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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour reporting us to environmental health for a noise that only she can hear

159 replies

Mufferdoodle · 16/05/2018 21:51

Soooooo arrived home this evening to a nice little letter from the local council, informing us that they’d like to come and investigate the nuisance noise coming from our house on Monday.

I can only assume this noise is the same noise that our next door neighbour has been mentioning at every opportunity for the last 18 months. She claims to be able to hear it at all times of day and night and it sounds like a heartbeat noise. We have never heard this noise but she put a letter trough our door about a year ago saying that one of the trades people who she had called out to investigate said noise had told her that it was 100% coming from our house (even though he also didn’t actually hear the noise).

As neighbours, I think we are pretty decent. We have 2 small children (who are in bed for 7 ish) we go to bed at 9 ish. We don’t play loud music, or make much noise at all really. We did look out for this lady (she’s in her 70’s) I’ve taken her out for the day, bought her a few bits for her house, check on her in cold weather etc etc.

The house is ours - it’s not rented. It’s in a nice quiet cul de sac and we get on with all of the other people who live nearby.

So question is - aibu to tell the council they can’t come poking around my home unless they have a recording of the noise?? I feel really upset and anxious about the whole thing and to be honest I’m 99% sure that neighbour has tinnitus as she has told me a couple of times that she can still hear the noise with ear plugs in.

What would you do??

OP posts:
Lovemusic33 · 17/05/2018 12:32

Just let them come over and see that there is no noise, explain to them that the neighbour must have hearing issues. They can’t do anything unless they have proof of a noise.

SleepingStandingUp · 17/05/2018 12:35

Another vote for let them in. They won't do anything disruptive and it'll q reinforce to her that it's hee not you

HollowTalk · 17/05/2018 12:45

You don't have those plugs for mice, do you? I can't hear the noise they make, but my children can.

TomRavenscroft · 17/05/2018 12:48

Last year neighbour wanted us to call an electrician, a Plummer and a drain company out to check our house

What? Confused What for? The same neighbour? What happened?

Anyway, I concur with the others. Invite them in gladly so they can put in black and white that there is no noise.

Loopy, you're not the only one who's having a Telltale Heart moment Grin

ScattyCharly · 17/05/2018 12:50

Let the council in OP. It'll clear you. My elderly neighbours reported me for an imaginary problem. Council man came round, determined it was bollocks and left 5 or 10 minutes later. Never heard from council or neighbours again.

BewareOfDragons · 17/05/2018 13:03

Let them in. It will be quick, by the sounds of it. And perhaps she'll finally get herself to the GP to sort out the tinnitus or voices...

HoppingPavlova · 17/05/2018 13:13

Tinnitus. I would hear crashing and banging and would have a very perplexed DH investigating as I was insisting someone was making an awful ruckus trying to break in. He knew better than to argueGrin. Was tinnitus though.

Juells · 17/05/2018 13:48

One very early morning a few years ago my sister glanced out her front window and saw police, ambulance, fire brigade, and neighbour from two doors down being escorted away by men in white coats. BiL, who was raised in NY, didn't even raise his eyes from the newspaper when she said "Holy Crap, what's happening?". All the white goods had been dragged out of the house onto the front lawn. I'm friendly with the neighbour who shared a party wall with that house, and she told me the tale when I ran into her a few days later.

Warning...this is a saga! My friend, K, told me that her neighbour (I'll call her B for Batty) got involved with some charlatan who was into ley lines. This guy told B that several ley lines crossed under B's house, and to prevent a build up of some explosive force B needed to persuade K to buy some wonderful machine which would counteract the build-up. Machine cost hundreds. Not un-naturally, K said 'no', and was harrassed and harrassed about it.

The night before whatever it was happened (or didn't happen) B came to her, hysterical, and said the charlatan had warned her the pressure was reaching danger levels. Evidently then, during the night, she dragged all her white goods outside - not bothering to disconnect the washing machine or dishwasher, so the pipes gushed water all night. At six in the morning she phoned all the emergency services saying there was going to be an explosion, and they were all mobilised.

K's downstairs was completely ruined by water flooding through the walls and under her back door, she had to replace all carpets and flooring. She saw B's mother a few days later and asked how B was, and got an earful of abuse from the mother, about how none of it would have happened if she hadn't been so mean, and had bought the machine as asked. Confused

When B returned from the hospital she knocked on K's door, all bright and breezy, and said "I see you're getting new carpets laid, I need to buy new ones as well, can I see how yours look?". K was more polite than I would have been, and just said 'sorry, you can't come in my house and I don't want to communicate with you again'. B went off completely unfazed Confused

Juells · 17/05/2018 13:49

Blimey, I didn't mean to write such a screed.

AgentJohnson · 17/05/2018 14:10

There was a recent programme on Dutch television about a similar problem and it turns out that there was a noise that only the neighbors could hear. Remember a few years back, when councils started installing devices in public areas that emitted an annoying noise at a higher frequency which annoyed teenagers but older people couldn’t hear, could it be a similar phenomenon? Only recently there’s the viral thing about ‘Laurel’ vs ‘Janny’, DD swears she can hear Janny being spoken when I am certain Laurel is being said.

