Neighbours called cops on me.

[Happyjoe]

For reference, I live in a terraced house, been here 14 years with no problems, though currently put an offer in another house far away, then need to sell this somehow.. My next door neighbours have been hell since they moved in about 14 months ago and are council tenants (which I think the council should be responsible for). They have a small 4 year old child that runs up and down some badly fitted laminate and screams her head off all day long, result is a loud banging on my wall/floor. Every footstep, from child or two adults is like someone is hammering next door. Can actually feel the vibrations through the wall.

The kid is up til the parents are up, as all sleep in same room. That can be anything from 10pm to 1.30am. I cannot sleep til they sleep and am up when they are up, as no option. I cannot read a book, I cannot watch TV. I've tried noise cancelling earphones, ear buds. Thump thump thump all day long.

They don't clean up their rubbish, recently had to get the council involved for them to clean their general waste that was full in their garden and blocking a shared alleyway at the bottom of the garden. Rotting, liquified food, been there over 6 months.. They smoke dope, it comes through the shared space under the floor. This is the point I contacted the council. Horrific. Started well with the council, next door said they would put a rug down for the footsteps. Of course, never happened. The council then just walked away from it all leaving me with my home completely destroyed by neighbours.

Anyway, the only thing that blocks them out is music. I put the radio on most days, just loud enough to cover the screams and shouts, but not loud enough to block out the bang noises. Occasionally, like today, I lose it as I've just had my fill for the day. I then put on the stereo, which is a very very powerful stereo and put some old punk music on loud, shake the ground loud. It's just an albums worth, about 40 mins worth but enough for me to feel better.

So about 30 mins ago they called the cops on me. 3 policemen came indoors. I explained, played them a video of the noise they create. All 3 were totally understanding, one of the policemen couldn't believe the noise I had to endure daily, another had just been through the same with his own neighbours. So they are going to write to the council, complain on my behalf, explain that I am at my wits end and that they do not appreciate the tenants wasting police time.

So kinda backfired, I don't suppose the neighbours expect that outcome? Best thing, I said to the police that I was going to put the music back up when they leave and they said totally understood.

Why is it that people are so bloody entitled these days that they cannot see the issue they cause others? Or do they just not give a toss?

YABU to keep playing more music, more than I normally would just to piss them off back?

There are companies like we buy any car for houses fuck the house off to them and hope they turn it into a hmo because one good turn deserves another

The first thing they did was ask if alone.
I then explained the problem, played them a video of the noise they make.
They will have seen situations like this endlessly, with people lying to the cops.

They were not impressed actually and they were the ones who were annoyed by wasting police time.

This isn’t ok. In the same way making the same noise you would coming home from work during the day isn’t ok if you’re a shift worker and coming home at 3am. If a nurse kept you up all night living above you singing, walking about, having showers, shutting doors and watching tv would you think it ok? Or would you expect her to modify her living arrangement or behaviour to be considerate to neighbours?

I have family members with autism, one with profound autism, so I really do get there is nothing much you can do to quell the noise your child makes, but you should not be living in flats or thin walled terraced houses. It isn’t fair to inflict your situation (which you admit is stressful) onto other people who have nothing to do with you and expect them not to make a fuss because otherwise people like you will brand them ‘ableist’.

Yes it sucks that someone in your position has to make yet another sacrifice by moving to an area where you can afford a quieter home or by paying to put proper sound proofing into place but it is what it is. You will not come off as the victim if your noise levels have driven someone to blare music through the walls in retaliation, no matter the circumstance

I have one neighbour other side.

They are a lovely mum and son. Quiet as mice.
They can hear the noise created right though sometimes into their own home. They totally understand the radio and I never blast the stereo if they are in. No point in making everyones lives miserable. But they were out today, off to see the panto so I knew I wouldn't be upsetting them.

A pity they were not arrested or reported for wasting police time.

But that doesn't prove you weren't screaming earlier or that they were lying.

I really do think they were just telling you what you wanted to hear, and that's why they pretended they're going to contact the council on your behalf.

They absolutely won't.

One of the worst things in life is horrible neighbours, you have to experience it to truly understand the overwhemingly negative impact it has on your life. I have appalling neighbours, have had over 3 years of hell and cannot afford to move. It has been so bad that there has been a community trigger meeting about them, the only advice and help I got was to "keep reporting them". Police and council have spoken to them numerous times and given them warnings but they don't change.

