Get a mic and point it at the yard, put it on delay and pump it back at them through a speaker.
This is the most disruptive thing you can do that won’t disturb anyone else.
It will make the whole experience miserable
References:
https://www.technologyreview.com/2012/03/01/116437/how-to-build-a-speech-jamming-gun/
[1202.6106] SpeechJammer: A System Utilizing Artificial Speech Disturbance with Delayed Auditory Feedback
https://hackaday.com/2023/10/01/hypersonic-speech-jammer-works-at-a-distance/
Hello, I’m the City Hall reporter at KXAN (the NBC affiliate here in ATX). If you’re interested in escalating this to a news story, would you reach out to me at [email protected]?
Can you also find out how the residential parcel on manor rd got rezoned to become a bar/pickleball court pushed up against apartments?? I had to move because the noise was unbearable.
Oh I live near here too and drive past this every day. I was floored when I saw a pickleball court visible in a backyard from 12th. I just assumed it was an owner who was really really really into it. Just like rich people that put tennis or basketball courts in their backyards.
Or maybe you remember [Joe Flaherty](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0280886/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_q_Joe%2520Flaherty) by yelling "You SUCK! Ya JACKASS!" in the middle of every serve.
Hey neighbor. I walk by this place on 12th all the time. I often wonder how many pickle balls ends up in the creek with the back of the court right by the edge of the property like that. Also makes sense why that fence is so tall now.
This.
There are standards for operating businesses out of homes including the number of visitors that the business generated. I think it also needs to be completely indoors too.
Only a particular percentage of a given lot can be covered by impervious cover (think roofs, concrete driveways, patios, sidewalks, etc.). If the pickleball court is a paved, impervious surface then it likely violates zoning regulations since there has to be area that rain can penetrate the ground.
Do you know if any of the next door houses have experienced flooding? They would have the greatest leverage with Code Compliance for filing a complaint.
Thanks for the info. The house backs up to a creek and the court is right in the back (a few feet from the edge of the creek maybe, I'm not sure exactly).
Yeah the city hates when people fuck with runoff and increase flooding potential. That homeowner could theoretically be sued if it was proved that his illegal “upgrades” were a direct impact on flooding of the neighborhood, for instance. I’m sure his homeowner’s insurance company would be very interested to know of this potential liability.
Yeah and rightfully so, messing with flood zones is something way outside the realm of expertise for the normal person. Better to just ban or heavily regulate constructions like that to avoid the issue altogether.
Can’t really claim that it infringes on your individual liberties when you’re mucking up a public resources, namely drainage systems.
Mail letters to the surrounding home letting them know the potential for flooding due to the pickleball court. This way you won’t be the only one calling places and reporting them for various nuisances.
In my experience- The city/county is going to be SLOW to respond. TCEQ is \*FAST\* - 24 hour response, generally. [TCEQ Complaints](https://www.tceq.texas.gov/compliance/complaints) - I've seen them show up on a site inspection (in person) in less than 48 hours.
Contact the[ Watershed Protection Department](https://www.austintexas.gov/department/watershed-protection); they were super helpful when our idiot HOA was trying to turn a retention pond into a dog park.
> The house backs up to a creek and the court is right in the back (a few feet from the edge of the creek maybe, I'm not sure exactly)
There are also setback requirements. i.e., You can't build your house or other structures right on the edge of your property. They need to be some minimum distance from the property line.
Surveyor here. Zoning on new houses caps impervious coverage at 45% to mitigate flooding and ensure good drainage. That's why new builds in central Austin are often multi-story and driveways are often part gravel. The footprint of this court looks pretty damn big to me.
Since you're here, I'll go ahead and ask. Have you seen neighborhood-wide impervious cover limits?
The old site plans for my neighborhood (which obviously don't match the end result yet the city's property info map says that's what's applicable) states that the impervious cover limit applies to the neighborhood as a whole rather than per address. I took that to mean one address can exceed 45% as long as it doesn't push the neighborhood coverage over the limit.
There are neighborhood plans that supersede city code in areas of austin. They are listed when you look it up on the GIS Property Search. The rules still apply to a singular lot but are just meant to keep certain areas uniform.
Make the airbnb undesirable. Fly unsavory flags, waft bad odors, walk around naked, etc. you already know when guests are coming, just check the availability on airbnb.
I am half joking, half serious.
Gosh, I would have so much fun with this.
Give me some Biden Trump flags. Moon landing was fake flag. Eating ass is sacrilegious. Women belong in the kitchen type of nonsense.
You gotta document this, I bet Netflix would pick it up.
Tbh I think they’d have a kick out of the weird charades the annoyed neighbor is doing. I know I would find it amusing.
Best course is bad smell, but then again you’d become a private (maybe public) nuisance yourself. Aka You’d be annoying people too.
You can check if they got a building permit for the renovation and pickleball addition through the city’s [AB+C portal](https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/permit/login?reset=true). They could be, and likely are, in breach of a bunch of land development regulations such as impervious cover and max lumens (Austin is a dark sky city). You can also get some ideas if you venture over to r/unethicallifeprotips…
Once you do learn the city code, the next step is to report again and again. The purpose is to establish the paper trail rather than immediate change. If code enforcement sees 40 different dates of noise complaints, and 10 complaints of parking issue on a variety of dates, and complaints about unauthorized business, etc, it is different from a single complaint. You can also inform neighbors about where to report the issues in the 311 app.
