Now what?!!

Gingernutty

And we're back....

Today, was the first good weather day of the year.

I came home to find, spilt drinks all over the pavement and the cover ripped off the escutcheon to the mortice lock.

I had a word with one of the mothers, apologising for the smoke from the garden fire yesterday and making a point of telling her where I was off to (Homebase) and why.

£4.99 for a new escutcheon with cover. :mad:

I've filled the screw holes for the old one, painted the area and put up the new one.

I've also cleaned the front pavement down with soapy water.

Bobarella

Ginger nutty - I've just read all through your thread. First sympathies. Second. Are you officially keeping a diary for the council anti social behaviour department? I had to do that because I had terrible problems with a council tenant neighbour who made our lives a misery. It took 2 years, visits from the police, & a lot of noise on my behalf but we went to court and the council ASB team won. She had to sign a contract stipulating what behaviours she could and couldn't do, & if she breaks it, she can now be evicted very rapidly.
One issue councils have is that if a tenant has been in place since 1985 or before they are protected and cannot simply be evicted. Appreciate your situation is not with direct council tenants but there must be protection in place I'd imagine.
The trouble with my neighbour is she was a bully. On the day of the court hearing I was the only one to go into the court room despite being terrified. Her neighbour of 18 years who was traumatised by the behaviour she had to live with wouldn't go to court and neither would the household the other side. If they had come we could probably have got her out. But I take comfort in knowing I got it that far. I lost out on thousands of pounds when I sold up, but at least I sold in an honorable way. We didn't know about her when we moved in and I could never have done that to another family. I'm still in touch with the buyer and he has told me that they now have a child themselves and the same problems are emerging slowly with her. I've advised him to go straight to the ASB team but he seems reluctant so far.
I felt anxious, sick with worry, frightened, depressed, & pretty much every other emotion you can imagine whilst seeing my dream home turn into a nightmare. It has scarred me. 3 years on and I could barely tell you the names of my neighbours as I keep myself to myself now at all costs.
Good luck with your battle.
Bob

Gingernutty

I am in contact with the local ASB officer for the Council, I know the PCSOs around here by name and by sight, I've contacted the ASB Officers for the local housing authority before now and I've called 101 numerous times last Summer.

The problem is that many of these petty acts aren't witnessed by me or anyone else and it isn't possible to point the finger at any one child, person, family or household.

Even if they were, many of these kids are below the age of ten.

The next door neighbour I've had problems with in the past has wound her neck in over the Winter, how long that's going to last I don't know and it isn't possible to say which kid did what damage.

It's the sense of impending doom that's getting to me.

Bobarella

And what have the ASB team advised you to do? For example would putting a camera up give you more useful evidence?

One of my neighbours main party tricks was beating on the wall. It was terrifying. She'd do it if she heard us putting the kettle on. That's how mad she is. We'd hear a noise that sounded for all the world like a sledge hammer beating the walls. We struggled to record it which is what our ASB guy asked us to do because we never knew when it was coming. So not only would we be tiptoeing around but dealing with the heart churning fight or flight feeling on hearing it and trying to run for the tape recorder.
They took much of what we said on faith in the end.
I'm so sorry. I know how you feel only too well. My husband started to say he would rather have done time in prison than see me growing sicker with anxiety by the day and he is the mildest mannered man in the universe. But that's what it does to you. Is that what you mean about the sense of doom are you scared you may snap?

Gingernutty

Bobarella wrote: »

I know how you feel only too well. My husband started to say he would rather have done time in prison than see me growing sicker with anxiety by the day and he is the mildest mannered man in the universe. But that's what it does to you. Is that what you mean about the sense of doom are you scared you may snap?

I work a weird night shift pattern.

I have to try to sleep during the day, with all the noise and knowing they're out there, doing stuff.

Poking stuff through the letterbox, knocking random lumps out of the paint, jumping up and down on the window sills and so on.

The lack of sleep, the worry about what I'll find when I wake up - it all takes its toll.

ETA - The ASB Officer for the council is more concerned with the tenants from the council's housing stock and not the housing association who owns most of the social housing around here.

The housing association have a reputation of being difficult and their ASB Officers were absolutely no use when they did show up.

The council's ASB Officer is nice enough and wants to help. I've sent her reports with pictures and she's watched the area a few times, but was effectively told to "do one" on going door-to-door in the area.

Bobarella

Have you taken legal advice yet? I did that when my neighbour was actively stopping buyers from peaceful viewings of my home. There must be legal precedent for taking a housing association to court if they continue to ignore you and the plentiful evidence you've supplied.
And yes I can only imagine trying to sleep through what you describe.

Gingernutty

Thanks Bobarella.

Today's wet and cold.

Is it wrong to hope for the bad weather to continue?

It's wrong isn't it?

Blindsided_2

Have just read through this whole thread and you have my sympathies! It's appauling something more can't be done for you. I have 2 kids and yes they can be noisy at times, but they only play in our back garden and if they are overly noisy are told to keep it down or they will be brought inside.
The neighbours over the back from me are Jeremy Kyle fodder, loud music screeching brats for kids who thought nothing of using my garden as a play park and letting their dog poo everywhere. Luckily a 6 foot fence has solved that.
But I'm dreading. The summer, having to listen to the arguing between her and the husband. I know more about their personal life than I'd ever want to know!

mellymoo74

It's the problem as we become more over crowded and people stop taking responsibility.

Def look into cameras Gingernutty we have them and they really help.

Loz01

Oh heck, I remember this thread OP, I feel for you!! We have a few kids in our road, mostly they are fine but I'll never forget tho last year in the summer hols I was driving home from work about 5:30 and one of them saw me driving down the cul-de-sac and deliberately stepped into the road in front of the car :eek: I slammed the brake on, turned the engine off, got out and went ape s**t at this child :rotfl: who immediately realised his mistake and stared at me wide eyed whilst I ranted that next time someone might not stop and he would be run over. Surprise surprise, they've never done it again :rotfl: