BOSTON — Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn said his office is getting hundreds of complaints a week for loud parties in South Boston, and he’s hoping to do something about it.
“It’s inconsiderate, and we want to fine the landlords for this outrageous and disrespectful behavior for their tenants,” Flynn said.
Flynn is proposing new fines to crack down on loud parties in the area, and he said the landlords should hold their tenants responsible for disturbing their neighbors.
“It’s about treating your neighbor with respect, you don’t know if your neighbor next door to you is an elderly person that needs his or her sleep or a child that needs to get up to school in the morning or a person with a disability,” Flynn said.
Flynn said they’d like to hand out a $1,000 fine for the first offense for a loud party, $2,000 for the second offense and $3,000 for the third.
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“A written warning is always the first rule I think that would strike the fear in anyone hosting a large party like that,” said Nick Burke, who lives in Southie. “If they have one, there’s always that rule […] fool me once shame on you, fool twice shame on me, so $1,000 fine is not the right way to go at it.”
Some residents of South Boston disagree with the hefty fine proposal and said those gatherings should be allowed as the pandemic ends. But Flynn said big fines may be necessary to get people to listen.
“They are excessive, but they are needed because this outrageous behavior of people that are partying needs to stop and it needs to stop now,” Flynn said.
Flynn said he and Councilor Mike Flaherty will propose these fines at a hearing this week and hopes this comes up for a vote soon.