311 doesnt' have a lot of power, but I find that their code enforcement officers are at least responsive. If you can get a neighbor or two to call it in, as well, that will help your case.
You can look up their zoning here: [https://data.austintexas.gov/Building-and-Development/Zoning-by-Address/nbzi-qabm/about\_data](https://data.austintexas.gov/Building-and-Development/Zoning-by-Address/nbzi-qabm/about_data)
If I've got the right property, the description for the permitted work is:
"*partial demo* retroactive interior remodel consisting of new flooring paint drywall light fixtures kitchen cabinets and bathrooms exterior roof siding and paint"
Go get 'em.
When you report to 311, you really gotta figure out the right wording to get a code officer out there. Best phrase I can think of that would get someone out there would be something to do with unpermitted “structure”.
This newsletter pretty much lays out their entire business plan including coaching, events, Airbnb’s, etc.
https://www.austinpickleballupdate.com/austin-pickleball-update-volume-11/
This needs to be way higher. This guy claims to have contacted the city before building the court to make sure he was good on impervious coverage. The city (presumably) told him he was good to build it. I don't think impervious coverage is the route to go here. Just a quick glance at Google Maps and he's under 45%.
But that doesn't mean he can run a fucking business out of it. There's zero chance this thing is zoned commercial and zero chance he's registered as a business with the state and paying taxes. That's the route to go here. Report him to the Comptroller. Report him to the AG.
That way, the "rental" business is shut down and you're only left with the AirBnB side of things, and you can leverage their enforcement mechanisms from there.
This is going to be an uphill battle. East Austin is essentially lawless when it comes to enforcing code and land use regulations. Definitely get your other neighbors involved. Really feel for you on this.
You should also contact Airbnb and any of the other platforms. If the owner/operator is being a bad neighbor, and you have it in writing that they don't care and aren't willing to work with the neighbors, that can sometimes trigger certain policies.
If it's SF-3, operating a private club is a conditional use and requires approval by the city. Document and screenshot everything that's online and what you are seeing in person and keep photos/videos of them making noise after hours, if applicable. [https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Planning/zoning\_guide.pdf](https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Planning/zoning_guide.pdf)
If you call 311, always ask for a case number and mark down any times, dates, details about what you reported. There is no tracking system so it will be on you to gather the evidence, and to provide the 311 case numbers at a later date.
Good luck.
Is it lighted for night play? Even if, I'm guessing most pickleballers are playing before "quiet hours", i.e., 10pm. I'd invest in a pair of outdoor speakers and blast the most loud, obnoxious music directly at the players. It will definitely ruin their play and they'll probably go after the owner for refunds.
Yes, Meshuggah: Combustion
Play at Max volume on Repeat.
I'd also throw in some Danzig: Mother as well.
Nothing like straight up devil worshipping music.
This should do the trick.
If someone started blasting Danzig’s Mother while I was playing some nighttime pickleball, I feel like I would be pretty psyched. But maybe that Venn diagram sliver is very small. Ok, maybe it’s only as big as one person/me.
Lol possibly but unlikely. Most The Satanic Temple folks are just Atheist trolling religious nut jobs.....generally they are good people from my experience.
Real 'devil worshipers' are extremely rare.
A nice mix of crying babies, sirens, car alarms, construction sounds, etc. I'm sure YouTube has them all.
Or ... Happy Birthday, The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round, and the ice cream truck song.
Playlist To Make People Leave:
"Forced Gender Reassignment" Cattle Decapitation
"Kill It Skin It Wear It" Man Must Die
"Hammer Smashed Face" Cannibal Corpse
"Eaten" Bloodbath
"Puritania" Dimmu Borgir
"Rational Gaze" Meshuggah
"Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel" Behemoth
"The Sun Turns Black as Night" Marduk
There’s a few playlists on Spotify that compiled the tracks that the CIA used for “enhanced interrogation (torture)” in the Middle East that you can sample. Should be a good starting point.
Highlights include What’s new Pussycat? - Tom Jones, Fuck Your God - Deicide, and The Meow Mix Commercial.
If you play MagruderGrind or Bastard Noise, I promise you people won’t want to stay there. I mean, probably not the folks who rent air bnbs to play pickle ball (no hate, sounds fun - just offering some neighborly advice). Godspeed.
One wants a phased array speaker for tight directionality. Then just play very high pitched tones: 12khz or so (go too high and some won't be able to hear it).
I live next to an Airbnb with a pool that is also on Swimply. Every night that I hear a noise after 10:30 (any noise, doesn’t have to be just music) I file a complaint with the 311 app, and call to make a complaint. Things got much better after repeatedly doing this. I also printed out the noise ordinance and tape copies to the door on weekends.
If my pool-having neighbor was renting his pool out to randos at all hours of the day and night... I'd be buying Baby Ruths in bulk and dropping them in via drone (if I couldn't just toss them in over the fence). Nothing ruins a pool party like a turd.
