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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Worried I have upset the neighbours

25 replies

mumof2monsters · 17/09/2010 16:59

Really worried I have upset my neighbours and my road. We live in a road where most people keep themselves to themselves. Have lived here 10 years. My hubby and I work shifts and we have to sleep sometimes during the day. I have never exptected my neighbours to be quiet they have to come and go afterall.
We have the odd annoyance a dog a few doors down who is shut out all day and barks but have never approached the owners as these things happen.
Today a neighbours burglar alarm was going off for a couple of hours and it was very loud. Hubby was sleeping off nights and it woke him up and he could not get back to sleep. The house where is was coming from is an oldish couple who do not work but have a camper home and when I went up and knocked on the door there was no answer and no-one else around. It kept going off stopping and going off again. I was worried but could see nothing untoward. I called the police and they said contact your council so I contacted the council to see what to do. Well later today a man came round and visited the house no-one there so he spoke to their neighbours and whilst checking he found none of the alarms in the street were registered so he may write to owners to get them registered. Meanwhile the neighbour he spoke to referred to me as scum of the earth and now I am worried I have upset people which I hate doing. Do not want to step outside the house now. What I did was not vindictive I was a concerned neighbour and I was worried the alarm may go off all night if the owners are away as it looks like they are. Feeling really bad

OP posts:

Ripeberry · 17/09/2010 17:03

Why are you scum of the earth? Don't get it.

Is it because they have to pay to get the alarms registered? They would have got found out anyway.

Ignore the nutter, hope his alarm goes off in the night whilst he's away and then no-one will come and investigate.

Fimbo · 17/09/2010 17:03

Ignore the comments, some people are just plain rude. You did a good thing as the house could have been in the process of being burgled.

We dont speak to our neighbours across from us, since I politely asked for the noise from their teenage daughters party to be turned down. They told me to "get a life".

SylvanianFamily · 17/09/2010 17:04

nice neighbours (!)

doesn't sound like you did anything wrong, and sorry you've been made to feel uncomfortable

proudnglad · 17/09/2010 17:04

I don't understand either.

MrsYamada · 17/09/2010 17:05

There's not much point having alarms if no-one is supposed to do anything when one goes off!

grapeandlemon · 17/09/2010 17:06

Scum of the earth?! That is disgraceful and says more about them tbh. I don't think what you did was unreasonable at all. They have the issue , just hold your head high.

sterrryerryoh · 17/09/2010 17:07

Why do you need to have an alarm registered anyway?
Surely you?ve done the right thing by phoning the council - I?m impressed they sent someone round, tbh

Dione · 17/09/2010 17:08

Don't. If you have had no run-ins with these people then they were wrong to call you scum. An alarm was going off and you did the right thing in contacting the police. After all what is an alarm for if not to attract the attention of people and warn that a crime may be in progress. The police then gave you advice which you took.

Can't understand why the man from the council told you that a neighbour referred to you as "scum" though. He doesn't sound very professional.

Anyway, your neighbour has said nothing to you, so continue as you were.

Original poster

mumof2monsters · 17/09/2010 17:11

Thanks. It was the not people whose alarm it was but their neightbours next door to them that apparently called us scum. Apparently an unregistred alarm you can be fined and none of the ones in the street are registered but I guess no-one knows that.
It was the environmental health man that went to the peoples neighbours and the alarm has only been in a week and the people themselves are away. Well their neighbour thought we were scum???? A) I was concerened they may have been burgled B) I went up to their house no-one home c) it had disturbed my hubby sleeping off nights and also what if it went off in the night
I hate upsetting people but the environmental health man is going to write to the alarm owners and ask them to register their alarm but I guess their neighbour thought I was complaining. I am a bit cross that the environmental health man told them who had called. I just feel like they will all think I am a complainer and up til now have never complained about anyone. Sorry sounds extreme but I worry when I upset people....too nice maybe!

OP posts:

ArseHolio · 17/09/2010 17:11

You've done nothing wrong!

I though house alarms were only supposed to go off for 20minutes ?

Is the neighbour who called your scum the barking dogs owner ? In which case report his ass to environmental health fir the noise pollution.

Original poster

mumof2monsters · 17/09/2010 17:13

No unfortunately they are not the barking dog people. Will just keep my head down and hope that when the alarm owners return home from wherever they will not confront me

OP posts:

sterrryerryoh · 17/09/2010 17:16

I didn?t think that it was a legal requirement to register an alarm. I think it?s recommended, as technically, the police or council services can gain access to a property to silence an alarm if it has been sounding long enough to be classed as nuisance, so registering an alarm with keyholders will prevent damage to your property in those circumstances - but I?ve not heard of councils actually fining people for not registering!
Must check own council?s policy!!

