What would you do?

kazire

Hi firstly hope this is in the right place to post feel free to move if needed!

I have bought a house which I am doing up with my BF we don't live at this house and go there evenings and weekends we don't make any substansial noise in the eve and only make noise on a Saturday, and do painting and things on a Sunday no hammering or things however after some planeing of doors today my bf left the house and was met my lots of verbal abuse by the next door neighbour and stated that if he came back tomorrow then he would kill him!!!!!!

Now we don't know what to do I understand noise is annoying but it's only one day a week and if we was to have builders then it would be everyday 9-5 noise but this is extreme any ideas how to approach this

The obvious choice is contact the police but shying away from thIs as I think u have to declare or it shows up when u sell it

phill99

I would have no hesitation in going to the police. That attitude needs to be nipped in the bud.

it is a threat to kill which they take seriously.

You haven't even moved in yet so imagine what it will be like when you move in. Don't be intimidated by peoiple like that who think they can treat people with contempt.

I wouldn't worry about the problem when you sell it. With neighbours like that, You maybe dead when it is sold.

Leif

phill99 wrote: »

I would have no hesitation in going to the police. That attitude needs to be nipped in the bud.

it is a threat to kill which they take seriously.

I completely agree. A verbal threat of assault is an arrestable offence. Oddly enough someone can scare you witless, but if they do not touch you, and do not explicitly state that they will hit you, then it is legal. I digress. Your neighbour is a thug, and you need to deal with the threat. Saying you will hit someone is not acceptable behaviour. You are allowed to make noise during certain hours.

If you do not report this then you live in fear of assault or pander to this thug. If you report it, it is on the police records. If you sell, you mention this, but it does mean that he is known to the police, and hence his behaviour has been curbed. My late mother had a dispute with the neighbour. We had no problem selling despite declaring the dispute on legal forms to the potential purchaser.

Steve_the_fitter

Im not sticking up for the neighbour at all. What he done today was out of order but did you knock on their door and introduce yourself before you started the work saying ur the new neighbours and by the way you will be doing the place up and some noise will be made etc etc.

kazire wrote: »

Hi firstly hope this is in the right place to post feel free to move if needed!

I have bought a house which I am doing up with my BF we don't live at this house and go there evenings and weekends we don't make any substansial noise in the eve and only make noise on a Saturday, and do painting and things on a Sunday no hammering or things however after some planeing of doors today my bf left the house and was met my lots of verbal abuse by the next door neighbour and stated that if he came back tomorrow then he would kill him!!!!!!

Now we don't know what to do I understand noise is annoying but it's only one day a week and if we was to have builders then it would be everyday 9-5 noise but this is extreme any ideas how to approach this

The obvious choice is contact the police but shying away from thIs as I think u have to declare or it shows up when u sell it

kazire

Steve_the_fitter wrote: »

Im not sticking up for the neighbour at all. What he done today was out of order but did you knock on their door and introduce yourself before you started the work saying ur the new neighbours and by the way you will be doing the place up and some noise will be made etc etc.

Yes we introduced ourselves when we first got the house and he was saying we could borrow toolss and things and he asked if we were putting in heating and replastering we said yes Though he did think it was odd when he saw the flue for the boiler and said oh not a mass produced combi boiler! We kind of shrugged it off and said well that's just the way it is nowadays!

We have had no problems from the lady next door the other side she just asks how we are getting on and asks if she can see it when it's finnished

My oh is concerned about working round there today but I've said we can't let him have his own way when we've done nothing wrong

justjohn

Steve_the_fitter wrote: »

Im not sticking up for the neighbor at all. What he done today was out of order but did you knock on their door and introduce yourself before you started the work saying ur the new neighbors and by the way you will be doing the place up and some noise will be made etc etc.

Why!!!

Yes its nice to be nice. But the OP, Is perfectly within there rite to do what they are doing.(and more, with more noise).

Even if the OP had not introduced themselves, so what.

Its even possible that if the OP had not introduced themselves the neighbor may not have approached them.

duchy

Taking the other view -If you had builders in noise would be 9-5 when the neighbours are likely at work but this every evening and weekend Chinese water torture of noise with an open ended finish date may have been driving him nuts for weeks. Even fairly quiet DIY creates some noise and stops people relaxing in their own homes. It puts you on edge and is quite wearing.

How late in the evenings are you working?
How early/late is the work at weekends ?

It's entirely possible you simply caught him on a bad day and all the stresses of your constant disrupting of his down time caught him wrong and he over-reacted.
Honestly the best thing you could do today is knock on the door before you start making noise today and apologize and ask what you can do to make the situation more managable. He may be feeling a bit ashamed of his outburst or just pleased you have come to discuss the situation. You won't know til you try . If he's completely unreasonable then just get on with things and if there are further threats report them -but as your property is empty trying to sort things out reasonably first may be better for you. For example he may get up at 4 for work and if you're working til say 10pm every night and agreeing to finish by 9pm might make all the difference . His rant does sound like it might be sleep depravation if he seemed reasonable in the past. Only one way to find out though-Ask !

(Sorry if you just wanted people to agree he's just an unreasonable moron but people don't usually kick off with provacation -and you may not have realized just how annoying your work has become to the neighbour. My neighbour for example works nights and I work from home afternoons and evenings-first time he started hammering when I was working (I work on the phones) I went round and nicely explained the problem -and he did the heavy hammering before and after my shift times and checks when or if I'm working -Just a bit of give and take . I can tolerate the low level noise far better because I know he's trying to be considerate)

Just beause one neighbour says the noise is OK doesn't mean it ist. I had a lodger (when I owned a flat not a house) who whenever I was out turned the music up to a totally unreasonable level (eardrum bursting level). The old lady on one side insisted she was fine with it-(despite her ornaments literally jumping off shelves with the vibration !) but I was in her flat one day when it started and it was completely unreasonable- the neighbour on the other side was a lot less tolerant.

justjohn

kazire wrote: »

My oh is concerned about working round there today but I've said we can't let him have his own way when we've done nothing wrong

Don't be... Tell neighbor either he calls the police or you will.

From what you have said you are being courteous and considerate, working well within the law.

VfM4meplse

duchy wrote: »

It's entirely possible you simply caught him on a bad day and all the stresses of your constant disrupting of his down time caught him wrong and he over-reacted.

To say it was an over-reaction - particularly when the OP had taken the trouble to explain that work was going to be done in advance - is an understatement. It sounds like the neighbour is on drugs!

OP - it would be best to knock on the neighbour's door this morning to outline the work being done today, and the level of noise you expect to generate. It's your home, and it's not a negotiable.

duchy

That's the problem it is NOT their home !

It's an empty house they aren't living in. They just turn up-make noise and leave again. It's likely part of the problem

(I'm quite facinated to know what DIY work they do in the week that makes no noise though)

Steve_the_fitter

I didnt say the op wasnt within their rights. As long as they are working within the law they can do what they want.

justjohn wrote: »

Why!!!

Yes its nice to be nice. But the OP, Is perfectly within there rite to do what they are doing.(and more, with more noise).

Even if the OP had not introduced themselves, so what.

Its even possible that if the OP had not introduced themselves the neighbor may not have approached them.