Neighbours' noisy teenagers

chris1973

I'm posting this on behalf of my elderly parents, who are having a problem with the teenage neighbour next door.

Basically a few years back they had a new neighbour move in, who had two children, at first everything was fine, although the neighbour never spoke or acknowledged their 'hello's' they kept themselves to themselves and there were no complaints.

Now the eldest child is around 16 / 17 and the Youngest about 11, they are having problems with the teenager, who seems to hang around the garden well into the early hours with his girlfriend and several friends who often sleep over. At first we thought that it was just a summer thing and the problem would go away with the darker nights and arrival of winter, however it hasn't and for the past week they were kept awake every night until around 5AM with loud voices, and laughing and giggling of around 8 teenagers in the garden next door, security lights constantly switching on / off, doors slamming as they run between the main house and summer house and the kids shouting to each other, and yelling into their mobile phones, and this happens constantly until well past 3 or 4AM

It seems that their Mother (who obviously wants peace and quiet herself), has converted their large garden summer house into a teenagers' cabin with TV and furniture etc which the teen and several of his mates all sleep in on a regular basis. Last night, being milder, was even worse, as the younger brother also had a sleepover and inevitably both sets of kids eventually spilled out into the Garden, playing football etc and nobody got any sleep, including my parents, who likened it to being like living over a School Playing field.

My parents are quite young minded, and don't want to appear to be killjoys, however this isn't just a one off party, or the daytime noise of kids playing outside, this has been a regular all night thing since the early summer, with the teens gathering there during the late evening like some kind of social meeting place, and making noise well into the early hours, and for the last week its happened every night.

They've tried talking to the Mother who just blanked them, and acted like she owned the whole street, I've also written her a polite letter to appeal to her better nature by explaining my parents situation and asking politely if she could at least curb the noise from Midnight but its made no difference, the Police don't want to know as they say there is little they can do as there is no actual party taking place or loud music, its now got them down so bad, that when I visited earlier, they were talking about packing their bags tonight and spending Xmas in a hotel (I live in a 1 bedroom property and can't accomodate them). I hate to see them being driven out of their own home (where they have lived for 40 years) by one inconsiderate 'kid'

Any advice I can give them would be appreciated.

BitterAndTwisted

Unless the Local Authority's Anti-Social Behaviour Unit are willing to assist their only recourse will be to encourage the other neighbours to contact the Unit as well. Failing that, blackout blinds and earplugs. Then maybe complaints to the police about alleged drug-taking and/or petty crime. Are there any local CSOs or whatever they're called in their nieighbourhood?

chris1973

Thanks for your reply.

Sadly, they are very poorly supported, they live on a small road with several houses, the ones on the opposite side are obviously unaffected. Of the houses on the same side as my Parents' one is lived in by a Gentleman in his 80's who admits its causing him problems and that he reported it to the community caregiver who calls in on him, but is too intimidated and frail to take any direct approach. The other house is occupied by a young businessman who spends most of his time working in the South and uses it as a weekend 'base', and the last house in earshot is up for sale, currently empty and has been for several months.

I get the feeling if there were other families on the road, with young children themselves who couldn't sleep, it would be a different matter entirely, however not much chance of any neighbourhood solidarity, with the present situation.

I'll look into the CSO and Anti Social behaviour unit situation as, to be honest I have no idea, as I don't actually live in the same area as them.

barbiedoll

This is a noise nusiance and the local authority should have someone who deals with situations like this. Supposing your parents were working during the day and needed their sleep? Or if they had young children who were at school? They shouldn't have to put up with noise like that every night, no matter how old they are!

They should start by keeping a diary of incidents, also, could they record any of the noise, perhaps using a mobile phone or dictaphone? They should also try speaking to any other neighbours who are likely to be affected too, the more complaints, the better.

Don't let this lie, neighbours like this will only get worse if they get away with it. Does the mother own the house or does she rent it? If she rents, her landlord will not want to have any bother from the council, she may be in breach of her tenancy agreement too.

chris1973

Supposing your parents were working during the day and needed their sleep? Or if they had young children who were at school?

