What the heck is this guy doing next door?

[MissMarplesCat]

We live in a very small village in a row a 4 cottages. The end terrace is joined to us, and had previously housed an old lady for many years, who then went into care. The house stood empty for a few years then put up for sale. It seems that it was in a bad state of repair (very dated), so went on to auction.
A man purchased it last January and when we got chatting he said he hadn't viewed it prior to bidding and was horrified at the amount of work he'd have to do.
We expected contract work to begin, but he only had one guy, this guy is not a professional in any sense of the word, and to date has damaged our roof (dealt with), fitted all of the windows incorrectly, badly plastered some walls, then hacked it all off and put boards up instead (!), and caused plaster work in our hallway to crumble.

We kept things as friendly as possible, but since last January he has been there most weekdays with his helper chap and they have not stopped smashing at the walls in all of that time. Around 5 skips of bricks have been completed so far, although no interior walls have been removed! Since we can hear a pin drop in there now, it seems like they have removed bricks from the party wall.

As of early Feb this year they are coming 7 days per week. I presume the helper is family or a friend and getting some cash for his trouble.

There's no getting your head around this. The man is very shy and non communicative and looks desperate to get it ready for his small family. What concerns us is that a gas boiler has been delivered from a car (not a plumber van) and left in there. DP overheard him discussing fitting it with an older man who warned hm he wanted nothing to do with it. Make of that what you will.

The guy seems to be struggling financially and very desperate, and whilst friendly, he has already told us a few lies.

Since a few weeks back they have been coming every day even sunday, horrific noise from early until after 5pm. Through last year they even did Easter sunday, and all of the bank holidays, which i thought was illegal for building/construction?
He tried to do Xmas even and Xmas day until DP told he would call the police.

Between October and January this guy was hammering at the front bedroom window frame daily to try to refit it, to no avail. DP works from home so it's sheer hell. It is taking him quadruple the time to do anything because he won't hire professionals. It looks like a bomb site.

Anything we can do here? We have been passed on to planning as council told us building regs no longer have a number. God knows what that means. We've been very tolerant since we knew he was struggling, but since he has already damaged our property and had to repair it, we are getting very concerned and fed up. We doubt anything in there is legit, and he told us when he first bought it that he hadn't had it surveyed, etc.
We think the helper is just a cash in hand guy, with little to no knowledge of what he is doing, and we are very tired of the 7 days a week noise at this point. We have tried to talk, and whilst he is polite, he just lies to us about reducing the days and carries on.

Sorry this is long! Any advice welcome.

@MissMarplesCat Who is it you're calling "Health & safety"? Is it the HSE, the Health & Safety Executive, which is a national Government body?

I think you should be speaking to Environmental Health at your council, who have jurisdiction over a range of safety issues not covered by the HSE. EH are completely separate from Building Control and all other council departments. Building Control deal with ensuring that buildings are designed and built to be safe, not who's doing it or whether they're dodgy. EH deal with the health and safety issues to do with protecting workers and the public, as well as things like nuisance noise and incorrect disposal of hazardous waste. The departments don't necessarily talk to each other so it's unlikely BC would have told EH.

You should be speaking to both Building Control and EH. As PPs have noted, you should be talking to your MP and local councillors - not in a week's time but now, and very insistently. Show them photos, play them time stamped sound recordings of the noise, do whatever it takes to make them understand that you're not whining about minor inconvenience caused by someone's perfectly legitimate home improvement works. Because that's how they'll see it unless you are very clear.

Sadly as of this morning it is all back to usual.

Presumed last week something had finally interfered, but same illegal shit back to normal.

No one has even answered our enquiries.

So basically, we have contacted over 7 different departments and not had one reply, not even a courtesy email from the head of building control.

I have been ill indoors all week so would have heard and seen anyone going in there, due to being a cul de sac. No one has parked up to observe the house nor been inside it.

Health and Safety did at least email us to say they could not do anything.

We can't get past the email 'barrier' - all of these depts are through a large, local building and we don't get invited past the reception. Just told to go home and email.
We also can't do anything ourselves as yet since no work or damage to our wall.

So in the space of 3 weeks, these non-builders have been hammering at the (non party)walls with what sounds like a wrecking ball or giant mallet, which is pretty odd considering they are supposed to be erecting 4 chimney breasts.

I am past caring what they are doing at this point, but we will try to speak to BC, again. That ugly feeling is back in gut and chest, like a twisting sickness. I just want to get out of here. It's like groundhog day. Can't afford a holiday as planing to move. Also have a small social circle/family so nowhere we can go and stay for a while, especially with WFH. Just going to have to prioritise stress levels.

