smokers and my neighbors...Laws???

[smokemifugotem]

After a long break from the smoking world, i am back! And ready to smoke away. Currently there is a flat iron roast in my reverse flow homebuilt. But thats not why i am here today... My question is about neighbors. We all have them and unless your neighbor is an avid smoker, or you are lucky enough to live without any.. you are bound to run into someone who is not fond of our preferred cooking techniques. I have such a neighbor and am curios if anybody else out there has had dealings with negative smoking neighbors, or if there are any laws pertaining to this.. any and all advice will be appreciated!!!

 

[eman]

Yes i had one of those neighbors. She lived 4 houses down from me and anytime anyone was bbqing / smoking / burning she called the Fire dept and /or sherrif.
the first time the sherrif came to my house i showed him my smoker and he said it was fine .
Second time a different deputy came and told me i had to put out my smoker. I asked why and he replied that we were in a drought and there was a burn ban. I laughed at him and told him that he was going to have to
arrest me as my smoker was a contained unit and there was no open flame. He and i jawed a little and then i told him to arrest me or get the
---- off my property .
He left and a while latter his supervisor showed up w/ a fire marshall.
the fire marshall took one look at my smoker and told the sheriff if he arrested me he better be ready to get sued for false arrest. they finally told the lady that kept calling to stop. the fire dept came once and looked at my smoker and hasn't been back.
Unless there is a law or neighborhood ordinance banning smoking or qing then i'd try to be nice the first time and then it's up to you.

 

[corn cob]

Take the neighbor some meat...A slab of ribs, and some pulled butt should do the trick!

Fun!

 

[bayouchilehead]

Wow, my neighbors are just teh opposite. They always come over with empty plates wanting to know when it will be done. If I had an irrate neighbor I would hope we could come to some kind of understanding, because if we can't enjoy being outside creating TBS, great Q and the pleasure of a nice cold Beer while doing so, then I would have to get irrate myself!!

 

[fourthwind]

Unless there is a city ordinance, or HOA restriction, you can tell them to pound sand. I would do it politely at first however.. Some people are just jealous and attack the source.

 

[smokemifugotem]

I agree with the try nicely approach whole heartedly. Apparently his wife is vegetarian and cant stand the smell of an animal cooking. At that point i had to just walk away. 10 million years of evolution cant be wrong. MEAT ...its whats for dinner.

:PDT_ Armataz_01_42:

 

[dirt guy]

Smoke some eggplant with marinara (and some cheese--if she'll eat it) on the top of it--take it to her and see what she says. Maybe some vegetable kabobs or Dutch's beans would do the trick!

 

[bassman]

I'm just afraid she'd have to get used to the smell if she were living around here. She'd probably even get pissed when I shoot the muskrats in my pond.

Better yet, you could just tell her you're smoking cabbage. Can't argue with that now, can she?

 

[travcoman45]

Yup, got one. Lived here fer 48 years, they moved inta a habitat house 2 years ago. Fired up the smoker an a cop an the fire dept showed up. Nothin they could do bout it. We jawed fer awhile an they left.

Next time I fire up the smoker the fire dept shows up, same group a fellers, they told the cop ta tell here ta back off.

Did a big caterin job an had lots a leftovers, stopped by the fire dept, dropped off a big batch a pulled pork, brisket an sides. Compliments a the company fellers.

Next time I fired up the smokers, you guessed it, cops an fire dept arrive, see who it is, fire captn told the cop ta tell here if she called it in again, they was gonna press charges fer makin false calls! Yes, a little bribe sometimes works miracles! She ain't never waved, said hi, bye er go ta well ya know where. Come ta find out, she be a vegitalatarin. He tough luck, many a my nieghbors get samples an come ta parties. She ain't invited!

I just try ta ignore the idiots. I get along well with most a my nieghbors, we hep each other out an I move all the snow round here in the winter so people like ta stay on my good side!

Try ta be nice, if that don't work, run em off with the shotgun!

