Council housing problem

[BornToBeAPrincess]

Hi, I am looking for some advice on my housing problem.

I have lived in my 2 bedroom council flat for 3 years now. There are 6 flats in the block spread over 3 floors. I am on the top. 3 of the flats have families with young children in, 2 are single middle aged men. 1 of the men is lovely. The 1 opposite me is not.

He is an alcoholic and doesn?t work. He constantly plays loud music, shouts in the hall and slams doors. He has strange visitors day and night who ring my buzzer when he will not let them in and are generally rude. There is also a young girl that comes - about 13. She shouts abuse at people and in the past has threatened to kill my kids and trash my car!!

Well, about 2 months ago I complained. We met up in the estate office with the manager and he agreed to be more considerate and not have visitors after 7pm. Everything was ok for a few weeks but has steadily got worse since then.
Last night at 2am after he had already woken my baby twice I went out and told him to shut up or I would report him. I shut the door and he shouted something about speaking to him not the estate office. I tried to speak to him this morning but he slammed the door in my face so I phoned and gave details of the recent incidents to the estate manager.

I am terrified of this bloke. He is so intimidating. I just want to get out of here.
I already have 2 girls and a baby due in December so the estate manager said when the baby comes she can do a management report to get us moved. But December is a long way away and I am scared to leave my flat.

I can?t afford a mortgage or to rent privately. I just don?t know what to do

[Macdog]

Sorry to hear you are having such terrible problems.

I had problems with a junkie/dealer in flat above me a few years ago.

I kept a record of all incidents and times and sent this to my Council Housing office.

I called the police to report loud music/shouting etc and this was also reported to my Housing office.

Can you talk to your other neighbours and encourage them to report the behaviour so that it is not just you "to blame".

What about chatting to your GP/Midwife and seeing if anything can be done for you on Medical grounds.

If you and your neighbours can stand together the Council will surely have to do something.

Sorry I can't be of more help.
Keep your chin up

[BornToBeAPrincess]

Thank you for your reply. I will definatly speak to my midwife about this. Its causing me to have panic attacks and that can't be doing my baby much good.

I've still got some forms from last time which I write down incidents on.

Last night he came out and threatened dp because I spoke to the council. He also said that its his turn to 'do something'. And 'the balls now in his court'. I'm scared hes going to do someting to hurt us.

[Macdog]

Sorry, I went out last night.

If you are worried about your safety and that of your family then do not hesitate to call the Police.

Can you go and see them for a chat, explain your circumstances and see if they can offer some help/advice?

That's what they are there for.

Keep me posted, if it helps

[bagsundereyes]

Also, speak to the council's environmental services department. they should have an anti-social behaviour team, who can also take steps re this man's behaviour eg get a court order to confiscate his stereo, ASBO etc. I do hope you get some peace.

[BornToBeAPrincess]

Thanks for your replies
I spent most of yesterday in my local estate office. They won't move me so looks like I'm stuck with him.
I've got a load of diary things to fill in and some from the environmental services about the noise.
I've spoken to the police who know the man pretty well. They are aware of the situation but I've asked them not to do anything yet.

I'm going to look at renting somewhere privately just to get away from him but we can't really afford it.

Thanks again for your advice

[pirategirl]

i can understand you wanting to go private. It is disgusting that you have to live with this.

Yet it would be a shame to come out of the social housing, becuase it is so hard to get one in the first place.

Come december they may have something for you? What ages and sex are your children, dont they have to re home you to a 3 bed when baby comes.

You seem to have made some positive steps, talking to them, and the police.

Lets hope you remain strong, i am sure things will turn out postitively. If it continues and you keep on at them with your dp's help of course, they may find you something before that.

Have you spoken to your gp, really tell them about the stress it is causing and the unsettled upset to your children. its always worth getting it on a doctor's record too.

[TippiHedren]

Have you looked into a mutual exchange?

[pirategirl]

thats a good idea

[maisemor]

I really do feel for you BornToBeAPrincess. We are kind of in the same situation but with our upstairs. They know that we have 2 small children, yet consistently start their parties around 19.00/20.00 and continue throughout the night.

This has been going on for approx. 8 months now. The noise control people no longer asks us for our phone number as we phone them 5 out of 7 seven EVERY week. They have had so many warnings and also a £100 fine (which they have not paid and will have to go to court for).

The housing estate is really good though, and are definately sympathetic towards our situation. We said to the housing estate that our next move, if they do not stop, is going to be the ASBO. They (Housing Estate) went out and had another meeting with her Monday, however upstairs are just too stupid (no other words for it I am afraid) and proceed to have another party the night after and again last night, where the police was called and one of them were lead away handcuffed, and somebody was swearing their head off on the balcony. So now we feel that we have enough of a case to get an ASBO on them.

We are trying to stay very calm about this, and take the LEGAL route. Hopefully we will now get that ASBO on served on them which will lead to the housing estate evicting them, and they (upstairs) will have to go back on a VERY long waiting list for another flat/house. We would prefer this happening before the husband gets out of jail again (paedophile).

