Boise Pickleball Noise Lawsuit Dispute: A Boise couple has filed a lawsuit against the City of Boise, claiming that noise from nearby pickleball courts has ruined their peace at home. On June 9, 2024, Patrick Dougherty and Kathleen M. Romito sued the city over the “relentless” sounds coming from courts next to their property on River Path Lane near the Willow Lane Athletic Complex.
The couple has lived in their home since 2013 and made major renovations to help Patrick Dougherty, who uses a wheelchair after a motorcycle accident. According to Idaho’s court records, the City of Boise had not yet been served with the lawsuit by June 30. The six pickleball courts were built over old tennis courts between 2017 and 2018.
Noise Complaints and Lawsuit Claims
The lawsuit states that the courts bring too many players, loud music, and rude language. The couple described the noise as “a relentless and chaotic auditory assault.” The filing explained that pickleball makes louder sounds than tennis because it uses hard paddles and plastic balls. “This combination creates a sharp, high-pitched, percussive ‘pop’ with every strike that is approximately 20 decibels louder than tennis impacts,” the complaint said.
The couple is asking the court to declare the courts a nuisance, order their closure, and award damages. They also want the city to pay for their legal costs. Their claims include public nuisance, private nuisance, negligence, and emotional distress.
Years of Complaints and City Actions
Dougherty and Romito said the noise affects their time indoors and outside. It interrupts relaxation and work. They claim to hear pickleball sounds even when no one is playing, sometimes waking them at night. “As a result of the city’s negligent and intentional actions, (the couple has) sustained and continue to sustain both physical and psychological injuries as well as substantial pain and suffering, and emotional distress,” the lawsuit stated.
Kathleen M. Romito has experienced serious symptoms, including panic attacks and nightmares. The couple first emailed Mayor Lauren McLean and Parks and Recreation Director Doug Holloway in June 2020. They later took part in more than 50 emails, calls, and meetings to get help. From 2020 to 2024, they often tried to stop players from using the courts after hours. According to the filing, they were “frequently subject to vulgar language and hostility.”
In June 2024, the Boise Police Department told them it would stop helping enforce hours. Later, the city shortened play hours and locked the courts earlier. Even then, players climbed over fences to play. The city put up signs asking for quieter paddles and installed sound barriers, but the couple said, “the noise has remained at intolerable levels.”
In one incident, the zip ties holding up noise barriers were cut, and “a pickleball was placed against the threshold of their backdoor.” The couple said they had to install security cameras to protect themselves. “(The couple) now live with constant anxiety about their vulnerability to harassment, intimidation and retaliation,” the lawsuit said. “The city is fully aware of these incidents yet has done nothing to protect (the couple) or address the hostile environment it has created.”
Efforts to Move the Courts
In August 2024, Dougherty and Romito met with Boise City Council Member Jimmy Hallyburton and Doug Holloway. They shared a petition signed by 25 neighbors asking for the courts to be moved. The couple wanted a clear date when pickleball would stop at that location. They suggested closing the courts by spring 2025.
By October 2024, Boise Parks and Recreation offered a pilot program limiting pickleball to weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The couple turned down the offer. “(Dougherty and Romito) declined the proposal not only because it failed to address the core noise issues, but also because they were concerned it would provoke further harassment or retaliation from the more aggressive segment of players, those who typically play after work or school, who had already demonstrated hostility,” the filing said. The couple also said this plan was unfair to adults and students who play in the evenings.
Later, they suggested closing the courts to pickleball by December 2025 to give the city time to build new courts elsewhere. That idea was rejected in November 2024.
The case shows the ongoing struggle between pickleball’s growth and neighbors’ rights to quiet living. The court’s decision could set a new standard for how cities handle complaints about this fast-growing sport.
News in Brief: Boise Pickleball Noise Lawsuit Dispute
Patrick Dougherty and Kathleen M. Romito sued the City of Boise, saying pickleball noise near their home has caused stress and health issues. The couple asked for the courts to close and damages paid. They tried for years to work with the city but say nothing solved the problem.
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