property
Second-home owner in south-west France sues commune over loud church bell
Owner said bell was so loud ‘she could not enjoy an apéro’ on her terrace
The owner of a second home in south-west France has launched an ultimately failed legal complaint against the local authorities and a chapel over the ringing of a church bell.
The plaintiff said the bell of Sainte-Thérèse chapel in Capbreton (Landes) is too loud from the terrace of her home, which is a holiday property.
“I stay there in the summer and visit regularly,” she told media outlet Sud Ouest, “but because of this, I can't imagine renting it out year-round. You can't even have an apéro outside.”
She says the bell rings 21 times, making noise for at least 90 seconds each time and therefore impossible to ignore the chimes.
It is the latest in a number of complaints caused by loud church bells in France, including in Haute-Savoie where a retired couple said they were kept up by a church bell ringing 100 times per night.
House purchased during renovation
The owner purchased her home in 2019, while the chapel was undergoing renovations and its bell had lain dormant for several years.
Following completion of works however, the bell began to ring again in 2020.
Several people in the commune were initially frustrated, bringing their arguments to the local mairie and diocese.
An agreement was reached, with the chapel delaying its first peals until 12:00, and ringing them at 19:00.
The number of times the bell would chime each time was also halved.
Other homeowners were satisfied, but the second-home owner persisted.
“They all backed down; no one wanted to file a formal complaint. I went ahead on my own,” she said.
Legal complaint fails
Subsequently, she asked for a noise-muffling device on the bell to reduce the noise, which the diocese refused, citing high expenses for a single complaint.
She ultimately took the local authorities to court, using a local bailiff (huissier) to conduct a reading of the noise.
Measurements found that the noise of the bell on her terrace was indeed above legal limits – leading her to sue the commune.
However, her complaint was thrown out by the Administrative court at Pau, as she was not a permanent resident and therefore could not be directly affected. She was also required to pay €1,500 in legal fees to the commune.
Neighbours appeared to side with the local court, with one saying “the chapel was there before this lady. When you decide to live next to a chapel, you know there might be ringing.”
