This isn't the first time I've spoken about this on MN but will hopefully be the last.
V long as full context needed for those not familiar.
New flat, lived here 3 months now, had problems with neighbours from literally day 1. They are completely intolerant of my children, any slight bang like a toy being dropped or any noise fro autistic DS and they're up at the door. They've been aggressive and confrontational.
Dispite all of that they blast music until the early hours of the morning. They have frequent loud two way domestics. They stink the place out with cannabis from morning to night.. some of you will remember me. No antisocial behaviour on my end, ever, just daily living noise, them on the other hand.. awful.
Anyhow. I made a log with the police around 6 weeks ago as the woman of the pair was coming to my door with an unknown person and behaving aggressively because DS jumped on his bean bag when getting ready for bed at 7 something.
The police wanted to come round and go to their flat after to question them about it but I panicked and decided not to pursue it as I thought it would make things worse. We agreed to keep logging until there was further grounds for action.
I bought a massive rug, soundproofing floor tile things, swapped my curtains for thicker ones, added fluffy throws to the sofa at the height of summer removed even more of my children's toys, removed the bean bag, made jumping a punishable offence indoors, basically I went above and beyond to make sure I was doing all I could to minimise noise. It didn't stop them continuing to complain..
Then yesterday, at 4.30pm my 4yo was playing with my young toddler, crawling after him on the floor. The man comes up pissed off because he can hear "banging all day long" (we'd not long got home so idk what he's talking about there)
I apologise, as usual, and explain they're playing but I'll ask them to stop. Remind him i've already bought rugs and sound proofing tiles. I'm half way to being able to afford a carpet. I've removed all noisy toys etc etc. Yes sir no sir three bags full sir.
After months of bowing down to these people I took a snippet of advice I got from MN and said "look, they are children playing in their own home. I can hear my upstairs neighbours daily too. Its all part of communal living and you're making me feel incredibly uncomfortable here. I said i would always try to keep them quiet and i have - but this is getting ridiculous"
Well that was it, he was off.
He was stood there over 10 minutes talking about how he's from "the streets" and doesn't have to be "friendly" with me, i should be glad that he is as he could simply kiss his teeth when he sees me instead. Friendly, aye. He drops into conversation that he's always "on road doing his ting" which I'm pretty sure means selling drugs. I told him not to tell me about his business as I don't want to know about things like that.
He then switches his tone back to "friendly" and talks about having lost two good friends to stabbings in the past year and how he himself had to chase somebody with a knife over some perceived disrespect (knocking on his door late at night)
He didn't threaten me per se but was obviously saying all of that to build a picture of himself that is intimidating, so a subliminal threat if you will.
To get rid of him I told him to just take my number and just text whenever there's a problem and ill deal with it that way as I don't want a scene at the door. I'm very unwell at the moment and cannot cope with this. He was happy enough with that and left after taking my number, suggesting we should all have a drink some time. Mental.
For the rest of the afternoon I was a nervous wreck. All the kids toys were locked in the cupboard and I was policing their every move. I couldn't sleep for worrying during the night and was just as much of a nervous wreck this morning.
He'd pretty much confirmed what I suspected he was about and the kind of people they are. He's involved with gangs isn't he? The girlfriend was supposedly training to be a health care professional but I don't think that's true now.
After two good friends, one being somebody who works with the police, told me to report it I did exactly that and put in a report online.
A lovely police officer called me shortly after and says it has gone beyond a simple neighbourly dispute now and they were satisfied that it constitutes harassment. He has read the history and thinks they are absolutely bat shit. They want me to go to the police station tomorrow. They wanted to come here today but I asked them not to as I didn't want the neighbours to see them coming here.
I'm shitting myself now. I know it's the right thing to do but what if the neighbours don't give a toss about the police? I mean clearly they don't. They wouldn't do what they do if they were.
What if It makes things worse? Part of me is worried they'll just pay somebody to do something for them.
And the awkwardness of having to pass them in the building, in the street. It's going to be horrible.
They are supposedly moving next year but how do we continue living in the same block until then? I can't move, at all.
Its going to seem like such a hostile act in the neighbours opinion as our last interaction ended relatively civilly.. but history has shown me that never lasts a week.
Would you have done the same thing as me or have I made things worse, honestly?
Anybody from my previous thread do feel free to link that below, I don't know how to do it. Thank you. It was titled "potential neighbours from hell" or something along them lines.