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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbours cooking us alive ….

359 replies

DaisyStiener · 08/11/2021 08:36

We live in a freezing but lovely townhouse/tenement /high ceiling, bay but single glazed flat.
It’s been freezing since Before Time
Heating is rubbish and often wear layers to keep warm/survive

About 3 months ago : we got new downstairs neighbours

They did a lot of building work and at first , we thought by the heat and the noise- that they were drying plaster or similar with industrial heaters of some sort ?
Turns out no: they are just from a much warmer country and have their heating on 24/7 !?

My eyeballs are drying out. It’s like a Sahara now
I’ve windows open constantly , but at least my washing dries quickly …

Is it even SAFE to have heating on 24/7? What kind of heating rattles a whole room? My cats are just lying in pools on the floor!

AIBU - you’ll age by dehydration, your cats will eventually jump out of the wide open windows , the noise will drive you mad , it’s bad for the environment
YABU- enjoy the heat ,for once - make a cocktail chillax, throw away your onesies as you won’t need them this winter.

OP posts:
Iamanicepersonreally · 08/11/2021 15:45

I'd absolutely hate this. I hate being too hot

urbanbuddha · 08/11/2021 15:51

My flats just hot. That’s all I know

But it's not all you know.

There's industrial noise, a teenager who could be trafficked and a neighbour who obviously doesn't want you asking questions. Add in the fire risk if it is a cannabis farm and it"s sensible to report it. If you're wrong no harm done.
Or do you live in a world wbere cannabis farms with their trafficked labour are figments of the imagination?

ememem84 · 08/11/2021 15:59

@DaisyStiener

Ha haaaaa *@Longdistance* *@LibrariesGiveUsPower45321* well we DID wonder but surely the smell wouod be as obvious as the heat???
Not if they’re growing it surely….
FatherBuzzCagney · 08/11/2021 16:04

OP, please report it, it's a serious fire hazard.

Years ago, a large house on my parents' road exploded - turned out it had been used as a grow house and no-one had had any idea. It was the most dramatic thing to happen in St Albans for years.

Horst · 08/11/2021 16:07

That’s what happened down our street with the drug house. Started off as annoying but whatever whatever led to a murder by stabbing and our houses being coned off for days as part of an active crime scene.

Angliski · 08/11/2021 16:11

Do they own the flat? If not, the landlord is obliged to sort it out if it is weed. Do you know the landlord's contact details? Leave it with them! And enjoy the heat...

Angliski · 08/11/2021 16:12

I think the trafficked teenager might be a Mumsnet leap too far though.

peridito · 08/11/2021 16:16

I also think this should be reported .But I totally get the OP's fears .

Anonymous reporting isn't going to stop whoever is in control putting 2 and 2 together .And reflecting on the interaction there's been with the OP .

I do feel for you OP .Flowers

TheFirstMrsDV · 08/11/2021 16:17

I lived in a third floor with people above below and either side of me. They were all elderly or had young kids so kept their heating on a lot. It was bloody brilliant.
Now I live in a house and have to pay for my own heating. Boo.

Collaborate · 08/11/2021 16:19

I'd take a look at this and make a report - risk of fire is very real. www.london-fire.gov.uk/news/2019-news/june/firefighters-warn-capital-cannabis-factory-fires-at-an-all-time-high/

CousinKrispy · 08/11/2021 16:26

So, Daisy, what's holding you back from making an anonymous report via Crimestoppers?

Original poster
DaisyStiener · 08/11/2021 16:26

@Horst yeah exactly. I don’t want the person getting shot or stabbed to be me Shock

OP posts:
Horst · 08/11/2021 16:29

[quote DaisyStiener]@Horst yeah exactly. I don’t want the person getting shot or stabbed to be me Shock[/quote]
It was a user who got stabbed by another user after stealing cash and weed from said house.

None of the neighbours or residents of the street have ever been harmed or attacked or anything just had to live with the chaos of what comes with a drug house.

