North Bay business ordered to stop blasting music overnight after homeless man files lawsuit

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (KGO) -- In the North Bay, a legal victory for an unhoused man in Marin County. Bruce Gaylord lives in a homeless encampment. He sued a local tire shop, to stop blasting loud music during overnight hours. Residents believe it was a way to get people to leave the camp. Friday, a judge granted Gaylord an injunction to stop the music.

Earlier this year, the sound of classical music was blasting from a security camera pole, in the direction of a San Rafael homeless encampment where Bruce Gaylord lives. Gaylord said decibel levels were too high to sleep.

"The first night I got half a night's sleep, the next two nights I couldn't sleep and wound up in the hospital," said Gaylord.

The sound was coming from nearby East Bay Tire shop. Some believe it was a way to get people to leave the encampment.

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Gaylord went to court in May and was granted a temporary restraining order to stop the music and on Friday, a Marin Superior Court judge granted Gaylord's request for injunction until a trial date.

The judge's order says, "defendants are not to play music from any speaker or sound system outside their store between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.."

"It means business owners cannot break the law to harass unhoused people in Marin," said unhoused advocate, Robbie Powelson.

East Bay Tire declined to speak to ABC7 News on Friday but told us last May the sound machine was a way to deter activity which spills over from the camp from illegal drug use to prostitution.

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Managers said the music was not intended to drive out camp residents, instead it was about keeping employees safe.

"We have guys that get here early in the morning, technicians show up at 3 a.m. - they're all alone," said East Bay Tire assistant manager, Robbie Derho.

In the wake of Governor Gavin Newsom's executive order directing state agencies to clear homeless camps, it's unclear what the future of this camp and others will be.

For now, Bruce Gaylord says he's staying here, looking forward to some quiet nights ahead.

"I appreciate what the judge did," said Gaylord.