To be at my wits end with inconsiderate neighbours?

[Stinkylinky]

I won't go through all the ins and outs of the issues going on with my neighbours because it will just wind me up even more, I just need somewhere to vent really and seek advice.

The issues with our neighbours have been going on since we moved in two years ago. The people who we bought our house from had the same problems but didn't think to tell us until after they had moved out! The council have also said that numerous households down our street have put in complaints about them.

They are just inconsiderate, loud and some of their behaviour is down right dangerous to others, i.e kids joy riding and speeding with no lights on, hitting numerous cars in the street. This goes on morning, noon and night but nothing seems to get done about it regardless of who we contact (council, estate management, police etc)

Has anyone else been in a similar situation and can offer any advice, I feel like the only solution is to move.

[nellieellie]

My sympathy is with you. I don't have any experience of this sort of thing. All I can think of, and you have probably covered this, is to find out who the community police officer is, if there is one. Keep a diary for about 2 weeks or so, recording every incident with as many details as you can. Put your complaint in writing to the police cpo. If there is no action, ask them for details of their formal complaints procedure, and then follow that. Basically they have to follow a formal complaint, but may try to fob off anything else. You could also make a complaint to the local authority re anti social behaviour. Again, if there is no action, ask for formal complaints procedure and follow this, so eg, put on letter 'formal complaint stage 1'. They will be able to take possession,proceedings against them if they are council tenants. Following a complaints procedure sounds a hassle, but it does force a response within certain time limits. Nfinally if any of you other neighbours are prepared to support by signing your letters in support, it may have more weight.

[Stinkylinky]

Thanks Nellie.

The council sent me some forms so that I could keep a dairy but it was aimed at noise levels, not the anti social behaviour which is the main problem and when I requested something for the anti social behaviour, I heared nothing back so I will try speaking to the community police officer instead

[Stinkylinky]

*heard

[Wishful80smontage]

I can offer support but no other practical advice than above. We have a nightmare neighbour of a different kind (elderly lady harnessing us) . We're all private owned I've spoken to the police but they don't class it as actual harassment so I'm keeping evidence for now- but my long term plan is to move within next next 2 years. It's horrible when you have nuisance neighbours I don't think I could have anticipated how much it affects you until I moved here- it's horrible. Hope things improve for you if enough people are complaining I'm sure it will

[Stinkylinky]

Sorry you are having difficulties with your neighbour too Wishful.

I totally agree with you when you say that you didn't anticipate how much it would bother you. I'm normally very laid back and not much bothers me but I have broken down a few times over all this, it's like there is no escape. I hope your problem gets resolved sooner rather than later

[blueistheonlycolourwefeel]

We're the problems going on when your old neighbours lived there? Did they not mention them when they sold the house?
We used to live above a nightmare family who torched our cars and threatened to kill us.
We admitted we had had problems with them when we sold our flat. We still sold it, it's illegal to not inform your buyers of ongoing problems!!

[Legionofboom]

It sounds awful.

I agree with nellieellie. Basically you need to be like a dog with a bone about this and keep on at the council and the community police.

When you ask them to do something, if they say they will call you back ask when they will call you by. If they miss the deadline get straight back onto them. I know it is a pain and it feels like you are harrassing them but it is the only way to get anything done.

blueis at your old neighbours. I bet you were glad to see the back of them.

[Stinkylinky]

Blueis - yes they were DP bumped into them in the village shop as they stayed local and they told him all about the problems they had. We would not have bought the house knowing this! It also worries me that we will struggle to sell the house. You old neighbours make mine sound like Angels

I'm currently 36 weeks pregnant with our first DC so I'm dreading the newborn stage with the problems with next door

[goodasitgets]

Log EVERYTHING. Date, time and incident. I did this and in exasperation emailed the (8 page long) document to every police email I could find online, along with council etc. 4 years on now and it is SO much better
One incident report at a time didn't seem to get noticed but they couldn't ignore the massive log I sent

[DancingHat]

It's now illegal not to report issues with neighbours so you could sue the previous owners and that might compensate you for any loss you have to bear selling it on when you declare neighbour issues.

In the meantime if they are well known as neighbours from hell do you have the Troubled Families programme in the area you live? It's a joint effort between lots of agencies to tackle problem families holistically rather than housing, police, social care etc all dealing with them separately. It might help deal with the familiy's issues which would reduce the pain for you and your other nice neighbours.

[Oobis]

Do they own their own home? These things are much easier to deal with when they are council or HA tenants as they will be breaching their tenancy agreement by being disruptive (if they are, ask the HA or council for a copy of their standard agreements so you can tick them off and return them!)
Some councils have an ASB unit who may be able to intervene or even offer mediation.
I'm not sure on the current position of ASBOs as my experience is a little out of date, but if none of it works, write to your MP.

All the best. You don't appreciate good neighbours until you hear of bad ones :-(

[Stinkylinky]

I checked on the land registry website and the house is owned by someone who lives hundreds of miles away so I'm guessing they privately rent. I did think about contacting the owner to explain the issues we are having but I thought this could backfire on me.

I'm going to keep a dairy and submit it to the community police officer and see how I get on with that route.

Thank you for everyone's help and suggestions, fingers crossed that something gets sorted soon!

[blueistheonlycolourwefeel]

Definitely keep a log - if they privately rent, you have more chance of getting them out than if they owned the house.
Have a look at the website neighbours from hell in Britain - it made me feel less alone and has some great articles about how to deal with the wankers difficult neighbours.

[Lagoonablue]

The people you bought off are obliged to tell you of neighbour problems. I think you can take legal action. Won't solve your problem but could help a bit.

Other advice above is good. Why do you think contacting the landlord is a bad idea?

[Hissy]

Get some legal advice on the previous neighbours - if they sold that house without telling you, that's not on and you may be able to sue them. You won't be able to sell without informing potential buyers.

Unless the ones you are suffering with do leave for some reason.

[grapejuicerocks]

I think the answer is with the private landlord. Surely there will be no more repercussions going down that route, than there will be via the police etc.

[tealady]

This might help? www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/problems-where-you-live/anti-social-behaviour-in-housing/ Much sympathy to you - its sounds like a nightmare.

[Rainbowsky123]

I was in the same situation as you. But 3 different sets of houses causing problems.

House 1: The house directly behind mine our gardens back on to each other are the family from hell. Antisocial behaviour. Screaming swearing constantly loud rerving bikes until the early hours and a vile family. They have been causing us a living nightmare for 3 years.
They have a housing association (not local council) and I have complained and the housing officer came round to whiteness it. We thought we were getting somewhere but they are a huge family of older teens and adults. When 7 months ago the attached house one side to them became available and the housing association has given them the house nExt door as well.

House 2: house next door to that, has a sexual and mental health problems. He is currently being pursued through the courts.

House 3: 4 dogs that are left in the garden to bark 24/7. I make monthly complaints about these animals to the council and nothing has been done.


What have we done? Well we are moving out next week.

We got a good solicitor before putting our house on the market to find out where we stood legally with declaring these issues.

We were told house 1. As it was to their own HA not the council we didn't have to declare this.

House 2: technically we should of had to declare it but the police advised us not too as I was not going to make a statement unless the could guarantee we would not have to declare it. We were told it is just reporting a crime.

House 3: we were told we had to report it on the home buyers form, however the owners put the house on the market and moved out before we found a buyer, so we didn't have to declare that.

The owners we bought the house from put nothing on there declaration form. And the police told me there had been reports from my address about house 2.

If you are considering moving, stop complaining now as if your sellers solicitor is any good the will request all the correspondence complaints from you.