F***ing neighbours!
Discussion
I have been having trouble with my neighbours for the last few years, mainly loud music and banging on the party wall at all hours of the night.
On Monday, they were playing loud music and shouting "F**k the neighbours" until 4am. Last night it went on until 3am.
I have been through the usual channels, including the local council (Environmental Health) and calling the police, but it continues.
The police sometimes come when I 'phone them, but they say that there is very little that they can do, except ask the neighbours to keep the noise down. The neighbours obviously know that the police are powerless, because they start up again as soon as they drive off.
I feel uneasy about calling the police out, because they have better things to do and I feel as though I am wasting their time. On the other hand, if a record is kept by the police of their visits, then this might be good evidence if we end up in court.
We obviously can't move because we would need to inform any prospective purchaser about the neighbour problem.
It really is driving me up the wall. I am getting very little sleep and it is having an effect on my working day.
Short of going round to the neighbours with a 12 bore (which I would dearly love to do!), what can I do?
How do the police feel about this sort of thing?
On Monday, they were playing loud music and shouting "F**k the neighbours" until 4am. Last night it went on until 3am.
I have been through the usual channels, including the local council (Environmental Health) and calling the police, but it continues.
The police sometimes come when I 'phone them, but they say that there is very little that they can do, except ask the neighbours to keep the noise down. The neighbours obviously know that the police are powerless, because they start up again as soon as they drive off.
I feel uneasy about calling the police out, because they have better things to do and I feel as though I am wasting their time. On the other hand, if a record is kept by the police of their visits, then this might be good evidence if we end up in court.
We obviously can't move because we would need to inform any prospective purchaser about the neighbour problem.
It really is driving me up the wall. I am getting very little sleep and it is having an effect on my working day.
Short of going round to the neighbours with a 12 bore (which I would dearly love to do!), what can I do?
How do the police feel about this sort of thing?
Get the police out every time - I would. Be a pain to the police so that they are forced to do something. Let the police be as inconvenienced as you. Unfortunatly, we wlive in a world where "the squeaky wheel gets the oil".
Als, I don't suppose you'll change the neighbours conduct, but you might force them to consider moving because of "their problem neighbour" who keeps calling the police.
If the above fails, the 12 bore sounds like an option to me!!
Als, I don't suppose you'll change the neighbours conduct, but you might force them to consider moving because of "their problem neighbour" who keeps calling the police.
If the above fails, the 12 bore sounds like an option to me!!
Hard luck, difficult situation. 
Your neighbours also presumably need to sleep at some point, so why not fight fire with fire and set up a bloody big set of speakers against the "party" wall and leave it playing Hanson's "Mmmm Bop" on repeat whilst you go out to work.
With the volume turned up until the speakers distort and then back a notch.
Every Day.
Your neighbours also presumably need to sleep at some point, so why not fight fire with fire and set up a bloody big set of speakers against the "party" wall and leave it playing Hanson's "Mmmm Bop" on repeat whilst you go out to work.
With the volume turned up until the speakers distort and then back a notch.
Every Day.
If they are up till 3 or 4 in the morning, chances are that when you get up for work at 8 (or whatever) they are sound asleep. Seems to me the perfect opportunity to do some drilling, and have some loud music on and shout f**k the neighbours through a megaphone at their front door.
Here's where all the more sensible people than me council you to not retaliate!
Here's where all the more sensible people than me council you to not retaliate!
I think the council can you a noise metre to measure the disturbance on. Also tape record the shouting and log the times it occurs. This, along with the police visits should be fairly powerful evidence for environmental health to do something about the racket.
If you want to be really nasty just inform plod they are drug dealing and you think they are armed - cue 5am wakeup call with one of those door smasher-in thingies
There are a fair few threads about this kind of thing on the forums - do a search as some good (and some funny) advice has been given.
If you want to be really nasty just inform plod they are drug dealing and you think they are armed - cue 5am wakeup call with one of those door smasher-in thingies
There are a fair few threads about this kind of thing on the forums - do a search as some good (and some funny) advice has been given.
Keep getting the police out and get enviromental health on the case. All you can really do from the little info you have been able to give
Don't know what the ownership situation is but if they own their own house there may be a no nucsence covenants on the title that you could take then to court over.
Are they private tennants? if so who are the letting agents? go and bug them.
Are they Council tennants? if so go see the housing officer and kick up a stink, politely with them. One council body rarely talks to another.
Sorry but really need more info to give any real advice. get yourself down the CAB and see what they have to say.
Very important though is to make sure they can't say much similar about you...
Don't know what the ownership situation is but if they own their own house there may be a no nucsence covenants on the title that you could take then to court over.
Are they private tennants? if so who are the letting agents? go and bug them.
Are they Council tennants? if so go see the housing officer and kick up a stink, politely with them. One council body rarely talks to another.
Sorry but really need more info to give any real advice. get yourself down the CAB and see what they have to say.
Very important though is to make sure they can't say much similar about you...
Got to go with Bonce and Dobbo on this. It's the only language your neighbours will understand, maybe they will realise that it's not as funny as they think.
Alternatively pester the environmental health section of your local council, they will eventually give you a means of recording sound levels. If the behaviour continues the council will be in a position to remove stereo equipment or evict the problem neighbours (if they are council tenants.)
Alternatively pester the environmental health section of your local council, they will eventually give you a means of recording sound levels. If the behaviour continues the council will be in a position to remove stereo equipment or evict the problem neighbours (if they are council tenants.)
rude-boy said:
Keep getting the police out and get enviromental health on the case. All you can really do from the little info you have been able to give
Don't know what the ownership situation is but if they own their own house there may be a no nucsence covenants on the title that you could take then to court over.
Are they private tennants? if so who are the letting agents? go and bug them.
Are they Council tennants? if so go see the housing officer and kick up a stink, politely with them. One council body rarely talks to another.
Sorry but really need more info to give any real advice. get yourself down the CAB and see what they have to say.
Very important though is to make sure they can't say much similar about you...
I've had the sound recording stuff from Environmental Health. The trouble is that they write to the neighbours first, so they are the perfect neighbours when they are being monitored!
To be honest, the Environmental Health Officer seems a bit of a wimp.
They own the house.
Thanks for the advice - keep it coming!
Go and see your local beat officer. Register a complaint under the Harassment Act.
'A person is guilty of Harassment if he purues a course of conduct which he knows or ought to know causes harassment alarm or distress to another!'
You need two examples of harassment. The first time a warning letter is sent. The second time it happens, a power of arrest in invoked and the penalty is up to 2 years in prison.
'A person is guilty of Harassment if he purues a course of conduct which he knows or ought to know causes harassment alarm or distress to another!'
You need two examples of harassment. The first time a warning letter is sent. The second time it happens, a power of arrest in invoked and the penalty is up to 2 years in prison.
maxf said:
If you want to be really nasty just inform plod they are drug dealing and you think they are armed - cue 5am wakeup call with one of those door smasher-in thingies
Actually, just wait till they have another party, say that you've seen them taking drugs in the back garden (feign ignorance but basically describe cocaine, crack, pills, or anything serious enough to get them round). Chances are someone will have a joint or two, not that it's that serious, but if the police break in expecting drugs and at least find something, then complain about the noise, I don't think they'll bother too much.
Ask to be kept anonymous and, here's the trick - be out at the time and call from a mobile. That way, as soon as the Police have left and they come round knocking on your door, about to vivisect you for grassing them up, you won't be in, so they won't know who it is
www.nfh.org.uk/index.php
Is a good site to go through if you want to approach the non-agressive path to sorting out inconciderate neighbours.
Personnally I would go for the week off work intensive DIY sessions from 8:30am - 8:30pm which is entirely reasonable given the circumstances.
IIRC as soon as you get the noise people involved you are legally obliged to let any future purchasers know which can bugger your chances of selling.
Is a good site to go through if you want to approach the non-agressive path to sorting out inconciderate neighbours.
Personnally I would go for the week off work intensive DIY sessions from 8:30am - 8:30pm which is entirely reasonable given the circumstances.
IIRC as soon as you get the noise people involved you are legally obliged to let any future purchasers know which can bugger your chances of selling.
gone said:
Go and see your local beat officer. Register a complaint under the Harassment Act.
'A person is guilty of Harassment if he purues a course of conduct which he knows or ought to know causes harassment alarm or distress to another!'
You need two examples of harassment. The first time a warning letter is sent. The second time it happens, a power of arrest in invoked and the penalty is up to 2 years in prison.
This is certainly one avenue that I havn't tried - sounds promising!
What sort of evidence of harassment would I need?
(We had an incedent a while ago when one of them shouted "I'll fu**ing kill you, you're fu**ing dead" through the wall, preceeded and followed by thumping and kicking of the wall. This was after one of the times that we called the police. We reported this to the police, but they said that as we couldn't actually see who was shouting, they couldn't take any action).
welsh blackbird said:
What sort of evidence of harassment would I need?
(We had an incedent a while ago when one of them shouted "I'll fu**ing kill you, you're fu**ing dead" through the wall, preceeded and followed by thumping and kicking of the wall. This was after one of the times that we called the police. We reported this to the police, but they said that as we couldn't actually see who was shouting, they couldn't take any action).
The above will do. if you can remember the time and date, make the complaint with that one.
The evidence required is any behaviour which the offender knows or ought to know causes you harassment alarm or distress. If you cannot sleep because of the noise, that is distress! If they frighten you because of the threats that is alarm! If they are generally persistently causing you upset, then that is harassment. That is all you need.
This could be the start of getting an ASBO order against them as well if they persist!
You have contacted environmental health once so they have a record of that.
Keep a diary of events, very detailed.
After 14 days of keeping a diary call environmental health again.
They cant do much off the bat, but if they can show a public menace they can turn up and remove your neighbours stereo which should quieten things down a bit.
Keep a diary of events, very detailed.
After 14 days of keeping a diary call environmental health again.
They cant do much off the bat, but if they can show a public menace they can turn up and remove your neighbours stereo which should quieten things down a bit.
gone said:
What sort of evidence of harassment would I need?
(We had an incedent a while ago when one of them shouted "I'll fu**ing kill you, you're fu**ing dead" through the wall, preceeded and followed by thumping and kicking of the wall. This was after one of the times that we called the police. We reported this to the police, but they said that as we couldn't actually see who was shouting, they couldn't take any action).
The above will do. if you can remember the time and date, make the complaint with that one.
The evidence required is any behaviour which the offender knows or ought to know causes you harassment alarm or distress. If you cannot sleep because of the noise, that is distress! If they frighten you because of the threats that is alarm! If they are generally persistently causing you upset, then that is harassment. That is all you need.
This could be the start of getting an ASBO order against them as well if they persist!
To collect that evidence. Get a video Camera. And video yourself in your house while they are shouting abuse at you etc. Best if you have a TV on in the background to prove time and date. Also see if you can buy a microphone that is placed on a flat surface (e.g. the wall they are shouting through), and plug that into the camera.
I know how it feels. I'm in the same boat. Yesterday, my girlfriend parked her car on the street in front of the neigbours house, and she was told she'd "better f**king shift it before 'he' gets home." A constant stream of noise, harassment and intimidation.
There's nothing you can do about it. I plan on moving quietly away, but I will certainly be seeking revenge.
There's nothing you can do about it. I plan on moving quietly away, but I will certainly be seeking revenge.
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