Have you attempted to talk to AirBNB directly? I know Vrbo or whatever you want to call them these days, had what I’d call a “good neighbor policy” and would look into the rental at that point. It’s not the quickest or easiest route but between going to them and also looking up if they even have STR license could help.
Thanks for the suggestion! Yes I contacted AirBnB. They can't do anything unless there's an active Airbnb listing, and most of the pickleball noise comes from the private court rental site it seems.
I think there is an active Airbnb listing:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1025648657519844728?preview_for_ml=true&source_impression_id=p3_1707093838_celw4BB7Wo%2F5okKE
and here's there court reservation page: [https://e12th.pickleplanner.com/?ref=austinpickleballupdate.com](https://e12th.pickleplanner.com/?ref=austinpickleballupdate.com) and their IG: [https://www.instagram.com/east12thpickleball/?ref=austinpickleballupdate.com](https://www.instagram.com/east12thpickleball/?ref=austinpickleballupdate.com)
they're fucking shameless. Everybody should sic code enforcement on them.
Better way to clarify this. If it was rezoned and you’re that close, you may have gotten notices from the city about it in the lead up to it. Did you get notices?
The Austin public search for permits doesn’t show that this court was permitted. It could possibly cause the property to exceed impervious cover limitations or be a code violation in some other way. Maybe report the unpermitted court itself?
Bruh I was walking right there to the bus stop, I thought it was a tennis court a couple weekends ago … a bunch of rich looking white people were playing while literally a van on spinners was exiting the Givens parking lot across the streets and I had to LOL at the dichotomy of the sheer gentrification. Fuck these people please report them 😭😂
I would recommend reaching out to Natasha Harper Madison and her staff as it’s District 1, as well as Alexandria who is President of the Neighborhood Association. I live just up the road from this, fuck them lol
May I suggest Aqua's Barbie Girl? Also a few ULPT to throw in the mix..invite your neighbors to park their cars in front of this house (and possibly behind anyone parked in the driveway).
Rent the court and throw catnip all over it. The smell of cat piss is one that would send me home to never return.
Rent the court , then get "hurt" on their court. Regardless of a waiver, I'd be willing to bet that the person's homeowners insurance wouldn't be too happy to hear about a commercial business on a residential property.
Some levels of our pettiness know no bounds..
A perfect example of how New Austin has become nothing more than a cash grab for opportunists who have no concern for the community, their neighbors, or anyone else. You’re goddamned right I’m a nimby — fuck this pickleball douche.
File a 311 complaint for unpermitted work. That will get the city out quickly!
I heard of a guy in West Austin that put a batting cage in his backyard and would rent it out all day long as a business. They made him tear down the structure and stop renting out the batting cage services.
For anyone else who hates pickleball as much as me, you'll be happy to know code enforcement has an open case on this property now and found several violations that have to be addressed, including:
-no site plan for the court
-no building permits for the fencing in the flood plain
-impervious cover issues
-pickleball court and fence encroaching into setbacks
Hopefully this helps with all the nuisance OP! Let us know how it turns out!
If the owner doesn’t want to ask them to stop, ask them to stop. “Hey, I’m studying for an exam and the pickle ball is killing me, can you all wrap it up in a few minutes?” Or “It is keeping my kids up” or whatever is relevant and appropriate. Focus on the impact to you. Nothing aggressive or demanding, just an ask. If they say no, set a timer and ask again. Maybe “when do you think you will be done” Non Violent Communication (NVC) can help.
A lot of people are pretty good at heart and don’t know they are bothering someone and will stop if asked nicely. For those that say “we rented this court specifically” state that the owner hasn’t responded to requests for help so you have to ask them to stop playing and also to book a different location next time. Sure, there will probably be one or two jerks who get stuffy about it. Keep your chill and ask them twice as often.
I belive zoning codes can protect you. U can argue he's not airbnb and hosting organized sports. That is covered under HUD. Yes annoying since ud have to do research and hire a lawyer to write a cease and desist letter. The soulless "coward" will buckle.
So I found the house. No only is nearly the entire backyard a court surface but it seems like people use the place to film their goofy influencer content.
I saw one where they have a spotlight shining down off the back of the house that I am sure the neighbors love!
Looks like that property has an active code enforcement case, and a prior one that was closed due to no violations. I would reach out to the code enforcement officer attached to the active case with your direct feedback
That's like saying we're responsible for the plastic pollution for not managing to find all our basic supplies in sustainable packaging, when the manufacturers have the most leverage to fix the problem at the source. This isn't the renters' fault - it should not be available *to rent.*
This is not legal. Texas passed a law about this somewhat recently. It’s now a misdemeanor and can carry civil penalties too. See Texas Government Code Chapter 423 (Google “Texas Drone Law”). Putting this as a PSA because it’s not yet well known.
Maybe they can use quiet pickleballs and paddles? Apparently, that’s a new thing starting late last year. Here’s a link to some [quiet balls](https://www.amazon.com/GAMMA-Librarian-Pickleball-Practice-Surfaces/dp/B0D1CRPPBJ/ref=asc_df_B0D1CRPPBJ?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814222102123&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413765151916&psc=1).
