Wind Chimes Noise Nuisance

What to do when you have an elderly neighbor who has three large wind chimes hanging off her carport that chime morning, noon, and night and even more so through the many winds that blow through Leesburg, Florida. No storm has blown these wind chimes from their perch. Gosh, you'd think common sense would tell you to take them down when we have the strong winds blowing through our community.

Researching noise ordinance laws for Leesburg and Lake County, Florida, I just happened to find the regulations for the 55+ community of Highland Lakes Property Owners Association which states on page 5:

5. "One wind chime per residence is acceptable, but must not be offensive to neighbors."

Wind Chimes #1

Wind Chimes #2

Wind Chimes #3

I don't live in Highland Lakes, but do live in another Lake County 55+ community. The difference between the two communities is that Highland Lakes has lots that are owned by the residents and where I live, I pay lot rent each month to the property owner.

The stated regulation for Highland Lakes, "one wind chime per residence is acceptable, but must not be offensive to neighbors" is interesting to note that a limit of one is mentioned. However, more importantly is the fact that it "must not be offensive to neighbors."

The very first night in my new home, I was wondering, "who the heck has wind chimes?" as I tried to sleep. It might have been the next day that the next door neighbor introduced herself to me and mentioned "her wind chimes." I remember replying, "I wondered where the noise was coming from." Being new, it was awkward to ask that she remove those wind chimes. I know I had no idea there were actually three large ones in play!

Then, I was wondering, why weren't those hanging off the side of her house where her bedroom is located? These are right outside my bedroom and living room ... so if I want an afternoon nap, I hear them ... and then I hear them when I try to sleep at night.

Fast forward to over a year and a half of living with what I call "wind chimes noise nuisance." She now knows that these have been bothering me over that time and she has chosen not to remove them. I could maybe hope that I go hard of hearing like some of the previous residents of my home. I already wear earplugs at night to sleep because of the various sounds during the night. So much for being able to pick your neighbors ... or their wind chimes.

Reflecting on other wind chimes in my past life, I remembered that my mom had ONE that hung in the backyard of her Brooksville, Florida home. Oh, and I also had wind chimes ... you can spot the one that was mine as it is TEENY-TINY with a small wooden house connected to the wind chimes!

Other articles on the controversy of wind chimes you might find of interest:

• Trending: Can You Really Get Sued Because Your Wind Chimes Are Too Loud?
• Bad blood between neighbors keeps noisy wind chimes swinging
• Wind Chimes = Noise Pollution