# Church Bells throughout the night



## Maggy Crawford

Our church has recently purchased a new, very loud church bell system. At first it sounded every quarter hour, then every hour and half hour from 06:30 to 23:00. Now it is ringing every half hour all through the night. There is an intro and then the bells. Sleeping is difficult even with earplugs and windows closed. Is this legal? I seem to remember reading somewhere on this site that it is illegal.


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## canoeman

Supposed to have stopped from either 23:00 or 24:00 till 06:00, not certain it's illegal though, need to be very diplomatic handling it though


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## paramonte

I am PT (and Catholic for that matter) and find this procedure of church bells during the night (or during the day in residentail areas) abusive. Besides being disruptive it is also not very proper in a multicultural society as the PT actually is.

I would gather a group of discontent people in your area and complain to the Priest first. Then his Bishop. 

There is a "lei do ruído" (noise law) that proihibits noise after certain hours, and the complain is made to the GNR (sounds arsh, so firstly complain to the parish).


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## afrique

Hi Maggie
We had this problem for two long noisy years. We tried to talk to the people in the village and they said 'why buy a house next to a Church, if you don't like the sound'? So we approached the Padre and that did nothing, if anything it seemed to get louder. I wouldn't have been too bothered if it wasn't for the fact the tannoy was distorted and it went off every 15 minutes night and day, 8 metres from my pillow. 
We offered to pay to have it fixed and a timer set, they said '1500.00 Euros and a long drive as the only guy that can do that lives a long way'. It was one neighbour really in a village of about 40 who was making a stand to keep it on and she lived at the bottom of the hill anyway.
In the end we found out all of the neighbours at the top of the hill hated the thing , so we approached the Bishop. We wrote him a nice letter and followed it with a phone call. He said he was sick and tired of these villages and this issue as it is against the law and he keeps telling them. He even told us of local churches who have had their bell wires cut! 
Anyway, it took another month but we now sleep peacefully at night and hear crickets instead of Westminster chimes. We wrote anonymously, but that lasted 5 minutes, and since it is known it was us that complained, we have had thanks from our neighbors, but the funniest thing is the woman is raising money for a new tannoy and timer and is supposed to be coming to us for a donation, as of yet no one has donated anything. Write to your local Bishop it is against the law after a certain time at night. Sorry to be so long winded but this was really a big issue for us too.


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## Maggy Crawford

Thank you afrique for that advice and the very entertaining story. Last night they ground to a spectacular halt at about 4 a.m. (maybe someone was sabotaging them) and we haven't heard them since this morning. This has happened on a number of occasions and somehow they always get started again. Where are you from in South Africa? We have been going there every year since 1995 and now spend January to March near Hermanus in Western Cape which we absolutely love. It shortens the winter away from cold, damp Central Portugal.


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## paramonte

As a Pt my advise to afrique would be:

When the church lady visits you present her with a printed copy of the noise law (Dec. Lei 9/2007) which you can finf in the link below. Also ask her if she prefers to deal with the legalities herself, or if she has as lawyer. Offer to get her a ride to the Court (Tribunal) when the court sessions will take place. The word "tribunal" itself will have some effect. 

The law is by your side.

law link: http://dre.pt/pdf1sdip/2007/01/01200/03890398.pdf


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## Maggy Crawford

Hellp Paramonte
Thank you for that and I am printing off the law to read also.


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## Maggy Crawford

Hello again paramonte
I have printed off the law. Can you advise what section I should point out to the local authorities when I go to see them? The bells have been fixed and are going all night.


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## Maggy Crawford

Update. I had occasion to meet our new president on Saturday and he was very sympathetic about the problem, especially when I cited the law. Hopefully it worked because last night (Sunday) the last chiming was at 10 pm and the first this morning at 7 am. Keeping our fingers crossed.


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