NYC Residents Complain About Noise To Earn Money
A group of NYC locals have been making substantial sums of money by issuing citations to bars and restaurants for alleged violations of the city’s vague noise pollution regulations.
These civilians earn a percentage ranging from 25% to 50% of the fines imposed on businesses accused of using outdoor sound systems to attract customers. Of course, when the city is paying a commission for dishing out fines, you can guarantee that this system will be looked at as a money making opportunity for the unscrupulous rather than something it was intended to be.
Regular businesses would not have a problem with playing by the rules, but they certainly don’t feel comfortable by having a “noise bounty” placed on their head, only to be fined for something which is extremely vague and ill-defined.
One particularly active individual who is a resident of Queens, has filed 500 noise complaints amounting to over $600,000 in total fines. The unnamed resident, who describes himself as an advocate for New Yorkers frustrated with “noise pollution,” refused to disclose his reported earnings from these complaints.
With that being said, it’s extremely easy to read between the lines. Most people have never made a noise complaint in their lives, and if they have it’s certainly a single figure number. If you’ve made over 500 noise complaints, it’s quite obvious what is happening.
The escalating number of violations has triggered outrage among bar owners, who were caught off guard by notifications from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), one of the city agencies responsible for handling noise complaints.
To make matters worse, fines are often sent in bulk by the relevant authorities. Meaning that you could think that everything is just fine with your business. Only to receive fines relating to several days all at once and having a large bill on your hands.
The implementation of this obscure ordinance that deputizes civilians has caused legal confusion due to its ambiguous language, which prohibits businesses from playing amplified music “for advertising purposes or to attract attention.”
Altogether, anyone with common sense can see that this law is beyond absurd and can easily be abused well beyond what it was intended to do. New York lawmakers need to act now and make a more level playing field for bars and restaurants.
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