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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbours at war - house on market nightmare AIBU & WWUD

147 replies

Tutifruity1999 · 17/05/2015 10:59

Backstory
I've been living here 12 years and used to get on quite well with my neighbours who live 5 doors down from me. 5 years ago after I returned to work full time I got another dog to keep my dog company while myself and my partner was at work.

At the time I wasn't aware my new dog was a yapping dog, but I started getting complaints from environmental health noise team. They couldn't tell me who complained so I set up my iPod with a recording app when I went to work.
And both my dogs were barking quite a lot.
My first dog never had barked previously but the new dog was making her bark too. As I live in a semi detached I guessed it was my next door neighbour.

So I got a dog door cat flap installed so the dogs could go out when they pleased.

This seemed to improve things and I never heard anything more until a year later I had two letters from environmental health that two other people had complained.

I phoned the council to discuss things and told them what I had done to combat the problem. I had started working shifts so at that time the dogs were at home from 9-7 six days a week so we arranged for a dog walker to come in twice a day.

Things started getting worse and I was getting letters monthly from environmental health so we set up s video camera to see what was happening and my dogs were at the bottom of my garden barking at the pack of dogs who lived in the garden backing onto mine.

I had problems now as when they were in the house my next door neighbour complained and when they were let out a few of the neighbours complained so I couldn't win. So I was now taking them to a friends mon-fri and they would be left at home only on a Saturday.

Things then got worse and I was getting hand written letters saying shut your f*ing dogs up every Saturday and more letters from the council. As I was coming home one Saturday One of my neighbours came out from 5 doors down who I had previously been friendly with and really had a go at me about it saying things like I was distroying his life.

My point of why I posted
Fast forward to now, it's been a ongoing nightmare with getting shouted at in the street and letters. A relative of mine who owns a house with some land that has died and I have inherited the property and we have spent the last six months doing it up and we will be moving into it soon.

The neighbour who have been verbally abusing me in the street has just sold his house.

Mine has just gone on the market for rent. I haven't got a sign up as I don't want to draw attention to the fact that I am moving with my neighbours but I am using the same agents that he sold his house with.

I had 4 viewings back to back yesterday. I sat in the garden to get out of the way and it seems the verbal neighbours have found out the house is on the market. As soon as my second viewer came round I could hear a high pitched barking dog and loud music blaring from his house. Then his child was playing in the garden screaming. This is from a family who are quiet.

I am certain they are trying to sabotage my viewings. WIBU to go round there and have a word?

I don't know what to do, it was so loud the agent had to go back in the house to discuss feedback as I couldn't hear him.

WWUD?

OP posts:
letscookbreakfast · 17/05/2015 11:35

Actually OP, go and have a word and then update us with what happens.

RabidFairy · 17/05/2015 11:39

It sounds like the OP has done her best to take steps to eradicate the problems, so I'm surprised at the amount of angry posts directed to her.

I wouldn't say anything OP because you don't know for sure they are being deliberately unpleasant and they'll be moving soon anyway, right?

MrsJackAubrey · 17/05/2015 11:41

alot of people would have rehomed their dogs in your situation and would have been getting a mumsnet kicking for doing so, in absentia so to speak - 'whoever put these dogs up for adoption was terrible, dogs are for life'.

Given that you shouldn't made the decision to have dogs in my view, as your way of life simply could not include decent dog care (alone 9-7? are you mad? your dogs need YOU not some dog sitter) you do seem to have made a lot of effort to reduce the impact of your dogs on your neighbours. It hasn't worked - but you have tried.

But because nothing you did worked, and your neighbours have had a shitty time suffering from your dogs, I think they are absolutely getting back at you. If you do approach them to ask them to stop doing this, you need to go prepared to absolutely grovel and beg.

Personally I'd move out immediately to your new place if its remotely habitable; then I'd put the house to rent via an agent.

The sooner you are out of that street the sooner the neighbours can get on with their lives - which would include stopping this retaliation.

Mitzimaybe · 17/05/2015 11:43

I'm another with no sympathy for you and your attitude - or is this a reverse?

Mrsbobdylan · 17/05/2015 11:46

Yabu. And I feel sorry for you neighbours and your dogs.

Bearsinmotion · 17/05/2015 11:46

I was just wondering if this was a reverse...

Springtimemama · 17/05/2015 11:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

whiteblossom · 17/05/2015 11:48

A dog flap and a dog walker is hardly everything! Op knows this has not resolved the problem and dogs barking continues, destroying her neighbors life. They are now moving. If fact she made it worse by getting a second dog.

nequidnimis · 17/05/2015 11:50

I expect your neighbour struggled to sell his house because of your barking dogs and wants you to experience the same.

It's not rational because it's in everyone's interests to see the back of you, but I can only imagine how bitter he must feel after years of listening to your dogs barking.

If I lived near you I'd probably be doing the same.

Floralnomad · 17/05/2015 11:52

I honestly can't believe that anybody with any sense thought that letting dogs that bark have access to the garden was going to help - there is even more to bark at in the garden . I'm also amazed that with that level of complaints they council had let the problem drag on for so long . YABU and I would do nothing - you will get a tenant eventually .

BigStripeyBastard · 17/05/2015 11:54

OP, you thoroughly deserve it. I would have done the same in your poor neighbours shoes.

swampster · 17/05/2015 11:54

This has GOT to be a reverse AIBU.

Waltermittythesequel · 17/05/2015 11:57

This has to be a reverse.

Nobody is this U.

It serves you right if it's legit. I feel sorry for your neighbours and your dogs.

Kaekae · 17/05/2015 11:58

I don't get why you would get another dog either? I used to live in an area where there was a dog who would bark and howl all night. It was hell. Eventually the RSPCA got involved. I have always done my own viewings - have you thought about that? That way you won't have an estate agents car parked outside.

TheBeagleHasLanded · 17/05/2015 12:01

I think you have to accept that despite what you view as your best efforts to keep the noise to a minimum this has not been achieved. Clearly you don't understand how absolutely soul destroying it can be living next door to this type of noise. For years.

WalterMittyish · 17/05/2015 12:07

Leaving aside the issue of the ongoing noise the neighbours have been subjected to, this is quite a conclusion to leap to off the back of one incident, isn't it?

Oh, hang on: "Then his child was playing in the garden screaming".

One afternoon of a screaming/playing child, vs 5 years of barking dogs? Yep, neighbours from hell Hmm

LinesThatICouldntChange · 17/05/2015 12:08

Your poor dogs. And your poor neighbours.
Karma's a bitch, eh?

SoldierBear · 17/05/2015 12:10

I feel really sorry for your dogs and your neighbours.
They have put up with unhappy, loud dogs for 5 years.
And you complain about one afternoon?
WWID? Well, you could accept that your behaviour over the years has seriously affected your neighbours, go round, agree that you've been a stupid arse and apologise profusely.
But I suspect it will be too little, too late and you might find it difficult to rent your place out for a while. You are moving anyway, so might be best just to suck it up and learn to be a better neighbour

Waltermittythesequel · 17/05/2015 12:10

Wait, there's another Waltermitty????

waves

GameOfGroans · 17/05/2015 12:11

Lol at karma is a bitch!! I also echo the poster who said she hopes you are not moving near to her. You sound like the neighbour from hell

WalterMittyish · 17/05/2015 12:12

There's loads of us, Waltermittythesequel Wink

CocoaBeans · 17/05/2015 12:13

Barking dogs are a PITA. Our neighbours have two dogs which bark all the time if anybody is out in our garden. We have rabbits and they can no longer go in our garden because the two dogs next door run up and down scratching at the fence. Thankfully our neighbours are tenants and are not allowed pets so they are leaving soon.

Micah · 17/05/2015 12:18

Yep, getting the second dog was a terrible idea. You should have sorted care for the first dog if it was going to be left for that long. Another dog wasn't the solution to leaving it alone for extended periods.

I'd have probably reported you to the rspca for leaving 2 dogs all day every day, dog flap or no.

Original poster
Tutifruity1999 · 17/05/2015 12:19

I didn't want to put all the details in my first post but

I have considered rehoming my second dog but it is sentimental to me, my husband bought it for me as a wedding anniversary gift just before he suddenly died at a young age from cancer. And for that reason that's why I haven't got rid of the dog.

I do get along with most of my neighbours and verbal neighbour who has sold up has been planning this move for over a year and they will be gone in two months.

I am moving in a couple of weeks regardless of if my house has been let or not. The estate agents do know this and it's possible verbal neighbour knows this as the agents are very chatty and have told me about there move ect without me asking.

So I do think this is deliberate yes, if they know about my move.

I've got more viewings tomorrow, the neighbour very rarely goes out so viewing when he is out is not a option.

But I don't want to draw attention to this with the agents as I would imagine they have not declared this on there selling pack, and I am planning to sell up in the near future so if I keep quiet then I won't declare it either.

OP posts:
Waltermittythesequel · 17/05/2015 12:22

Drip feeding for sympathy?

I'm sorry for your loss but it doesn't make a difference to the circumstances.

The fact is, you've knowingly caused your neighbours quite an amount of stress for the past few years and if they've decided they want a bit of revenge then there's very little you can do about it.

Perhaps this is giving you a taste of what they've had to endure?

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