Problems with Neighbours

Slinky

OP you have my sympathy, I know exactly where you are coming from.

Living in a detached house doesn't free you from this situation. We have the 'Yawpies' as we call them living in adjoining street. We can't see them through the hedge and they are a couple of houses further along, but by god we can hear them. Endlessly screaming, kicking footballs, Dad yelling along with them as they're playing games. I'm sure he thinks they are all going to play for England they're so good. They've got a garden the size of a postage stamp - why they don't go to the park which is 200 yards away I'll never know.

They must be on holiday this week. It's sheer bliss for the neighbouring houses within about 100 yards radius. We can sit in the house with the windows and doors open, or out in the garden listening to the birds.

I do wish they'd move.

motherofstudents

You have my sympathy with this. To those who are telling you to get a house, it might not be any better. We lived in a cul de sac - big mistake - There must have been up to 30 kids with bikes, footballs, water bombs and the footballs were constantly hitting our cars. They had bouncy castles, huge paddling pools and were the noisiest kids I have ever known. Now don't get me wrong, I do like kids but there was never a moment's peace. We moved from there and I can't believe how quiet it is. That is my suggestion to you, move away but do your homework first. Research the area, knock on doors and visit at different times. You could have a worse situation with drunks etc but as someone else said you don't understand unless you have experienced it. I'm sure the kids themselves are ok but if they have never been taught how to behave they will not understand. When my kids were young we used to take them out during the school holidays and keep them entertained.

Barny1979

gambit wrote: »

we have to live within our means - well, some of us do anyways!

gambit wrote: »

current debt owed to family: £12,575 £9,000 :wall:!

Slinky

motherofstudents wrote: »

You have my sympathy with this. To those who are telling you to get a house, it might not be any better. We lived in a cul de sac - big mistake - There must have been up to 30 kids with bikes, footballs, water bombs and the footballs were constantly hitting our cars. They had bouncy castles, huge paddling pools and were the noisiest kids I have ever known. Now don't get me wrong, I do like kids but there was never a moment's peace. We moved from there and I can't believe how quiet it is. That is my suggestion to you, move away but do your homework first. Research the area, knock on doors and visit at different times. You could have a worse situation with drunks etc but as someone else said you don't understand unless you have experienced it. I'm sure the kids themselves are ok but if they have never been taught how to behave they will not understand. When my kids were young we used to take them out during the school holidays and keep them entertained.

We had that in our previous house! Made the mistake of buying in a street which was built about 8-9 years previously. Full of young families. When we went to sell the house, a previous neighbour was interested in buying it, but then when she came and looked round, she remembered the hoards of kids she'd moved away from, and changed her mind.

My tip is buy and older house where there are likely to be a range of age groups living in the street.

madmish00

I can understand people's point view that it is kids being kids but I do feel for you. I have screaming kids on one side and a teenager who loves 'bangy thumpy dance music' on the other. But I would take the kids over the teenager any day (and I am a self confessed hater of children)

It is not so much the noise the kids make that bother me but the complete lack of respect. When the ball goes into our back garden they can't get to it without knocking but there is never a please or thank you and within 5 minutes they are back again. I can't even sit down and enjoy my tea without being disturbed most nights. I've started ignoring the door and collecting the many items up in the morning and throwing them back over the fence (and it isn't just balls - that kid will hurl anything he can get his hands on - clothes pegs, tea towels, plant pots!)

The nail in the coffin for me was the time I went out because one of a group of about 10 kids around the age of 9-12 had been throwing stones at my car (a little hooded type whose eyes were the only visible part). I went out to give him a telling off and asked where he lived so I could let him parents know what he'd been doing. Cocky little thing just kept giving me backchat and wouldn't tell me where he lived. Next thing his mum is bouncing down the street and kicks off with me for telling him off. Hang on a minute love, your kid was throwing stones at my car and I'm the one in the wrong?!

