Property Information Form - noise complaint

[PIFtruth]

NC so it's not linked to my usual name

I’ve just received the documents from our conveyancers for our house sale, and I’m unsure what to write in the section regarding disputes and complaints regarding neighbours. In 2019 I made an anonymous noise complaint about my attached NDN. These NDN’s are also selling their house and are about 2-3 weeks ahead of us in the process.

Background - NDNs have dogs, who they leave for hours at a time. During that time the dogs will whinge and howl and get each other worked up. I previously mentioned it to them a few times but nothing changed. End of 2019 I got so annoyed after they had gone out around 6ish and didn’t get back till past 1am, as the dogs didn’t stop the whole time. So I raised an anonymous noise complaint.
NDN got a letter, and came and confronted us about it (since I’d mentioned it to them before) which my DH denied since it’s anonymous. We were asked to fill a diary in but once NDN received the letter they were on their best behaviour so case was closed. And then lockdown happened and at least one of them was home all the time so no more issues (until recently like today but I’m going to ignore it since I’m selling).

I will be truthful on the PIF, but don’t know how to word it. I want to be vague, as I don’t want to put my buyers off. Plus, as I said, it won’t be an issue for much longer since their also selling.

Anyone have any ideas what I should write in this section?

I would put “there was a previous issue with the neighbours dog barking but this was resolved after the council wrote to them. There has been no further noise, and they are in the process of selling their house”

Was your complaint anonymous as in you didn’t at any ping give your name to the council, or just anonymous for the neighbours and the council knew it was you?

If fully anonymous I probably wouldn’t mention it at all, since they are moving anyway.

@RainingBatsAndFrogs just anonymous to our NDN. We received the diary sheets from Council/Environmental Agency and then a phone call to say they were closing the complaint.

I wouldn't say anything.

They're moving and you're moving.

I'm just concerned if I don't say anything and it comes up in the searches it could put our buyers off, even if the neighbours are moving.

Our buyers did ask about the neighbours, I just said they were a young couple who were also moving.

Sorry - but I would mention. You are lying on your form (even if you complained anonymously). If they ever uncovered it, you have committed fraud. I think RainingBats and Frogs advice is correct. And if they don’t move - could become an issue.

It won’t come up in the searches.

Tell what you've told here. Hopefully these scum are indeed off to make someone else's life hell, but it is only decent to be truthful.

( Kind of hoping that their sale falls through and you sell to dog owners who are also scum...)

@Hels20 - I won't be lying. I will definitely mention it. I wasn't asking if I shouldn't mention it, I was asking how best to word it that wouldn't put buyers off.

@murbblurb - I was so mad when their house went up for sale as ours had been up for longer (we were stupidly overpriced), and they are one of the main reasons we were moving. I hope the do complete their sale as I wouldn't want my buyers to put up with them. NDN are not nice people and my buyers want a safe place for their grandchildren to visit and play.

So do I state on the form that I'm aware of a noise complaint but not say it was me, or do I say I submitted the noise complaint? I don't know what exactly would one up on the searches.

If the complaint was anonymous, it can’t be traced to you.

I would reveal it if they were staying, in the circumstances, I would not.

I would just say: “We have had issues with the noise of their dogs barking but we understand they received a formal letter from the council about this in [insert month and year]. Since then, we have had no issues with the neighbours - noise or otherwise. In any event, they have their house for sale currently.”