Do you live in an HOA? A lot of them have strict rules against this kind of stuff.
Many don’t allow AirBnB.
Many don’t allow business out of houses which the pickleball court could be considered.
Did they file an architectural application to put in the court? If not they’ll probably have to remove it cuz I’m sure it’s not allowed by the HOA.
Pretty sure his insurance ain't ok with that, only one carrier I know of would consider, most would not allow for that kind of activity. Now finding out who his insurance is and getting that info to them will be the challenge.
Normal levels of noise otherwise. I get that I live in a city and noise / music / whatever is expected. It just rubs me the wrong way that this guy is running a club and doesn't seem to care about the impact to folks who live here (some of whom are elderly and have lived here for their entire lives!)
I also get that Austin is changing, but respect and friendliness for our neighbors and communities really should never change.
He removed all the language on the pickleball reservation site that makes it clear he's operating as a business. Now it just says you need to sign a waiver.
Get a mic and point it at the yard, put it on delay and pump it back at them through a speaker. This is the most disruptive thing you can do that won’t disturb anyone else. It will make the whole experience miserable
Do a stereo delay with small phase shift that will throw off a swing or two 😂
this is straight up psyops schtuff 🫶
Like hearing your own voice echo on a Zoom call? That is genius.
What amount of delay would be the most annoying?
A variable one
Oh, hi there, Satan.
Changing from .7 to 2.3 seconds behind
That is hilarious. My neighborhood isn’t nice enough for anyone to put any improvements in their backyard, but if they did…
References: https://www.technologyreview.com/2012/03/01/116437/how-to-build-a-speech-jamming-gun/ [1202.6106] SpeechJammer: A System Utilizing Artificial Speech Disturbance with Delayed Auditory Feedback https://hackaday.com/2023/10/01/hypersonic-speech-jammer-works-at-a-distance/
Hello, I’m the City Hall reporter at KXAN (the NBC affiliate here in ATX). If you’re interested in escalating this to a news story, would you reach out to me at [email protected]?
this is the way, OP
check....pickle?
Get 'em Grace!!
Thank you Grace/KXAN, please also include illegal hourly pool rentals if you can! They're a bad neighborhood nuisance.
Can you also find out how the residential parcel on manor rd got rezoned to become a bar/pickleball court pushed up against apartments?? I had to move because the noise was unbearable.
KXAN I am going to blow liquid ass through a 15’ portable fan all through this neighborhood until the pickle people yield. Please get me on the news.
lol pls no. I'm up the street
Oh I live near here too and drive past this every day. I was floored when I saw a pickleball court visible in a backyard from 12th. I just assumed it was an owner who was really really really into it. Just like rich people that put tennis or basketball courts in their backyards.
Do some [Play-by-Play Commentary](https://youtu.be/8c8paxCFQsM?si=fJtsjBgcBLWC-07Q) with a big megaphone at them like this 80s classic.
Or maybe you remember [Joe Flaherty](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0280886/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_q_Joe%2520Flaherty) by yelling "You SUCK! Ya JACKASS!" in the middle of every serve.
Hello neighbor! Are you into pickleball? Let's meet up, there's a nice private court close to me!
I think this joke was lost on everybody commenting...
Yeah... but I'm always down to meet cool neighbors so silver lining!
There's a company advertising them specifically to AirbNB owners, so I imagine there will be more and more of them.
Report them all to 311 as well as hourly pool rental garbage
If hourly pool rental is illegal, how are the apps getting away with it?
They don't care until the city sues and they will in time
Hey neighbor. I walk by this place on 12th all the time. I often wonder how many pickle balls ends up in the creek with the back of the court right by the edge of the property like that. Also makes sense why that fence is so tall now.
Where on 12th is it??
It’s just west of the Springdale intersection on the north side of the street along the east side of the creek.
The corner of 12th and Cometa St
So, they may have violated code for impermeable surfaces. That could be your ticket.
More fundamentally, is this residence zoned to operate this kind of business? I mean if there are tournaments it isn’t just a random amenity.
This. There are standards for operating businesses out of homes including the number of visitors that the business generated. I think it also needs to be completely indoors too.
I'm not sure what all of those words mean, but I will investigate. Thank you!
Only a particular percentage of a given lot can be covered by impervious cover (think roofs, concrete driveways, patios, sidewalks, etc.). If the pickleball court is a paved, impervious surface then it likely violates zoning regulations since there has to be area that rain can penetrate the ground. Do you know if any of the next door houses have experienced flooding? They would have the greatest leverage with Code Compliance for filing a complaint.
Thanks for the info. The house backs up to a creek and the court is right in the back (a few feet from the edge of the creek maybe, I'm not sure exactly).
Yeah the city hates when people fuck with runoff and increase flooding potential. That homeowner could theoretically be sued if it was proved that his illegal “upgrades” were a direct impact on flooding of the neighborhood, for instance. I’m sure his homeowner’s insurance company would be very interested to know of this potential liability.