And leaving it never works either. It might not resolve the issue but won’t make it much worse, and at least will give OP back a bit of control over the situation. I’d be going full out to get them evicted. Keep records and keep the council updated.

I do understand, OP, its hell.

I live in Scotland. Many years ago I called police on loud neighbours and they came. Had ongoing problems with noise from them but then they went quite for three months and it was bliss. But I became concerned about their welfare and told the housing association and next thing I knew they were being evicted. I don't know why. Could of been unpaid rent or flat abandonment. I just don't know but I was glad to see the back of them. I've got great neighbours now

You believe what you want to believe and will leave it at that, ok?

It's not me believing it that you need to worry about.

You're the one who's going to be very disappointed when they don't contact the council on your behalf.

If you want your neighbours to accept that they have to live with loud noise from your household 24/7, I’m afraid that you have to accept that occasionally you might have to live with some noise from theirs.

If your neighbour played some music for 40 minutes to drown out the noise created by your son - or indeed just had a party one night - you would be utterly unreasonable to complain, and wasting police time if you called them.

Your neighbours are allowed to make noise occasionally. The OP put some loud music on, once, for the duration of a single album. That doesn’t constitute a nuisance, regardless of whether her neighbours have a child with special needs (and there’s no evidence that they do) or not.

You're quite good at putting your own spin/words onto others? I don't give a shit if they contact the council or not. I did however find it amusing that they said they would because it wouldn't be what the neighbours, who called the police in the first place, would've expected as the outcome.

Honestly, let it go. I don't care either way.

Your neighbour is allowed to play some music, within sensible limits, and do what they need to do to cope with noise too. For all you know, they have their own sensory issues. Having an autistic neighbour doesn't mean the neighbours are any less allowed to do what would be considered normal if they didn't have an autistic neighbour.

Huge sympathy OP. I have similar neighbours. Come from a different country. Sleep ALL day, come alive after 9pm, same with their 2.5 year old who is up screeching and jumping off furniture until the small hours. I've actually got concerns about the child's welfare as they literally never take it out, summer, winter it doesn't even go to the supermarket with either of them. One of them is always home with it. No play groups, no park trips, no interaction with other children, no daylight. Just a very bored frustrated caged child. Planning to move this year so containing my rage.

Had similar, tolerated a year of 7pm-7am music so loud it was just distorted following being punched in the face by druggy upstairs neighbour. I declared absolutely everything very honestly to the estate agent and miraculously sold. I was ecstatic to move and it’s left us overly sensitive to neighbour noise. I’m full of sympathy, OP and I hope you manage to sell without reducing the price too much.

I didn't say within normal limits. I meant if they purposely blasted music with the aim of upsetting us like the OP has done. We still have scars from the bites that my neighbours house renovation caused (months of work) and I never complained to the neighbours because they weren't intentionally trying to cause distress. We just dealt with it the best we could by being away from the home as much as possible. I think the intention is what sets things apart, and helps neighbours be more understanding towards each other. We've adapted our home as much as the landlord has allowed, but we are on the wait list for a council property that can be fully adapted and sound-proofed (luckily very high on the list and most houses we bid on we are in the top 10 applicants)

For what it's worth, I get on well with my connecting neighbour I think. We take in each others parcels and I have apologised for noise on particularly hard days and explained the situation and shown her the adaptations we have made to hopefully help make life a little easier

you shouldnt have played the music so loud

That's where we are, but it's one dog - they go out it barks. We finally had enough and got 2 agents around for valuations. The following day the for sale went up - next door 😂 Followed by a sold sign and we're now waiting for them to go. A win that has saved us 30k, although we may still move, just not yet 😂.
Happy New Year everyone. I hope everything works out for everyone xx

you should have spoken to the neighbours before you tried to retaliate

It's effective at drowning out dogs barking, kids screaming, DIY drilling at 8.30 at night etc. Providing op stops at 11pm nothing they can do.

I have put on music to deal with the neighbour's noisy child (they have special needs, mine has special needs too). I know it upsets their child and it makes them go inside (suits us, solves issue). Not my problem. It's good you have an understanding with your neighbours. I think that's the big difference. If neighbours consider each other, then both sides have give an take. If the other doesn't act in consideration or can't control their side, then whatever the neighbour has to do to cope is just bad luck.

That's not actually true. All noise can be an issue depending on circumstances, even during normal legal hours.

Wtf? How is she as bad as them? Did you even read it?