Complaint from neighbour with mental health issue

SnooksNJ

Guest101 wrote: »

Well presumably the brass band will go when the OP sells?....

I would look at that disclosure and think if I buy the house there's a good chance the brass band hasn't gone away.

glasgowdan

Think about this from the perspective of a buyer... if you thought the seller was noisy, you couldn't care less and you'd buy the house.

If you thought the neighbour was making things up and might be potty, you'd probably NOT make an offer.

So my advice to the people who might be selling...play along, accept you have been noisy, in writing, and make any buyers aware of this!

Guest101

SnooksNJ wrote: »

I would look at that disclosure and think if I buy the house there's a good chance the brass band hasn't gone away.

"My neighbour accused me of having a brass band playing at 2am. They will not be left with the fixtures and fittings"

Ozzuk

What does their solicitor advise?

If you are asking what we would do...well I would disclose it along the lines of Student100s' suggestion. Better to be open and honest rather than them finding out somehow part way through and the sale falling through.

But ultimately, I'd discuss it with my solicitor.

SnooksNJ

Guest101 wrote: »

"My neighbour accused me of having a brass band playing at 2am. They will not be left with the fixtures and fittings"

The brass band inside the neighbors head is part of the fixtures and fittings.

jrtfan

DRP wrote: »

Hi

Just seeking some advice for a relative.

Their attached neighbour has been complaining publicly, loudly, hysterically to my relatives (she also did similar to the previous occupants of my relative's house) about noise/music she can hear coming from their house at all hours (e.g. brass band music etc in the middle of the night).

The husband of the neighbour sort of apologised and stated she has a (clinically undiagnosed) history of hearing noises/music that do not exist. However, there is a tense relationship and no communication between the neighbours and my relatives.

Out of the blue, my relatives recently received a letter from the council stating that there had been complaints about noise, and asked them to contact the council. When they rang it transpires that the family of the neighbour are trying to get medical support, and in order to do so it helps if they have been able to officially record 'incidents'. There has been no contact from the husband about this.

Now this puts my relatives in a spot of bother, as they are soon to be looking to sell, and presumably will have to disclose an official complaint. Options:

1. Don't disclose - dodgy and will come to light when the new occupants start receiving hysterical abuse from the neighbour about phantom noises...

2. Disclose / explain on PIF - who wants to buy a house where there's a neighbour with history like that...?

Any thought or recommendations on how to proceed gratefully received.

Matter of interest, was this fact disclosed when your relatives were buying the house, or did it not go as far as the Council last time?

Norman_Castle

Presumably the requested incidents are conversations between the neighbor and resident about the non existent noise. If the neighbor gets the help they need this could be disclosed as a problem which is resolved or as being managed.

kingfisherblue

jack_pott wrote: »

But won't social services require a diagnosis before they agree to help/spend money?

There are many people who live without a diagnosis, but who have disabilities. My friend's daughter is obviously disabled - no speech until age around seven, very few words even now (age11), walking difficulties, global learning delay, and more. She was finally diagnosed aged 8 with an extremely rare genetic disorder. Previously she was a SWAN child (Syndrome Without A Name).

Likewise, not all mental illnesses have a straightforward diagnosis, but people with them often need help both medically and from Social Services.

Cakeguts

jack_pott wrote: »

Because they've had a complaint about noise, and it's their job to investigate. If the woman's relative can confirm that there isn't really any noise I would have thought that that would be the end of their involvement, I don't think it's the council's job to decide whether the complainant is mentally ill.

They can't do anything about a noise complaint by asking the person who is supposed to be making the noise. No one is going to admit to doing that. The letter from the council doesn't make sense. Who is going to admit that they make a noise at 2.00 am in the morning? This is why noise issues are so difficult and why councils have to make recordings or send out a noise person at the time that the noise is happening.

upoiupou

I think your relative needs to talk to the husband of the neighbour and explain nicely the impact that a formal complaint like this could have - and that it could also have an impact on the neighbours if they decide they want to sell.

You said there was a tense relationship, but they have already managed one discussion and I think it needs to be followed up on. Or was it you who had that discussion with the neighbour's husband? Sorry I'm unclear, but you said there was no communication so I'm a bit confused. Whoever had the first discussion could have the second.

One complaint has been made so far. I think that's fine if it was only one and nothing came of it. I think it should be handled as student100 suggests.

If there are any more, I think that's when it would start to be a problem. The neighbour's husband, who is presumably going through some strain with the situation, may not even be thinking about all the consequences. Trying to be genuinely sympathetic, at the same time as making the request, might go a long way to stopping this from blowing up into anything worse.