Page 5 | Neighbours from hell

Fullofhotcrossbuns · 2022-04-14T06:36:39+00:00

I am looking for advice or options to help me against these awful people, here is a list so I do not drip feed. House hold rubbish just thrown out into the street the latest addition are nappies. House hold rubbish and nappies in the back garden which is now coming over to our garden we are concerned about rats. Banging on the walls until 10:30-11pm most nights. Drug use Drug dealing We went away and DH stayed home on few weekends ago they destroyed the front garden, on the Saturday they were kicking a ball against the house aiming for the windows whilst hanging around on our door step, Sunday morning they tried to break into the house but the dog started barking DH had kept it quiet to see how far they will go. The people who visit them block our car in and refuse to move, stare at us when we are leaving the house, swear at us or make hand gestures. Regularly have to listen to DA to the woman and kids when reported to the Police they asked what is the problem what do we expect them to do? Benefit fraud. Leave 4 and 6 year old outside screaming in the street during nice weather. If driving in the area they will abuse us and the male does a “come fight me” gesture with his hands and arms. It is all very draining and no one is willing to help us

StooOrangeyForCrows · 14/04/2022 10:58

You have to sort this out as your house is unsellable.

Good luck with it though. Nothing gets done properly in this country. There are laws but they are never acted on. I live in a very remote house but am of an age where I need to be near to people. I dread getting neighbours at all let alone some like yours OP.

You have a right to a private and family life according to the human rights act. It never works for people like you OP, only people like them sadly. Sorry to sound so depressed and depressing but this country is down the shitter as far as I can see.

LetterOfTheLawFella · 14/04/2022 10:58

Sounds like an extremely distressing situation. Could you move to rented accommodation and rent out your house to cover?

Nidan2Sandan · 14/04/2022 11:00

@Chiefofstaff

I’m guessing you have already made a formal complaint to your HA? The only way anything seems to get done in my HA is if you make a formal complaint. Then they have to follow a set complaints procedure which involves certain things being done to deadlines.

Nidan2Sandan does the HA have a duty of care to try sort something like this out with offers of mediation, issuing written warnings and building up a case against the antisocial tenants? My HA isn’t great by any means but I’m pretty sure that they’d be doing more than the OPs.

Duty of care is a phrase banded around often, but doesnt mean what people think it does.

But, that said, I agree with you. I'm shocked the HA isnt doing more. As I say, my HA has a whole team dedicated to this stuff (we are a national HA though with 80,000 properties, some smaller ones rely on their housing officers).

There is a whole raft of non legal interventions that the HA should be exploring. Meditation, acceptable behaviour contracts, liaising with the council or police to get a community protection warning (CPW), warning letters etc.

Building a case is a long and laborious process especially for the complainant as they have to be meticulous in their evidence gathering. But it can be done and should be acted upon.

Gonnagetgoing · 14/04/2022 11:00

A few years ago I lived in a shared house share with neighbours from hell. They let out their dog into the garden late at night, wouldn’t let it back in and poor thing barked, it also had arthritis so was in pain. They also had parties nightly with very loud music. Even if I wore earplugs I could still hear it all! My landlady who owned didn’t want to speak to them as the man was “scary”! It was an ex LA property and NDN were council tenants. After 6 months of hell plus the students the other side having all day and night parties I moved out!

My Landlady told me afterwards NDN with the dog were evicted not long after I left.

I’d log this with everyone, copy in everyone, HA etc. It may take time but you shouldn’t have to live like this. You could also maybe speak to a local solicitor, see what they advise. You might find a civil litigation lawyer who’ll take on your case at a reduced fee. At the very least they’ll advise and listen.

To be fair the only reason I’m suggesting solicitors is I know how unjoined up councils etc are and maybe an external law firm might put the shit up them. The HA won’t want this to get into the press I’d think.

JudgeJ · 14/04/2022 11:05

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Fundays12 · 14/04/2022 11:09

OP have you contacted your anti social behaviour team in the council? You need to keep a diary, log every incident, keep every video evidence, photos etc and keep written emails of complaints about them. Threaten to take it higher in the council. This is what I did when we had a crazy neighbour (still have her but she doesn’t bully my kids now which she was or abuse me and my husband). It is outright harassment and you need to report everything to the police then back up a written email to the HA with a demand to know when they are moving them.

AdobeWanKenobi · 14/04/2022 11:10

All those telling the OP to move, would you buy her property when according to the OP you can clearly see rubbish, cars blocking her drive and general neglect?

Threetulips · 14/04/2022 11:11

Is would good and sue in the police station and not move until they had a plan of action

Tell them you don’t feel safe and are safer in the station

Kennykenkencat · 14/04/2022 11:12

Don’t know how this would work or if it is possible but in the lease part of the shared ownership part of your property is there a clause that your “landlord” is responsible for you to have quiet enjoyment of your property.

The HA I presume have leased their properties off the same “landlord/house builder”

In a roundabout way could the company who rent to you the shared ownership part of your property be responsible for their other “tenants” i.e the HA who have rented to this nuisance tenant.

Could it be argued that the landlord is in breach of your tenancy agreement because the HA have “sublet” to a problem tenant.

I know there is usually a part that states that the landlord and people who work for him mustn’t disturb you unless in an emergency or with notice but I am sure there must be a clause regarding renting to nuisance tenants

Might be a bit muddled thinking but could the answer lie in the wording of your lease and who is the freeholder of the HA properties and the terms of their lease.

