AIBU to feel like I'm being harassed by my neighbour?

[Greypaw]

I live in the arse-end of nowhere, in a tiny hamlet of about ten houses. It's very rural, and the houses are mainly old farm buildings that were converted long ago. My house has been here for about 150 years on the edge of the hamlet, and there is a bit of land in front of it, which is essentially my front garden. I have one drive which goes from the road, through my front garden to the side of the house, and another drive that goes from the road to the back of the house.

A few houses away from mine is the house of a guy who has a history of making complaints about my property. This predates me living here, and I have paperwork that shows him doing this on several occasions over the years. Since I moved here I've kept my head well down. None of my property borders his. He has one small window overlooking a miniscule part of the drive through my back garden, but that's it - the rest of the property and gardens he can't see.

However he's taken to writing complaints to the council about my property, and has been involving people from nearby villages in these communications. These seem to focus on alleged breaches of planning rules. He seems to like doing this as when I looked on the local planning site for this hamlet, there were quite a few letters from him objecting to one thing or another, but at the moment he seems to have a real bee in his bonnet about my front garden and driveway.

About three or four years ago (before I bought the place), it seems he claimed my drive had been installed without permission, but the case was closed with no further action to be taken. I think this is because it's sited on an old farm track that was always used to access parts of the property, so wasn't new, but had fallen into disuse, become overgrown and wasn't visible except for the dropped kerb. The previous owners then resurfaced it which is when he complained. After that it went quiet (at least on that issue - he was feuding with other neighbours during that time), but over the last six months he's really been going for it with this drive, collecting evidence etc. It's the range of things he's done that's made me feel harassed. In brief, these are what those things are, and the only reason I know about them is because he's written to the council listing all this stuff:

• Conducted several "site visits" along with other people locally to ask their opinion and get them to write to the council too (there is no footpath outside the house and the road is a very busy national speed limit road, so he'd have to come into my front garden to do this). I had no knowledge that these had taken place.
• Monitored my use of both my drives to see how often I use each one (I have no idea how he can do this with the front drive as there is no way he can see it).
• Monitored who comes and goes over my front garden drive, in terms of whether they are workmen, residents, visitors etc.
• Stated he has seen vans queuing on the drive to get on the property, creating a danger on the highway (this isn't true, but he's taken a photo of a workman's van that was parked on the drive to "prove" it)
• Tracked down the owner of the house from over 50 years ago to ask them to write a letter stating whether the drive was there then.
• Stated the drive is too confusing for visitors who often take the wrong turning in trying to find my property (how would he know this? How?)

All these things he's put in letters to the council, and urged others in nearby villages to do the same. I know he's also talked to the residents of the hamlet to tell them my drive is illegal and try to get them involved (they have declined)

For my part, I've had a site visit from the council and been told everything is fine, but he's still going.

I know it's fine to raise an issue with the council if he's worried about something, but AIBU to feel harassed at this level of surveillance and reporting?

I agree with others:

Speak to a solicitor
Install CCTV
Speak to the police

There was a long running thread on here which the OP had pulled when things escalated. Her neighbour was obsessed by her house and what she was doing and watched her and her builders all the time and trespassed on her property. It escalated when she eventually involved the police but i think at that point she seemed to think there would be some sort of resolution to the issue.

Tbh I would ignore, stop looking at the website and live your life. 1. because he's not approaching you directly 2. he has boundless energy and money for this, and 3. he's a known nuisance litigator. Enter into battle with him and you'll lose money and your mind. He's got nothing better to do with his life, this is what he enjoys, it's his hobby.

Let him continue bugging the council etc. He's not getting anywhere.

You can't reason with crazy, you are normal, he is not. I have been here with an alcoholic neighbour. It can escalate fast.

I wouldn't talk to a solicitor or the police.

I would simply have CCTV cameras installed that cover your property and part of the street outside that way if he comes onto your property you have evidence rather than hearsay.

The thing is he is fine watching you, he won't be fine if you are watching him. He may modify his behaviour but he may just be obsessive and you are the focus of that. You need to pity him that he has the time and inclination for this.

Clearly the planning office have the measure of him and the locals do too. Assess after the CCTV has been installed. These don't have to be wired in, stand alone cameras pointed out your window would do (we disguised ours in a lego house on our son's windowsill)

I think cctv cameras are a bad idea because it sucks you into the obsession - you're really going to spend money and waste your life checking cameras to see if he's brought people to look at your drive? Don't do it. Don't become him.

Put up CCTV and monitor who is coming and going. It'll also show that vans aren't queueing up to get in.
I think Hooray's post over in property have been deleted, she was having an awful time with batshit neighbors who didn't want her to even decorate her new home. Her putting up a fence was the end of the world.

The CCTV is a good idea. You’ll have evidence then. However, I have friends who had similar problems and he had mental health problems. There was very little the police could do. Hard as it is, as others have said, it’s not personal. Just think what a sad little life he must have if this is what fills it.

Evidence of what?! Someone looking at your drive. Really? Something's are not worth the effort and will only escalate matters.

Currently he only focuses on the drive and it's not about the op, it predates her. It's likely it'll outlast her too if she gets into it.

Personally I'd install CCTV, and a few private property signs. I'd probably also put up a couple of beware of the dog signs and get a really big dog, with a really loud bark. Obviously you may need to check the legalities of that. Could you also tell the council that you do not consent to his site visits or monitoring, and ask what they suggest to deter him?

I live rurally and I find it incredibly disturbing that he's been conducting 'site visits', and actively encouraging others to trespass on your property. But then I don't even like my dbs DW coming on to my property without my knowledge, which she does to go for a walk in my garden, usually with dB. Nothing against her, just that this is my home.

