Too Noisy

[MDLogging]

Got a complaint from a man who lives in the house near the woods we are logging.  The man gave me a paper that he read if we didnt wait till 7 00 am to start the equipment he was able to call the sheriff.  We are on a backroad nowhere near town and his house is almost a 1/4 mile away.  I start the loader around 545am and start loading at 600am.  I got in touch with planning and zoning for the county later this morning and they said logging was agriculture and we are exempt from this law.  Am i a pest?  Our mill opens at 7am and close at 4pm and are not real speedy unloading trucks.  Does anyone else run into this and how would you handle it.

[thurlow]

I'd tell him to call the sheriff;  onliest change I MIGHT make would be to ............on occasion..........start the loader a little earlier.  A pest?  I'd say you're trying to make a living;  wonder what the complainer does for a living............I dare say that he ''gets a check''.

[Jeff]

Log away. Its not like you won't be finished someday. Maybe mail him some ear plugs.

[drobertson]

not much to say about this, some folks may not be glad to put their feet on the floor and see the sunrise for the day.  You have a job to do, this ole boy sounds like he is a grumpy one.  It sounds like you kinda feel for the ole boy in a sense, and if you do, well this is note worthy. This being said, get er' done and move on.

[Autocar]

That has come up in my neighbor hood a few times, where a farmer works ground five or so in the morning. But the complainer never gets anywhere with the complant. One thing to keep in mind make a scene and he may do something stupid to your equipment.

[jocco]

Some larger towns do have a noise rule. Sometimes 7 am is good for work in this situation. Getting to be real problem for those of us who have detroit powered machines. Doubt if much will come of it but you don't want to be a problem either. Not easy to satisfy everyone.

[blackfoot griz]

I love the ear plug suggestion.  Thanks, Jeff.  I needed the laugh!

[repmma]

Wouldn't hurt to get something in writing from the zoning/town office that states to the effect that you are within the local ordinance.  Just in case the law turns out to NOT be completely in the "know" you'll be able to rain on this guys parade.  And then I wouldn't hold up my making a living for someone your never going to win over and probably has some other agenda anyways. 

[Reddog]

Wouldn't hurt to understand your state's laws on noise also. By Township/county you may be fine, DEQ may have some other rules.

[saltydog]

I would be tempted to run a night shift.

[Dan_Shade]

what county are you in?

[thecfarm]

MDLogging,you sound like a real nice guy. he sounds like he's cityfied  :  In the summer I start at 6am at times. Yes,I only have a tractor and chainsaw. I really wonder how far the noise you make travel. Isn't it cold there? His windows are closed I would think. Must be some trees,forest between you and him?

[WDH]

When you finish and leave, the problem will go away.

[lynde37avery]

sounds to me like this resident who complains about the noise should understand this. there is a guy runnin the loader/skidders making that noise at 6am to put food in his familys belly and keep a roof over their heads. i feel that people should respect these kinds of things. the guy im logging for seems to not mind the detroit motors at all on his property. he knows hes making money off his trees when the screaming jimmy is barking. and his neighbors allways wave when i drive by to go to work. but im sure i will run into my share of uneasy fellows one day.

[Woodchuck53]

After some of the things happening to hard working people here I would notify the sheriff myself that this issue has come up. Then place a game camera on my motor pool. Hope you don't have to go thru that.

When the deputy came and investigated my break in he told me. Now you know we will probably never find these items. I told him he needed to understand this was a only curtesy call to let them know I am having problems and wanted it on record when I pop a cap as they say in his rears.

[gspren]

  I wouldn't do anything extra to cause problems since you don't need an enemy in the area but keep to your schedual and if he complains again politly let him know your just trying to make a living. Well maybe the last day when your ready to move out you might start early  ;D.

[clww]

I'd rather hear logging equipment than a leaf blower/weed eater/edger early in the morning any day. >:( That's why we're going back to the mountains.

[Gary_C]

I would go back to him and explain what you found and explain your schedule. And tell him how long you plan to be there. And perhaps try to work out some way to minimize the noise. Something like putting your log pile between the truck and his house. Any little thing you can do to show him you are sensitive to his complaint.

It may not do any good, but at least you show him that you care about him.

[Dan_Shade]

depends on what county in MD he's in ;)

[beenthere]

Good point Gary_C
Just may be a future customer that wants some logging done on his property and your concern would be the deal cincher.

[thenorthman]

continue as prescribed... just make sure you got all your permits etc in order.

They where doing some tower logging near my house last summer, waking up to the talkie tooter is a pretty neat feeling, although they really needed some grease on something they were using..

[acl2]

Well say if you waited to load trucks late in the afternoon I imagine he'd grumble about disrupting his dinner, you just cant please some people.

[MDLogging]

Just a follow up,  i went to the guys house yesterday afternoon to clear him up on the law and how i found we are exempt because we are titled under agriculture after speaking with planning and zoning.  I was also gonna let him know we start at that time because we are working on the sawmills timeframe.  Unfortunately. He wasnt home.  I started up same time this morning  and looked at every set of headlights that came down the road, but no sign of the sheriff.  Guess my buddy was bluffing.  I think his ol' lady pushed him out of bed to try and quiet us down yesterday,  just my guess.  Dan shade : we are cutting in caroline county

[cutter88]

we run in to it all the time 2 of are skidders have 353 detriots in them so u can imagine how the neighbors around our sites react to that racket at 6am

[MDLogging]

Our law says ag equipment is exempt as long as it meets manufacters specifications.  Basically means you need a muffler on exhaust and so on