I really would have liked to see a lawyer comment on this one.
First of all, just because a neighbor says something is to loud does not make it so....
If it was a shared wall and the neighbors heard, was right against a shared wall where you where working on the project then the sound could appear to be a lot louder then it truly was..... There is a word expectancy of reasonability. Was it really that loud? If he heard it because you left the window or door open. You should have closed it. Also there are two things you should be aware of**************
California code 415
DISTURBING THE PEACE
Any of the following persons shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not more than 90 days, a fine of not more than four hundred dollars ($400), or both such imprisonment and fine:
1. Any person who unlawfully fights in a public place or challenges another person in a public place to fight.
2. Any person who maliciously and willfully disturbs another person by loud and unreasonable noise.
3. Any person who uses offensive words in a public place which are inherently likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction.
Number 2 is the closest to what you did. But you were not being malicious or willful. As far as unreasonable, only you and your neighbor knows the truth. Now on citizens arrest in California. Unless you did this on public property or you were committing a felony (which last time I checked fixing glass was not a felony) citizen's arrest are not exceptionable.
Last time I checked disturbing the peace was not a felony. Oh by the way you can sue for false arrest.
You should have thought about how loud the work was and the time. But your neighbor sounds like a jerk. Any DA worth his pay check would not waste his time.
I am not a lawyer, but I researched this because I had a similar situation. It is a shame you have a nasty neighbor.
Knowledge Base: Citizen's Arrest
California Penal Code PEN Section 837
Citizens arrest only if it is a felony
California Penal Code mandates:
A private person may arrest another: 1. For a public offense committed or attempted in his presence. 2. When the person arrested has committed a felony, although not in his presence. 3. When a felony has been in fact committed, and he has reasonable cause for believing the person arrested to have committed it. (C.P.C. 837).
CITIZEN'S ARREST - from Study Guide
A citizen's arrest is a formal arrest by a citizen has no official government authority to make such an arrest as an agent of the government. The California Penal Code gives any citizen the right to make a citizen's arrest of another citizen in three alternative situations:
1. A public offense was committed or attempted in the citizen's presence.
2. The person arrested has committed a felony, although not in the citizen's presence.
3. A felony has been in fact committed and the citizen has reasonable cause for believing the person arrested has committed it.
Why do we need a statute like this? Why do we need a "citizen's arrest"? Well, as the crime rate goes up, it becomes more and more important that good citizens come to the aid of one another in distress. Without such a statute, only government agents, such as police, would have the authority to stop a felon in progress. By creating the "citizen's arrest" statute we give ordinary citizens the authority to hold another citizen without fear of being sued for false imprisonment. Without the statute, the citizen who interfered in criminal activity would risk such a lawsuit.
Even with such a statute, the citizen still risks being sued if he/she is wrong on his assessment of the situation. Notice that the statute requires that the "public offense" be in the citizen's presence, or that the person arrested have committed a "felony," that is, a crime punishable by one year or more in state prison. Do you know which crimes are punishable by one or more years in state prison? Can you be absolutely sure the person you are arresting is the one who committed the offense? What if there were three people involved? Can you be sure which one is the one you should arrest? At the very least, a defense lawyer is going to argue that the requirements for citizen's arrest were not met and that the arrest, and any consequent seizure of contraband, were illegal.