I am a low-profile regular with a name-change.
We live in a terrace house, and after we moved in it became clear that the house next door is a hostel owned by the local authority.
In May we were sure the house was being used for prostitution, and 3 used condoms were thrown out of their bathroom window into our garden. I called the police, and also callled the council and got them to send environmental health round to clear up the condoms. Things went quiet, although we were sure there was prostitution still ocurring.
Last night there was prolonged and very loud shouting. The windows were open and I could hear that two women were trying to get money from a man, with many references to 'casual sex'. It was 4.30 a.m and I shouted at them to be quiet. One shouted back abusively. This morning I called CrimeStoppers anonymously, and gave them the details, and others, of evidence that there is prostitution.
This afternoon I came home with dc, and right in the middle of our lawn is a used condom. This must have been thrown there deliberately and provocatively, it cannot have landed where it did by them simply putting it out of the window. (They often throw condoms into their own yard).
There has been a spate of other problems recently, one tennant called the police because of theft by another, there was a fight between two women and a man, and the man drove a baby away saying the baby was not safe in the house (DH called the police, but was not asked for his name), and routine anti-social noise.
We are planning to sell our house soon - we have to move for work.
Do I:
Keep quiet and sell our house, saying nothing?
Tackle the situation and try to get community support to get the hostel closed down and then sell?
Put a note through the door telling them I will call the police nest time they throw any objects onto our property and hope the trouble dies down?
If I look for support to get the hostel closed down, is it likely that we would be successful? What would I need to take into account, and how would I go about it? If we were unsuccesful, would we have any hope of selling our house?
I would never normally be the sort of person who would wish to see a hostel closed down, but it is horrible living next door to this, and I now feel shaky, upset, harrassed and intimidated that a condom has been thrown.
And we do have to move by May next year.
Any advice or thoughs gratefully received, thank you.