I genuinely don't know if I'm being precious/mean here or if this is reasonable. Will try to explain the circumstances as fully as possible to avoid drip feeding.
I live alone in a flat I own. There are other flats in the same building and a communal hallway, with a door that is supposed to have a lock on it, but which is currently broken. My own flat has a lockable door obviously.
About three or four years ago there was a guy in one of the other flats who was a complete nightmare - ear-splitting music at all hours, people running up and down the stairs all night to buy drugs from him, vandalism, all sorts. I even had one of his friends making meowing noises through my letterbox once. Frankly, it scared the shit out of me, and when he was eventually evicted for not paying any rent, I couldn't have been more relieved.
Just recently, one of this guy's old friends has started wandering into the building at odd times and using the communal hallway to sleep in. He folds up my doormat and uses it as a pillow and everything! He is always pissed or stoned or something, he always brings tins of lager in with him and leaves remnants of food all over the carpet. The first time I discovered him, he mumbled something about how the nightmare neighbour had said he could crash there, but when I told him that he didn't live there any more, he did eventually leave. Fine. But this man is obviously homeless, because he keeps coming back. And on the latest occasion, he refused to leave and I ended up calling the police when he became verbally abusive towards me.
On the one hand, I felt mean because it was raining and he obviously didn't have anywhere else to go. I do empathise with that. But at the same time, I live on my own and I am frightened of this guy. When he's out there I can hear him muttering to himself on the other side of my door. I don't want to go out because I don't want him to know then that my flat is empty.
Technically, he isn't doing any harm, other than leaving a mess and scaring me. Obviously at some point I will have to get the lock fixed but I can't afford to at the moment. Do I overlook this on the basis that I am more fortunate than he is and he isn't taking anything from me by being there? I feel a bit like the residents of those posh flats with studded pavements outside designed to deter rough sleepers...
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AIBU?
Am I being mean or is it reasonable to find this frightening?
35 replies
EoinMcLovesCakeJumper · 15/11/2019 20:38
OP posts:
Raspberrytruffle ·
15/11/2019 20:50
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