Everyone loves a good party, but sometimes a party can get out of hand.
One of the biggest problems with parties is that they often get steadily louder as the party progresses. The issue is that the people who are attending the event rarely notice that the volume on the music keeps getting bumped up and that more people are shouting and having a good time. While you and your guests might not notice the noise, you can rest assured your neighbors do.
Some people will be nice and call you to request that you quiet things down. Other people contact the police and immediately lodge a formal complaint.
If you get a call from a neighbor who would like you to tone things down, be polite. Listen to their problems and then promise to do something about them. Remember, to actually carry through with your promise. If the noise continues, the next call your neighbor makes will be to the police.
There’s a good reason you don’t want to get the police involved. The most obvious is that you don’t want them to decide that the party is too loud. Not only do they have the ability to put an end to your good time, but they can also make your immediate future very difficult.
While you might be having a good time, if your party is considered too loud by the police, they can say that you are deliberately creating a loud and unreasonable amount of noise and can charge you with disturbing the peace. This charge is far more serious than you might imagine. If you’re convicted, you could be sentenced to 90 days in a county jail and fined up to $400. That’s a big repercussion for hosting a party that got a little out of hand.
The truth is that you could be lucky if disrupting the peace is the only charge you’re facing. While they are at the party, the police could find additional reasons to arrest more people. Common reasons people get arrested at parties the police have responded to include that there are drunk minors at the party, some people are displaying drunk and disorderly behavior, building code violations, and even getting too cocky and assaulting a police officer.
All things considered, the next time you throw a party, it’s in your best interest to keep the volume down or make sure all of your neighbors are invited.