Neighbours from hell.

[Taurini]

Long post sorry.
So I've been living here a few years now.. I chose this property due to health reasons and it being close to my childrens school.
After being here a a while I noticed fag ends all over the front garden and back garden (gate always locked) near our fence in-between mine and my neighbours property, I thought the people who lived here must have smoked so I cleaned them all up.. a month or so later loads more appeared in the same places.. and a dog poo bag right outside my door.. It was full blown lockdown.. we had no visitors since we moved in and none of our household smoke, my partner hates smoking and our kids were still I'm primary school so it wasn't them.
But my neighbours and their kids smoke and have dogs.
I vented to someone on the street about my frustrations like a fool.. and they told my neighbours.. my neighbours came banging on my door telling me they've heard I've been slagging them off and that if I have a problem I should say it to their fcking face.. they ain't fcking tramps and that if I know what is good for me I will shut my f*cking mouth...
They breed dogs and leave weeks worth of poop in their back garden then hose it away.. they don't train them, leave them inside the house whilst they work and just boot them outside when they're home.. they breed them and breed them for money then eventually sell the dog they bred from and get another.
I've had people do work on my house come up to me and tell me they can hear the neighbours hitting and yelling at the dogs.. as a dog person it breaks my heart.
My dog is a big chicken and when their dogs bark he starts barking in response and won't do his business.. I cant leave him out to play because if their dogs aren't out and the kids are and they hear him they start making barking noises at him to set him off..
I have a baby and have a set amount of time I can take him out supervised and they still do whatever they can to set him off..
They have off road bikes that they drive around the streets and parks with that are ridiculously loud and shoot down the path outside there house which is next to my front door (my fence decides their path from ours)
This wakes my baby and sometimes sets my dog off barking because it's so loud.
They know this.. and have now started just sitting on their bikes next to their front door (across from my front door) just revving the engines...
They also use our fence to pull themselves up onto their bins to jump up and down on their bins to crush down the rubbish, which smashes my fence back and forth which bangs and sets my dog off barking.. its also breaking my fence..
If the sun is shining they all sit outside drinking and smoking together swearing and shouting, even the kids in secondary school are sat drinking cans of beer and smoking with them. Their youngest sits drinking vkd with them.
They talk about all the drugs they take and crimes they commit with eachother.. its shocking if I'm honest.
Theyre so loud that when it's hot I have to shut the windows in my childrens bedroom or they can't sleep..
You'd think I would get a break when they're at work and school but one of their lads from secondary school skips school most days with his friends and sit out revving their bikes and barking at my dog to set him off and waking my baby.
I put cctv all over my property to hopefully discourage them but it hasn't.
I've told my partner I want to rehome our dog.. I'm devastated to say it but I cant cope..him and the children aren't happy with me.. but I don't know what else to do, we can't move as we have to be close to school due to my health.
I'm not sure who I could report my neighbours to, i think things would escalate if i did.
The lad who skips school and revs the bike outside my door has been in trouble with the police for armed robbery and criminal damage but they can't do anything because he's too young.
I honestly don't know what to do anymore.. even if I rehome my dog the revving of the bikes alone wakes up my baby..
Has anyone else been through anything similar who can give advice?
I'm getting close to having a break down here..
I feel like they can just break the law, treat my property however they wish and treat us like crap and we have no rights whatsoever 😩

You sound scared of them and they are using your fear against you to intimidate you even more. Unless you are willing to stand up for yourself you have no choice but to move. You mention having a husband, is he completely oblivious to what’s going on or not bothered?

Then again, I had issues with neighbours last year as I found them obnoxious, my husband was more forgiving. Looking back he was right and I probably encouraged them by being more annoyed with every little thing. Is it possible you have worked yourself into state and overblown every little thing like I did?

It seems impossible right now, but you really must find a way to move. Even if your new home is not as close to school as you need, you will feel such an incredible feeling of relief to get away from this situation.

"Reporting to..." anybody will only cause you grief. Your neighbors will probably figure out it's you, and they will retaliate. These people are IRREDEEMABLE, and no authoritypolice or otherwiseis going to change them.

YOU are going to have to be the one to change, by changing your address. And keep the move as much a secret from them as possible. If you can, leave with the baby suddenly, and then have other people (friends, family) bring your stuff. Don't put up the "For Sale" sign until after you leave. Be sure not to leave any way for them to find out your new address. These people are DANGEROUS. Do whatever you have to do to get away from this situation before it gets any worse.

Get a court order if you need to, and photograph anything (using your cell phone, maybe) that they are doing that is illegal. You can use it to blackmail them if they find out your new address and try to bother you.

Are any of the other neighbours annoyed by this household's behaviour? When I had problems years ago where I live I told my neighbours to keep on reporting incidents to the police, council, landlord etc. By having separate reports along with the volume of reports there was sufficient evidence to bring before a court. If it is necessary to sell up and move, there are firms who buy any property albeit at less than the market price but at least it's off your hands, then you could take on a rental before choosing where next to buy.

@llizzie that's an absolute nightmare. I'd move somewhere else but rent out your place rather than sell. Don't let anyone connected to them get it on the cheap.