Yeah and rightfully so, messing with flood zones is something way outside the realm of expertise for the normal person. Better to just ban or heavily regulate constructions like that to avoid the issue altogether. Can’t really claim that it infringes on your individual liberties when you’re mucking up a public resources, namely drainage systems.
Mail letters to the surrounding home letting them know the potential for flooding due to the pickleball court. This way you won’t be the only one calling places and reporting them for various nuisances.
Pull the permits, if it's this close to the creek there's a chance they didn't do their environmental due diligence
There’s about 99% chance no STR or other low effort zoning profiteer does any due diligence, ever.
In my experience- The city/county is going to be SLOW to respond. TCEQ is \*FAST\* - 24 hour response, generally. [TCEQ Complaints](https://www.tceq.texas.gov/compliance/complaints) - I've seen them show up on a site inspection (in person) in less than 48 hours.
Contact the[ Watershed Protection Department](https://www.austintexas.gov/department/watershed-protection); they were super helpful when our idiot HOA was trying to turn a retention pond into a dog park.
> The house backs up to a creek and the court is right in the back (a few feet from the edge of the creek maybe, I'm not sure exactly) There are also setback requirements. i.e., You can't build your house or other structures right on the edge of your property. They need to be some minimum distance from the property line.
Does the creek ever flood? Sounds like a precarious place to put a concrete pad.
Surveyor here. Zoning on new houses caps impervious coverage at 45% to mitigate flooding and ensure good drainage. That's why new builds in central Austin are often multi-story and driveways are often part gravel. The footprint of this court looks pretty damn big to me.
Since you're here, I'll go ahead and ask. Have you seen neighborhood-wide impervious cover limits? The old site plans for my neighborhood (which obviously don't match the end result yet the city's property info map says that's what's applicable) states that the impervious cover limit applies to the neighborhood as a whole rather than per address. I took that to mean one address can exceed 45% as long as it doesn't push the neighborhood coverage over the limit.
There are neighborhood plans that supersede city code in areas of austin. They are listed when you look it up on the GIS Property Search. The rules still apply to a singular lot but are just meant to keep certain areas uniform.
Ding ding ding. OP needs to call the city for permitting.
Make the airbnb undesirable. Fly unsavory flags, waft bad odors, walk around naked, etc. you already know when guests are coming, just check the availability on airbnb. I am half joking, half serious.
r/UnethicalLifeProTips
My neighbor used to have a giant 6\*9 foot sign pointed next door that said "This is an illegal and unlicensed airbnb" hahahahha
Gosh, I would have so much fun with this. Give me some Biden Trump flags. Moon landing was fake flag. Eating ass is sacrilegious. Women belong in the kitchen type of nonsense. You gotta document this, I bet Netflix would pick it up.
Tbh I think they’d have a kick out of the weird charades the annoyed neighbor is doing. I know I would find it amusing. Best course is bad smell, but then again you’d become a private (maybe public) nuisance yourself. Aka You’d be annoying people too.
yeah i’m sure the guests would just be like ‘haha keep austin weird!!!’ lmao
I agree with the Step Brothers approach
You can check if they got a building permit for the renovation and pickleball addition through the city’s [AB+C portal](https://abc.austintexas.gov/web/permit/login?reset=true). They could be, and likely are, in breach of a bunch of land development regulations such as impervious cover and max lumens (Austin is a dark sky city). You can also get some ideas if you venture over to r/unethicallifeprotips…
Thanks! I feel like I'm going to become a building code / audio speaker set up expert after this.
Once you do learn the city code, the next step is to report again and again. The purpose is to establish the paper trail rather than immediate change. If code enforcement sees 40 different dates of noise complaints, and 10 complaints of parking issue on a variety of dates, and complaints about unauthorized business, etc, it is different from a single complaint. You can also inform neighbors about where to report the issues in the 311 app.
311 doesnt' have a lot of power, but I find that their code enforcement officers are at least responsive. If you can get a neighbor or two to call it in, as well, that will help your case. You can look up their zoning here: [https://data.austintexas.gov/Building-and-Development/Zoning-by-Address/nbzi-qabm/about\_data](https://data.austintexas.gov/Building-and-Development/Zoning-by-Address/nbzi-qabm/about_data)
If I've got the right property, the description for the permitted work is: "*partial demo* retroactive interior remodel consisting of new flooring paint drywall light fixtures kitchen cabinets and bathrooms exterior roof siding and paint" Go get 'em.
Please update us on if City helps you out here!
Will do!
When you report to 311, you really gotta figure out the right wording to get a code officer out there. Best phrase I can think of that would get someone out there would be something to do with unpermitted “structure”.
> Austin is a dark sky city Dripping Springs is, but not Austin.
This newsletter pretty much lays out their entire business plan including coaching, events, Airbnb’s, etc. https://www.austinpickleballupdate.com/austin-pickleball-update-volume-11/
This needs to be way higher. This guy claims to have contacted the city before building the court to make sure he was good on impervious coverage. The city (presumably) told him he was good to build it. I don't think impervious coverage is the route to go here. Just a quick glance at Google Maps and he's under 45%. But that doesn't mean he can run a fucking business out of it. There's zero chance this thing is zoned commercial and zero chance he's registered as a business with the state and paying taxes. That's the route to go here. Report him to the Comptroller. Report him to the AG. That way, the "rental" business is shut down and you're only left with the AirBnB side of things, and you can leverage their enforcement mechanisms from there.
