REPORTED neighbour to council

[Brighton5555]

But it seems I may have made it something bigger and now I fear the backlash.

For 9 weeks they have almost daily been doing heavy diy/remodelling/building to downstairs always starting around 3pm to gone past 8pm.

i spoke to them back in November and could see when they opened the door wearing those professional style ear defenders due to the noise from the equipment being used that there was no kitchen and the floorboards were stripped back .. that it was obvious they were doing the work themself and her son in his mid 20’s is a carpenter by trade so explains the work hours being when he comes home.

we share thin walls in a terrace and I’m the only joint house to hers . WhTs pushed me to contact the council was the fact on 4/5 occasions they have used a drill of some kind as late as 10.30pm making my whole
house shake knowing full well I have a young school age child and a Sen young person in my home that they will be disturbing given the time of night..

a few nights ago my patience left me when again on came this heavy drill in short bursts at 10.35pm and I called the council
housing team and environmental health hoping and assuming they would call her and warn her about guidelines for noise .

It transpires she hasn’t applied for any permission to do any changes or work to the property and they are now doing a home visit about the noise and about the breach of tenancy. The noise and duration is clearly not someone changing flooring or replacing a door it’s more than this .

it didn’t even cross my mind about permission and all that I just wanted her to be told to stop making noise after the guideline times …

she will know it’s from me even though they won’t disclose it.

im nervous for the potential backlash but after 9 weeks and having approached them once before I couldn’t accept them being okay with the late late noise …

Should I feel bad now it’s going to be more problematic for her given she’s not applied for any permission to carry out said work?

Try not to worry about it OP. Just deny all knowledge.
They shouldn't have been such selfish fuckers drilling at 10.30 pm and they should have got permission.
In the small block of flats I live in we have just had to deal with an arsehole neighbour who put a fucking massive (and I mean massive) radio antenna on the roof without permission. The fucking thing is 2 metres away from my velux windows. He pushes his luck all the time with all sorts of stuff. But this time someone else complained about the antenna and the house management company said he has to get 100% approval from the other flat owners to put anything on the roof. So he sent us all a form to complete with a letter asking us to give approval now. We've all denied approval so he will be forced to take it down.
Arseholes like him and your neighbours shouldn't be allowed to get away with behaviour like this that is detrimental to other people's lives. And if they get into bother with the council - so be it.
Anyone could have reported them.

If they’ve done pretty extensive work you’ve done them a favour. Building inspectors do their job for a reason and amateur works have caused buildings to collapse.

I've been stuck in the middle (literally) of something similar, though in my case the person doing the work has been the reasonable one. Road of mixed council/privately owned terraced homes, I own, and am between 2 council houses.

The EoT house has a new occupier, and the council did a load of refurb before she moved in but didn't get it finished so is still doing bits & pieces. She's also doing other stuff with full permission of the council, but the guy helping her can only do evenings. There's been a few times when it's been loud, but always quiet by 9pm and by 6pm weekends. No Sundays.

Neighbour other side of me has complained to the housing officer about EoT tenant about the noise, citing occasions where I know full well that either the work was very quiet or just plain wasn't happening e.g. Boxing Day evening when I had family round who also didn't hear anything. If it isn't disturbing me, how can it be unbearably loud in the house the other side of mine? That's what I told the housing officer when she came round. I didn't tell the housing officer about the stench of weed drifting over from the complainers house on a regular basis though!

Just say “dunno what you’re talking about mate but it was that loud i’m not surprised someone’s complained”

Deny deny deny

People like your ndn make me so angry. They feel the rules apply to everyone else but they can do whatever they damn well like!

Well no, they can't. You have shown the patience of a saint @Brighton5555 , I would have been driven up the wall and snapped and farted long before now.

They are lucky you have put up with their utter disregard for you and your family as long as you have.

I would have complained ages ago, no way would I accept someone doing building work past 6pm. In my area that’s the cut off time and I would have been round like a shot. Why should you have to listen and feel your house shake after work hours.

Op states the neighbours are tenants,so I presume they are council tenants.So they would have needed permission to do any work inside the house.

@Allergictoironing you should have mentioned your neighbours and their illegal drug use. Hope they never drive a car.

OP you should not feel bad, unless leaving it for several weeks in hindsight you feel was a mistake.

Same when our next door neighbours decided to build themselves a new pantry in the kitchen. They made a space by ripping out a supporting wall and the main beam holding their staircase up which was against our adjoining walls 🙄

You did the right thing reporting her, she could be doing something like this for all you know: www.thejournal.ie/man-suspended-sentence-removal-roof-rafters-rented-property-cork-5417214-Apr2021/

THIS ⬆

I ca nunderstand you worrying about recriminations, but honestly - depending what they are doing they could be making both your homes dangerously uninhabitable. If they have/ intended to remove load bearing walls the entire structure could collapse in the near future, and that will damage and destabilise your home to as you are joined on to them.

You've done the right thing, and don't hesitate to contact the council or even the police again if there is any comeback.

Yep . This ☝️

Nothing practical to add, but you have my absolute sympathy and solidarity, OP. They sound like anti-social -and racist - scumbags, and you deserve better.

Feel for you and good that you made a complaint.

During lockdown a neighbour two doors did reno work and we are terraced. It was horrendous. I couldn't escape my home due to lockdown during the day time 8hrs a day and trying to work from home. Then they would go over into evening hours...it pissed me right off bad enough during legit hours. I just kept going over and complaining and finally they stopped going over the hours.

thats what i was thinking!
is it a council listed building op?

OP if you complained directly to your neighbour only once in nine weeks of fearsome noise then you are a Saint.

Unless you live in a very isolated location I'm sure others will have heard too.

Your neighbour is in the wrong, not you.

You’re not to blame but I wouldn’t worry they got into trouble. I put a new bathroom in my housing association house and I just had to apply for retrospective permission.

Not your fault they didn't get permission. You also approached them and they didn't care and were drilling at 10.00pm! Good job I say, karma.

o would have done what you did . Sorry but inconsiderate people like this deserve all that’s coming .

@Allergictoironing you should have politely mentioned their drug habit as if they complained again the housing officer would know to ignore them.

Yanbu after 9 weeks I would have absolutely lost my mind.

Unless this is council owned property how on earth do they know anything about the ownership and rights that they have?

I also don't think you've done anything wrong. I think it would have been preferable to complain to them directly a couple of times but can definitely sympathise and think using any sort of power tool at that time of the day is unreasonable

Since the last time you mentioned it to them was November, I'd probably have brought it up again with them.

Sometimes people don't realise how thin the walls are. But drilling at that time of night is a big no no. I wouldn't even hoover or put the washing machine on after 9pm or before 9 in the morning.

How do you know they are getting inspected? Did they tell you?

You’re nicer than me. I have been in similar situations with neighbours diying and reported to council/ environmental health. Atleast there is a log incase of more trouble don’t worry it could of been the house on the other side reporting