Neighbour blows his top
A man threw oil at the door of upstairs neighbours because he could not stand the noise which they allegedly caused, a court was told today.
Anthony Cutajar, 46 of Fgura, was accused of damaging the neighbours' door by throwing oil at it.
The arguments between the two neighbours continued in court this morning, with a magistrate being forced to call for calm three times.
Prosecuting Inspector Spiridione Zammit aid the accused had been leaving burnt cigarettes on his neighbour's doormat before the oil-throwing incident.
Neighbour Josephine Zammit said she was scared in her own home after she found oil on her door and façade yesterday.
Lawyer Joseph Ellis said this was not a serious incident but an argument between neighbours.
Mr Cutajar said he was the victim, not Ms Zammit.
"I sometimes have had to sleep in my car because they cannot stop banging chairs. I threw oil at her door because I have been putting up with them for years. I have had to leave my home because I'm at wits end."
Ms Zammit said it was not true that a lot of noise was made. She said the damage was not expensive, but she wanted the accused to lave them alone.
Mr Cutajar said he could not continue to live like this. He asked the Magistrate what he was supposed to do.
Magistrate Edwina Grima said that violence was no excuse and if there was a problem, what he had to do was go to the police and file a report.
Mr Cutajar was conditionally discharged for three years.
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31 Comments
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D Sykes
Feb 18th, 21:20
Until Malta has noise pollution laws that are legally enforced nothing will change. I also have noisy neighbors - dogs barking, surround sound systems till 2am, slamming doors, and all this on more occasions than I would like leads to sleep deprivation, affecting my work, driving to work even....so damaging someones property whilst not justifiable, is understandable.
William Spencer
Feb 19th, 11:02
What more Laws ? What is the point of making more Laws when the Maltese tradition is to ignore any Laws, knowing that it is only very rarely that Laws are enforced.
J Galea
Feb 18th, 20:17
We have a family next door to us Hafna noisy
Kevin Marks
Feb 18th, 18:56
Ahseb u ara la nibdew nuzaw washing machines tumble dishwashers vacuum cleaners wara 10pm... Semplici qal il PM kemm tamel switch u kollox jahdem wahdu u filghodu tqum u ssib il bieb biz zejt!!
R. Azzopardi
Feb 19th, 10:43
Taqax fil-baxx u fir-redikolu. Fl-isvizzera ghandhom night tariff, pero ghandhom ukoll certu regoli f'certi blokok li lanqas tiflushja toilet ma tista wara l-10 ta filghaxija ahseb u ara tohloq dak il-chaos kollu.
Mar Pace
Feb 18th, 17:56
I live in an apartment . The family above us are all adults and are very noisy . Imagine every morning we are rudely awakened by the alarm which goes off at lease 5 times up to 6 am followed by the vibration and noise of their washing machine. My daughter could only sleep when their son finishes watching a film to 2 am. TV in adults bedroom high volume to 11. Its a miracle to remain sane.
Ray Buhagiar
Feb 18th, 18:22
And don't bother reporting to the police. I did that and was treated badly. My neighbours dog was barking at 2am and phoned the police. The answer I got was 'you have to come here at the police station'. I did that. 2 hours later when all was quite they came to investigate.
No Political Party dares to mention laws against dogs on roofs. And so they will not get my vote
Mark Anthony Caruana
Feb 18th, 16:46
I live in an apartment... and its true that sometimes neighbors are noisy... sometimes too noisy!
Obviously throwing oil on other people's door is not justifiable... but on the other hand what can a person do if he is tormented by noisy neighbors who do not seem to care?! life can honestly become a hell on earth!
I think there should be a proper legislation that can deal with noisy neighbors
Peter Murray
Feb 18th, 18:01
Wonder if your neighbours are writing about their neighbours with the same complaint?
Mr Tony Gatt
Feb 18th, 18:36
When I had my ground-floor maisonette the neighbour above would be quiet all day then start moving furniture about at about 10 p.m.
The problem is, of course, lack of carpets. Even someone moving about above you can make an awful noise.
rosanna ellul
Feb 18th, 16:24
If buildings had properly insulation in them noise would be reduced some what. However Apartment living has its good points and its bad points.......I guess the key Word is "Respect". Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.....
Phil Zammit
Feb 19th, 04:45
Thanks Rosanna....You just said the eternal golden words!
There is, neither can there EVER be, a law or option to this problem other than what you so eloquently quoted.
R Casha
Feb 18th, 15:53
Some people even have their dogs urinating in the front or back balcony, with all of it ending up in the property of the person living beneath!
Or you're walking at Sliema and someone is washing his balcony with all water going down to the pavement..and on the ppl passing by!
Its not a matter of filing a police report, cause in my opinion its useless, but a matter of having some decent respect!
carlos ellul
Feb 18th, 15:44
Load Music, dogs barking on roofs etc....its evident that we need some sound noise pollution laws and enforcement. Its amazing that these things still happen in 2013.
Franco Attard Trevisan
Feb 18th, 15:54
Loud music and dogs barking can surely annoy people but some others have the cheek to complain even if a chair get dragged instead of lifted!
carlos ellul
Feb 18th, 16:05
I've lived much my childhood/youth in my parents apartment on the ground floor. I rarely had complains with neighbours and we all got along magnificently.
I can assure you Franco there is a difference between a neighbour being picky and actual noise pollution. For example try to sleep with a big dog barking day and night.
Roberta Testa
Feb 18th, 16:28
Dear Franco ,
Locking children in a room just because their parents had enough of them all day or because their parents want to sleep and leave them banging doors or moving chairs or even worse jumping above your head in the afternoon or else hearing them at 3am swearing and shouting and banging God knows what just because their child woke up in the middle of the night is not a cheek complain!
Franco Attard Trevisan
Feb 18th, 17:06
@ Roberta Testa
wasn't referring to your particular circumstances... I don't have kids and IT REALLY did happen to me that I hit a chair by mistake at like 10pm and the people who live below me came knocking... And it was not the only time. While they have a kid who never stops crying and I never felt the need to go knock on their door!
Roberta Testa
Feb 18th, 22:25
@ Franco
Hitting a chair is one thing, & moving chairs all the way to the corridor is another thing.The couple living below my apartment found me outside as they thought we were the ones making noises. We tried to speak to the family living on top of us and all we got was more noises all day long.
S. Zammit
Feb 18th, 15:37
I live in an apartment and have neighbours living on top and below me. We have to be considerate towards each other. Some noise is expected, especially when walking around the house or moving furniture.
Franco Attard Trevisan
Feb 18th, 15:52
Wish all neighbours reason the way you do!
Franco Attard Trevisan
Feb 18th, 15:35
Why the hell do people who decide to live under the floor of others expect the ones of the upper floor to walk on tip-toes and not make any noises??!!!
It is totally unfair!
Mandy Abela
Feb 18th, 15:57
As a person who has people living above me, I don't expect the people above me to tip toe all day long, however, out of common decency there are certain basic things they should try to avoid, like not allowing their kids to ride their bicycles/tricycles inside, walking in high heels for a long period of time, etc.
What is totally unfair is people who have no respect for others.
Peter Bonello
Feb 18th, 16:06
Sur Franco, trid tifhem li illum jien irrid minnek u ghada trid minni... u wara kollox billi ma taghmilx storbju specjalment fil hinijiet ta bil lejl ma nahsibx li wiehed ikun qed jistenna wisq! dicenza socjali tissejjah din!
Franco Attard Trevisan
Feb 18th, 16:11
Fully agree with common decency ... However there are people who are just not fit to live below others.
Franco Attard Trevisan
Feb 18th, 16:16
Sur Bonello
naqbel 100% mieghek.
Sfortunatament, hawn min jippretendi li jekk bi zball ilqat siggu u ghamel hoss jigi jhabbatlek.... Tipprova tkun decenti ghal darba tnejn imma fl-ahhar taqbizlek hux ! Hawn min ghax ghandu t-tfal hu, u forsi jraqqadom fis-6pm jippretendi kwazi kwazi li tmur torqod int ukoll ghax iqumulu t-tfal ! Hawn hafna li jigbdu lejhom biss!
S Falzon
Feb 18th, 16:30
I agree with what some people are saying here. Its respect for others and a bit of decency.
At certain hours, one has to be a bit careful not to make too much noise. There is no need to slam doors, bang their feet and move furniture at 6 in the morning or after 10pm when the persons living below are probably sleeping!
Keith Davis
Feb 18th, 15:32
I recently called the police about loud music disturbance in a block of flats during all hours of entire weekends.
What they said was "Probably if the police drove by the block and heard nothing they would keep going, (yeah so if music is pounding inside the block that doesnt matter) and if you would like to do anything it is best to log a report and take them to court." Yeah, why bother?!
Marco Farrugia
Feb 18th, 15:12
Reporting to the police regarding noise from neighbours?????? yeah right!! Like they ll even care....
Ivan Tabone
Feb 18th, 15:21
And what if your neighbour is a member of the police force himself? News travels fast and you'll be quickly regretting your report...just ask my friends!
S Vella
Feb 18th, 15:33
File a report....and prepare yourself for years coming and going to court....differita!!
Please choose the reason of your report below: