Don't necessarily go by what "City Hall" says. If they're online,read the noise statutes for your jurisdiction, or go to city hall and read them if need be. Also you say "we" as in plural neighbors. Are you sure y'all are pretty unified on this issue? Just curious...
Hey we have a guy just like that where I live...well, 2 or 3 of 'em, actually. Sheesh...good luck

We have a generator and it tests itself once a week for about 5 minutes. Luckily we currently live on 9 acres so the noise doesn't bother the neighbors. (That I no of.)

Maybe it's time to get REAL friendly with the neighbor, so that they'll offer you a comfortable place when the electricity goes out again.

I have been hearing predictions Florida is going to have another hurricane heavy summer. Have you thought about putting one in too? That rumbling is music to my ears when the electricity goes out.

Jerri

joules... if his house is about 7,000 square feet, and since he has so much money, I'd assume he didn't build in the midst of 1100 sq. ft. concrete shacks like where I live, so you must be pretty close. Is your beef that you don't have the whole house generator?

Generators are necessary.. most in my dinky neighborhood have the noisy ones too, but it keeps our refrigerators running.

If you just can't afford a 'whole house', go get a good big one and buy the kit that lets you tie in with the whole house... under $500 at Sears, generator excluded.

I'm surprised there wasn't a noise barrier of some kind installed with the generator.