Blocking purchase

Tiger_greeneyes

pip_on_the_move wrote:

We're in north Somerset. When we lived in our last place the local station was great, so it was a shock to the system when we encountered the police here. They don't just go on about it all being civil, they look smug when they do it, or bored.

Just a thought, I remembered something that happened to me years ago. Basically my then boyfriend (a complete psycho) threatened to cut my brakes on my car. I went straight to the police station and they told me they couldn't do anything about it. I went home and phoned another police station (a bit further away but much bigger) and they actually sent a DCI and his assistant out to me the next morning. They eventually arrested the psycho.

It may well be worth shopping around your local police stations - anything's worth a try - especially with what they said about having 'connections'. I'd be very tempted to play on that as a threat.

pip_on_the_move

carolbee wrote:

just a thought, have you got legal cover on your house insurance, they may have a 24 hour helpline. it all sounds horrific, you couldn't make it up could you, its stranger than fiction! all the best

There's a helpline that's open all week, but the experts only work mon-fri, so all they can do at the weekend is take a message and get someone to call us on Monday.

I was saying to hubbie earlier that I challenge anyone to invent stuff this bizarre. We'd anticipated everything, or so we thought, when we decided to sell. Obviously we hadn't quite covered everything. :rolleyes2 We spoke to one estate agent about it though and he didn't sound surprised at all... makes you wonder what goes out there.

I'd never thought about shopping around for police. Funny, we do it with doctors and dentists, but not police generally.

carolbee

have you actually kept a log on all this? could you give a copy to anyone else, if these people are 'odd' and have threatened you at least someone else has evidence if, heaven forbid, anything happens to you. I know you have told us some stuff here, but if you could keep your 'evidence' somewhere else, ie a blog etc, not sure how they work?

Tiger_greeneyes

It also strikes me that this couple could already be known to the police.

It's just that the police officer/s you spoke to probably didn't do any checks because it sounds like they didn't take any information.

I would definitely try again.

The only thing with a blog is that the police may never find it. Keeping a diary and handing it to your solicitor on a regular basis (assuming they're going to keep harassing you) would probably be better.

pip_on_the_move

We're going to put the voicemail message on a disk, we've got camcorder and CCTV footage so we'll keep that, and we're keeping a journal. When we get a solicitor we'll hand copies over to him. Actually, I think you have to give your insurance company copies if they're going to assess whether your legal cover would cover you for legal costs.

The horrible part is knowing they're going to pop up again. They won't have gone to the trouble of making an offer on the house without the intention of rubbing our noses in it, so it's just a matter of time before they show up. We're trying very very hard not to wait for that to happen, but it's easier said than done unfortunately.

Maybe they only torment people monday to friday and we'll get the weekend off. :rolleyes2

Tiger_greeneyes

With all that evidence, why don't you phone the police and arrange for someone to visit you asap (tonight?). You'll have their undivided attention and the'll be able to see all the evidence for themselves. If you go to the station, there's a good chance they'll be too distracted to take it in/may not be able to listen to disks and watch the footage.

shaymenRup

pip_on_the_move wrote:

We went to the police, and they don't want to know. They said these people haven't done anything criminal. She can come here and wander around and as it's private property it's a civil matter, not criminal. We let them listen to a voicemail message where she's going on about having the neighbours evicted, and they didn't bat an eyelid. All just hot air apparently. Everything's civil around here I think. :rolleyes2 I still can't get over the fact that they don't mind being recorded on voicemail talking about stuff like that.

I don't think our local force has a very good reputation. And they don't understand harassment law at all. They're hopeless. We would call them if the pair turned up and got violent though, but they're not much use in any other circumstance I'm afraid.

We'll speak to a solicitor on Monday, and hope the mad pair don't turn up and start boiling bunnies in our kitchen before then. :rolleyes2

Harrassment is when someone or people conduct as a course of conduct that they know is causing a person harrassment.
By frequently visiting you, visiting neighbours, leaving messages they are pursuing such a course of conduct.

A letter should be sent to them (ideally through a solicitor) explaining to them what you want to stop, that their behaviour amounts to harassment and that the conduct should stop and if it doesn't then a complaint of harassment would be made to the police.

Keep records of all their contact.

If the police seem disinterested again. Ask to speak to an Inspector and state if your complaint is not taken seriously you will make a formal police complaint.

People shouldn't have to suffer in their own homes.

The best of luck.

paddy's_mum

Afternoon all - newbie here.

This is really quite serious and not a matter to be viewed lightheartedly, in my opinion. The advice to speak to an Inspector of Police is a good one. Maybe it's time you started stamping your feet a little. You might also want to install cctv for its deterent value, if nothing else.

If (when) you begin to find the stress very hard to bear, you may wish to go to Neighbours from Hell In Britain (NFHiB) for advice and support.

In your shoes, I might be considering renting out my property for a while, preferably to three heavyweight, tattooed and earringed amateur wrestlers, and put it back on the market when the 'barking buyers' have given up and lost track of you.

Good luck with it.

MIKELSOK

If I were you, I would put all that has been going on in writing and send to your solicitor with a copy to the local chief constable expressing your concerns and fears and in particular that you have reported the matter to the police but they have claimed it is a civil matter. Making threats and wishing you to join in and collude against your neighbours etc as you describe is a 'Crimminal' offence and so they are duty bound to investigate it. Further, your solicitor would be able to pursue proceedings for harassment etc, and that I believe should do the trick. Finally, tell them if they really do want to buy the place then the price is an additional £250,000 because the 'Victorian Lady' has decreed it should be. You won't ever hear from them again.

callmelinda

MIKELSOK wrote:

If I were you, I would put all that has been going on in writing and send to your solicitor with a copy to the local chief constable expressing your concerns and fears and in particular that you have reported the matter to the police but they have claimed it is a civil matter. Making threats and wishing you to join in and collude against your neighbours etc as you describe is a 'Crimminal' offence and so they are duty bound to investigate it. Further, your solicitor would be able to pursue proceedings for harassment etc, and that I believe should do the trick. Finally, tell them if they really do want to buy the place then the price is an additional £250,000 because the 'Victorian Lady' has decreed it should be. You won't ever hear from them again.

I'm with you... apart from the last bit. I know they're crazy people and when you're presented with harrassment and a warped sense of reality, it's maddening... but I think it's important to let them remain the ones who are "funny" in the head and seem to live in a fantasy world. I think mentioning anything about raising the price or whatever is something that could look bad on you. Now they've been told they will not be sold the house I wouldn't give them any reason to think they will ever buy it.

I would record all calls and simply say 'I have asked you not to contact me in any way and you continue to do so which is harrassment.' If they come to your door, try to video record it or something but don't answer to them. (They shouldn't be contacting you directly anyway on house matters, that's what the agent is for and the agent should be telling them the same thing.)