Garden unusable due to neighbours pot smoking

[QuestionableMouse]

This might be a bit of a long one, sorry.

I got a new neighbour a few months ago and knew he had mental health issues when he moved in. He has social workers going in every other day. He's also quite aggressive and I find him very uncomfortable to deal with. (example, one of my towels blew off the line and into his garden which caused a huge row with him being very aggressive, all because I'd nipped in to get it which is pretty normal in my street.)

He's recently started smoking a lot of very strong smelling pot. He has his window and door open and the smell fills my garden. I can't stand it- on my bad days it can easily trigger a severe migraine. I can't hang any washing out, can't sit in the garden and or use it at all. I've even started parking at the back of my property and coming in through the back door because it's so awful.

I don't know what to do. I'm honestly frightened to confront him as I live alone and he's a big man with a bad temper. But I can't go on like I am because I feel like a prisoner in my own home! It's a gorgeous sunny day and I have all my front windows closed so the smell doesn't get it. I'm also not sure if I'm imagining things or if my house in general is starting to stink of it. (victorian terrace)

Any ideas what I can do?

Thank you.

Ring the police? Environmental health? Council?

I’ve lived next door to a prolific pot smoker and I can honestly say all I ever got was a whiff of it when the wind was blowing my way. Do you think you could possibly be overreacting a little? As for going into somebody’s garden without their permission is a bit much. I might be a little aggressive if I found a stranger in my garden.

This is an awful situation for you.
I would definitely say don't go into someone else's garden - esp if they are a large scary man!
On the smell of the pot I think you need to contact either the olive or council.
I've had awful neighbour last before and it does really get you down so I can sympathise.

I dont think you are overreacting. It is a horrible smell which clings to everything. I dont know what you can do. We are in the same situation as you but not everyday.

Honestly the garden thing isn't a huge deal and is accepted as the norm in my street. The fences are only about three feet tall and we all take parcels/each others washing/whatever in and out as needed. I was in for maybe 20 seconds and didn't even step off the path.

I'm not over reacting, I don't think. I've had friends come in and mention it without me saying anything so I don't think it's just me.

I think you should not have done into someone else’s garden without permission - people may do that on your street as they know each other well but it’s intruding and I’m not surprised you got a mouthful. I don’t understand your extreme reaction to the smell of pot either, leave him be.

Can we move on past the garden thing please?

I hate the smell of it, don't want to sit outside and have everything reeking of pot. I also don't want to go outside and end up with a migraine because of the smell!

I really feel for you, the smell of pot makes me vomit, it's absolutely disgusting. Maybe try the council and see what they suggest.

Call 101 and keep reporting

I'd call the police, but it may escalate things...

Can we move on past the garden thing please?

It's illegal and extremely rude and you're refusing to accept that you're in the wrong there. That might be why no-one is moving past it.

Does he rent? Speak to the landlord.

101 each and every time

And you shouldn't have gone into his garden, you should have knocked on his door and asked

Disgusting. I walk past a house like this. The area around it stinks. Really feel for you.

I agree with Openupyourmind, your neighbour is new to the area and is probably unaware that neighbours pop into each other’s gardens. I’m friendly with my neighbours but would be most unhappy to find one trespassing in my garden.
The smell of pot is unpleasant but I can’t see how it’s affecting you to this extent. As I said I lived next door to a smoker (lad in his 20’s living with mum and dad) he smoked it in the house and garden, his bedroom window was next to my DD bedroom window and we could only smell it on the wind if he was outside. It certainly didn’t cling to washing or prevent us from opening windows. I think you are going to have to live and let live with this one.
I did however complain about the lad next door when he watched porn with the volume full blast as soon as his parents went out, I found that a little too much to cope with.

Illegal?

YANBU . The young couple in the next flat to me (adjoining balcony so only about 2 feet away out there) smoke skunk. I am not able to be on the balcony when one of them is out there smoking it as it is CHOKING and I can't breathe properly - this is not an exaggeration and I can only think of those that think you are overreacting are too used to the smell of it themselves to notice. One of my visitors was really curious as to how my neighbours could possibly breathe themselves if it was like that in their flat all the time. Indoors, I have to keep all the windows shut on that side of the building if they have their balcony door open. Fortunately, if I am out on my balcony, he (it is usually the man as partner often out working) goes inside. He used to deal drugs at one time and not sure he doesn't still (pointless telling police as they won't be interested - they already know him -he has been in trouble before - and cannot be unaware).

Well it’s going to be hard to move past the garden issue because that has made it nigh on impossible for you to get a positive response from him if you mention it.

Advice from the local council to see what, if anything, can be done would be the next step.

Definitely ring 101 and report it. If you can smell it as badly as you day you can anyone could have rung, you can just deny it was you if it comes to anything- unfortunately I think it has to be really, really extreme for them to do anything. We have the same issue with our neighbours behind us. I can never hang washing out. Our tumble drying bills are horrendous. It’s awful.

@Omzlas please can you tell me how to knock on someone's door without going into their garden?

Also it's not illegal to go into someone's garden. It's a civil crime if anything.

Bloody hell, you walked down a path to retrieve a towel. Crime of the century.

Meanwhile your neighbour makes enjoying your own home impossible day in day out with his vile stinking habit. It's disgusting.

I'd report him to everyone I could think of

I’m confused.

Did your towel blow into the front garden? And is he smoking in his front garden?

Because you say you now park around the back? I’m probably being thick but can’t you just sit out the back?

I must say though if I moved somewhere new, I wouldn’t care how everyone else did things, I wouldn’t like the idea of people thinking they can come and go in my garden as they please!

Only on mumsnet is popping into a neighbours garden to collect some washing blown off the line is worse than a loser dopeheads habit stinking your house out. Awesome stuff

I don't know what you can do OP otherwise report and keep reporting. Keep reporting and he might move on to make someone else's life miserable.

Or move yourself.

No, the back is just a small yard that holds the bins and gets no sun. The front gardens are proper gardens.

So did you go into the back garden to get your towel or the front?
Front is obviously ok it back is intruding on his privacy.
Of course you can go into his front garden to knock on his door.
To the pp who said that people who think it’s ok are obviously used to the smell, I don’t smoke, either tobacco or pot/weed.
You all must have very sensitive systems to get choked and struggle to breathe, I mean seriously!! It’s not pleasant but it’s unfortunately a case of live and let live.
If you keep logging this issue with the Police they are going to label you a nut job, a busy body, a meddler. The Police have no interest in a man smoking pot in his own house, illegal or not.