We can't get past the email 'barrier' - all of these depts are through a large, local building and we don't get invited past the reception. Just told to go home and email.

Many have told you how to get past the barrier.

1. Speak to your local councillors - details will be in the Council website.
2. Contact your local MP - he will contact the relevant bodies on your behalf (and get answers). Copy your letter to the Council Chief Executive.
3. Write a letter of complaint to the Council Chief Executive - list everything that his Council officers have failed to do - when you've contacted them, responses and lack of results.

Seriously, I've worked for Councils. Nothing is guaranteed to get results more than being chased by Councillors and MPs.

What I mean is, no one will speak to us in person, we can't get past any reception and no one is answering our emails at present.

We will go to the MP now, was awaiting response form BC but you are correct.

However, if there is a way to locate these people without email, please let me know.

1. Write a letter of complaint to the Council Chief Executive - list everything that his Council officers have failed to do - when you've contacted them, responses and lack of results.

will do this, thanks!

As commented you have the councils complaints process which you should take up. Your MP might take up your case, but equally might refer you in the first instance back to borough councillors as the BC lead on planning. I would look on the BC website and email the lead councillors on the planning committee as well as your local ward councillors. You would really benefit from someone within the system advocating on your behalf to the officers. Good luck, it sounds horrific

I was reading this today https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c04r7l455zeo
I see they have a link to tell them about your own stories. I know it’s not the same situation but it might be someone who can help.

Also adding that they have 10 working days to reply to your stage 1 complaint so definitely worth getting it in ASAP. List what’s not happened and be clear on the outcomes you’re looking for.

Can't remember if I've already said it but you need one of those noise app decibel reading meters too if you're going to send recordings to people otherwise it's a bit meaningless. And speak on the recordings so people can hear you're having to shout to be heard at all. So there's some comparison. Otherwise a recording is as loud as you turn your volume up.

And with your symptoms it's time for a trip to your GP now before you become seriously unwell. If your MH deteriorates too much you won't be able to fight effectively and it'll take you longer to recover and rebuild your life once you've moved out.

You could try one of the big unions who are all interested in stopping this type of worker exploitation - Unison perhaps?

Also, if they have knocked out chimney breasts without properly supporting the chimney stack, this could be extremely dangerous and if the chimney collapses it could come crashing down through your house. You need a surveyor/structural engineer out to assess the safety of the chimney stack asap.

I see what you mean (have experienced something similar in the past, although not housing related). Will make a note of that.
We have already contacted the chief of BC twice with no reply.

We did get a reply late this afternoon from Building Control general dept. They told us they were going to write back soon. Since they have ignored us repeatedly, we wonder if mentioning taking it higher urged them to make contact.

Thanks again everyone. All tips and details are appreciated, very very much.

Where might I find the noise app?

Am due back at GP next week. The anger is the worst, it is very difficult to channel it out. Going out walking is great if you don't feel forced:(
I used to paint and draw but have lost the heart.

OH's work is suffering somewhat, too.
I would love to say joined-up housing (attached properties) are the bane of Britain, but then my parents lived with two fields between us and our neighbours and they still found themselves in a legal battle over all manner of stuff back in my school days. It's just rotten luck.

Where might I find the noise app?

Search for a Sound Level Meter app and put it next to the wall to measure the decibels.

Join a boxing gym if you can afford to. You don't have to get in a ring and punch people, but the fitness side of it will help with your anger. If it has nowhere to go it'll turn inwards and you'll get depressed. Use your art too. Draw pictures of your neighbors burning up in hell or something. If you get really desperate for a break go show the pics to the psych in A&E and tell them you're having uncontrollable urges to make it reality, you'll maybe get a day or two on the psych ward for observation and some proper sleeping pills until they realise you're just upset not nuts. Or superglue his locks 😈.

If you have legal insurance what about finding out if you can get an injunction ideally with the power of arrest

Please report all this to you and yours on radio 4 and the local press

Sadly Building Control emailed us this morning, most likely due to us mentioning escalation, and told us that all work next door was in good order and conforms to regulations.
This is absolutely not true. They haven't even driven into this street for months.

They told us that if we suspect illegal hiring we ought to take it to modern slavery.

We replied asking how using unqualified workers passes BC's regulations for safety in the first place.

They said they are scheduled to pop round there tomorrow, when, of course, the workers won't be there since they get a heads up!

2 more letters gone out to council chief exec. and MP.

Not sure if I mentioned this but someone left their front door wide open all weekend, as if it had been either done deliberately or someone had exited in a hurry.