I'd probably try to stay on the good side of em to be honest cos once they are teencagers they will cause you no end of misery.

walletpains

I wish the children screaming outside were my only problem... I have screaming children outside with their cussing, drunken semi-naked parents... and the family upstairs (laminate flooring, poor soundproofing) just seem to invite all the children they know to run around the livingroom screaming all day.

I'm desperately trying to move, but let's face it... who is going to buy this little piece of hell from me?

You have my sympathies. I find that wearing earplugs deadens some of the noise (but not the vibrations)!

I_know_my_ABC_and_my_CMYK

Gambit wrote: »

Afternoon all,

Hope everyone is enjoying some sunshine today! :beer:

Just wanted to see if I could get anyone's advice on a problem I have with noisy and inconsiderate neighbours and if anyone else has been in the same boat. I became a first time buyer last year and bought a flat with my girlfriend in South London. We were so happy to finally be on the property ladder and have a place to call our own.

Unfortunately the peace soon ended as the children using the communal garden seem to think of it as their own personal playground. I dont mean they just play out there but they scream and shout at the top of their lungs as they run and cycle around the garden, playing on the laundry airers and have even started marking the pavement slabs outside with start and finish lines for their games. Needless to say, the noise disturbs us especially during the summer when the windows are open.

Now the first port of call was to speak to the parents directly so I spoke to the mother who told me that she would keep an eye on them more and try to control them and I thought that would be the end of it. Unfortunately things only improved for a few days and soon the children started making noise again with no parental supervision in sight. I approached the mother again and this time she was not as polite telling me that “they are only children” and that she could not control what they did.

I've spoken to our property managing agents who said they have spoken to the letting agents who deal with this property and have spoken to the tenants but unforutunately things have not improved. And with the weather improving every day they are out there more and more. So far I know of two other flats who are disrupted by this family but nothing seems to be done. I've been told to approach the letting agent directly to explain the problems in the hope that they might start to act as more flats start to complain. At present only one other flat has complained to them directly.

I know for a fact that the tenants have broken some of the regulations of the lease so will be letting the letting agent know this but I've been told this letting agent isnt very proactive. Even when the tenant try to kick in another of my neighbours door their response was "well you must have provocted him" which gives you an idea of their attitude. So this may be a wasted email but I want to try and get things resolved and this is the only way I can think of moving things forward.

So has anyone else been through these types of problems? Is there anything I can do if the letting agent ignores my email? Is there anything that can be done if the regulations of the lease keep being broken?

Thanks in advance

I take it you do not intend to have children at all ?

W'e have noisy children here where we live but I absolutely love hearing them running around outside, kicking a ball about and letting off steam. It's far better than then sitting inside on computers and play-stations or watching television. Our children don't play out enough today.

Did you not consider buying a flat in an residential area specifically not for children?:)

Slinky

I_know_my_ABC_and_my_CMYK wrote: »

Did you not consider buying a flat in an residential area specifically not for children?:)

Where would that be then? Never seen such a thing advertised other than retirement flats for the over 55s?

Gambit

Thanks for those who sympathy from those of you who actually understand what I am trying to say. I guess it's just one of those things that you don't understand unless you have been through it yourself as some people are really missing the point! I think princeofpounds put it best:

princeofpounds wrote: »

Roadworks are also sometimes necessary as a part of living in an urban society, but if you had the pneumatic drill outside every weekend you'd quickly go insane. Now I'm not comparing noisy kids to a drill in magnitude, but frankly the shrieks from a young child playing can be pretty annoying and disturbing. If it's outside your kitchen windown it could be like trying to have lunch in a school playground.

Those who think I am just moaning about it, just think about the situation before you comment. I understand they are just kids but as I keep saying it is just one family of kids that makes all the noise - the other two families in the block dont make half that amount of noise! I don't hate kids, in fact I love them. I have 9 nephews and nieces who of course have been at the age where they are noisy but they have respect for people around them and wouldn't act like these kids do who are allowed to get away with whatever they like.

Gambit

Barny1979 wrote: »

That's a helpful post! :mad: