Neighbour kicked my door down/broke in

[Sparklfairy]

AIBU to expect the police to arrest/remove him...?

I live alone in a flat in a block of 4. I have met this neighbour just once, and introduced myself. A few weeks ago he knocked on my door, not threateningly, but persistently - consistent knocking for 3-4 minutes... at 1.30am. I was awake as I WFH but nights, and just ignored it.

He went away, and there's been nothing since. Until yesterday at 6-something in the morning. Again, I was working but the flat was in total silence. No tv or any noise that would disturb him, I was literally just sitting on my bed.

Suddenly I heard a bang and froze. I was confused and didn't know what it was and was trying to work out where it was coming from. 3 or 4 further bangs and my front door burst open and he was stood there, swaying, glassy eyed.

I screamed. It's a studio, tiny flat, like one of those micro flats that you see advertised but yes, this is my life and I had no escape, no room to hide in, not even a bathroom with a lock on the door (as there is no lock, and the bathroom is opposite the front door).

I screamed at him, he said I was 'in' his head, fucking with his head (when I've done absolutely nothing), and when he tried to step towards me I screamed again and he suddenly 'clicked', became lucid and said ok and left. I was shaking.

My other neighbour (upstairs, but next door to him), texted me saying he heard screaming, and let me take refuge in his flat. Before I did, I obviously called 999. The police seemed non committal, that someone would come out at some point. 36 hours later I've had no visit.

But here is the kicker. When hiding in my neighbours flat, my friend/neighbour had the bright idea of just knocking on his door and talking to crazy tenant. He has recorded the conversation where crazy tenant admits I did nothing wrong but I just 'remind him' of someone and that's why he broke my door down

I rang 101 with the crime ref to update. The lady was so helpful and checked with her supervisor as she was astonished no one had come out to me yet. She reassured me that someone would attend and it had been miscategorised/recategorised now.

It's now nearly 9pm on Sunday and STILL nothing. I can't go home. The lock has been 'fixed' but obviously Crazy Tenant has proven that he can break it whenever he likes. I live alone. I have stressed every single detail which should have escalated this, but nothing is being done. I have chased with the letting agent but basically they're saying I have to wait until Monday for any action to be done. And even then, they were non committal as to WHAT would happen.

So I'm stuck, and cannot go home, and my rent is due today. I have no idea what to do.

I got a reply to my complaint at 6.30am:

"I am discussing your situation this morning with your landlord and will deal with the chap in the flat above you and with the entire situation immediately I am in the office. I am already booked out to be at a property at 8.30am but should be back around 9.30am/10am."

So that's something, I guess. I notice that people are still thinking I'm delaying/being difficult, but there's something else they haven't considered.

A massive part of why I'm upset is because I'm completely powerless in this situation. He can come back at any time. He can break the current lock at any time. The police aren't doing anything, and just expect me to wait until they decide to attend to talk to me, and ask the same questions that they've already asked in previous phone calls...

I don't want to be in limbo anymore. I want to know that I can attend my appointment today at 11am and then it's done, rather than wait for days on end for them to randomly turn up or not turn up. People seem to be under the impression that they rang last night to say they were coming right then - they weren't, she explicitly said they were busy and she wasn't sure when they would be able to attend.

Just writing all that has made me teary and I don't cry, ever.

Good luck for today, I hope it brings some resolution to this situation.
Just stay safe.

@Sparklfairy It was wise to get an appointment set in stone at a time of your choosing as opposed to simply be waiting around not knowing whether you get a knock on the door from the Police at 9am or 9pm - or worse still, miss the visit by being in the loo or at the shops and having your case de-prioritised.

All set for the meet?

@FrauPaige yes all set. Hopefully by the end of today I'll feel a lot better about the whole thing, if the locksmith sorts a stronger lock and the agent is handling it, and the police too. It's been a horrible weekend.

@Sparklfairy yes you need action on your neighbour. Hope that progresses today for you. Do you think an additional lock will be sufficient to give you security? Is your doorframe likely to give way as it sounds like an old wooden type door not the multi lock upvc type. Some flats have really flimsy doors that wouldn’t take much to breach never mind the lock giving way.

Respectfully, the letting agent could aggravate him as much as the police. What is their plan? A slap on the wrist? Eviction? "Deal with the chap" is not a phrase I would use in this situation.

A thumb lock would at least mean he can't kick it in easily. The door frame would probably buckle eventually but I really don't think he could get in just by kicking it.

A few years ago I went out, just for two hours or so on a bank holiday. When I got back, the door to the building was wide open and I looked up the stairs and could see men's boots. It was the police.

They had broken into my flat with one of those battering rams (it also had a thumb lock). They remarked that it was really secure and took them ages.

The shop below me had called them because of water dripping through the ceiling. When the police refused to come out, saying they only would if there was a 'threat to life' they made up some story on the spot (I've heard the recording) that they heard screaming and crashing which meant the police had to attend, and obviously were concerned when there was silence from my flat.

Anyway, I would feel much better if I had something stronger than the current Yale.

OP the reality is that you need to work with your letting agent/landlord to move.

Even if the police go and arrest your neighbour - it’s unlikely anything will happen quickly - eviction takes a lot of time, and despite what people assume - it’s fairly unlikely he will be immediately sectioned.

Even if your door is made secure, you’re still passing him in communal areas, and there’s a potential for him shouting at you from outside the door etc.

so I would be focusing on getting moved by your letting agent

I don't know why people have been giving you a hard time for not telling the police what hotel you are in, a man had broke into your home and the police didn't come, that is the issue.
I hope you are helped today, good luck.

@neodymium it's "to spite your face" just for future use

😂 I had to Google as I wasn’t sure if it was me saying it incorrectly all these years!

Do your agents manage the whole building or just your flat?

I'm so sorry you are going through this OP. I think insisting for the appointment is much better in this case as now at least you have a set time and place rather than the limbo you mention.
I'm glad the letting agent is at least seemingly doing something now and your email was great. I really hope something is done quickly to make you feel safer.
If the police start using the words neighbour dispute, you can ask them to define it and go from there.

At the time I wrote that OP, I was hesitant to pay my rent (by card) when I couldn't live in the flat.

I've since discovered legislation that if the flat is uninhabitable, I am not obligated to pay rent.

So are you done with your passive aggressive comments? Because I just know you were working up to some bullshit that I have to pay rent regardless, when I don't. Maybe read my other posts before jumping in.

Are you ok?

Mumsnet snobbery at its finest

Be careful citing legislation without getting legal advice. I am not a lawyer but i would assume that the circumstances that make the property uninhabitable would need to be within the landlord's control to fix in order for that to be valid. A scary aggressive neighbour is not the landlord's fault.

Bloody hell op I'm so sorry police didn't attend when you phoned and said "a man has broken down my door and is in my home" that us utterly unacceptable. I can't see how that sentence wouldn't warrant a 999 priority call. Utterly terrifying.

Hope your appointment today goes well.

Victim support might be able to help? Even the emotional side?

Suzy Lamplugh organisation? Because it's this harassment behaviour now they might have advice?

Bloody hell OP, that must have been terrifying.

I really hope you get somewhere with the police. They should be taking this seriously. Evidence shows that you have to advocate hard - which is what you are doing. It shouldn't be necessary but it's so common that a woman ends up seriously injured or dead. Previous contact with the police changes nothing, after the event the force refers itself to IOPC, says lessons will be learned and so on, and so on.

I would also suggest contacting your MP and getting this on their desk.