Hard to consider appealing to radio as yet since we are being told everything is legal and above board. On that off chance we can't prove anything, we might look a bit silly. Someone desperately needs to get in there and ask for papers.
Police won't touch it, the Unseen slavery charity won't answer our communication, and the head of BC won't even grace us with a reply.

Sorry to be a pest, but does anyone here have knowledge of construction?

Since being told to rebuild the chimney breasts, all we hear is very heavy pounding on walls with falling plaster and bricks, and a loud drill at intervals. This is for 8 hours a day with no other evidence of 'building' at all.

Each time they arrive they do exactly the same work, for weeks on end now. How on earth would that facilitate rebuilding the chimney breasts?

Next time the door is open go in there and go all round the place taking photos, then come back and post them on the forum with a really specific title like "what construction work is this? (Pictures)" And including a link to this thread in the first post. Maybe then someone can answer your question what they're up to and perhaps give further suggestions of what to do.

What plans are you making to get yourselves moved on from your current home? As you're discovering , all the systems in this country are broken. Don't be fobbed off by the BC reply, escalate it anyway. But I don't think focusing on getting these people to stop work is realistically going to get you anywhere, especially if you're finding authority is tiring of you. Rightly or wrongly, if they've labelled you a troublemaker you'll not be helped.

They've bought a pile of shite that couldn't be sold other than at auction, they've turned it into an even bigger pile of shite that's possibly worth less than they paid for it and they'll have no way of selling other than putting it back into the auction. I think your chances of them cutting their losses and selling up are zero. They clearly have somewhere to stay until it's habitable (if we're still believing that this is to be a family home).

If the house is owned, even legitimate building works are going to be noisy. If someone has no money for them, they're going to be bodgy and bodgy DIY needs redoing sooner than later, meaning more works. Lack of funds also means things move slowly and jobs end up drawn out affairs. If you're waiting for them to cease work altogether before you sell, I think you'll be in your own graves before that happens.

You don't know what they're going to do with the building once finished. Whatever it is could end up being just as antisocial and noisy as the building works.

Is it right that the value of your home is decimated by this? No. Is it fair that you should have to move to escape it? No. But at the risk of sounding flippant, it's only money. Your health is the most important thing and it's already being significantly impacted. Take it from a sick person - if you don't have your health, you don't really have anything. Get yourself gone before the situation causes lasting damage.

Ask yourselves this. How old are you (realistically how long do you maybe have left on this earth)? How did you plan on spending the next 10-20 years? How do you feel about spending the next 5 years minimum (because I reckon that's what you're looking at, realistically it may never be finished) living next to this situation? If you're spending that time fighting? If you've given up and just tolerating it? What other options do you have that would bring you closer to your original plans? Has this situation brought your rocky marriage back into a state of committed togetherness? Or are you just united in mutual hatred of this neighbour but nothing else has changed and you're likely to fall apart again when all this is over?

I agree with PP, at this point your best bet (other than moving) is probably some media outlet taking up the fight for you. The council aren't stupid. The fact you're still there and haven't moved elsewhere tells them you don't have money for big fancy lawyers to fight this. And that is often the only way to get authority to do it's job properly these days.

I’m so sorry you are going through this, please contact your local councillor, they will be able to support you in getting through to the right people at the council, they all have surgeries/ drop in’s you can go to in person, tell them your story, ask them around to the house to see what you are living with , MP will fob you off back to your councillor. Councils have responsibility for housing, sadly they often only do stuff when a councillor gets on their back about it, it shouldn’t be that way, but it is unfortunately. A good councillor on your side will be the best advocate you can get, and you really need that in this situation I’m afraid

Just read your whole thread, what a living nightmare, I really feel for you.

The whole situation is completely bizarre, maybe the house is some sort of front to pretend people are legally employed as builders there when really they are being forced to work in other less legal employment.

My advice would be to go on Reddit find a builders forum and ask for advice on the photos of work done that you have, or can get.

Use social media, especially X to name and shame the local council. I'm astounded that nothing has been done about your concerns of slavery. Contact Martin whatsisname, the money guy, watchdog if it still exists, local newspapers.

Thanks everyone.
Doubt we'd feel comfortable entering the house when empty.

But @Cassieskinsismad is correct. I really appreciate the time you have given on this thread. Thanks so much. Every word you write is the truth, and oddly enough I came to a standstill today. I am happy to contact the MP, etc, but at no cost to my stress levels. I think we are just done, the area is going to hell, and I see this as the bigger picture. Getting off a sinking ship is the sensible thing to do long term, and we need to use our remaining energy reserves and money to make that happen.
I honestly don't care at this point about the house value. Wish we had doneit yrs ago but hindsight is often only useful for self torture!