AIBU to expect police and housing association action over threatening neighbours?

[Lilmisskayos86]

Hi all, long time reader first time poster. I would like some opinions of others.

I am.cutrently 11 weeks pregnant,.I have a 18 month old and a 16 year old daughter. We moved into a really nice area just before Christmas. We are social housing. My neighbours are also social housing and don't work. Over the past few months the bloke has been smoking weed which has made my car and house smell really badly...I don't like the smell and it has made my morning sickness worse. I was also getting weed but ends in my back garden..I was not happy about as my toddler could easily pick them up. I had spoken to my neighbour about this and it just fell on deaf ears. In the end I reported it as I had had enough of it.

Housing officer went out and spoke to them ect. Since that initial report their kids have repeatedly damaged my car, threw red liquid over my car and the housing officer has done nothing about it.
Over the last week they have been playing music really loudly, I can hear it word for word in every room of my house and yesterday was the worst as it had woke my toddler up from his nap. I spoke to the neighbour and was met with I can play music as loudly as I want until 11pm. Because I had spoken to her about it, her partner took it upon himself to come round to my house and hammer on the door. I was on my own with my kids as partner was at work so I didn't answer the door. I went to the upstairs window and opened it and he started hurling abuse at me, telling me to go out to him so he can lay me on my back and then threatened to kill me.

I called my partner and he told me to drive up to his work and call the police. I called the police and they said they wouldn't send anyone out as I had left the property. I explained I left the property as I didn't feel safe. Anyway my partner came home with me and the abuse continued over the back fence. I have the threats on camera and all the evidence as I have security cameras.

The police have made an appointment for me Tuesday to take the evidence down. My partner is currently at work and I have all my doors and windows locked as I'm fearful in case he kicks off again
He scared my teen and my toddler yesterday to the point my teen won't leave the house.

I suppose my AIBU is should the police have come out yesterday and I'm not sure if the housing association will do anything about it with the footage.

Thanks for reading,.I know it's long winded.

sadly they won’t do anything until something happens. Call them next time he’s kicking off

Get ring bell cctv. Inform your HA so they can make sure it's within the rules. That way you'll have evidence more quickly. Look at writing to your local ward Councillor to ask them to talk to the HA on your behalf. Commen here if you'd like advice in how to take these steps. Horrible situation for you OP. Stay strong.

The police and housing can help but it’s a slow process, you’ll need to keep a diary, mediation will probably be offered before Acceptable behaviour contracts are drawn up which if that doesn’t work a community protection notice or a criminal behaviour order which if breached is a criminal offence. If you’re hoping for an eviction you will have a long wait.

Record every single incident, date and time. Report every criminal/public order incident to the police. If any of the events seem motivated by hate, note that too. Report to the housing association and council. Are any other neighbours being affected who will be prepared to speak to police, housing association, council? Eventually, slowly, the relevant authorities might have to convene a case meeting, issue warnings, with the threat of eviction. But record each incident with date. So sorry you are having to go through this.

Unfortunately the police don't need to come out at the time as you weren't there. They've followed up by giving you an appointment to make a statement, which will generate a crime reference number. They may decide to ask the neighbour to tone it down. If there are race or cultural differences involved, they may log it as a racist incident.
The housing association won't do anything specific over someone smoking weed, one incident of loud music and one incident of verbal altercation.
You'll need to keep a log of each incident, they will then review it and possibly offer both of you mediation.
With noise incidents, it all depends on how loud is 'loud' they may ask a housing officer to attend and measure the volume, not much use as the neighbours just turn it off.
The most that might happen at this stage would be a letter advising them to abide by their tenancy, if there are other housing association tenants in the same area, it's not unknown for them to issue a general letter to all (as an example we had a group of children throwing rubbish around, everyone got a reminder about anti social behaviour)

Housing association can’t do much as it’s a criminal matter.

What your HA can do is help with the ASB and you can also make a noise complaint , however the HA can’t evict without court involvement - I’d personally ask to be moved due to the ASB.

''@HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · Today 09:12
Housing association can’t do much as it’s a criminal matter.''

That's not correct.

Housing association tenants have to sign a tenancy contract that says they won't cause anti social behaviour or engage in illegal activities.

These tenants are doing both by smoking weed, playing like music and threatening/targeting the OP.

So the housing association can start eviction proceedings once they have sent them an official warning that they are at risk of eviction and spoken to them.

OP don't let them get away with ''there is nothing we can do''. Lodge and official complaint with them and copy their CEO into it.

Also tell the police you are concerned for your and your kids safety in that environment then tell the housing association you have now reported this to the police, are worried for your family safety and they can either remove them from the property or move you to a new one.

Basically the more you make it clear you won't be fobbed off the more something is likely to happen.

