Allyson, maybe if you sent a letter to your building mates?

Something like...

"Dear fellow residents of [Allyson's address]",

Recently I celebrated receiving the proofs of m first book. I was too loud and it went too late. I'm sorry for this imposition on you. As a consequence, the landlord has imposed extremely restrictive rules about using the back yard/common area.

Would it be sufficient to limit use of the common area to 9pm to 9am? Or is there a particular time frame that works for you? I do like to use the common area for quieter pursuits (like morning coffee, or writing) and prefer that it were not off limits before 11am. Please let me know what works best for you by leaving a note at my apartment [Allyson's #] or sending an email if that's more convenient to you.

Perhaps we could find a compromise that I can forward to the landlord. Again, I apologize for inconveniencing you.

Sincerely,

Hot babe with fantastic hair."

Just run off copies and tape them to doors.

I think that's a lovely idea. Totally commie and undermining a despot landlord covering his ass (this is the dude who let your bathroom be flooded, right?) , which is a lovely idea.

What burns me most is that we've spent upwards of a grand renovating the patio area, and that was divided by six people.

OK, this makes the landlord's actions seem more arbitrary and unfair.

I have no advice on the porch situation. But others' advice sounds sane.

I do have a question: There is this quote I read somewhere

That the first thing to do is to see the big picture, the second to see the tiny detail, and the third is to have both at the same time. Alcohol helps.

Ring any bells?

It might also be that the landlord, given a few days distance from the event, might be more open to relaxing the restrictions. Perhaps the decision to impose the restrictions were made in the heat of the moment....

I know it is not the same sitch, but I never approached neighbors that were being loud before calling - and I called the cops. Granted this was like 2am or later and noise so loud it woke me from a sleep, often times my floor and walls vibrating from bass. I did not know the people in this building and was not about to approach and unknown apartment.

But if it was outdoors noise? Does that make a difference? I called 911 when it sounded like a war was going on underneath me, but when it was people being loud out on the bench, I yelled at them first.

Also, it might not have been the people in the same building who complained--could've been a neighboring building.

Vortex, we certainly would have apologized.

no, I'm saying that you should do it now, after the fact. It might seem like it's too little, too late, but if you can convince them to (or help convince them) to change their mind, it will help that you can say that you've talked to the neighbors.

Also, check your lease, it may have some guidance on your access to the common areas. I mean, that's the point of common, right?

I doubt I'd approach a group of loud possibly drunk folks and ask them to be quiet.

If I knew one of them I'd possibly try talking to him/her, but I'd have to actually know him/her and not in the neighbor-nod way.

(Of course, I AM the recent victim of a vicious baby assault)