AvrilHeytch · 17/09/2010 17:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

agedknees · 17/09/2010 17:21

mumof2monsters - you did the responsible thing, you checked to make sure the house was safe.

YOU ARE NOT SCUM.

The man who called you scum is being unreasonable.

I would willingly have you as a neighbour.

Hope your dh gets some sleep.

sterrryerryoh · 17/09/2010 17:22

Also - how did the man from environmental health check to see if the alarms were registered? Surely that info would be data protected - or, they could be registered with an alarm company, which information would not necessarily be shared with the council!?
They sound very jobs worthy! You haven?t done anything wrong at all, and I would like to think that any of my neighbours would look out for my property the same way.

Sounds as though your neighbours new alarm has some teething problems. Alarms should definitely silence after 20 minutes

JustAnotherManicMummy · 17/09/2010 17:26

How do you know they called you scum?

Original poster

mumof2monsters · 17/09/2010 17:26

Thanks all and the person that called me scum was a woman!! Will just wait and if approached by alarm owners will explain that I was concerned for their property but also concerned that alarm would go off all day or may go off at night. I agree he sounds like a jobs worth...never met him but hubby did. Wish he had just confidentially said that someone had called them rather than tell them it was me. Note to myself never to bother looking out for anyone again or complaining about anything!

OP posts:

sterrryerryoh · 17/09/2010 17:31

Have just checked on some recent paraphernalia that came through the door - it is not a legal requirement to register an intruder alarm - councils just want you to, as it makes their jobs easier! I wouldn?t have thought they could fine anybody!!

This leaflet says (exactly) ?Whilst it is not a legal requirement for you to register your house alarm or key holders, we would urge you to register with the key holder database to facilitate the deactivation of false alarms without the need for the Council to take enforcement action?

So, the neighbours can?t be fined! :)

Ripeberry · 18/09/2010 10:12

Lets hope the owners of the alarm come round and thank you for being public spirited. If more people were there would be a lot less trouble on the streets!

AnxiousLand · 18/09/2010 11:26

HEY!!
Carry on your own life and it is the opinion of one scumbag himself!!

I have 2 neighbours that are making my life untolerable at he moment and last night they had a huge row and the police and ambulance was called!!

Karma huh?

THAT NEIGHBOUR IS THE SCUM OF THE EARTH NOT YOU

YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO LIVE THERE

DONT YOU FECKING DARE HOLD YOUR HEAD DOWN
IGNORE EM THAT WILL KILL EM
XX

claig · 18/09/2010 11:33

don't worry about it at all. You did the right thing. You can't control the actions of scum like that. Don't bother explaining to the neighbour who called you scum, as they are beyond reason and not worth bothering with. The woman was probably miffed that she got found out over her unregistered alarm, and therefore said it in anger.

gtamom · 18/09/2010 11:33

You are not scum, and I can just imagine the low life type of guy who would say that.
Meanwhile, if I were you, I wouldn't wait for them to say something, but let them know yourself what happened. I'd stick a letter in their mail box explaining what happened. You could have saved them being robbed, really they should be grateful you did that.

MadameCheese · 18/09/2010 11:56

What a strange woman,ignore her. Who in their right mind thinks it is acceptable to have an alarm going off for a couple of hours, day or night? If I were that homeowner (the one's who've gone on holiday I mean) I would be so embarrassed that I'd annoyed my neighbours, so I wouldn't have a go at someone for acting as you have done. You are in the right, this woman was probably having a bad day.

Original poster

mumof2monsters · 20/09/2010 13:31

Thanks for all your comments. The neighbour whose alarms it was came home yesterday as I noticed him parking with his caravan. He has not come down to ask me about it and I think he would have done by now. His next door neighbour was walking down our road earlier and was chatting to another neighbour further up the road as I parked in our drive. I sat i the car for a few minutes. Half of me wanted to have a go at her for calling me scum (would not sink to her level) and the other half was dreading confrontation.
I heard her talking loudly but could not hear what she said. I just hate confrontation and I am just worried that she will tell other neighbours that I "snitched" on her neighbour about his alarm and the whole street will be talking about me.
I know you probably think I am being pathetic but years ago when I was a teen my family fell out with some neighbours over parking and these neighbours put glue in all our door locks whilst we were out and our lives were hell for a while.
Just dont want to feel like that in my own street. :(

OP posts:

claig · 20/09/2010 13:44

mumof2monsters, don't give it a second thought. The neighbour has most probably forgotten about it by now and is probably not mentioning it. Also, the other neighbours probably know what she is like and just listen but ignore her comments. In a week's time, it will all be history.

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