IYSWIM

Maves · 14/04/2022 11:12

Haven't rtft but what's the point in adding benefit fraud in there? How do you even know that? And you have bigger issues as that's not affecting you......the properties are both technically owned by the ha and in my experience you need to log the fuck out of it keep calling police on more serious incidents get crime numbers.
Is anyone else complaining? As that helps you shouldn't have to move they should.

GrendelsGrandma · 14/04/2022 11:15

Do you have other neighbours OP? Could you band together to report the shit out of it and get in the local papers?

DameHelena · 14/04/2022 11:17

No meeting but plenty of emails which now get ignored
So why not book an appointment? (I've asked this already, it's not been answered yet).

waterSpider · 14/04/2022 11:17

The only group that seem to respond is for car tax/insurance. If you do the online check for MOT/Tax and report that, they may well get clamped/towed. Doesn't help with other things, admittedly.

Nidan2Sandan · 14/04/2022 11:19

Do you want my honest opinion? Move/sell. Councils and HAs have such an enormous task to assemble the evidence to take out an ASBO or evict people for breach of tenancy, that they rarely bother. And the former have had their funding cut massively. The police are reluctant to get involved in stuff unless it's a quick win for them

Just a quick point here, ASBOs dont exist anymore. There are only 3 legal interventions open to most HAs

Civil injunctions
Undertaking
Possession (suspended potentially)

Some HAs can do Closure Orders but those are typically the remit of the LA or the Police.

whenwilliwillibefamous · 14/04/2022 11:19

I am so sorry OP, I have been there and it is utter misery.
This was decades ago after a huge drop in house prices so we couldn't afford to move until we'd saved up enough to cover the shortfall as the house was now worth much less than the mortgage.
We saved like stink, and luckily had not made any formal complaints against the NDNFH - eventually we sold up and moved very quickly, when things were quiet because the police had arrest warrants out for all the adults. Otherwise we'd've had to sell for even less - new build part exchange or one of these we buy any house things.

HikingforScenery · 14/04/2022 11:23

Try your local councillor again. Make public post on SM and tag councillor and oppositions? Local elections are coming up soon so they might pay more attention now.

h0tXberns · 14/04/2022 11:23

Sorry OP, did you say you rent or own?

Nidan2Sandan · 14/04/2022 11:25

@h0tXberns

Sorry OP, did you say you rent or own?

She said she is shared ownership

h0tXberns · 14/04/2022 11:26

I think this is what I would do:
If renting- give notice on your house and rent somewhere else- if it's tiny, kids sharing rooms, you sleep in the living room for a while- just do it until you can move again. All those hardships worth it to get away.
If you own (mortgage) the house- get a new build with a part exchange. Take the new build, even if far from ideal, then plan and save to move again.

Staying where you are would not be an option for me.

duskyspringfield · 14/04/2022 11:26

How awful! I think MEETING your MP is your next move.

HikingforScenery · 14/04/2022 11:27

@Fundays12

OP have you contacted your anti social behaviour team in the council? You need to keep a diary, log every incident, keep every video evidence, photos etc and keep written emails of complaints about them. Threaten to take it higher in the council. This is what I did when we had a crazy neighbour (still have her but she doesn’t bully my kids now which she was or abuse me and my husband). It is outright harassment and you need to report everything to the police then back up a written email to the HA with a demand to know when they are moving them.

Good suggestion. Email the director of housing in your local authority. Maybe even head of the council. It’ll mean some telling off for some people but this is your life.

h0tXberns · 14/04/2022 11:27

Oh sorry I just saw shared ownership. Does anyone know about how to get out of those? I realise that's harder than the two alternatives I just mentioned.

I think finding out how to rapidly release yourself from the shared ownership situation must be a priority.

Tabitha005 · 14/04/2022 11:35

@MollyRover - I liked your comment about '... it is everyone's responsibility to uphold everyone else's right to not have nuisance neighbours'.

With the statutory authorities seemingly have NO inclination and/or power or resources to offer any solutions whatsoever to issues such as those the OP is experiencing, communities coming together to sort out the problems - at least in part - themselves creates really valuable outcomes. Pressure from a whole community (minus those people causing the issues, obviously) cannot be ignored - especially not in the build-up to local council elections.

I think, more and more, communities are going to HAVE to band together and become more politically cohesive in order to exert any kind of influence over how issues such as antisocial behaviour are handled by local authorities and the police. The figure a PP gave of over 700 current ASB cases on just one housing association's plate made my blood run cold!

AntiHop · 14/04/2022 11:37

Op this is horrendous.

I have some ideas about how you could move. You said it's a shared ownership property. Have you looked into whether your housing association would buy back your share?

I know that you are not supposed to sublet as shared ownership, but could you ask your housing association for permission to sublet under the circumstances. Then sublet it to the council for them to use as temporary accommodation. You get a god rate from the council for that, and no one will have to live permanently next door to those awful people.

Nidan2Sandan · 14/04/2022 11:37

[quote Tabitha005]@MollyRover - I liked your comment about '... it is everyone's responsibility to uphold everyone else's right to not have nuisance neighbours'.

With the statutory authorities seemingly have NO inclination and/or power or resources to offer any solutions whatsoever to issues such as those the OP is experiencing, communities coming together to sort out the problems - at least in part - themselves creates really valuable outcomes. Pressure from a whole community (minus those people causing the issues, obviously) cannot be ignored - especially not in the build-up to local council elections.

I think, more and more, communities are going to HAVE to band together and become more politically cohesive in order to exert any kind of influence over how issues such as antisocial behaviour are handled by local authorities and the police. The figure a PP gave of over 700 current ASB cases on just one housing association's plate made my blood run cold![/quote]
That is over 80,000 properties though to be fair. But, even for our team that is a lot. Our usual caseload is around 400.