WABC CHANNEL 7 EYEWITNESS NEWS

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR: November 1993

Reported by Diana Williams

In a city where apartment walls sometimes seem like they're made of tissue paper, noise from next door or above can cause a battle between neighbors.

Tenant-"People are in your face all day long, you know, you want to come home and be able to relax. At least, I did. And to not be able to do that drove me crazy."

What drove Pia Davis crazy was the noise from her neighbor's TV. She pounded on the walls, wrote letters, and even complained face to face. But for several years, there was no relief.

Tenant-"It was just so frustrating, I really wanted to move."

Then Pia hired a noise expert. With a sound analyzer, he pinpointed the problem and found a simple solution, by modifying the speakers on her neighbors TV.

Fierstein- " By aiming the sound where it was supposed to go, that listener up there got clearer, more distinct, more intelligible sound, better enjoyment, while the person below had less spillover sound."

It was a quick fix, but cost Pia $500, money she says was well spent.