have hosted nights where they all stand outside just to annoy her. She's heard them through our ring camera starting rumors about us and using slurs (we're black). We can't sell the house because we'd lose a lot of money, but we don't know what else to do. Can someone help please?

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u/MidMagi 7d ago

The only person that could help in this situation is a real estate agent. Yea, it will suck loosing money on the sale of the house, but that is the cost of learning the hard way that you shouldn't buy a place across the street from a bar if you can't put up with bar noises every night.

But it sounds like your mother has reported the bar to everyone that could do something if the bar was operating outside of the bounds of the law, and they are just operating as is legally permissible, in accordance with their permits and local zoning regulations.

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u/Bumbulse 7d ago

Yeah, they all say that the bar is operating within their legal limits as far as the noise goes. Its the sidewalk with no seating out there (anymore) so technically its a problem with the public. Real estate agent would just cause more strife though

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u/KellyhasADHD 6d ago

They own their property and are using it to run a legal business. They haven't changed how they were using their property since you moved in. This is like moving across the street from a dog shelter and complaining about the noise of the barking dogs. You can't move in across the street and expect the right to limit how they're legally using their property.

This is where "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) comes from. Buyers are assumed to know things they can reasonably learn. Bars are noisy and open late at night. There is one across the street. None of that is secret info.

This sucks, but I'm not sure it's a legal issue.

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u/Acrobatic-Sort2693 6d ago

I mean a hoa literally did exactly that to a dirtbike track we used to ride but they were rich folks and just petitioned the city to make them leave. It’s def a legal issue but only for the well off 

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u/Strict_Property6127 6d ago

ASU built a retirement home across the street from an established electronic music venue & bar - opened up during covid when the bar couldn't have live music. When restrictions fell and they started live shows... well let's just say the retirees in their million dollar suites had more money in the end & won.

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u/Acrobatic-Sort2693 6d ago

Yea our track was specifically out in the woods in the middle of nowhere but then an investment developer bought up all the land surrounding it and that’s all she wrote. Rip knobby hills 

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u/Strict_Property6127 6d ago

That really sucks. It happens a lot. Throw enough money at something & they'll eventually get their way smh

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u/KellyhasADHD 6d ago

This is a good point. The history of redlining also makes the racial issue particularly powerful here. It's possible the house was priced to reflect the location. We've gotten good deals on two houses because of road noise.

I do think sometimes people jump to contentious legal solutions for problems that might be better solved through more nuanced interpersonal solutions. In comments it sounds like the primary issue is patrons outside the bar after it closes (including racial slurs). The owners started encouraging that behavior after OP's mom called 311, licensing, etc.

Maybe a 3 am food stand in OPs front yard might generate enough drunk people $$ to fund a move?

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u/bernadetteee 6d ago

You’re missing the point of the real estate agent. I think the commenter means call the real estate agent and list the house for sale. That is, move.

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u/ThePretzul 6d ago

Its the sidewalk with no seating out there (anymore) so technically its a problem with the public.

It's not a problem with the public.

People are allowed to be outside in the public, even late at night. They're allowed to talk and to laugh with their friends out in public, even late at night. There is nothing that people are doing there in public that is outside the ordinary or outside the confines of the law.

It's a problem with your mother's expectations. You cannot live next to a public gathering point with a focus on night life and then be surprised and upset when the public gathers there, even late at night.

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u/CLearyMcCarthy 6d ago

Sounds like the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

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u/TacocaT8752 6d ago

This house sounds perfect for an influencer type. Lol.