I did some editing on http://www.wikihow.com/Deal-With-a-Noisy-Neighbour
this morning, and I think it is now accurate as far as it goes. If the neighbors are blaring their stereo when you’re trying to sleep, going over and asking them to keep it down might just work, and it’s the first step that lawyers and others would suggest: just ask. It’s clear from the discussion page and comments, however, that some neighbors can be far beyond merely thoughtless and inconsiderate. I added a warning to call the police immediately in case of domestic violence or other suspected danger, and cautioned that attempts to retaliate would likely be ineffective or counter-productive. I condensed a series of “worked for me!” steps which were added (and then, alas, illustrated indiscriminately) about getting together with other neighbors and threatening legal action. Whoever wrote them doesn’t seem to be too clear on the law and made reference to a “civil liberties” action. I think they probably meant a civil action, but IANAL. At the moment, it reads just “court action,” something I hope is generic. Does anyone want to take on what the next legal steps are for chronic problems, if a neighbor doesn’t respond to asking, letters, or a warning visit from the cops? (This is complicated, because the law doubtless varies by region.) I also think this article should also have some specific advice about noise due to kids and dogs, who may not have (or exhibit) a lot of control over the noise they make. This appears to be a relatively high-traffic article, and I believe it’s the sort of thing we should make as accurate and as useful as possible.
I did some more editing, mainly to change the English from American English to British English, as per the title. I was not sure why American English was being used, as the title was in British English.
