The first sounds of spring: lawnmowers

They are inescapable signs of spring.

Blooming trees and flowers create a sea of color -- and pollen.

Outdoor exercise becomes more popular again.

And someone down the street fires up the lawn mower at unspeakable hours.

How bad could it be?

Police got a call for a homeowner cutting the grass with a power mower yesterday at 6:25 a.m. in South Richmond.

On Friday, someone in the city's Carytown neighborhood prompted a call to police for using a leaf blower at 6:45 a.m.

Such noisy practices, in addition to demonstrating bad neighborly form, are illegal.

The city of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico all have sections of their code that address noise pollution in general and specific activities that generate noise.

Noise related to lawn-care activities falls under general sections that all four localities have written in their codes to limit unreasonably disturbing sounds.

But the jurisdictions vary in other areas.

Take garbage trucks, for example. Chesterfield says trash trucks cannot create "loud and excessive noise in residential areas" before 5 a.m., while Hanover bans the collection of trash in residential districts between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Henrico and Richmond don't specifically address hours for garbage trucks.

All four localities set hours prohibiting loud music. In Richmond, Chesterfield and Henrico, it's midnight to 7 a.m., and in Hanover, it's 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Hanover's code even lists animals that can be in violation of its noise ordinances, saying a guilty party could be one "which frequently or habitually howls, barks, meows, squawks or makes such other noise as is plainly audible across property boundaries or through partitions common to two residences within a building."

Regardless of whether a noise complaint falls under a general ordinance or a specific prohibition, common sense should prevail, said Henrico police Lt. Doug Perry.

"We try to work with people," he said. "We would probably go and give them one warning and say, 'Look, we had a complaint about you doing whatever.' If they didn't continue the noise, then we wouldn't charge them."

The local codes come with provisions allowing for fines of up to $1,000 per daily violation.

Virginia law also covers certain types of noise pollution.

Either way, it could make being a neighbor an expensive proposition.

Contact Joe Macenka at (804) 649-6804 or .