Noisy Neighbours

[greenlung]

Hi - Anyone else have a problem with noisy, nocturnal neighbours ? Three Russian builders moved in next door last month, since when they've had 3 all night parties - banging techno, bonfire and 20 guests in the garden. My daughter had to sleep on the bathroom floor to get away from the worst of it.
This morning I was woken at 7, as they sat on the pavement of this quiet terraced street, drinking beer, chatting and shouting. I gave it 10 minutes before I told them what I thought of them. I've already been on to the council and their landlord, but wondered if anyone else had suffered similarly ?
If you don't hear from me again, the Russian mafia have me.

[Claire72]

We only have one neighbour, and up until he got a new girlfriend and her daughter move in, all was well, since then we have had hell with the little girl, she calls round all the time (as in 20 times an hour if we don't let her in) starting at around 7am, until we complained very loudly, now it is around 8.30. If the kids don't want to play with her (which is often as she isn't very kind, and tells constant lies) she just returns every 5-10 mins.
if we ignore her, she stands outside the house and calls my daughters name constantly.
If we are out, she plays in our garden, and has been known to steal the chicken eggs.
I really sympathise

[yoanbob]

ours arnt so bad, really feel for you though

[JO,JO]

get the environmental agency invovled through the council.my colleague at work had a group of latvians move in across the street and had a year of hell from them ie partys outside in the street with underage girls etc etc she finally got enough evidence with the help of cctv and the council to take to the landlord and get them moved.

[rogesse]

Greenlung - you have my utmost sympathy, for three years we had our neighbour's teenage son (who didn't actually live there) plus hooded cronies use the house to 'make their music' whilst the mother was out, at all times day and night. It was that banging techno 'music' that you can only hear the banging bit - I became a nervous wreck, shaking if even a car went passed the window. We tried in vain to reason with these people, on one occasion the mothers boyfriend head butted my husband and punched me in the face for our troubles! The police treated it as a 'domestic', the council/landlord seemed impotent!

Thankfully we now have a happy ending - because of community policing believe it or not! After a 24hr session a month ago, I lost it and nearly took down the wall thumping it which resulted in our kitchen window being bombarded with beer bottles. The police came and made the right noises but seemed unable to do anything ("no criminal damage") but did get community policing involved. They seem to have kicked all concerned up the backside and the teenager involved is now under threat of charges of harrassment and anti social behaviour if he so much as looks at us funny, his mum is also under threat of eviction So, perhaps give the community police a go, you have nothing to lose. Also are there any local bylaws regarding the drinking in the street - we are a no drinking (in the streets) zone with council errected signs warning people of this.

My heart goes out to you and I hope you nip it in the bud soon as it can rapidly become soul destroying

Jane

[Two_Sheds]

Wait till they've gone to sleep, then play Opera to them. Turn the volume up and go out

[Hashette]

So sorry to hear it Greenlung. We're lucky at the moment that our neighbours are fine, but I've had sheer hell in the past where I used to live, so I know how it feels. Even when they were quiet, I wasn't calm, as I was just waiting for them to start up again. You're not alone, and hope the link below is of some help

Right to Quiet Society - Home Page

[lozza_9]

Sinds like a nightmare, my parents have a neighbour who is lovely when he's child is staying but when the child is not around he is a nightmare. Playing loud music and one night he woke up my parents because the bed he was using to enjoy himself was banging against the wall - I could not stop laughing when my dad told me the story

[Geo]

>>>Link<<<

>>>Forum<<<



Geo..

[greenlung]

Even when they were quiet, I wasn't calm, as I was just waiting for them to start up again. [/url]

Spot on ! You've been there.

Thanks all very much for your support and links.

As a musician and owner of some serious amps (which only see studio/stage use) I've been tempted to blast them when they least expect it - but it'd only make matters worse. I'm still compiling my 'Victor Meldrew' diary of the nuisance for the council, who'd have to come out to hear the noise (i.e. between midnight & 7 a.m.) to do anything about it.....can't see that happening, although their landlord has been quite sympathetic and seems to have had a word with them, which kept them quiet for a bit until this morning.

(I escaped up the allotment yesterday - but someone was playing with their new petrol strimmer for 2hrs. (Moans posted on the "Strimmer" thread.))

When I had a similar problem with neighbours a few years ago, I was encouraged to use a mediation service, but when they got the letter, they came round threatening violence and stuffed crap through my letterbox. (This was after lopping off 4 ft of a tree in my back garden too, which I mentioned on the 'Vandalised Front Garden' thread, posted today)

To look on the bright side - when they got evicted / moved, I was rewarded with an empty house for 18 months : Heaven - xcept for the deaf old lady t'other side with her really loud telly !!

And yes, I've considered the possibility that I'm living in the wrong place & have super sensitive musician's ears ; )

Peace !