Move.

i have been through nearly exactly this.

step one: keep your cctv and check it and save clips that will help your case, particularly anything that could be deemed illegal, abusive or during antisocial hours.

step two: I know it’s time consuming and one more thing that you don’t want to have to do but keep a log. Daily for at least 2 weeks and then intermittently keep logs daily for 2 weeks periods. Write the time of the incident, what the incident was, who was involved, the impact on you, how long it lasted.

step three: use this information to report your neighbours to relevant parties. The local council and environmental health for noise complaints and antisocial behaviour to you such as the fag butts and dog poo on your property and damage to your fence. Also child services or the police or RSPCA for anything you deem relevant and make clear that you have an ongoing log of incidents and evidence as well as cctv and photo evidence where applicable.

i’m afraid it will probably take a long time unless social services and the police get involved with concerns over the children. For me it was antisocial behaviour, noise, drugs, smoking, drinking, smashed glass, broken doors and damaged property, smashed car windscreen, and two years of disturbed sleep but they did get evicted. My new neighbours are lovely.

I’m very experienced in this - I’ve been through the same and worse. Message me if you can, hopefully it’ll work!

Your only real option is to move. I am so sorry this has happened to you

It is terrible that due to long term cuts from the Tories there is almost no law enforcement now. So getting this addressed will be really hard.

Please think about moving.

Thank you. I am trying to sell the house. I took out an interest only mortgage to build the disability living extension. The 20 years was up last month, and the only way I can pay the capital back is by selling the house, which is too big for me anyway. I don't think anyone knows this, but they might. It seems my house is the only one in this area which has not increased in value. It is at the end of a cul -de sac set back from all the others, no traffic noise or pollution , nothing opposite so gets the sun all day, and a view over the school playing field from upstairs, yet for all that, the agents do not rate it high, and although it need redecorating, and a new bathroom and kitchen, it is the largest plot in the road, yet I cannot sell it.

Report them to environmental health for a health hazard as they don’t clean up enough and the tax man for making a profit on the dog breeding I bet they don’t pay tax

P.S. A couple more thoughts about moving out: have your husband (or some male in the family) stay in the house every night until all your belongings are out, and ask the police to swing by to check on it every day after that, until the house is sold.

I meant to say "no authority, police or otherwise..." but with a dash. Mumsnet turned the dashes into lines through the whole phrase. Sorry.

If you can't afford to move out until you sell the house and have the money to buy another, then see if you can rent a house until the hellhole you're in now is sold.

Good luck and God bless...

@llizzie Good luck. Hope you get a buyer soon and get away from those scum.

Just move.
Don't official complaints have to be declared when selling your house?
You don't want these problems being on record and affecting your ability to sell.

I have had similar problems with my neighbour. I bought my house 19 years ago and up untill 2 years ago had no problems living here. Then my neighbour sold their house and the people who bought it decided to rent it out. A young woman moved in, a woman who has made our lives hell ever since. We have had dog poo dumped on our front door, verbal abuse from her (for no reason, we havent said anything to her), she is a known drug dealer and has tried selling drugs to a few kids that live in the street, our house stinks of her drugs so we cant open the windows or doors in the summer, she plays loud music 24 hours a day and she also has a dog that we can hear cry where she is hitting him. Several people have reported her to the police, they know she deals drugs yet they let her get away with it. We have tried everything, contacted her landlord, the council, mp and the police, but all they do is make exuses for her due to her mental health issues.All I can advise is not to give up. You shouldnt have to give up your home because you hqve a selfish neighbour. If your neighbours rent their property then you could report them to their landlord. If they dont do anything then maybe seek advice from your local mp. If you own the house, then you might find it difficult to sell because you legally have to declare problem neighbours whilst selling. This law has made my house unsellable.

I have experienced awful neighbours more than once. Honestly? I would just find a way to move…it’s such a long process to fight with them via the authorities I wouldn’t bother.

I’ve had it happen more than once so I speak from experience! Good luck and stay strong 💪

I know, which is why I have not taken them to court. I think that as soon as I accept a low value, the fence will be put back and the summerhouse removed from my garden and the trees chopped down, and whoever buys it under value will make a profit.

Just move.

I have been in your shoes OP. I did have a breakdown in the end and am still on tablets 20 years later. You must move, for your mental health if nothing else because if you get ill you will be no help to anyone and the neighbours prey on the weak.

Don’t get rid of the dog, it’s not the answer, just move and be happier all round. Getting your child to school from a new location should be the problem your are trying to solve not how to deal with absolute CF who will never change. Please take my advise.

Sounds horrendous, I would move. Keep an eye out and hopefully you can move somewhere a couple of streets away so still be close to the school.

Honestly op don't take them on.
If you can't sell I'd rent your house out and rent a different one to live in. Friends of ours did this for exactly the same reason. They are much happier.

I've written a long post but couldn't post it for some reason but if you get this the short version is don't contact any authorities just MOVE I'm in the same situation with the most vilest of neighbours but just move

I have an ongoing problem with my neighbours just now.Cant say anymore a it will out me, but you have my deepest sympathy.

Ugh these greedy breeders, they usually stay just on this side of welfare law, but I'd report them anyway firstly they need a licence to breed - depending on how many puppies they sell annually. ask your council about it or the police.

This might not help, but I have been in a similar situation & in the end the neighbours moved, but if they hadn't we would have it was unbearable

You need to prioritise your mental health, living next to these people will destroy it.

Move. Reporting will do nothing other than being you more terror, fear and anger. Taking them on is not worth it. Even if you have to rent the house out and rent another property. Long term they might move on so if you like your house that might work for you.

I really really feel for you, you’ll feel so much better not being exposed to these scum every day.

Is the lad who skips school and does robberies under 10?!?!