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Original poster

Not seen neighbours in weeks lights and heating on

351 replies

stillwaitingonaring · 13/01/2022 10:14

Been thinking to myself the last week or so how weird it is that we haven't seen the neighbours in weeks probably coming up to a month now. Every single light on in the house and heating on all day and night.

They have had lots of police involvement in the past, she had 4 older children with learning difficulties police were being called out so many times a week. Her children are normally jumping on the car roof slamming doors etc. Not seen or heard a peep from them since mid December. I always felt sorry for her because it seemed like she couldn't cope with all of them in that small house they were running her ragged.

I knocked on yesterday morning and obviously no answer, is this something you would report to the police or just leave it?

OP posts:
Lsquiggles · 14/01/2022 03:57

Hoping the police can give you an update to put your mind at ease Flowers

Homebird8 · 14/01/2022 04:15

The elderly lady next to us didn’t take her milk in one day and we called the police to do a check. Unfortunately she’d died, but it seemed quite peacefully, in her bed. Her son who came to sort out the house was glad we’d noticed so quickly and he got to say goodbye to his mum’s body.

Lovemusic33 · 14/01/2022 07:28

I think it’s unlikely she’s dead, chances are they have moved out in a hurry, probably due to debt. If they are on a key metre (or similar) they probably left the lights and heating on to use up the credit on the key/card so no one else gets to use it?

I had a friend at school that just didn’t turn up at school one day, vanished. Turned out her family were in a lot of debt and they took off in the middle of the night to avoid debt collectors (they moved to Ireland). Have also known people do this when kicked out of a council house too, just up and leave taking bare minimum with them.

SanFranBear · 14/01/2022 07:35

Friend noticed a horrendous smell coming from the flat next door and hadn't seen or heard his neighbour in some time. Called the police who, on arrival, said to brace himself as they recognised the smell.

Turned out the neighbour had done a bunk but left a joint of meat on the side in the kitchen which had obviously started to rot. Whilst obviously not what was expected, the police still made it clear my friend had done the right thing as they had been convinced they were going to find the neighbour in a bad way.

MyOtherProfile · 14/01/2022 07:48

Glad you called the police.

I'm not a violent person but in your case I would be taking a stick to that outside light if it's just on all the time and nobody is home.

Postchristmasflab · 14/01/2022 07:55

They have probably just moved on due to rent arrears like others had said. Left the heating on and all lights on to run up further bills - in the misguided belief the HA would now be liable..

If white goods are still there and some furniture they could be a furnished rental?

OverByYer · 14/01/2022 08:31

Either a flit.
Maybe gone into refuge fleeing DV?
Maybe witness protection? Who knows. Hope they are ok

CaptainMyCaptain · 14/01/2022 08:47

About 20 years ago I had a child turn up in my class. The mother and two children had fled DV and been rehoused in my area with furniture donated by a charity. One day she said she had been attacked by someone from her past while waiting for her child in the playground. I found this hard to believe, to be honest, as there were plenty of other parents around and one of them would have said something, if not physically intervened. Two days later they disappeared leaving the house and contents behind. The children would be grown up by now but I still wonder what happened to them, either people were following them round the country or the mother had serious mental health issues, possibly both. People do just up and leave.

PainterMummy · 14/01/2022 08:58

You’ve done the right thing op. Hope the police update you for your peace of mind.

tobytoes1403 · 14/01/2022 09:06

Well done OP- hope the police update you

SirVixofVixHall · 14/01/2022 09:07

@Homebird8

The elderly lady next to us didn’t take her milk in one day and we called the police to do a check. Unfortunately she’d died, but it seemed quite peacefully, in her bed. Her son who came to sort out the house was glad we’d noticed so quickly and he got to say goodbye to his mum’s body.
A neighbour called us as she noticed my Mum hadn’t taken in a parcel that day. Mum had fallen and broken her hip, had been lying on the floor for 16 hours, neighbours who keep an eye out are a Godsend to elderly people.
starfishmummy · 14/01/2022 09:18

Was it o this thread or a other. But it's not unheard of for people to move in with a partner but keep their housing association home "just in case". It's winter so heating left on would be normal if they plan to come back.

KristinAmandaThomas · 14/01/2022 09:23

In these circumstances it's definitely care not nosiness to report. Hopefully it's all got a rational explanation I.e they've moved on. But even if that is the case it's still better to have checked.

I had an elderly gentleman living in the flat above me once, we didn't see/hear him for a few days and his car started getting multiple parking tickets. I was so fearful of the police thinking I was nosey that I didn't call, but another neighbour did. Police broke the flat door down to find the place empty, poor chap had gone on holiday for a couple of weeks. But the police were very reassuring that it was the right thing to do. It's neighbourly and I'm grateful to people who look out for my family members in this way.

JuergenSchwarzwald · 14/01/2022 09:23

Why would you leave the heating on if you are not there? It only takes an hour or so to warm up a house again if you've been away for a few days or weeks. What a waste of energy - no wonder the planet is in such a bad way!

And yes you can leave it on low or have it coming on for an hour or so a day to prevent damp but I would be worried about burst pipes if I wasn't there, too.

Not the point of the thread, sorry.

hedgehogger1 · 14/01/2022 09:26

Hope all is well. I'd be worried too

FreshsatsumaforDd · 14/01/2022 09:36

Lights on, heating on, Canabis factory?

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 14/01/2022 09:40

@FreshsatsumaforDd

Lights on, heating on, Canabis factory?
I'm guessing you don't know any cannabis factories, they don't tend to leave their curtains open and the lights on

At least not in my area Grin

whatfreshheck · 14/01/2022 09:40

@FreshsatsumaforDd

Lights on, heating on, Canabis factory?
It there's an idea! Could be!
EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 14/01/2022 09:49

people don't leave cannabis grows for weeks on end

OverByYer · 14/01/2022 09:51

If it was a cannabis factory they wouldn’t leave the curtains open!

SchadenfreudePersonified · 14/01/2022 10:03

@Gargellen

I would ask the police to do a welfare check.

Reminds me of the woman that had been dead in her flat for four years with the telly going day and night. The neighbours said that in retrospect, it did seem odd.

She was only discovered because her bank account had run out of money for her rent payments to fail.

I remember that - it was a heartbreaking account.

She was only a young woman IIRC - 30's - and was dead with a lot of wrapped Christmas presents for friends and family, so had a social group, and no-one - NOT ONE PERSON - had bothered to see where she was.

It broke my heart when I read it.

Cakecakecheese · 14/01/2022 10:15

@SanFranBear

Friend noticed a horrendous smell coming from the flat next door and hadn't seen or heard his neighbour in some time. Called the police who, on arrival, said to brace himself as they recognised the smell.

Turned out the neighbour had done a bunk but left a joint of meat on the side in the kitchen which had obviously started to rot. Whilst obviously not what was expected, the police still made it clear my friend had done the right thing as they had been convinced they were going to find the neighbour in a bad way.

My uncle did the same for his neighbour and it wasn't left out meat unfortunately.
TooManyPlatesInMotion · 14/01/2022 10:22

I saw this film at the cinema (Dreams of a Life). It was heartbreaking and has really stayed with me for years, I think about it all the time.

Workingfromhomenow · 14/01/2022 10:55

Does anyone else come to check our messages but then get distracted by the Trending threads at the top of the page and waste time reading about random stuff?

Tippexy · 14/01/2022 10:58

Not quite true @SchadenfreudePersonified

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Vincent

Swipe left for the next trending thread