Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dreadful Neighbbours

53 replies

Cass1234 · 22/04/2023 13:33

I have owned a first floor flat for 15 years. I am disabled, mixed race and have Chronic Kidney Disease. About 5 years ago a woman moved in to the flat downstairs. Since she moved in she has had lodgers usually nasty obnoxious men who try to intimidate people.

These people regularly take my car parking spaces (1.5) which I own. I need space to be able to get myself in and out of the car because of my disability. The men park on the pavement outside my home if they can't get in my space. I then simply cannot get up my path as I need more room to move.
Recently they put large rough stones right up to my path. If I had fallen I would have been badly hurt.
Several years ago she got one of her lodgers to move my fence and her back gate to make her garden bigger. I now have real difficulty moving my bin up and down my alley because of this.
I have repeatedly put polite notes through her letter box asking her to reinstate the fence and her gate to the original place. There is now an old pallet where the fence was. I have yet to receive a reply to any of my polite notes. it is clearly marked on my deeds that I own 1.5 car parking spaces and also the side alley. My deeds state that she is allowed access to the alley. It says nothing about her lodgers.
The latest lodger decided recently to wash his large old banger by running a very long pipe down my alley and flooding my alley with very slippery soapy water from front to back. I believe this was done intentionally to try and intimidate me. I could have so easily had an accident.
The incident the following week where one of them wedged my bin outside my front door (the only way in and out of my property) and I came down stairs to visit the doctor because I was ill and could not get out of my door. The way the bin was wedged if there had been a fire I would be dead now as I simply could not move the bin. Someone passing actually moved the bin for me.
This woman winds these men up and they come around drunk (drugs?) late at night banging on my door.

I have tried the Police they have been to her home 4 or 5 times now and told her to leave me alone. Even the TV repair man who came to my home recently was verbally abused by these people.
I have sent a solicitors letter to her which she never bothered to reply to. I am now wondering if the best thing would be to pay a surveyor and then take the matter to the County Court to claim damages and compensation.
Anyone got any advice for me? I am sick and tired of this woman and her Lodgers.

OP posts:
ShagratandGorbag4ever · 22/04/2023 13:48

Do you have cctv?

ZekeZeke · 22/04/2023 13:52

Move

Original poster
Cass1234 · 22/04/2023 13:55

Hi
I can't move. I would have to tell people who came to buy my place they have taken space of the alley and also the police have been out 4 times. No one would want to buy next to them.

OP posts:
Original poster
Cass1234 · 22/04/2023 13:57

I have been taking pictures on my phone. She has CTV interestingly I don't suppose she wants to show the police what she gets up to.

OP posts:
Oysterbabe · 22/04/2023 14:12

It's worth getting a solicitor. At the very least they can help you get the land back that they've taken by moving the fence.

Original poster
Cass1234 · 22/04/2023 14:15

Hi I did get a solicitor and he sent her a letter in November 22. To date she has not bothered to respond.

OP posts:
Lou197 · 22/04/2023 14:19

Unfortunately take further advice from your solicitor - if you leave it much longer they will be able to make a claim on the land regardless of the deeds as they have been 'maintaining' it. You may have to go to county court. Please move quickly and try not to be bullied by these people. Wishing you luck and hope you have a friend or two to offer support.

HoofWankingSpangleCunt · 22/04/2023 14:23

That sounds incredibly shitty Op, I’m sorry you’re having to live with such vile behaviours so close to your home.

I don’t have much advice other than to get advice on home security including recording. And incidents like tje bin against the door I would take straight to the police. I am not a lawyer but I’m sure that’s crossing a line between anti Social and endangering life.

Boomboomboomboom · 22/04/2023 14:24

See a solicitor about trying to obtain from the County Court a protection from harassment injunction against her.

The difficulty might be identifying who (her or various lodgers) are responsible for what conduct but usually injunctions prohibit an individual's conduct and them encouraging or instructing others to so act. You might also need a trespass injunction to get her to remove fence and reinstate (boundary disputes can be very tricky and expensive) but a clever solicitor maybe able to roll it all into one.

HoofWankingSpangleCunt · 22/04/2023 14:24

Please excuse typos . I’m on morphine!!!

chocolatehoovering · 22/04/2023 14:29

Please go back to the solicitor and ask for further advice. This is just awful.

helpmum2be · 22/04/2023 14:31

Cal your home insurance and see if you have any legal cover on your policy too, they may be able to assist with their team of solicitors and will save you paying for a solicitor yourself

custardbear · 22/04/2023 14:34

helpmum2be · 22/04/2023 14:31

Cal your home insurance and see if you have any legal cover on your policy too, they may be able to assist with their team of solicitors and will save you paying for a solicitor yourself

This, in fact t your car insurance may also have legal fees cover too - good luck

MattDamon · 22/04/2023 14:56

OP, have you contacted any disability charities to ask for help? The Disability Law Service might be able to help or point you in the right direction for assistance: https://dls.org.uk

Clarinet1 · 22/04/2023 15:12

Could the neighbour be in breach of her lease? Either by not sticking to he boundaries or by causing nuisance to another resident - you! Another thing you could ask a solicitor.

Original poster
Cass1234 · 22/04/2023 15:36

Hi
she is in breech of her lease on several clauses as I have in polite notes informed her. I get no replies with the exception of the drunken yobo lodgers banging on my door late at night.
I have paid for the lawyer to write to the landlord who owns the lease. I have not yet received a reply.
The police have said they will do further drive pasts but unfortunately they are never around when the latest yobo lodger knocks on the door late at night. Knock is the wrong word actually more like hammering on the door so much so I think the door will be smashed in. I am not exaggerating when I write this.
I am not such a fool to answer the door when I know it is her lodgers.

OP posts:
Original poster
Cass1234 · 22/04/2023 15:37

Hi
thank you for this information. I will email them on Monday to see if they can help me.

OP posts:
Oysterbabe · 22/04/2023 15:37

What did the solicitors say would be the consequence of not complying? It's time to take the next step and start court action against them.

Original poster
Cass1234 · 22/04/2023 15:40

Hi thank you for this information. I have checked my insurance and do have legal cover. My only problem is as this has been going on for some time now and I changed to a different insurance last July would I still be able to claim?

OP posts:
Original poster
Cass1234 · 22/04/2023 15:43

Hi he asked me did I want to send another letter. As there was no response to the first letter and I had up to this point paid him £1400 odd I wondered if it was worthwhile. I thought this a lot for advice and a letter. I was expecting to pay about £500.

OP posts:
Original poster
Cass1234 · 22/04/2023 15:47

Hi the Police know all about the bin experience. They told them to "leave me alone" that was it.

OP posts:
Treesoutsidemywindow · 22/04/2023 15:54

I'm SO sorry you're going through this OP, life is hard enough with a disability without having to deal with this sort of shit. I'm afraid I can't offer any advice, but hope that you can get some real help from the Disability Law Service that was recommended. Incidentally, I'm disabled too, and know how upset and stressed I would feel about this sort of thing.

Lou197 · 22/04/2023 16:07

I think that is an awful for of money for one letter from a solicitor, would it be worth getting a second opinion? I hope that the charity can help you

Original poster
Cass1234 · 22/04/2023 16:10

Hi Lou thank you for your message. It was one letter and advice. I would not have minded the cost if it had been of any help. As I said I was expecting about £500 but what can you do pay up!

OP posts:
Original poster
Cass1234 · 22/04/2023 16:13

Hi
thank you for your kind words only someone else with a disability can understand how hard your life can be and how much effort goes into just trying to live. Take care of yourself.

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread