Neighbours from hell
Discussion
My brother purchased a house next to some social housing (Housing solutions) in Maidenhead, this has turned into a terrible mistake and both he and his wife (and 2 very small children) are at their wits end as they are verbally abused every time they leave their house, even through their open windows! There is loud music much of the time and there seems to be little they can do to have a normal life, they have contacted the police were appropriate and have a litany of complaints they have made with the social housing people, but they keep getting pushed back, they can't use their back garden as the evil cow has kicked down the fence and evil neighbour has a great dane so they feel their children are unsafe in theior own garden.
Does anyone have any clues as to how they can deal with this situation? My brother is not well off and will struggle to hire legal counsel to see if there is something they could do for a right to a family life, but please we need some ideas, it's just not fair and nailing sausages into the lawn etc won't work I suspect.
Does anyone have any clues as to how they can deal with this situation? My brother is not well off and will struggle to hire legal counsel to see if there is something they could do for a right to a family life, but please we need some ideas, it's just not fair and nailing sausages into the lawn etc won't work I suspect.
Continue with the complaints about verbal threats etc, I'd also push about the dog and kids. Council will have an anti social unit that you need to ring everyday to get them on the case. The social housing company, if it isn't the council, need to get the property secure and safe. If all else fails go to the local paper.
Contact the local council, they will have officers who deal with this sort of thing.
Keep a diary of all incidents, also make the complaints to the housing association in writing and e-mail and keep copies and also tell them that copies are going to the council enforcement officers.
When I was married we had very similar problems with our neighbour the housing association were useless but the enforcement officers were brilliant. When they were visiting us one evening they witnessed it all kicking off next door .As soon as a police officer arrived as back up, the neighbours were served with court notices, evicted 28 days after court appearance. (This was not their first tenancy problem)
Keep a diary of all incidents, also make the complaints to the housing association in writing and e-mail and keep copies and also tell them that copies are going to the council enforcement officers.
When I was married we had very similar problems with our neighbour the housing association were useless but the enforcement officers were brilliant. When they were visiting us one evening they witnessed it all kicking off next door .As soon as a police officer arrived as back up, the neighbours were served with court notices, evicted 28 days after court appearance. (This was not their first tenancy problem)
Very surprised if the Housing Association people are nor prepared to get involved here and sort this out- if you look on their website they have specific tabs dealing with anti social behaviour by their tenants and what to do if you are on the receiving end. You need to get your brother to hound them on a constant basis to deal with this and not get fobbed off- the more senior the person he deals with the better. He should also be keeping a log of the all various issues as evidence of the problem
Good luck!
Good luck!
I think this is the episode you need to watch, housing association should give them warnings and then kick them out.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03b5vxq/stre...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03b5vxq/stre...
That is a horrible situation to have to live with.
The advice given is good and needs to be continually followed up, do not let it drop, keep badgering the relevant people. The other thing is these people obviously has previous form for this so you need to go back to your conveyancing solicitor as the original seller should have stated this I.e. You should have been made aware of the situation before buying. I am sure had you known you would not have bought it.
The advice given is good and needs to be continually followed up, do not let it drop, keep badgering the relevant people. The other thing is these people obviously has previous form for this so you need to go back to your conveyancing solicitor as the original seller should have stated this I.e. You should have been made aware of the situation before buying. I am sure had you known you would not have bought it.
Most housing associations take the neighbourly ness of their tenants VERY seriously.
I once enquired of a housing association, about whether I could purchase a strip of land which was going spare, behind the communal garage area. (After talking with the builder about who now owned it). They declined my offer to buy it, and instead sent our next door neighbour a letter, reminding them of their obligations to cultivate or maintain all land associated with their property. They were a bit upset as they didn't realise this verge was part of their garden, and the housing association's letter was very threatening. I assumed all housing associations were equally vendicitve.
I once enquired of a housing association, about whether I could purchase a strip of land which was going spare, behind the communal garage area. (After talking with the builder about who now owned it). They declined my offer to buy it, and instead sent our next door neighbour a letter, reminding them of their obligations to cultivate or maintain all land associated with their property. They were a bit upset as they didn't realise this verge was part of their garden, and the housing association's letter was very threatening. I assumed all housing associations were equally vendicitve.
gottans said:
That is a horrible situation to have to live with.
The advice given is good and needs to be continually followed up, do not let it drop, keep badgering the relevant people. The other thing is these people obviously has previous form for this so you need to go back to your conveyancing solicitor as the original seller should have stated this I.e. You should have been made aware of the situation before buying. I am sure had you known you would not have bought it.