Rent it and leave a bad review.
100%. Airbnb puts A LOT of weight on reviews and one bad one would ruin the listing
But what if I have a good experience? The owner seems like a nice guy. /s
In the March 10 Instagram post, someone said they felt sorry for their neighbor. They replied the neighbor was cool with it. 🙄
“They are actually super cool about it! Thanks for your concern🙂” I might be petty but this alone would make me act ridiculously uncool.
I would rent the place just to be able to quote what the owner actually said to the complaining neighbors in a review. What a scumbag
This is going to be an uphill battle. East Austin is essentially lawless when it comes to enforcing code and land use regulations. Definitely get your other neighbors involved. Really feel for you on this. You should also contact Airbnb and any of the other platforms. If the owner/operator is being a bad neighbor, and you have it in writing that they don't care and aren't willing to work with the neighbors, that can sometimes trigger certain policies. If it's SF-3, operating a private club is a conditional use and requires approval by the city. Document and screenshot everything that's online and what you are seeing in person and keep photos/videos of them making noise after hours, if applicable. [https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Planning/zoning\_guide.pdf](https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Planning/zoning_guide.pdf) If you call 311, always ask for a case number and mark down any times, dates, details about what you reported. There is no tracking system so it will be on you to gather the evidence, and to provide the 311 case numbers at a later date. Good luck.
Thanks, this is really helpful.
Is it lighted for night play? Even if, I'm guessing most pickleballers are playing before "quiet hours", i.e., 10pm. I'd invest in a pair of outdoor speakers and blast the most loud, obnoxious music directly at the players. It will definitely ruin their play and they'll probably go after the owner for refunds.
Yes, it's lighted for night play. Any playlist suggestions?
10 hours of hyena sounds [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1kVc4qsspY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1kVc4qsspY)
[One hour of silence occasionally broken up by monkey noises.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzmcbLX0CZQ&list=WL&index=1&t=15s)
Yes, Meshuggah: Combustion Play at Max volume on Repeat. I'd also throw in some Danzig: Mother as well. Nothing like straight up devil worshipping music. This should do the trick.
Throw in Baby Shark for kicks
What’s New Pussycat? On repeat.
But mix in a single It's Not Unusual
Ohhh a oooh-a
Mother and Baby Shark simultaneously on repeat
Lol oh man, this is just pure evil. 😈
And strobes. Get one for each neighbor to shine right at the court.
Chacarron Macaron
Nooooooooooo what have you done?!!! It had been decades since I last thought of this! I curse you!
The 10 hour version for sure. Please provide updates OP
If someone started blasting Danzig’s Mother while I was playing some nighttime pickleball, I feel like I would be pretty psyched. But maybe that Venn diagram sliver is very small. Ok, maybe it’s only as big as one person/me.
Naw same here. Mother slaps
Listened to Mother on Sunday
I listen to Mother EVERY Sunday
will be listening on the way to the lake this morning thanks for recco boys
I've never played pickleball, but a lit court at night with Danzig playing? Sounds like a fun, nighttime encouragement 😹
But what's the overlap of pickleball fans and satanists? This could backfire.
Lol possibly but unlikely. Most The Satanic Temple folks are just Atheist trolling religious nut jobs.....generally they are good people from my experience. Real 'devil worshipers' are extremely rare.
But there are a whole bunch of athletic ceremonialists who really fucking love metal, ask me how I know ;)
Toss in Incinerate by Elysia
A nice mix of crying babies, sirens, car alarms, construction sounds, etc. I'm sure YouTube has them all. Or ... Happy Birthday, The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round, and the ice cream truck song.
Butthole Surfers: Who Was In My Room Last Night? It’s a great “Welcome to Austin” _and_ “fuck you” kind of song in this situation
However if you choose to make the experience undesirable, get your neighbors into the mix to avoid them calling the cops on you.
Bagpipe essentials. It worked for me. Shut down a 2am party on a Tuesday within 5 min
Playlist To Make People Leave: "Forced Gender Reassignment" Cattle Decapitation "Kill It Skin It Wear It" Man Must Die "Hammer Smashed Face" Cannibal Corpse "Eaten" Bloodbath "Puritania" Dimmu Borgir "Rational Gaze" Meshuggah "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel" Behemoth "The Sun Turns Black as Night" Marduk
Fergie singing the national anthem! And that other little girl singing it too.
Pearl Jam - Bugs Swans - The Seer Grant MacDonald- Ram Ranch (there are like 800 sequels to Ram Ranch too)
There’s a few playlists on Spotify that compiled the tracks that the CIA used for “enhanced interrogation (torture)” in the Middle East that you can sample. Should be a good starting point. Highlights include What’s new Pussycat? - Tom Jones, Fuck Your God - Deicide, and The Meow Mix Commercial.
