Problem neighbours
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Con
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Problem neighbours
We live in Perpignan. A resident in a neighbouring block of flats keep 2 dogs (3rd Floor). Each day a small terrrier is left on a balcony with no view of anything but 4 walls and no company. It spend serveral hours during the day and sometime at night just crying and howling.
I know the french love their dogs but this seems like mistreatment to me. Does anyone know what the law is here as I think they are causing a disburbance to neighbours in their own and surrounding buildings in addition to what amounts (in my view) to mistreatment of the dog.
Are the police the appropriate authority? Any advice. Thank you.
I know the french love their dogs but this seems like mistreatment to me. Does anyone know what the law is here as I think they are causing a disburbance to neighbours in their own and surrounding buildings in addition to what amounts (in my view) to mistreatment of the dog.
Are the police the appropriate authority? Any advice. Thank you.
Bye
Con G.
Con G.
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pfrancis
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problem neighbours
The RSPCA equivalent here is SPA.
http://www.spa.asso.fr/
The site mentions legalities and it is worth studying as it sounds like this dog is being mistreated.
I don't believe that they are as well funded as RSPCA but worth a try. Perhaps also talk to some of your other neighbours and find out more about the noisy neighbours. Guess they are all affected by this dog as well.
Hope this helps.
P.
http://www.spa.asso.fr/
The site mentions legalities and it is worth studying as it sounds like this dog is being mistreated.
I don't believe that they are as well funded as RSPCA but worth a try. Perhaps also talk to some of your other neighbours and find out more about the noisy neighbours. Guess they are all affected by this dog as well.
Hope this helps.
P.
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Roger O
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Here is the whole story:
http://www.connaitre-ses-droits.com/mod ... toryid=372
If you search google using la loi nuisance sonore chien in the search box, one of the results listed should be
nuisance sonore aboiement de chien - vie pratique - Actualite ...- [ Translate this page ]
which leads to the above link. If you have a problem with the French, I tried a google translation but it doesn't work...
Anyway, the main text concerning your problem is
Peu importe l'usage fait de l'animal
Le propriétaire de chiens peut être condamné en raison du bruit provoqué par ceux-ci lorsqu'il les laisse en liberté et sans surveillance sur sa propriété, mais également le propriétaire d'un chien laissé volontairement dans un garage afin d'en assurer la protection (Cour d'appel d'Aix-en-Provence, 15 nov. 1999). En effet, l'usage qui est fait de l'animal (que ce soit à titre privé ou dans le cadre d'une fonction spécifique) est sans incidence sur la réalité de l'infraction dès lors que les bruits troublent de façon anormale la tranquillité du voisinage.
Agressions sonores réitérées
Le bruit des animaux peut, dans certains cas, constituer un trouble à la tranquillité d'autrui par agressions sonores réitérées. Ce délit, prévu par l'article 222-16 du nouveau Code pénal, est puni d'un an d'emprisonnement et de 15 000 € d'amende. Il existe très peu de jurisprudence sanctionnant les bruits des animaux sur le fondement de ce texte. On notera cependant que la propriétaire de treize chiens qui aboyaient nuit et jour, de façon réitérée depuis des années et qui refusait obstinément de faire cesser ce trouble a été condamnée sur le fondement de cet article à quatre mois de prison ferme :
In practice, if you contacted the neighbour and get a refusal to accept a complaint - and you find other neighbours (from that neighbouring block of flats) who are willing to to put up a complaint (proceed with care not to provoke solidarity with the dog owner rather than sympathy for your cause!), the first step would be to visit your mairie for advice..
All in all, if you are not very fluent in French, it would be better to find a (local) French neighbour with whom you get on really well and ask their aid before going to the mairie! Neighbourly discussions can easily turn into nasty disputes with some people, especially in cases of language incomprehension (who is this foreigner trying to tell me what to do, etc etc). If this neighbouring block happens to house any "social cases" - HLM type, be doubly careful - though I would not imagine you living by choice next to a HLM block.
All the above depends to a certain extent how long you have lived where you are now - if you are a full year round resident, etc. and if you have already made acquaintance with your other neighbours - i.e. are accepted as "one of us" by them and are able to discuss this problem with them..
As I have no idea of your situation in this respect, feel free to ignore the above if you find it is not useful or appropriate in your particular case..
Cheers,
Roger
http://www.connaitre-ses-droits.com/mod ... toryid=372
If you search google using la loi nuisance sonore chien in the search box, one of the results listed should be
nuisance sonore aboiement de chien - vie pratique - Actualite ...- [ Translate this page ]
which leads to the above link. If you have a problem with the French, I tried a google translation but it doesn't work...
Anyway, the main text concerning your problem is
Peu importe l'usage fait de l'animal
Le propriétaire de chiens peut être condamné en raison du bruit provoqué par ceux-ci lorsqu'il les laisse en liberté et sans surveillance sur sa propriété, mais également le propriétaire d'un chien laissé volontairement dans un garage afin d'en assurer la protection (Cour d'appel d'Aix-en-Provence, 15 nov. 1999). En effet, l'usage qui est fait de l'animal (que ce soit à titre privé ou dans le cadre d'une fonction spécifique) est sans incidence sur la réalité de l'infraction dès lors que les bruits troublent de façon anormale la tranquillité du voisinage.
Agressions sonores réitérées
Le bruit des animaux peut, dans certains cas, constituer un trouble à la tranquillité d'autrui par agressions sonores réitérées. Ce délit, prévu par l'article 222-16 du nouveau Code pénal, est puni d'un an d'emprisonnement et de 15 000 € d'amende. Il existe très peu de jurisprudence sanctionnant les bruits des animaux sur le fondement de ce texte. On notera cependant que la propriétaire de treize chiens qui aboyaient nuit et jour, de façon réitérée depuis des années et qui refusait obstinément de faire cesser ce trouble a été condamnée sur le fondement de cet article à quatre mois de prison ferme :
In practice, if you contacted the neighbour and get a refusal to accept a complaint - and you find other neighbours (from that neighbouring block of flats) who are willing to to put up a complaint (proceed with care not to provoke solidarity with the dog owner rather than sympathy for your cause!), the first step would be to visit your mairie for advice..
All in all, if you are not very fluent in French, it would be better to find a (local) French neighbour with whom you get on really well and ask their aid before going to the mairie! Neighbourly discussions can easily turn into nasty disputes with some people, especially in cases of language incomprehension (who is this foreigner trying to tell me what to do, etc etc). If this neighbouring block happens to house any "social cases" - HLM type, be doubly careful - though I would not imagine you living by choice next to a HLM block.
All the above depends to a certain extent how long you have lived where you are now - if you are a full year round resident, etc. and if you have already made acquaintance with your other neighbours - i.e. are accepted as "one of us" by them and are able to discuss this problem with them..
As I have no idea of your situation in this respect, feel free to ignore the above if you find it is not useful or appropriate in your particular case..
Cheers,
Roger
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PaddyFrog
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