It's not worth threatening court proceedings unless you fully intend to follow through on them - and it sounds as if he'd have a lovely time defending them to the hilt and taking them as far as he can by appealing, so it could be massively expensive.

It doesn't sound as if it's worth your while producing evidence of, e.g. the fact that vans aren't queuing because no-one actually believes him anyway.

Check whether your council has a procedure for dealing with vexatious complaints - most do - and, if so, ask them to consider implementing that procedure for him.

You are only aware of all this because you checked the Council website.
You haven't had any official letters. They are ignoring him - he has no case.
Don't engage. I would only consider installing cameras if you can afford it easily, and would like the extra security anyway. If you do, and get footage of him on/secretly watching your property, I would go to a solicitor, as that is moving into stalking territory.
There are nutters everywhere, with the time and money for their obsessions. We have one where we live, who complains about any major work done on houses in the area.

I would seriously not do anything, you will just escalate it. He sounds like he has a lot of time on his hands.
A solicitors letter will be interpreted as validating his claims (why would you be disputing it otherwise?) and you may find it encourages his efforts...

If you own your place, I’d also consider what reporting to the police would do to saleability of your property. But if you generally feel in danger then of course contact them but it sounds fairly low level (appreciate that when it’s happening to you it feels very stressful)

Infinitesheldon has good advice

Practically, cctv is a good option if he was vandalising your property or if you felt in danger. But the idea of using it to see if he comes on your property - has anyone suggesting this actually sat and scrolled through hours worth of cctv? I have (work reasons) . Really op's life would be much better spent watching boxsets on Netflix and having a nice cup of tea.

Do not engage him in any way. There are some people who just become obsessed. At the moment he has an issue with your drive and he’s writing formal letters. That doesn’t hurt you really. If his focus turns to you rather than your house you run the risk of an escalation in behaviour.

Someone I know tried to engage one of those types of people and 5 years later there are threatening letters, social media posts, rally up not so pleasant people to have a go at her and lots of money spent of her getting restraining orders.

Neighbour disputes are the worst. Pop up a discrete cctv system so you can check his access on to your property and just monitor him for now. If you’d take my advice even smile and be pleasant at the cockwomble as it will annoy him you aren’t rising to the bait and also give him nothing to escalate off.

You can get cctv that only monitors movement btw. The poster above saying about scrolling through is quite right. It is full and won’t be done by a couple of snaps of movement is doable

Dull not full

That works outside? oh look, there's a plastic bag in the wind, oh look a cat, oh the Mormons..

I’d ignore him but would have cctv installed immediately.

I come lately agree not to escalate the situation as the planning department seem to have his card marked.

I'd ignore and carry on with your life.

I have experience of working in a situation where neighbours feel they have every right to complain about everything. These sort of people are never resolved as such - they just fizzle out in time.

The less you engage, the quicker he will find someone else to move on to.

Good advice on here. Don't engage as that will inflame the situation and get cctv. Ignore the nutter

I'd be wary of doing a solicitors letter as those guys are hundreds of pounds an hour. Nutjob would probably reply and before you know it you'd have legal bills for letters written on your behalf to add to your woes. I think installing CCTV and tall gates he can't see through first. Yes realise that's a cost. Then I would see if you get the evidence from the CCTV footage that is incriminating enough to get the police interested in a harassment case.

Definitely consult a solicitor. It sounds like, at the very least, this prick could be sent a letter warning him that he does not have permission to enter your property and that charges for trespass will be made against him if he does. There might even be grounds for some sort of non-mol order against him

@ReanimatedSGB

Just FYI, you cannot be charged or prosecuted for trespassing. It is a civil wrong not a criminal offence

(All those signs that say "trespassers will
be prosecuted" are lying)

Oh look there’s the neighbour coming onto the drive. It’s not perfect but it works and is less dull than hours of nothing

Clearly this man isn't rational and has had a bee in his bonnet about your property. My guess is that nobody is taking him seriously.
I know it's easier said than done but ignore, ignore, ignore.
P.s, could we have have a diagram, tis mn law

Thanks everyone, am carefully considering everything that’s been said. I do know that he would escalate to court as he’s done it before with another neighbour, so I would be very careful about doing anything that provokes that.

I am going to put CCTV on the house to cover my immediate area (it doesn’t overlook the street or anyone else’s property so that’s ok), but unfortunately it wouldn’t cover the end of the drive to the front of the house, which is where he seems to be focusing attention, and it would cost a fortune to get electricity laid there to power a camera. There are gates there already and a high fence, but the gates tend to be open during the day. Can’t be more specific as it would be very outing. I might do a diagram but I need to think of a way I can do it that also wouldn’t be outing.

It is true that he hasn’t contacted me directly, it’s all be done through other means - he’s giving all the information to the neighbours or the council rather than to me. A workman who was here recently said he saw someone doing a slow drive-by several times, and the car he described matched this guy’s car. But I only found out the extent when I checked the planning website to see what plans had been submitted for a new house in the hamlet. What’s unsettled me is to subsequently find out I’ve been monitored to that extent while not knowing.

The PP who said he may have done this from the roadside is entirely correct - his ‘site visits’ could have been conducted from the part of my drive that joins the road (though he knew about a change I’d made to my front garden which would have been VERY difficult to unless he’d come onto the property. It’s unsettling to know he’s been monitoring my comings and goings, even if it’s from his bedroom window, making notes, writing to people etc.

Might ask for a quick meeting with the council to go over the cases he claims are ongoing but that I know nothing about. Just to get a feel of what’s going on.

I think he'd love the thought of solicitors
/ police and throw himself right into sorting that out.
Disengage from the council site.
Put up cctv, if it shows he's on your property you'd have evidence to take it further.