How far can a confrontation go before it breaks the law?
How far can a confrontation go before it breaks the law?
Author
Discussion

Bing o

Original Poster:

15,184 posts

250 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
Just asking on behalf of a friend who is having early morning issues with a neighbour who enjoys DIY at 4am...

What can you legally say to someone before you start looking at assault, threatening behaviour etc?

John57

1,870 posts

259 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
Would there be any witnesses ? biggrin

Bing o

Original Poster:

15,184 posts

250 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
John57 said:
Would there be any witnesses ? biggrin
Hard to say....

I am looking for a serious answer though (not that your's isn't smile)

Le Petomane

10 posts

229 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
Bing o said:
What can you legally say to someone before you start looking at assault, threatening behaviour etc?
Wouldn't bother, it's unlikely the DIYer doesn't already know he's being a twunt. Call the council, your (friend's) local Environmental Health office will take a dim view of it.

Slowly slowly

2,474 posts

255 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
Bing o said:
John57 said:
Would there be any witnesses ? biggrin
Hard to say....

I am looking for a serious answer though (not that your's isn't smile)
Don't forget if your mate has an official fall out he will have to mention it when he sells the house, perhaps it's better to buy the guy a pint, ask him if he want s lift to get the job done quicker, then key his car in 3 months time.
Or just key his car everytime he makes a noise, he'll get the message eventually.

streaky

19,311 posts

280 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
I wouldn't argue with a DIYer ... he might have:
  • a nail-gun
  • a hammer
  • a carpet knife
  • a piece of lead pipe
smile
Streaky

japhilip

5,374 posts

229 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
Is it fair to presume the neighbour is of sound mind? I don't mean that DIY at 4am means he's crazy or anything else, but he/she may be elderly or (and) suffering some sort of mental illness (dementia or some such).

If he's just being an idiot, contact the local council, it's something they should deal with, just like if he'd got a noisy stereo. Perhaps anyway.

7db

6,060 posts

261 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
streaky said:
I wouldn't argue with a DIYer ... he might have:
  • a nail-gun
  • a hammer
  • a carpet knife
  • a piece of lead pipe
smile
Streaky
Oh - that sort of DIY. I thought the OP was implying that his wife was away...

Wacky Racer

41,406 posts

278 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
streaky said:
I wouldn't argue with a DIYer ... he might have:
  • a nail-gun
  • a hammer
  • a carpet knife
  • a piece of lead pipe
smile
Streaky
Or even a chain saw......yikes



Bing o

Original Poster:

15,184 posts

250 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
japhilip said:
Is it fair to presume the neighbour is of sound mind? I don't mean that DIY at 4am means he's crazy or anything else, but he/she may be elderly or (and) suffering some sort of mental illness (dementia or some such).

If he's just being an idiot, contact the local council, it's something they should deal with, just like if he'd got a noisy stereo. Perhaps anyway.
40ish, reckons he's a pilot in Ireland...

He's broken the lease, I just want to know what I can and can't say to him next time he wakes me up at 4 in the morning without plod getting excited (he's already threatened to call plod on me for calling him a wr.





I mean my friend....

mph999

2,780 posts

251 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
Bing o said:
Just asking on behalf of a friend who is having early morning issues with a neighbour who enjoys DIY at 4am...

What can you legally say to someone before you start looking at assault, threatening behaviour etc?
In answer to the question - if you said something that led to someone fearing for his/her safety, then that is assult. Quite how it would be proved is another matter.

Martin

Wings

5,970 posts

246 months

Monday 10th December 2007
quotequote all
DIY at 4 am in the morning would be considered by any reasonable person to be unreasonable behaviour, so I would not fear the DIYer calling Mr. Plod.

Bing o

Original Poster:

15,184 posts

250 months

Tuesday 11th December 2007
quotequote all
Well, the bloke upstairs (property ladder wannabe) was quiet last night.

However, I've found out that he's contravened our lease by laying down laminate flooring, so I will be getting his lease taken away from him very shortly, hopefully at ruinous financial cost to the arsehole.

