Noise Restrictions - acceptable hours for building works

[Nigel]

Can someone enlighten me as to noise restrictions as regards building activity at weekends? We are currently renovating/converting two properties into one and, until today have received no complaints from our neighbours. We are employing French plumbers and a French electrician who work 9:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00 Monday-Friday which seems to be the norm. However, our Moroccan builder can normally only work Saturdays, as he indeed did today. We have always tried to keep noise to a minimum (especially between 12:00-14:00) and today he was merely laying floor tiles in our new kitchen which is hardly an activity that creates environmental noise pollution! However when I was innocently on my way to the Boulanger way for the proverbial Baguette I was both physically and verbally abused by a French neighbour for having building work done on a Saturday plus a stream of invectives as regards Les Anglais in general. From what I have read noise restrictions as regards Saturdays are the same as Monday-Friday - am I correct in this?

[Fred]

I would say you are being respectful with those working hours, and as far as I know there is no restrictions. I always try to avoid to much noise between 12:00 and 14:00, Sundays and Ban holidays, but I don't think there is anything written in stone.

I would think you have the right to complain about excessive noise, but working in your house laying tiles isn't going to bother anyone is it?

It sounds to me like you have one of those rare types that don't and won't get on with the Brits. Did you ever get on with your neighbour before? If so then it sounds like the problem could be because you are employing Moroccan as opposed to a French builder. If you have never got on with the neighbour you mention then you won't change their attitude to the Brits so just ignore them.

You can employ who ever you want to do your work, the only exception being illegal workers but even then it's a government thing and they will contact you if there is a problem.

Personally I would go and have a chat with your Mayor or a local French person you do get on with to get their view on it. We have one near us who hates the Brits and we just ignore him, and after speaking to the Mayor he confirmed not many French lie him either.

All this is only my opinion and I don't know the rules, but if what you have described is against the noise restrictions then most of the people in my village would be in contravention.  

Go see your Mayor.

[Nigel]

Thanks, Fred - what you say makes a lot of sense and am planning to go to the Mairie first thing tomorrow. Unfortunately this isn't the first case of a physical attack. Earlier this year he attacked an English plumber working in a property next door to him. The works there had been going on for well over a year and are likely to continue for some while yet and I have to say that I felt some sympathy for him at the time. The plumber, a respectful quiet mannered man, incidentally, now refuses to come to the village as he was repeatedly abused after the initial event - in fact he was going to work for us also and as such I didn't want to get involved! But he has the choice; I, unfortunately, live here permanently and will obviously have to request some sort of protection, not just for me, but my family also since there have been subsequent cases of abuse against others, including a French neighbour and their child/children; the situation unfortunately appears to be escalating. This guy is pretty devious in that he always attacks out of sight when and where there are no witnesses (apart from his adorable dog) which isn't exactly difficult in a rural French village! So far the Maire has taken no appreciable action - at least that I am aware of.

[Fred]

It could be worth asking some other people that have had a problem with him if they would back you up if you went to your local gendarmerie, though I would still go to the Mayor first as it's only fair to give them the chance to advise. Plus I would mention that you have thought of involving the gendarmerie, that may push the Mayor to do something.

As for the attacks taking place out of site, it may be worth investing in a little body camcorder. I've not used one myself, but a quick look on Amazon shows some that look reasonably priced. It may be worth the investment just to get some footage to show the Mayor or Gendarmerie.

It's a shame there are people around like that, but it's a little reassuring that it's not just Brits and shows that there is a problem that needs sorting before it escalates.

Good luck.

[Jane]

Can someone enlighten me as to noise restrictions as regards building activity at weekends? We are currently renovating/converting two properties into one and, until today have received no complaints from our neighbours. We are employing French plumbers and a French electrician who work 9:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00 Monday-Friday which seems to be the norm. However, our Moroccan builder can normally only work Saturdays, as he indeed did today. We have always tried to keep noise to a minimum (especially between 12:00-14:00) and today he was merely laying floor tiles in our new kitchen which is hardly an activity that creates environmental noise pollution! However when I was innocently on my way to the Boulanger way for the proverbial Baguette I was both physically and verbally abused by a French neighbour for having building work done on a Saturday plus a stream of invectives as regards Les Anglais in general. From what I have read noise restrictions as regards Saturdays are the same as Monday-Friday - am I correct in this?

Similar thing has just happened to our son in La Trimouille. He is replacing a roof and building dormer windows, for which he has got permission. A few days ago a man who lives near by kept walking past our son's house, until eventually he asked our son if he spoke French. Our son said he did, a bit, so the man then tore into him. He basically told him he doesn't like the English, for reasons. He said he has reported him to the Mairie, and possibly the police, for working through lunch time. We had no idea that you couldn't work through lunch time on your own property. Is this true? 
The noise our son was making was not great, at this point. He was actually just removing tiles. 
When told that he was hated for being English, our son just replied, in French, that 'That's a shame, because I love the French'   
The actual neighbours to the house he is working on are lovely and no one else has complained.

[Nigel]

Does this guy walk regularly round the village with a Husky type dog? Following Fred's advice I did indeed visit the Mayor who made an appointment and forwarded me on the the Gendarmerie in Montmoriillon where I spent a whole morning making a Police Statement without an interpreter! Obviously they took some sort of action because the man in question has made no further physical advances towards me but I am still subjected to verbal invectives on a daily basis which is irritating to say the least! However, I do suggest that your son also visits the Mayor; I would be happy to accompany him since i have been intending to visiting him again over the matter and the two of us together may achieve something more substantial.
His remarks re the English sound remarkably similar to those I have endured - apparently none of his friends like us either! I find this highly improbable since I have never ever seen anyone visiting him at his house (he lives just down the road from us). Our French neighbours seem to tolerate him, as is normally the case, but he appears to be hassling his own race also from what I hear. 
Anyway, feel free to come back to me and maybe we might meet up somewhere to discuss the matter. I'm very willing to help!

[Nigel]

P.S. - all this talk of 'reporting him to the marie and possibly the police' is obviously bullshit - if we are talking about the same guy I get similar threats regularly and can confirm that the mayor has no time for him and aplogised to me for his behaviour - "c'est pas normal, pas normal, je suis tres désolé!"

[Jane]

Hi Nigel, I didn’t realise you were in the same village. I’m in the UK at the moment, but I just rang my husband who is helping my son until later today. They said he has a big dog, but they think it’s an Alsatian perhaps. 
Problem is, because we’re based over here still, we get limited time to work on the houses, so when we visit it’s all systems go, although we try to be very respectful. To be honest he hasn’t even made much noise when this guy approached. He’s not a very nice bloke at all and blatantly racist. 
I will pass your message on to my son shortly, thank you.

[Nigel]

That seals it - both dog description & the fact that he's unpleasant and  racist! As a friend once remarked "he looks like an ageing thug". Let's keep in touch.

[Jane]

That seals it - both dog description & the fact that he's unpleasant and  racist! As a friend once remarked "he looks like an ageing thug". Let's keep in touch.

Will do. I just spoke to them on the phone. He’s had no more dealings with him since. He just gets his car out of a garage near by, but hasn’t said anything since. Awful man he is.