I agree entirely, i've been visiting myself during the earlier part of the Evening and have heard the level of noise for myself, if the same level that I witnessed carries on all night then I would be crawling the walls if I was living there, its unfortunate (for my parents) that basically she is really the only person with children living on the road - at least in direct earshot of their noise.

Does the mother own the house or does she rent it?

I don't know really much about her, like I say she doesn't speak to or acknowledge my parents or the other elderley neighbour, even when i've been visiting and have pulled in to let her car past, she never acknowledges or nods a thank you, so she isn't the type who makes conversation and nobody really knows anything much about her, and my parents aren't the type of people who pry, but for the first few years it was all fine, there were no problems at all, in fact you barely heard or even saw the kids when they were younger. Its only now the eldest has got to the age where he is using the Garden for him and his mates to hang out at, that the problems have started.

I believe that her Ex-Husband owned a business which either invested in or bought and sold property, so I would imagine that its likely she owns the property, either outright or mortgaged

mummyroysof3

i know they shouldnt have to but is moving bedrooms a posibility further away from the back garden

doodoot

As another poster said, your parents (and you seeing as you have heard/seen things) need to keep notes of everything - give them a call tonight and tell them to write down as much as they can remember.

Keep it factual, dates and times and what went on - keep emotions out of it, but state how the noise affected them/you and also mention anyone else in the house who witnessed it.

For example:

• 21.12.2011 7pm-3.30am - banging doors, screaming, shouting, mobile phones ringing, loud music, loud tv. Could not relax or sleep due to the noise. At 12.30am we requested the resident to tell her visitors to keep quiet, was met with refusals. Our daughter was with us from 8-9.30pm and also witnessed the constant disturbances.

First thing tomorrow get on the phone to your parents' Environmental Health dept and ask to speak to an officer that deals with noise nuisances in residential areas.

Also ask if they have an out of hours telephone number to request an officer to come out when noise nuisances are occurring - some councils offer this, and it's a god-send at 1am when next door has music thumping through the walls. :mad:

Either an officer will call round and leave recording equipment for a week or so, or they will pay the mother a visit and threaten to serve her with a written warning if she ignores their verbal warning.

I've had 2 separate experiences of problem neighbours, and on the last occasion we decided to move away - the guy was a drug dealer, made major noise and the council were next to useless.

meritaten

excellent advice from Doodoot and exactly what I was going to say! it would be helpful if you could keep a diary of your own too - saying you visited from this hour to that hour and found the noise disturbing too! independant evidence for the parents wont come amiss!

jojo_2012_2

why is this behaviour keeping your mum and dad awake, but not the child's mother or younger child?

doodoot

jojo_2012 wrote: »

why is this behaviour keeping your mum and dad awake, but not the child's mother or younger child?

Perhaps the mother gets drunk every night and sleeps like a log, perhaps the younger child's bedroom is at the front of the house so doesn't hear the noise at the rear of the property.

It doesn't matter why.

If noise/behaviour is disturbing someone then it's an offence.

End of.

Peater

doodoot wrote: »

I've had 2 separate experiences of problem neighbours, and on the last occasion we decided to move away - the guy was a drug dealer, made major noise and the council were next to useless.

That's interesting. Usually the crims try and keep as low a profile as possible. Someone i know used to live inbetween a cannabis factory and a brothel, said they were the best neighbours he'd ever had. No noise, no nuisance etc because they didn't want to get caught. They eventually did and 2 displaced familys from a local estate (that was being partially torn down) were moved in.

He moved 6 months later due to noise, vandalism and threatening behaviour. Go figure.........

Feel sorry for your position OP. Nothing worse than ignorant and inconsiderate neighbours. Trouble is, if 'mum' isn't going to dicipline them, they will live the rest of thier lives this way.....

Some good advice in this thread, take heed.

All the best