(Though I'd prefer a hammer to the temple,this will save me the worry of how to get rid of the body....)

fatboy b

9,666 posts

247 months

Tuesday 11th December 2007
quotequote all
Bing o said:
Well, the bloke upstairs (property ladder wannabe) was quiet last night.

However, I've found out that he's contravened our lease by laying down laminate flooring, so I will be getting his lease taken away from him very shortly, hopefully at ruinous financial cost to the arsehole.

(Though I'd prefer a hammer to the temple,this will save me the worry of how to get rid of the body....)
It does amaze me that these twunts just do things that the lease says you can't do - for the peace of the neighbours etc. I'd class the laminate flooring thing as passive agression.

Bing o

Original Poster:

15,184 posts

250 months

Tuesday 11th December 2007
quotequote all
fatboy b said:
Bing o said:
Well, the bloke upstairs (property ladder wannabe) was quiet last night.

However, I've found out that he's contravened our lease by laying down laminate flooring, so I will be getting his lease taken away from him very shortly, hopefully at ruinous financial cost to the arsehole.

(Though I'd prefer a hammer to the temple,this will save me the worry of how to get rid of the body....)
It does amaze me that these twunts just do things that the lease says you can't do - for the peace of the neighbours etc. I'd class the laminate flooring thing as passive agression.
He also knocked down a structural wall between the Kitchen and the living room, and had to put that back up.

To be honest, I've just about had enough of rude, selfish and inconsiderate wrs - queue Michael Douglas Falling Down frenzy, coming to a block of flats near the pier soon...

hairydave-hd vti

1,801 posts

241 months

Tuesday 11th December 2007
quotequote all
Slowly slowly said:
Bing o said:
John57 said:
Would there be any witnesses ? biggrin
Hard to say....

I am looking for a serious answer though (not that your's isn't smile)
Don't forget if your mate has an official fall out he will have to mention it when he sells the house, perhaps it's better to buy the guy a pint, ask him if he want s lift to get the job done quicker, then key his car in 3 months time.
Or just key his car everytime he makes a noise, he'll get the message eventually.
Not being funny, but kick his teeth in, call his wife a whore, launch fire works at his house or set your dog on his kids, but never, ever key another man's car... wink

Bing o

Original Poster:

15,184 posts

250 months

Tuesday 11th December 2007
quotequote all
hairydave-hd vti said:
Slowly slowly said:
Bing o said:
John57 said:
Would there be any witnesses ? biggrin
Hard to say....

I am looking for a serious answer though (not that your's isn't smile)
Don't forget if your mate has an official fall out he will have to mention it when he sells the house, perhaps it's better to buy the guy a pint, ask him if he want s lift to get the job done quicker, then key his car in 3 months time.
Or just key his car everytime he makes a noise, he'll get the message eventually.
Not being funny, but kick his teeth in, call his wife a whore, launch fire works at his house or set your dog on his kids, but never, ever key another man's car... wink
Given that my car is worth about 20 times what his builder's van is, why would I do a silly thing like that...?

wrinx

680 posts

271 months

Tuesday 11th December 2007
quotequote all
Bing o said:
japhilip said:
Is it fair to presume the neighbour is of sound mind? I don't mean that DIY at 4am means he's crazy or anything else, but he/she may be elderly or (and) suffering some sort of mental illness (dementia or some such).

If he's just being an idiot, contact the local council, it's something they should deal with, just like if he'd got a noisy stereo. Perhaps anyway.
He's broken the lease, I just want to know what I can and can't say to him next time he wakes me up at 4 in the morning without plod getting excited (he's already threatened to call plod on me for calling him a wr.
Why do you need to call him anything? You need to be squeaky clean, keep a diary of his nocturnal DIY activities and if possible record them as well.

Report to the council who may install a recorder and then prosecute him...all at no (legal) risk to yourself.

Not worth winding him up by throwing abuse imho.

wrinx