 

[brokenwing]

The first thing that came to my mind was my next door neighbor. She is a older single mom, and we get along great. Last winter fired up the cold smoker, and she came over knocking on the door. I asked her what was wrong she seemed upset, she said your rabbit hutch is on fire. I busted out laughing, and so no just smoking some meat. Thank god I have decent neighbors. Hopefully your neighbor will back off, and let you enjoy the wonderful hobby.

 

[5lakes]

Just tonight, a neighbor that has pretty much ignored me saw I was smoking supper and I invited her to come over for one of the ABTs I just took off the smoker. She was quite happy and we had a nice talk.

Not sure I could be nice if someone called the cops on me, though. I'd try.

Hope this works out for ya.

 

[eman]

Ahhhh,
Now the story comes full circle. A vegan , They will call whoever they can just to harrass you. If it comes down to it and there are no rules or laws against you smoking, you may have to get tough and tell her that you will file harrassment charges against her if she calls leo / fire and you get harrassed on your property for doing something that is within your legal rights.
If she is a true vegan and not some whacko she will not eat anything from your smoker as it is used to cook MEAT.

 

[rio_grande]

I have had unwarranted neighbor problems since I moved into the home I currently live in about 13 years ago. Mine ended with finally proving the guy a liar on several occasions.

I dont give them an inch anymore. My response would be if you dont like it ignore it or move, I dont care which. Bottom line when it comes to quality of life,,, we only go around once,,, aint nobody controlling my trip but me..

 

[bcfishman]

Well said!

 

[ddave]

Then tell her to go inside where she can't smell it. Offer her some nose plugs and tell her to breathe through her mouth.

That's brilliant, Tip.

LMAO, oh man, that's funny.

Dave

 

[cuclimber]

Yeah, luckily my neighbors take one step outside, then run back in the house to throw something on their grill (most of them haven't come around to the whole smoker thing yet). Unless there is an HOA regulation or you live in an apartment complex, it should be all good. There were a few apartment buildings I lived in a few years ago that wouldn't even allow a gas grill. Its a college town and you would always have some idiots letting things get out of control and burning down the place. I remember hearing of residents complaining of smoke blowing into their window and successfully winning their case. I think it was in NYC though, not in a residential neighborhood, though I could be wrong. From what it sounds like, you have every right to be firing up your smoker anytime you damn well please.

 

[wlkwichita]

My neighbors love the smell, and the food I "bribe" them with:) It's almost midnight here and I still have ten pounds of chuckies in the smoker :)

 

[nebraskaheat]

I bought an acerage just for this "type" of issue..

I wanted to get into smoking meats long ago, but with the neighborhood association (aka the yard nazis) I lived around, I didn't even bother buying one...


I actually had a dog that we adopted 12 years earlier.. She was pure husky.. She was badly abused and locked in a keenel for the first year of her life.. Because of that, she refused to sleep in a dog house.. And I mean we bought the biggest doghouses you could imagine.. nope, no doghouse and wouldn't come in the house.

So after we move in and it turns to winter, my husky with fur so thick it came off in the spring in clumps the size of footballs, was sleeping in the backyard on her hay bed like she had for years..

Some neighboor took offense and left us a two page letter telling us how disgusting we were to not provide shelter and how they would like to personally force us to sleep in the cold for once.. Of course it was unsigned..

Anyways, we bought an acerage in the 5 miles outside of town and will NEVER go back to intown life.. Neighboors just ruin it..

 

[solaryellow]

Do you have a garage? Then get this wrap from http://www.style-your-garage.com

 

[jirodriguez]

LOL... some good ones.

Just remember the law is on your side for this one. Your fire is in a contained approved pit, and if she bugs the cops and/or fire dept. enough they will cite her or maybe even arrest her. Just to be safe always keep it a thin blue smoke - almost invisible to the naked eye. If you smell the smoke you are getting the flavor.... you don't have to see it..... and it never hurts to offer the cops or firemen a little "snack" for their troubles.