My advice would be to phone every single time to the noise team and after a month pursue the ASBO option. Although you should already have a list of evidence built up against him. If he is in a council estate then the lease will not allow anti social behaviour.

We are sometimes worried what they might do to us, but we are always close to a phone and will not hesitate to call the police. All the other neighbours are on "our side" as well which is comforting.

[BornToBeAPrincess]

My girls are 3 and 9 months. Baby due in December. The Estate manager said overcrowding wouldn't kick in until the youngest is 5

I've registered for a mutual exchange but don't think anyone will want to swap for a 3rd floor flat but can always hope.
There is also a choice based letting thing in my area where you bid on properties. Have been doing that for over a year but without priority I have no hope.

Also, I saw my midwife earlier and told her the problem. She said there is nothing she can do as there are no physical problems

I just want to get out, hes so horrible
Thanks for your replies.

[BornToBeAPrincess]

That sounds terrible maisemor. I hope you get it sorted.
Thanks for your advice.

[maisemor]

It gets us out of the house and in to the fresh air a lot more than if we did not have horrible people living upstairs though

Hope you and the children will get through this okay. Does your DP stay with you all the time or does he have a place of his own?

[BornToBeAPrincess]

He lives here but works long hours.
To be honest its bothering me more now because I'm stuck at home. I've broken my coccyx and been signed off sick. When I'm working I have something else to focus on and getting though the day seems easier.
The blokes been fairly quiet the last 2 nights so maybe we've turned a corner [hopeful face!!]

[maisemor]

At least you are doing something to get it sorted, that is really good. You never know somebody might want to swap with you tomorrow, crossing fingers

[maisemor]

BornToBeAPrincess

Latest update on what is happening here:

Our housing estate officer just called my hubby and they said that "They are issuing her with some sort of fancy notice ("of proceedings"?) which will set out a 6 month period of good behaviour. It will be properly served under Sherrif's warrant. Failure to comply will mean that ME will take them to court seeking eviction."

Maybe we'll get some quiet nights. I feel slightly worried but I know we are doing the right thing here. It is the noisy donkeys that are being completely unreasonable.

[BornToBeAPrincess]

Oooh, sounds promising. I'm glad you're getting somewhere. How long has it all been going on?
I just bumped into my housing officer (the estate office is across the road) and she said shes sent him a letter out today. It outlines the rules of his tenancy and says if he continues to break them action will be taken against him. Dreading the postman coming in the morning!

[BornToBeAPrincess]

Sorry I meant how long since you formally complained has it taken to get this far? The whole 8 months?

[maisemor]

We started complaining to the noise control people around February. That was after we had spoken to the estate people, who just went and gave a verbal warning. It continued and we started with the noise control. Something like 4 months since we officially started this. It was actually the police/noise control department that contacted the estate people.

I do believe that if we did not work full time this would have progressed a lot quicker. As you know yourself it is one of the last things you want to be thinking about, if you work and then have to go home and take of dinner, children and hubby.

By the sounds of him he probably want be up to get the letter until late afternoon .

[BornToBeAPrincess]

Hi,
I haven't heard anything from him today thank god! And he was quiet last night too.
I'll be very glad when I can get back to work. I'm going to see how I get on on Monday so hopefully when I'm out the flat most of the day it won't bother me so much!

Has the woman upstairs been quiet since she got her notice of proceedings?

[maisemor]

Yippiii, it was quiet all last night. Don't know if they got the warrant yet (work in a legal office and know that this can take between 2 to 4 days, depending on when the estate is actually contacting their litigation department and instructing them to serve the warrant). I don't expect she will be getting it this week.

We've kind of reached the stage where we are going "bring it on, go on and give us all the evidence you can" .

I am crossing fingers that you'll be able to get back to work again, so you can get away from it.

[Tortington]

you need to complain about everyone and everything.

i swear shit will get done once you have reached a "level 3" complaint. i guarentee it.

i dont care if your housing officer is mary fucking poppins, unless senior managers are aware of your complaint nothing will change.


if you give e the name of your local authority - i may be able to get you some good links.

talking to people in isolation doesnt work

you need to find out your environmental health office, info on nopise pollution.

know the complaints system at the council - re environmnetal health, know the complaints system at your housing place - becuase unless you formally complain about how your shit is being handled there isn't much change owt will change.

[BornToBeAPrincess]

Thanks Custy, I'm under Sandwell Council (Riddens Mound Estate Office)

I need to take that attitude Maisemor but I find it really hard.

[CarGirl]

once you are in private rented accommodation you may well be eligible for some housing benefit toward the cost of the rent as it's means tested. Perhaps check this out???

[Tortington]

66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:0WycYQqh3RQJ:www.laws.sandwell.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/environment/ pollution/+sandwell+council+noise+pollution&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk

[BornToBeAPrincess]

Cargirl I've had a look on entitled to and we would get housing benefit if we paid over 420 so even if we rented a 600 quid a month house it would still only be 420. But now we only pay £260 so its still a big jump.

Thanks for the link Custy, I'll have a read.