[Pootle]

We had a problem a while back with unsupervised teenagers playing very loud music and swearing so that we could hear it through the walls, they also ignored all knocks on the door (but knew we were there because they were peering through the blinds!) when we tried to get them to turn it down...I called the police and siad I was worried that the three girls next door might be in trouble because their mother was away and there was screaming going on, no response etc...

Well, blues and twos up the street and burly police men banging on the door did the trick. Mind you they haven't spoken to us since. I'm so upset about that, I have problems sleeping at night

[petal]

Been there - with a very nasty piece of work, I think we used a noise nuisance number, police etc but in the end moved house as stress became too much. The lovely lady who moved in after us had 3 very burly mean looking sons. ha ha ha.........what goes around comes around.

[quark1]

We have a house next door to us which is rented out for 6-8 months of the year to - well its anyone's guess as to the 'quality' of the tennants from one year to the next. We live in dread each September and I've seriously considered moving just because of this.

We've been blessed by those you don't ever know are there and respect the quiet of this largely retirees haven.

Then you get the ones who are noisy, like you're lot, with neighbours knocking my door to see if I have any influence. Then there is the problem of far too many cars for the residence. The last lot had 4 vehicles - 2 at the front, one on the drive and another obstructing MY driveway. Now this was a company liveried car - so I took down the internet address and wrote a letter of complaint to the boss! It was never parked there again. Others who did not take good enough care of their rubbish on bin day? So what you might say? Well we live cheek by jowl with badgers and foxes and there's nothing they like better than a root around these 'dinner tables' so thoughtfully laid out for them. It wasn't as though it was just your ordinary kitchen waste - may I just say that is was very clear ladies were present in the house and leave the rest to your own intelligence. Then there was the group of what were described to me in advance as being Africans - I have to say I thought the owner said Accountants! I didn't think anything of it until they finally moved in.

This was by far the most noisy group - musically speaking. One of them also had loud stand up rows with his girlfriend in the street - I was on the verge of calling police for her safety. And they left a legacy which hung around like a bad smell. I had already intercepted a delivery for goods in MY name at THEIR address. I sent this back to the firm and confirmed this was nothing to do with me and that if it went next door it was likely to be a fraudulent purchase. This was the tip of the iceberg and the owners and myself had many letters from various credit agencies and debt collecting firms to see if we knew where they now were.

And perhaps one of the more surprising groups - 3 or 4 members of the now defunct Brighton Bears basketball team. They would always come and go at strange times - often returning late from away matches - but this was not itself a problem. They left the place like it had been sacked by the Golden Horde with many breakages and filth everywhere. These people also left many unpaid bills - leccy, gas, etc - which the boys simply ignored. The owners were also unable to recover any of this money from the Brighton Bears as they were sinking fast financially underthe leadership of a manager who already had a conviction for drunk driving and begs the question as to whether he may have been an alcoholic?. The owners 'thought' that as they were ex-university they'd be OK - however it is quite usual for fairly uneducated people - in both academic and genteel behaviour - to be granted sporting scholarships in the US - with grades being acceptibly lower - just to get the sporting prowess of the uni on a high.

Sorry its a long reply - but I really do sympathise and hope this is resolved soonest.

Wondered about their work status. Don't Russians need a work permit - or are they 'Russians' from one of the recently accepted states into the EU? Also drinking on the street is outlawed by some councils - especially if disorderliness results? Good Luck and I wish you a peaceful night!

[Herbgardener]

Unfortunately the landlord can do little on these occassions as there is a binding contract allowing the tennant undisturbed use of the property - if the landlord constantly visits then they can get into trouble themselves!

The only option is if there is a clause in the tennancy which refers to not annoying the neighbours, but for the landlord to try and get an eviction under these grounds is very difficult and expensive. If they aren't dmaging the property and are paying their rent on time every month then there is little incentive for the landlord to look at an eviction. Your best way is always the council, especially for noise problems.

But get the rest of the neighbours on side, get all of them to complain to the council and your local councillor (and the opposition parties), don't go it alone!

[SueA]

We had similar problems on & off until the middle of last year & I was a nervous wreck & considered selling the house. The grandson of the previous owners who we knew was trouble as he'd lived with them, bought the house with his friend & made our lives hell. When his friend was there it wasn't too bad but whenever he went out we had the constant banging music, louts hanging around outside, the stench of drugs & smoke coming through the wall, all night parties & fights in the street etc. We along with other neighbours called the police on a few occasions & I reported them to the council's anti-social behaviour people. I was keeping a diary & the council support people phoned regularly to see how we were so that it didn't feel as though we were alone. Eventually though we got peace because the lad must have crossed the wrong people who came to one of his parties at 6am in the morning & smashed the door, window & someones car with a hammer! The lad went back to live with his mother & the house was sold to someone who 'touch wood' is blissfully quiet up to now. I would keep contacting the council & as others have said try to get the support of neighbours.