Ubiquery · 08/11/2021 16:33

A neighbour and I had this in the house between us. We reported it so many times. In the end the police raided the house but they'd had a tip off and the poor kid wasn't rescued. House was a death trap by the time the police had got there.

Nevermindthesquirrels · 08/11/2021 16:34

@DaisyStiener you wouldn't really. These people just tend to attract violence towards their own and innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire if it's not stopped before. Honestly that little recording studio we had was annoying at the start. I ended up with blood on my front garden wall from their machete spree and we had to sign in and out of my road.
I don't want to overly scare you but if they get kicked out early on, it's unlikely they will return again. They tend to stick to locations where they don't get caught for a while.

I don't know if you've read my post but I really urge you to just report it anonymously. Change your VPN, give a fake name, whatever. You don't even have to say that you're the neighbour.
The fumes will effect you and your babies breathing and you won't be able to return to your flat until some sort of fumigation has taken place because the stench just infiltrates. A bit like after a fire.
The trafficking thing is really irrelevant to be honest. There are always always people who get hurt by drugs and gang activity but I've learnt you have to have an almost selfish attitude in making sure you protect yourself. Please report this.

Nevermindthesquirrels · 08/11/2021 16:36

@horst exactly this. They just kill their own. Innocent people killed are collateral damage and not intended.

CaveMum · 08/11/2021 16:36

But @DaisyStiener how on earth are they going to know it was you who reported them to the police? You can report anonymously if you want to and even if you did give your details the police aren’t going to tell them are they?

If you’re not that bothered then carry on ignoring it, but if you don’t want people to suggest solutions why bother starting this thread other than for the sake of the drama?

Nevermindthesquirrels · 08/11/2021 16:40

I've been meaning to add as well. It's unlikely in all honesty that something will be done about this when you report it once. I think someone up thread mentioned this already. It's incredibly frustrating getting the authorities to do something.
What we did was report it and had a note of the ref. number. When claiming damage through insurance this saved our butts because insurance refused to cover any criminal activity. We argued that this was criminal activity the police were aware of and we took steps to report it but nothing was done. We were paid out.

FolornLawn · 08/11/2021 16:43

But @DaisyStiener how on earth are they going to know it was you who reported them to the police?

We can only hope the teenager isn't also a MNer.

Sparticle · 08/11/2021 16:48

@CaveMum

But *@DaisyStiener* how on earth are they going to know it was you who reported them to the police? You can report anonymously if you want to and even if you did give your details the police aren’t going to tell them are they?

If you’re not that bothered then carry on ignoring it, but if you don’t want people to suggest solutions why bother starting this thread other than for the sake of the drama?

It does seem a bit odd that after 8 hours of posting and most people suggesting OP reports it anonymously, she's still holding back... Hmm
LookItsMeAgain · 08/11/2021 16:48

Just thinking, you could contact your utility service provider to make sure that they are not piggybacking on to your meter.
I know in Ireland the network for electricity up to the meter in your home is owned by a single company so could contact them if there were queries in relation to a spike of electricity being used at an address. I don't know if it's the same in the UK for gas or electricity?

MrsTulipTattsyrup · 08/11/2021 17:00

@LookItsMeAgain

Just thinking, you could contact your utility service provider to make sure that they are not piggybacking on to your meter. I know in Ireland the network for electricity up to the meter in your home is owned by a single company so could contact them if there were queries in relation to a spike of electricity being used at an address. I don't know if it's the same in the UK for gas or electricity?
OP said upthread that she is on a prepayment meter, so I think it’s unlikely that she wouldn’t have worked it out by now if someone else was using all her credit.
Original poster
DaisyStiener · 08/11/2021 17:30

@CaveMum I didn’t. It was a lighthearted thread about being roasting in my home
About a million people replied “ weed farm”
eyeroll

OP posts:
DaisyNGO · 08/11/2021 17:33

@Iamanicepersonreally

I'd absolutely hate this. I hate being too hot
Under the circs, this really made me lol
Stellaris22 · 08/11/2021 17:35

Energy suppliers usually investigate when usage is a lot higher than expected, so they’ll likely be getting a visit.