They never made an official complaint though, so it wasn't found, but they were desperate for a quick sale, for reasons which are now apparent The advice given is good and needs to be continually followed up, do not let it drop, keep badgering the relevant people. The other thing is these people obviously has previous form for this so you need to go back to your conveyancing solicitor as the original seller should have stated this I.e. You should have been made aware of the situation before buying. I am sure had you known you would not have bought it.
But when his wife is walking their 3 & 8 month old having the social tenant shouting at her and calling her a fat
really is not on and need to get this sorted.Been there & done it
Record everything, get CCTV up, invite your local councillors around to witnness it first hand. Get the press involved. Apply for an injunction (visit a magistrate to discuss)
Some HAs just let the scum get on with it before they move them on again & again & again.
Record everything, get CCTV up, invite your local councillors around to witnness it first hand. Get the press involved. Apply for an injunction (visit a magistrate to discuss)
Some HAs just let the scum get on with it before they move them on again & again & again.
The loud neighbours are easy to deal with it's the strange creepy ones you need to watch out for.
Heres the sequence events my nutter of a 65 yr old neighbour has come to me about.
Firstly he complained about closing my gate too loudly at 6pm on a July evening.
Then he came to my door about people playing loud music. Then i said i don't play music out loud he said something like "ok a believe you, but it was definitely you'
Then he said he heard clicking at 3am-4am and practically accused me of sitting outside the wall of his house making a clicking sound.
Then last week he complained about a humming sound and is convinced i spend my time making noises outside his bedroom wall/window.
Then when i said ' i have better thing to do but stand and click/hum in the middle of the night "ok i believe you but it's definitely you'
The guy is a grade A nutcase. He's an ex copper or army so i believe he's got some mental issues he won't admit to.
Goes to bed at 10pm on the dot, gets up at 5am, Goes out a 6am, comes back at 9am. Then sits inside the rest of the day.
He puts his bin out 5.34pm on the dot
Heres the sequence events my nutter of a 65 yr old neighbour has come to me about.
Firstly he complained about closing my gate too loudly at 6pm on a July evening.
Then he came to my door about people playing loud music. Then i said i don't play music out loud he said something like "ok a believe you, but it was definitely you'
Then he said he heard clicking at 3am-4am and practically accused me of sitting outside the wall of his house making a clicking sound.
Then last week he complained about a humming sound and is convinced i spend my time making noises outside his bedroom wall/window.
Then when i said ' i have better thing to do but stand and click/hum in the middle of the night "ok i believe you but it's definitely you'
The guy is a grade A nutcase. He's an ex copper or army so i believe he's got some mental issues he won't admit to.
Goes to bed at 10pm on the dot, gets up at 5am, Goes out a 6am, comes back at 9am. Then sits inside the rest of the day.
He puts his bin out 5.34pm on the dot
tbc said:
The loud neighbours are easy to deal with it's the strange creepy ones you need to watch out for.
Heres the sequence events my nutter of a 65 yr old neighbour has come to me about.
Firstly he complained about closing my gate too loudly at 6pm on a July evening.
Then he came to my door about people playing loud music. Then i said i don't play music out loud he said something like "ok a believe you, but it was definitely you'
Then he said he heard clicking at 3am-4am and practically accused me of sitting outside the wall of his house making a clicking sound.
Then last week he complained about a humming sound and is convinced i spend my time making noises outside his bedroom wall/window.
Then when i said ' i have better thing to do but stand and click/hum in the middle of the night "ok i believe you but it's definitely you'
The guy is a grade A nutcase. He's an ex copper or army so i believe he's got some mental issues he won't admit to.
Goes to bed at 10pm on the dot, gets up at 5am, Goes out a 6am, comes back at 9am. Then sits inside the rest of the day.
He puts his bin out 5.34pm on the dot
Sounds like my Grandmother, who was a tiny bit mad. It got worse when she was dehydrated (she made countless cups of tea, then forgot to drink them and made another...). She didn't complain about the neighbours, just about the airplanes that circled her room at night. Apparently, she didn't mind the lights they shone into the room, but the all the passengers' singing annoyed her. She "always knew when Christmas was coming, as they start singing carols instead."Heres the sequence events my nutter of a 65 yr old neighbour has come to me about.
Firstly he complained about closing my gate too loudly at 6pm on a July evening.