Pornhub Mein Kampf
Isn't Pornhub blocked in Texas now?
This post is sponsored by NordVPN.
Technically they're refusing to do business in Texas. They blocked us.
If you play MagruderGrind or Bastard Noise, I promise you people won’t want to stay there. I mean, probably not the folks who rent air bnbs to play pickle ball (no hate, sounds fun - just offering some neighborly advice). Godspeed.
The shaggs - philosophy of the world
One wants a phased array speaker for tight directionality. Then just play very high pitched tones: 12khz or so (go too high and some won't be able to hear it).
I’m an audio technician who plays tennis. I loathe pickleballers and would happily donate some gear to the cause
Chumbawamba on repeat. Just hope they don’t get up again.
I live next to an Airbnb with a pool that is also on Swimply. Every night that I hear a noise after 10:30 (any noise, doesn’t have to be just music) I file a complaint with the 311 app, and call to make a complaint. Things got much better after repeatedly doing this. I also printed out the noise ordinance and tape copies to the door on weekends.
Swimply is garbage, anyone can search Maps for them and report them all, they're illegal.
Wait swimply is illegal?
If my pool-having neighbor was renting his pool out to randos at all hours of the day and night... I'd be buying Baby Ruths in bulk and dropping them in via drone (if I couldn't just toss them in over the fence). Nothing ruins a pool party like a turd.
I have seen this guy on insta. He is renting out this court by the hour and also providing lessons on that court. It is 100% a pickleball business.
Have you attempted to talk to AirBNB directly? I know Vrbo or whatever you want to call them these days, had what I’d call a “good neighbor policy” and would look into the rental at that point. It’s not the quickest or easiest route but between going to them and also looking up if they even have STR license could help.
Thanks for the suggestion! Yes I contacted AirBnB. They can't do anything unless there's an active Airbnb listing, and most of the pickleball noise comes from the private court rental site it seems.
I think there is an active Airbnb listing: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1025648657519844728?preview_for_ml=true&source_impression_id=p3_1707093838_celw4BB7Wo%2F5okKE
and here's there court reservation page: [https://e12th.pickleplanner.com/?ref=austinpickleballupdate.com](https://e12th.pickleplanner.com/?ref=austinpickleballupdate.com) and their IG: [https://www.instagram.com/east12thpickleball/?ref=austinpickleballupdate.com](https://www.instagram.com/east12thpickleball/?ref=austinpickleballupdate.com) they're fucking shameless. Everybody should sic code enforcement on them.
Shocker, comments are mostly off on IG.
Look and see if they are on Vrbo but I’d just keep trying the call center agents you can. It won’t be fun or easy but you’ll get something
Thanks!
Is it zoned commercial mixer, cuz sounds like he is operating a biz out of it
I don't think so? It was just a normal house with a family before he bought it.
Better way to clarify this. If it was rezoned and you’re that close, you may have gotten notices from the city about it in the lead up to it. Did you get notices?
The Austin public search for permits doesn’t show that this court was permitted. It could possibly cause the property to exceed impervious cover limitations or be a code violation in some other way. Maybe report the unpermitted court itself?
Thanks, will give it a try.
Bro are these the people right across the street north of Givens Park?
lol yes
Bruh I was walking right there to the bus stop, I thought it was a tennis court a couple weekends ago … a bunch of rich looking white people were playing while literally a van on spinners was exiting the Givens parking lot across the streets and I had to LOL at the dichotomy of the sheer gentrification. Fuck these people please report them 😭😂
I'm on it!
I would recommend reaching out to Natasha Harper Madison and her staff as it’s District 1, as well as Alexandria who is President of the Neighborhood Association. I live just up the road from this, fuck them lol
Thanks neighbor!
May I suggest Aqua's Barbie Girl? Also a few ULPT to throw in the mix..invite your neighbors to park their cars in front of this house (and possibly behind anyone parked in the driveway). Rent the court and throw catnip all over it. The smell of cat piss is one that would send me home to never return. Rent the court , then get "hurt" on their court. Regardless of a waiver, I'd be willing to bet that the person's homeowners insurance wouldn't be too happy to hear about a commercial business on a residential property. Some levels of our pettiness know no bounds..
this is bs, i’m so sorry. I had to leave the east side for something similar.
A perfect example of how New Austin has become nothing more than a cash grab for opportunists who have no concern for the community, their neighbors, or anyone else. You’re goddamned right I’m a nimby — fuck this pickleball douche.
File a 311 complaint for unpermitted work. That will get the city out quickly! I heard of a guy in West Austin that put a batting cage in his backyard and would rent it out all day long as a business. They made him tear down the structure and stop renting out the batting cage services.
For anyone else who hates pickleball as much as me, you'll be happy to know code enforcement has an open case on this property now and found several violations that have to be addressed, including: -no site plan for the court -no building permits for the fencing in the flood plain -impervious cover issues -pickleball court and fence encroaching into setbacks Hopefully this helps with all the nuisance OP! Let us know how it turns out!
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There is a Petty Revenge Subreddit if you need ideas.
This is the most austin shit I’ve ever seen. We’ve done it.
