From Basketball Court to Court of Law: It’s No Game



Michael Rubin and Kenneth Schild are both attorneys, who just happen to be neighbors in the city of Encino, Calif. In 1990, their families had been sniping at each other with lawsuits, countersuits, restraining orders, and other legal remedies in a conflict that moved from the Schild’s backyard basketball court to the Los Angles Superior Court. The Rubins complained that noise from the Schild’s children playing basketball had kept them from their weekend afternoon naps. In an effort to keep the peace, the Schilds installed a rubber backing to the basketball post, hoping to abate the noise. While the Rubins admitted that it had diminished, they still weren’t happy with the resolution, and that’s how the first lawsuit got filed. In the end, the court sided with the Schilds, saying that reasonable people can expect “some inconveniences and annoyances from neighbors.” The case was dismissed, with both attorneys required to bear their own attorney fees. Both appealed the court’s decision and both appeals were denied as frivolous.