Help! My new neighbour is a nightmare. How would you handle the situation?

[rosebudding]

Help! My new neighbour is a nightmare. How would you handle the situation?

My new neighbour moved in a few months ago. He’s a young (around 30) single man. He has a huge amount of friends who are often high or drunk and always round. He frequently has loud parties in the garden with loud music and constant week smoking and bbqs from the afternoon until past 3am. his garden is meters away from my daughter’s bedroom window so she can’t sleep and can’t leave the window open otherwise her room will stink of weed. We can’t use the garden when he's having a party and can’t plan parties of our own as we’d be driven inside due to the noise and smoke.

They also use the narrow passage between our homes all the time, even in the middle of the night to access his flat. They shout and slam the door constantly. They park in my drive. His dog also barks solidly until the early hours when he’s left outside by himself. The passage is always full of his furniture and rubbish.

What should I do? I haven’t said anything so far as I feel a bit intimidated. Moving isn not an option. I have lived in this house all my life and my elderly father, who I take care of fulltime, cannot move. It is his beloved home and he is familiar with it and the area.

Yes, worth checking Land Registry in case there's a separate freeholder, i.e. not a so-called share-of-freehold for leaseholders situation. And yes, all leases will have clauses about noise and nuisance.

@rosebudding you'd search for the building address not the individual flat address, to find who the freeholder is.

https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry

This

That is hilarious and wonderful! I think that can work a treat and I'm so glad it stopped for you. In this situation though, it might be a bit risky as I'd be concerned he'd get a lot noisier and it might end up being a competition. And then my other neighbours would suffer more as a result of us battling it out. But if it continues, something like that may very well be worth a shot! If only I could play the bagpipes and if only I had some too

I had no idea that was possible. Thanks! I'll do that. I also didn't know that the freehold comes with clauses

Yes, I think he might appreciate that and it may help with things, thank you. and you are right about leaving and then suddenly snapping. just a simple chat might start to turn things around especially if he ever stops smoking the drugs

@rosebudding The leases, not the freehold, will contain covenants about not being a nuisance, it's standard in leases. If - and only if - there's a separate freehold owner, - i.e. not a share-of-freehold situation, where each leaseholder owns a share in a limited company set up to own the freehold, then you could contact the separate freeholder to complain.

bought it sadly

But if it's share-of-freehold, then you could contact the other two leaseholders - who are presumably also suffering...

Gosh yes the OP's replies to you have been bizarrely aggressive and wholly inappropriate 🤨

From what I recall, it's a share of the freehold so I suppose I'd have to chat with the other two parties again at some point and hear their thoughts on the matter. Thank you so much. That was very helpful

I'm actually confident this will all be fairly easily resolved. Council can and will enforce noise/anti-social behaviour, and there are two other leaseholders who can't be happy. Plus, a homeowner isn't going to be as reckless and anti-social long-term as a tenant. So could be a good thing this is a homeowner.

Another thought, if you check the Land Registry for their flat address, you'll find out the name of their mortgage company (unless they bought for cash). So, another potential place to complain.

Mortgage may be dependent on them abiding by the terms of their long lease?

He definitely has a mortgage as the previous owner was a good friend and she gave me a bit of background on him. I had no idea you could complain to a mortgage company! That is very interesting. I'd feel really bad doing that but to be honest, with the constant lack of sleep and rest, I may be forced to eventually. Thank you!!

Be careful speaking to his neighbours it could easily backfire on you if they tell him.

Ring the police every single time there’s a
party and it’s out of hand. You don’t have to give your name.

Yes that's true. I wonder if he could get a copy of the call though and recognise my voice? Maybe that is sleep deprivation paranoia speaking though

It's just an idea, based on years of experience of long leaseholds, plus a basic knowledge of property law. (Plus evil thoughts regarding my current awful neighbour, unfortunately a freeholder). It seems logical that a mortgage lender is bound to require the long-leaseholder to abide by the terms of the lease, so I'm sure would be interested to hear if that wasn't the case.

Might take a while for the Land Reg details to be updated, if it's a recent sale/purchase.

Hmmmm whoever said be strategic /think long term at the start of the thread was right.

first thing I’d do is help whoever’s flat door is closest to his get a ring doorbell and/or a security camera so he becomes aware that people coming and going from his May be on camera - if he is dealing this is going to put people off visiting

then I’d get a powerful powerful spotlight that comes on and illuminates his garden but doesn’t disturb your daughter or your other neighbours (might be tricky)

in the meantime I’d kill him with kindness to his face - knock on with a welcome to your new home and pretend to notice the smell of weed but be bewildered and curious as to what is that lovely incense you’re burning etc etc drop it into conversation another time that number x on the next street whose garden backs into his is such a busy body but what do you expect of ex CID

admittedly I’m a prize arsehole and I pride myself on out arseholing the best. I found out my sisters next door neighbour (also mine when I moved into her street after she died) had been fleecing her for £200 per month to give to his spiritual adviser to cure her cancer. So when he came knocking for £10 towards combatting “the rat problem” her wood chippings had caused (nope) I wrote him out a lovely prayer so he could pray the rats away and asked him for £50 per month for me to light votives to dispel the rats at the local RC church. And if he was in the garden and so was I I’d launch into a hymnal version and sing it at him across the fence. I’m not remotely religious but I do love a good hymn/ preferably gospel. If someone really fucks me off or more that I am actually very scared of them I’m going to make sure they fear I am entirely unpredictable and it is in their best interest to not disturb me. He stopped knocking and instead of loitering/ appearing when I was on my drive he would swiftly go indoors. Made me feel so much safer to know he no longer felt comfortable trying to prey on me.

So sorry you've got a bad neighbour too. It's such a strange situation to be in. I'm 38. my husband passed away suddenly and now left with young child and elderly dad to take care of but it was sort of ok because all our neighbours were so quiet and normal. I'm totally new to all this and it's a living nightmare. Yes, it makes sense that the mortgage company would be interested. Honestly, thank you so much. I never would have thought of that

@howbizarre22
Here is the link to one of the spells to get someone out

urbanspellcraft.tumblr.com/post/136289082431/crowns-get-the-fuck-out-spell-living-people

Easy to do and nothing to lose .. sounds bonkers but why not if nothing else works..

Thanks so much for all that! I think there's a plan forming in my head!! Yeah, I might fib and mention a police man/woman living closeby too. That is horrendous about fleecing her for a cure for cancer. Poor woman omg. I think you did well to be so assertive and now he knows not to bully you. Very glad for you there

So sorry to hear of your loss, you must be feeling awful already and then this on top of it all. But as I said before, I think this can be resolved, given that the neighbour is so clearly in the wrong. First step is complaining to the council (noise/anti-social team). Depending on council resources, they may not be able to attend during a late night party. They might ask you to keep a record of noise/nuisance events. Boring, but that's what might happen. If you get nowhere, second step is involving your local councillor, to push the council. But get friendly with your local councillor now, they can be very influential and fast-track complaints.

Thanks. I think the soft approach is best to start. He works (possibly dealing) from home and there all the time. The parties are weekends but his friends are round all the time, smoking, playing music in the garden, shouting, laughing etc, slamming the back door as they go in and out. A lot of people have said to try the quiet approach to start and yes ,I think that is best for numerous reasons

Now you’re accusing him of being a drug dealer??

Fair assumption when there's the smell of drugs, home all the time, lots and lots of 'friends' and parties?

What other job description would you suggest?