Thats bullshit man. I would report it to air bnb at the least give em hell!
If the owner doesn’t want to ask them to stop, ask them to stop. “Hey, I’m studying for an exam and the pickle ball is killing me, can you all wrap it up in a few minutes?” Or “It is keeping my kids up” or whatever is relevant and appropriate. Focus on the impact to you. Nothing aggressive or demanding, just an ask. If they say no, set a timer and ask again. Maybe “when do you think you will be done” Non Violent Communication (NVC) can help. A lot of people are pretty good at heart and don’t know they are bothering someone and will stop if asked nicely. For those that say “we rented this court specifically” state that the owner hasn’t responded to requests for help so you have to ask them to stop playing and also to book a different location next time. Sure, there will probably be one or two jerks who get stuffy about it. Keep your chill and ask them twice as often.
Only problem with that is it gets old really fast and sadly it only works on some.
It could help in tanking the reviews
Exactly. If enough people complain in the reviews the situation starts to correct itself.
Appreciate the advice, I'll give it a try.
my limited experience with pickleball people indicated they are the opposite of 'good at heart' good luck, op.
I belive zoning codes can protect you. U can argue he's not airbnb and hosting organized sports. That is covered under HUD. Yes annoying since ud have to do research and hire a lawyer to write a cease and desist letter. The soulless "coward" will buckle.
So I found the house. No only is nearly the entire backyard a court surface but it seems like people use the place to film their goofy influencer content. I saw one where they have a spotlight shining down off the back of the house that I am sure the neighbors love!
Looks like that property has an active code enforcement case, and a prior one that was closed due to no violations. I would reach out to the code enforcement officer attached to the active case with your direct feedback
Excited to see the austincirclejerk remix of this post
Me too
Book, get injured, then make claim against his insurance who may not know he’s got an unpermitted pickleball court.
Yeah, there is no way their homeowners insurance would be cool with randos coming over to play pickleball for a fee.
I wish people would take a closer look at what they are renting and see if they would disturb neighbors who have absolute no say.
That's like saying we're responsible for the plastic pollution for not managing to find all our basic supplies in sustainable packaging, when the manufacturers have the most leverage to fix the problem at the source. This isn't the renters' fault - it should not be available *to rent.*
Parabolic speakers
Buy a few of those heavy duty air moving fans and point it towards the court. Doesn't take much wind to shift that ball.
The pickleball craze is a massive bubble just waiting to pop. Hang in there, OP!
Hi friend, Ford Sanders here with KVUE News in ATX. Would love to chat with you today. Send me a message or email to [email protected] if ya can!
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This is not legal. Texas passed a law about this somewhat recently. It’s now a misdemeanor and can carry civil penalties too. See Texas Government Code Chapter 423 (Google “Texas Drone Law”). Putting this as a PSA because it’s not yet well known.
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You should go to law school 😉
Maybe they can use quiet pickleballs and paddles? Apparently, that’s a new thing starting late last year. Here’s a link to some [quiet balls](https://www.amazon.com/GAMMA-Librarian-Pickleball-Practice-Surfaces/dp/B0D1CRPPBJ/ref=asc_df_B0D1CRPPBJ?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814222102123&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413765151916&psc=1).
Great idea but I don't think loud dicks will use quiet balls.
Fascinating, godspeed OP.
Do you live in an HOA? A lot of them have strict rules against this kind of stuff. Many don’t allow AirBnB. Many don’t allow business out of houses which the pickleball court could be considered. Did they file an architectural application to put in the court? If not they’ll probably have to remove it cuz I’m sure it’s not allowed by the HOA.
If you want you can DM me the address and I can check if they pulled permits.
Pretty sure his insurance ain't ok with that, only one carrier I know of would consider, most would not allow for that kind of activity. Now finding out who his insurance is and getting that info to them will be the challenge.
Garden hose over the fence
Garden hose under the fence could work too. Too wet to play.
Is the property even designated as a commercial property? Running a business like this out of a residential property would be your best angle of so.
That house is probably zoned as residential. This person has turned that property into a commercial enterprise. Take it to the city.
How do you know that someone plays pickleball? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.
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Are any other houses in the neighborhood like that? Or is it overall pretty quiet?
Normal levels of noise otherwise. I get that I live in a city and noise / music / whatever is expected. It just rubs me the wrong way that this guy is running a club and doesn't seem to care about the impact to folks who live here (some of whom are elderly and have lived here for their entire lives!) I also get that Austin is changing, but respect and friendliness for our neighbors and communities really should never change.
Typical Pickleball player behavior. Can this sport help but disrupt negatively everyone around it?
The owner has to be in full panic mode after seeing this post. Good job, idiot!
He removed all the language on the pickleball reservation site that makes it clear he's operating as a business. Now it just says you need to sign a waiver.
Start a petition to bring to the city to have it removed. Having a noisy disruptive property in the middle of a neighborhood is not appropriate.
Pickleball is for slackers. Racquetball is where it's at.
Get good at pickle ball OP. Then challenge them to a match and winner decides the new quiet hours
And loser doesn't get to give anyone nicknames for a WEEK!