Methuen resident sues city over pickleball noise

After repeatedly complaining to city officials about the noise from nearby pickleball courts, a Methuen resident is suing the city in an attempt to stop the sport from being played at those courts. 

The resident, Stephen Tarquinio, lives on Sycamore Road. The repeated “popping” noises from the pickleball courts at Methuen High School have negatively impacted Tarquinio’s life to the point where he and his family can no longer enjoy their own property, he wrote in court documents. 

Tarquinio filed a complaint in Essex Superior Court earlier this month, alongside affidavits from multiple neighbors voicing similar concerns with the pickleball courts. 

The city has failed to properly enforce the rules about when the courts can be used, and noise mitigation barriers installed by the city have not done anything to decrease the sounds, according to Tarquinio. Last month, the city began requiring that players use “quiet paddles” on three of the six courts, but Tarquinio says this has done little to fix the problem.

“I miss enjoying the things I love to do, such as playing catch with my kids out in our yard or sitting and talking with my wife outside. I find myself feeling noticeably more agitated now. I am short with my wife. We fight more often, and I feel stressed out about living in my house,” Tarquinio wrote in an affidavit. 

Methuen Mayor D.J. Beauregard’s office did not return a recent request for comment. 

Three dilapidated tennis courts were replaced with six new pickleball courts at Methuen High, which is situated behind Tarquinio’s home. They opened to the public in the spring of 2025, with players able to use the courts on weekday afternoons and weekends. Tarquinio has filed complaints with the city since the courts opened, but expanded summer hours this year have made the problem more persistent, he wrote. 

Tarquinio and his family are regularly woken up by the pickleball noises and actively avoid using their outdoor space until the courts close for the day, he wrote. 

Tarquinio referenced an incident where he and his wife confronted teenage players using the courts after they were supposed to be closed, leading to a heated confrontation. They allege the teens retaliated later that night by “speeding and honking” through the neighborhood.

The family has installed extra security cameras on their property. Tarquinio’s wife, Jennifer, wrote in an affidavit that she has “become fearful of retaliation and harassment related to this issue.” 

Tarquinio has started to hear “phantom pops” even when no one is using the courts, according to the complaint. 

In attached affidavits, four other residents of Sycamore Road said that their quality of life has been negatively affected by the pickleball courts. 

“Our mental health has suffered greatly since the pickleball courts opened,” resident Christine Fritz wrote. 

As pickleball has grown in popularity in recent years, so too have public debates over the loud noises the sport generates. In Mashpee, years of complaints recently resulted in a new rule requiring the use of special muted balls. But backlash to that rule is now roiling the community further. 

Tarquinio cited the actions of officials in Kittery, Maine. Leaders there voted to close outdoor pickleball courts earlier this year after residents living nearby lodged multiple complaints.