Then he came to my door about people playing loud music. Then i said i don't play music out loud he said something like "ok a believe you, but it was definitely you'
Then he said he heard clicking at 3am-4am and practically accused me of sitting outside the wall of his house making a clicking sound.
Then last week he complained about a humming sound and is convinced i spend my time making noises outside his bedroom wall/window.
Then when i said ' i have better thing to do but stand and click/hum in the middle of the night "ok i believe you but it's definitely you'
The guy is a grade A nutcase. He's an ex copper or army so i believe he's got some mental issues he won't admit to.
Goes to bed at 10pm on the dot, gets up at 5am, Goes out a 6am, comes back at 9am. Then sits inside the rest of the day.
He puts his bin out 5.34pm on the dot
It's not something you can "admit" to though. Does he have any family you can get in touch with? GM ended up in care after a few issues with leaving the grill on, burning saucepans dry and standing in the back door in her nightie in sub-zero temps waiting for her late husband to come home. It's all very sad, rather than creepy.
If they get no change out of the housing association, or council. They should go and see their MP and ask for assistance in raising the matter. MP'S will often intervene and it shows the council that they will not let the matter rest.
I suggest they also sound record some of this abuse they are receiving and attach the file to their next communication to the housing association.
Or move.
I suggest they also sound record some of this abuse they are receiving and attach the file to their next communication to the housing association.
Or move.
1. Noises etc. is for the local authority environmental department under nuisance laws
2. Intimidation, threats, breaking down fences etc. is harassment, which is a Police matter or, if you prefer, a civil one in which you can secure an injunction.
In both cases, a specific diary (buy one for the job, day to page) detailing who, when, where and the effect it had. You could make them more time-robust by emailing the diary entries to yourself and stapling them into the diary.
Harassment is a 'course of conduct' (very broadly at least two events, that in some way at least can be connected and happen within a reasonable period of time (typically within 3 months of another event).
In a civil case, the court can also take into account the likelihood of harassment occurring as well as what has gone before.
Bear in mind that, the more formal the dispute with the neighbours is, the more likely it'll need to be declared if and when they come to sell the house, which may affect the value. If at all possible it might be worth moving rather than feeling trapped in your own home.
2. Intimidation, threats, breaking down fences etc. is harassment, which is a Police matter or, if you prefer, a civil one in which you can secure an injunction.
In both cases, a specific diary (buy one for the job, day to page) detailing who, when, where and the effect it had. You could make them more time-robust by emailing the diary entries to yourself and stapling them into the diary.
Harassment is a 'course of conduct' (very broadly at least two events, that in some way at least can be connected and happen within a reasonable period of time (typically within 3 months of another event).
In a civil case, the court can also take into account the likelihood of harassment occurring as well as what has gone before.
Bear in mind that, the more formal the dispute with the neighbours is, the more likely it'll need to be declared if and when they come to sell the house, which may affect the value. If at all possible it might be worth moving rather than feeling trapped in your own home.
I might have my wires crossed here, but don't you have to declare 'issues with problem neighbours/disputes' etc when selling a house privately?
Moving may not be as simple as it looks if you knowingly decline to mention anti-social behaviour.
These people can be dealt with and removed, but you need to log everything and keep on pressing the relevant authorities.
Very sorry to hear about your situation.
Moving may not be as simple as it looks if you knowingly decline to mention anti-social behaviour.
These people can be dealt with and removed, but you need to log everything and keep on pressing the relevant authorities.
Very sorry to hear about your situation.
cptsideways said:
Been there & done it
Record everything, get CCTV up, invite your local councillors around to witnness it first hand. Get the press involved. Apply for an injunction (visit a magistrate to discuss)
Some HAs just let the scum get on with it before they move them on again & again & again.
As said, another been there and done it. If you can get any other neighbours involved ,start filling in some incident forms - date /time ,who was involved including addresses ( possibly one on local council housing section ,you can modify). Start with enforcement and get noise enforcement in from council . Find out councillors surgery times and be a regular visitor. I'd take advice on CCTV,though. Possibly better off with a digital camera or personal video recorder .Record everything, get CCTV up, invite your local councillors around to witnness it first hand. Get the press involved. Apply for an injunction (visit a magistrate to discuss)
Some HAs just let the scum get on with it before they move them on again & again & again.
I also found that my local council has a download for landlords on their social responsibilities on anti social behaviour .It's by HMG, bit basic, but it might help .I just did a search on the council website for anti social .
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