I'm sorry you have severe migraines. I would think you would have some compassion for others with handicaps. Repeatedly referring to your neighbor as the OCD husband and OCD neighbor shows your bias against his physical/mental handicap.

I cannot recommend you make lawyers any richer. First, if you live in a city find out what the noise regulations are, but don't be surprised if during the day there are no restrictions on noise. As to noise, it may be the pitch of the noise rather than the loudness. Here are decibel ratings for General Noise and for Power Tool Noise. Power tools are loud, but noise with a higher pitch may be more annoying to you than one with greater decibels.

I see no reason you cannot build a stone fence, though it is quite possible you would need a permit. The requirement for permits varies from place to place, but since you are already at odds with your neighbor make sure there is no reason for him to file a complaint. I also think you should hire a mason to build this wall so it comes out level, plumb and sturdy. Solid masonry is best for stopping sound. Thick foliage (bamboo) is also helpful to dull noise.

I am disabled overall and am a disability advocate. I do not use my disability to hurt other people. I am an extremely compassionate person. I just asked for advice, not criticism. It seems like this website brings out critics, not always just advice. So please everyone, give me advice. My neighbor needs help, and I have told him so. I have been in psychotherapy for many years, and I do not bother other people with my disabilities. Thank your for the part of your comments that help the situation that I asked for that seeks advice for a reasonable solution. I also looked at websites that deal with how OCD people deal with their problems in their gardens and deal with neighbors who stare at them. That is ridiculous. I do not stare at him. I understand that he has rituals he needs to have, as does my daughter to a small degree. So again, please be kind to one another.

I sympathize with your distress, but design-wise, a 7 foot tall stone or masonry fence seems pretty high for a typical backyard. And if you're planning it to be say, 7 foot tall and a straight 14 foot run, it seems unwieldy -- like it could tip over easily.

If you posted a picture or two of your yard and the area perhaps someone could suggest a few alternative solutions. Just off the top of my head, wood fence with trellis topper and vines for sightlines and your own cascading water feature for blocking some of the noise.

As your rights are not greater than your neighbor’s rights (as long as he is within your local laws), my advice is to move your hot tub. Or move (to another house) sooner than later.

IMO this is always an issue in city lots and no you do not have a legal right to make him do anything on his property and BTW why on earth did you put the hot tub there at all. What he does on his property is his business unless he does something illegal and none of what you complain about is illegal and IMO you do not have to disclose your irritations to future buyers either . So I have never heard of that being an issue for selling it is not something like an issue with your house and maybe the next guy just lets people live and let live.

Someone in my former neighborhood had a solid fence that was covered in stucco, not stone. I think the cladding choice would depend on the style of your house, but I wouldn't go any higher than 6'. I don't know how much noise abatement that will result in either, so maybe you should keep your expectations reasonable. It may not make enough of a difference to be worthwhile although it would definitely make a difference in terms of reducing sightlines.

I second the comment about having your lot line surveyed first. We replaced an existing fence on a property when it was old, putting it exactly where the old one had been. Right when we listed our house our next door neighbors decided they wanted to change the placement of their driveway and had the lot line surveyed. We then found out our fence did not follow the lot line and it caused turmoil around the settlement with the people who bought our house. If all parties hadn't been reasonable the sale would probably have fallen through.

So far thank you for all the comments. There is a huge back store which I will not go into. The neighbors have made noise for years so this is the tip of the ice berg. And the prior neighbors over 18 years ago made a noise complaint. It has been an issue for a long time. I appreciate most of the comments greatly.

The hot tub was already here 18 years ago when we moved in. It is on an already existing cement hot tub pad. Also, if you read my post carefully, and I will double-check myself, my neighbor had to get a permit to build a large, new shed during the pandemic in 2020. So he built this shed near our hot tub, not the other way around. The shed is definitely big enough to put his tools in the shed. Again, please only advice about how to have a reasonable solution to the problem. I am reporting as abusive or inappropriate comments for those who blame me. I am only asking for advice. This is not a place to blame the original poster (OP). The city has already said that it IS a civil issue.

I am related to a married couple who has one person with migraines and another with OCD. So very sorry about the migraines you have. I would consider the stone wall with a horizontal trellis atop and an evergreen vine on it. I don't know where you live and that may not be as option for you. Make sure you have a survey first. Good luck whatever you decide.

I think a stone wall could be lovely. It could be like a courtyard. Sometimes people make bad neighbors, sorry about your luck.

I would worry about the stability of a 7ft stone wall.

You report comments on here you don’t like, so I can only imagine what living next door to you is like.

Not sure about the space you have around your hot tub but wondering if it could be enclosed in some way instead of doing a wall? I’ve seen glass ones that are nice. The next owner may not care to have a hot tub, one never knows.