Just move, they will make your life hell now, housing police will will drag their feet and do nothing. Ask to be moved, or try private.

Hi everyone, thank you for all your advice. This has all been going on since January, we only moved into the property in December. I have requested a move by the HA but they have said I would need to be in the property for at least 12 months before they will move me.

The neighbours moved in the same time as me and this is the first HA tenancy they have. I have all the evidence all recorded and the abuse and threats to kill are also on our security camera so my appointment with the police in Tuesday is to take the footage down. The police officer I spoke to on the phone Friday evening said the HA will have to do something now as there has been threats to kill. I'm not sure what the police will do with the evidence that I will submit on Tuesday but I'm hoping they do do something as my teen is absolutely petrified. We have tried to stay away from our house as much as possible since Friday as my partner works really late shifts and I don't feel safe in the house just me and my kids.

I have never come across people like my neighbours. I'm high risk pregnant as well so I'm trying not to stress too much but it's hard not too.

Friday night I didn't sleep much as every noise I heard I was alert awake in case it was him next door. From what I gather and seen so far he is not a nice person and is vile to his partner.

I will update with what the police and HA say on Tuesday.

Does your HA do starter tenancies for new tenants? If so they should be able to serve them with a Sec 21 Notice as they are still valid for social housing. Definitely report every incident.

I think they do do starter tenancies. They have had visits from the HA officer as settling in visits where as we haven't as we have been with the HA for 20 years. I am reporting everything. It's just they don't seem to be doing anything. The threats to kill on Friday evening was the first violent incident and Im worried that they will treat this as a one off incident.

Anti social behaviour.

Report everything to the housing officer - in writing

and as someone else suggested, if they are ' new tenants' there is a good chance they are on a temp contract i.e. 6 months / 1 years before they get to stay for good / forever

so now is the time to act ! as you may only have a couple of weeks before their 6 months is up...

Report the weed to environmental health they can issue an abatement Notice, also report the abuse & damage to the anti-social behaviour team at your local council. You'll then find the housing association will pull their fingers out.

Hi all, I have had a bit of a Google and from what I have read the police will likely charge him for the threats to kill and put a restraining order in place which makes me feel a bit better as I'm so worried that they won't do anything and it will escalate even further. I'm hoping with the police report it makes the HA pull their fingers out. As a last resort I will move but I ideally don't want to as I love my house. My partner is back at work early in the morning tomorrow and I'm a bit anxious tomorrow but my appointment at the police station is at 8am and then I will be going to my mum's until my partner has finished from work as my daughter and myself don't want to be in the house on our own. My toddler now screams the place down when someone comes to my door which is not on. I have never had issues with any neighbours before in my life, so this is the last thing I want.

Hi, yes I would definitely appreciate some advice on taking these steps please.

Hi all, just an update. I have been to the police this morning with all the evidence and they have issues the neighbour with a public order offence and will have to attend anger management. If he does anything else he will be arrested and charged.

The police have said that now there is a public order in place the HA should do something about it now and should issue them with a formal warning and they said that we can request a move without waiting for 12 months to have been in the property as a criminal offence has occured.

Thank you everyone for your advice, much appreciated. 😊

Fingers crossed the Ha actually do something.

Its sad that YOU have to move rather than them being removed from their social housing for their awful behaviour.

Just keep documenting everything that is beyond acceptable.

People like that dont deserve social housing but the question then becomes where to house people like this? Do we just have one huge tower block for antisocial tenants and put them all together?

I know, we love this house as well and have spent an absolute fortune on it. It just depends what the HA officer says, if they will get rid of them or prefer to move us.

The officer who took my statement said that the neighbour is known to the police for previous ASB so he has form for it. Obviously he couldn't go into specifics with me as it isn't connected to me.

I will only move as a last resort but you are right it shouldn't be us that have to move as we have done nothing wrong. I have heard loads of stories regarding HA that it's the victim that ends up moving and it's wrong.

I think the problem is if op stays these people know where she lives and that although it’s their behaviour they will blame her which means the issue can still come back and visit her at home and cause problems.

Otherwise totally agree op shouldn’t have to move.

If he has form then it's likely he will be aggressive again, in which case hopefully that will be enough evidence to get him moved rather than you moving.

That's the biggest issue with social housing. Most the tenants are lovely and grateful to have a secure tenancy and subsidised rent, but then councils have a legal obligation to house people who need housing, so some of the people that end up in lovely social housing are not so nice.

I do like the idea of one giant block with all the antisocial people lumped together. That way they can all annoy each other.

So the HA officer has come back to me and they have confirmed with the police the terms of the public order notice. They have issues them with a formal warning and if anything else happens then they will be evicted. At least the HA are taking this serious now. I have the recordings of the music and the HA officer has confirmed that it is too loud and it is a nuisance so that will also be going in the formal warning.

That's a good update.