My neighbours have disappeared

[poppetandmog]

This is really none of my business but it’s such an odd situation, I had to share. My garden backs on to two other houses. We don’t know these neighbours - they technically live around the corner from us on a different street but because of the way the houses are positioned and with our house being slightly elevated, we can see in to their gardens and to a lesser degree, in to their houses. One of the neighbours has 3 small boys (I’d guess ages 5-10) and we would often see them playing football all in the garden. We’d also see them coming and going to school/work etc as they tended to use their back door.

it suddenly occurred to me the other day that I hadn’t seen them in months. No cars on the driveway either. Being nosey, I checked to see if the house was for sale, thinking they’d moved somewhere else but it isn’t. I’m now kind of worried as it’s just really odd for a family to disappear, but as we don’t actually know them, i could be totally wrong. Should I report this to someone to check they’re okay? There’s probably a logical explanation but if something has happened to them, I’d feel terrible noticing and doing nothing. Thoughts?

I realised I hadn’t seen one of my neighbours for a few months, but the husband was still coming and going as usual.

I then had a dream he had murdered her!

I mentioned it to the other neighbours and they’d actually moved into another house they owned. He was just coming back frequently to finish up working on the house before putting it up for sale.

My adjoining neighbours are quiet, they don't let me know when theyre going away or ask for help with bins. They haven't been around for nearly 4 weeks now which is strange for them. I keep wondering whether they are OK. But remind myself their son would notify police if there was any issue, just i can stop worrying.

It's such a British thing to think, 'better to mind my own business,' but it's nice to think of others, like you have. I'm sure nothing untoward will have happened, especially as it's a family, rather than a solitary person, but I'd be tempted to ask their immediate neighbour as others have suggested.

Our neighbour disappeared last August. Just gone one day. About a month ago, someone came to clear out the house - he’s been in a car crash and had been in hospital since August, and sadly just passed.

It was very odd to experience.

Are you my neighbour? We’re on a trip to DH home country for a few months. I hope you don’t report us to the police.

Seriously if there are kids who attend school, school will know where they have gone and done something about it if it was worrying.

There could be many reasons. Perhaps one of the parents has died, perhaps there has been domestic violence and the children are in safe housing with a parent, perhaps a job has taken them somewhere. If you want, you can let the police know.

It’s such a shame that someone showing concern for their community has been met with snarky comments.

Don't you think it would be better for the OP to knock on the immediate neighbours doors?

I mean it's probably the first question the police would ask.

They might have moved
they might be travelling
One might be in hospital and the other looked after by family members

Oh my goodness! I cannot wait to read this, it's a fairly niche book but it's been on my radar for a while

Something like this happened to me! My neighbour disappeared and left her back door flapping open. I put some bricks in front of it and after a few days, sent her a text..... Crickets.... Dropped her a few more whatsapps, FB messages bu nothing..... At this point I am having long conversations with my friends about what to do and how long to leave it. At this point I'm looking for freshly dug soil in the garden....

Then suddenly she's back! She'd been to another country, got a new SIM card and decided not to check her messages anywhere.

Oh oh there was that French case where a whole family suddenly vanished and neighbours only raised the alarm some time later, but all seemed ok at first.

It turned out they were all buried under the patio and the father (who presumably did this) is still on the run to this day!

Just call the local police or council, it'll put your mind at ease.

I think it’s kind of you to be concerned. I would suggest asking their immediate neighbours and if they are uncertain I would probably contact the police. It can’t hurt to check.

We have an elderly neighbour I’m similarly worried about as I haven’t seen her for quite a while and am planning to follow up with her nearer neighbours at the weekend.

I would also check to see if their belongings are in the house and with the neighbours.

I’m sorry to hear you’ve lost your jobs, that must be incredibly stressful however I think it’s nice that people still worry about their neighbours, a welfare check that they won’t hear the result off is all it will take.

I’d go and knock on at the immediate neighbours

I bet they rented the house (some new builds will be bought and rented out) and just moved!

Just neb out. If they’re under the patio, they’ve been there for a while, and if they aren’t, then you will just be making a tit of yourself.

That’s helpful! Not!

We've some really nice neighbours not in our road but nearby who have gone to Dubai for work for 3 years (his job, hers is completely remote so she can work over there too). They're back at the moment (back for all the holidays), I only know this because the kids are loud when everyone else is currently in school.
However anyone passing their house (which lots do) must surely see that their car hasn't moved in months, the blinds (light coloured) are still down etc

I what world is this an "unusual situation"? Some 16 years ago, our area was having dreadful trouble with shitty neighbours (at least two different people from two different addresses) who lived in houses behind us. I had to make the descision to sell up and move, and no way was I broadcasting to the world that my house was up for sale. I had no sale board, and I didn't tell a soul.

Then one day I just moved out. Loads of people do it, and it's even easier if you don't rent or don't have to sell the house. You just leave.

You say that " I checked to see if the house was for sale, thinking they’d moved somewhere else but it isn’t", but what does that even mean? If it's been sold then you may not see anything for a long time, as it will be off searches for property for sale, but maybe not yet on websites which display sold prices.

Maybe they had a nosy neighbour living behind them who they didn't wish to inform.

I wish mine would disappear, they did vanish for 7 weeks from early Nov to just after Christmas and I felt my mental health improve significantly. Then they came back, turned out they had been back to their home country for an extended visit.

Someone "showing concern" would have gone round before now, asked neighbours, etc. The OP comes across like my late mother would have in the same situation, that is to say completely mystified as to how and why someone would move without letting her know. I mean, really, it's not good enough!

Our neighbours disappeared suddenly one day. We could see into their kitchen window and the washing up was still there 7 years later. It was like they just upped and left. They never returned to the house but we heard they were living 3 minutes down the road at one of their parents. It was so odd.