Let the Environment Health come over because it there is something going on, it must be driving your neighbors nuts.

DianaPrincessOfThemyscira · 17/05/2018 14:57

It’s all very well saying neighbour might have hyper sensitive hearing, but that doesn’t alter the fact that OP shouldn’t have to make allowances for that. And EH won’t make her, or probably even have the capability to test for that.

Original poster
Mufferdoodle · 17/05/2018 17:04

Holy shit juells 😳 hoping it doesn’t end like that!!

So basically I spoke to environmental health and they don’t need to come round. They just wanted to inform me that they are going to install recording equipment in the neighbours house. Sounds like she has been well and truly taken in though as she kept telling me what a lot of distress has been caused to my neighbour and the recordings would be able to tell us where the problem is. Every time she mentioned the noise coming from my house I corrected her and told her there was no noise and I was absolutely confident that the recording equipment won’t pick anything up. I’ve asked them to confirm to be in writing the results of any tests they carry out and the outcome of the investigation so hopefully all will be resolved soon. My neighbour tried ringing me this afternoon. 🙄I didn’t pick up.

OP posts:
Juells · 17/05/2018 17:10

That's a bit annoying, as if there is a noise in the neighbour's house you'll then have to go through a palaver to prove it isn't coming from your house. And how infuriating to have to keep correcting the EH person Every time she mentioned the noise coming from my house

Grrrr. I'd be furious. 😡

wormery · 17/05/2018 18:06

How annoying, still at least it will show there is nothing to worry about. I wouldn't bother answering the phone either or speaking to her about it. Good luck, hope it gets sorted out soon.

wormery · 17/05/2018 18:07

What about the distress it's causing you.Confused

PetulantPolecat · 17/05/2018 18:14

I was just reading through 5 pages thinking I don’t want to repeat it as I’m sure others have pointed it out, but environmental health DOESN'T COME TO YOUR HOUSE. They come to the house who is complaining and assess the noise they are complaining about. They then leave a recorder and the noise has to register at certain level and it must be repeated and frequent (not just once a week) in order for them to consider it a nuisance.

If it was determined that you were generating this nuisance noise, you’d get a letter. And then 2 more. And then you’re given a small fine (£50 last time I checked) and if the noise continues, you make a new complaint and repeat.

wormery · 17/05/2018 18:18

Maybe it's a clock, she hasn't got a metronome or a grandfather clock in her lounge has she.

Juells · 17/05/2018 18:55

Have you ever gone in there and sat with her for a few hours?

I love the tradesman telling her it was definitely coming from your house, even though he couldn't hear it. 😂 CF.

CaveMaman · 17/05/2018 19:03

Similar thing happened to us with the crazy lady next door to our old house. She started saying there were little people living under our floorboards Hmm.

Used to hear her shouting at her little dog to "do a wee wee" every fucking night as well (past 10pm, we'd be in bed and hear it).

She wasn't very nice really, but I think she may have had dementia or something. Pretty unpleasant to have, I know, but not our responsibility or problem to deal with.

We moved house in the end.

Original poster
Mufferdoodle · 17/05/2018 19:59

Petulantpolecat they wanted to come to my house on Monday. They made themselves an appointment 😳

Juells - yes, both me and hubby have gone round but neither of us can hear anything at all in there. I know it sounds awful but I really hope they move. Our house is only small but we absolutely love it here. We’ve got a big garden and the rest of the neighbours are nice. It’s so peaceful here to (ironically). We’ve put so much into making a nice home for our family I would be gutted if we have to leave but getting so pissed off with hearing about the bloody noise 😩

OP posts:
MacavityWasFramed · 18/05/2018 08:05

Also, tell them you've just had surgery and you're at risk of an infection if you invite random people round. They can go to her house if they want to, or stand outside (so you don't need to be in).

IIIustriousIyIllogical · 18/05/2018 08:12

I'd let them in, if there's no noise coming from your house it'll clear it up for once & for all.

You can then use that to reinforce your point with the neighbour for ever more....

SluttyButty · 18/05/2018 08:15

I'm just placemarking because I've been following but it looks like it's going to take a while to find out what bat shit neighbour is hearing.

ChasedByBees · 18/05/2018 08:16

Hopefully regardless of what this is, it sounds like it’ll be resolved soon.

After the visit,you could ask your neighbour if anyone but her has heard the noise and if it’s louder in any parts of the house. If it’s in her head, locality shouldn’t affect it (although she may have persuaded herself it is louder nearer the party wall).

QuoadUltra · 18/05/2018 08:23

No one comes into my house without an invitation or a warrant.

Do not let environmental health engage you in this. Shut it down. They have no power unless they can show:

  • there is a noise
  • the noise constitutes a breach of the law
  • the noise is coming from your house

They can’t do this^ but they can waste a lot of your time unnecessarily.