A tower block resident threatened to set fire to a noisy neighbour's flat and was told by a JP: "We take this seriously."
Cliff Sims, 41, had a gas blowtorch, paint and two lighters but said they were for his hobby of making model cars, city magistrates heard.
The items were found by police officers who called at Sims' flat nearly nine hours after he phoned a housing officer and said: "Not being funny, I am going to set his flat on fire."
A £170 fine was imposed on Sims who admitted making a menacing call and having cannabis on March 1. He must pay £85 prosecution costs and £30 government tax.
Presiding magistrate Stephen Dowling told him: "I am sure you are aware over recent years of fires in tower blocks.
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"You were enraged and had the means to discharge your threat. If you had not called the housing officer who intervened, who knows what might have happened?"
At that point, Sims interrupted to say: "I was there from 2pm to 11pm."
The magistrate added: "You say in the cold light of day you would never have done it.
"I understand your frustration at your neighbour and the noise but there are a lot of people in these tower blocks. We take this seriously."
Daniel Pietryka, prosecuting, said Sims had reported a tenant in the flat above was being anti-social.
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"He said he was hearing tapping noises and went on to make remarks about putting something through his letterbox. He said 'I am not being funny, I am going to set his flat on fire."
Sims, who had lived in the flat for 14 years, told police officers he was affected by "anger and frustration" at the time. They found the torch, lighters and paint.
Helen Rooks, mitigating, said Sims made the comment at 2.30pm but police officers did not attend the flats until 11.15pm.
"I don't think it is a threat they believed was going to happen. Police were satisfied with his explanation that he had fuel and items for repairing model cars," said Miss Rooks.
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She told the court: "The neighbour had been making a lot of noise for three days running and Mr Sims had no sleep.
"He tried doing things in the proper way. He knocked on the door of the neighbour but he did not answer it. The noise persisted."
Sims made an arrangement to see an official to discuss the noise but the meeting was cancelled, said Miss Rooks. Sims lived on the ninth floor of Oak View on Norton Street, Hyson Green.
Miss Rooks added: "He is a vulnerable man. He rarely leaves his house alone."
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