Laminated flooring upstairs, against tenancy agreement

katiekatz

Nobody here can probably help but i am just going through a rough time and need to vent.

I live in a housing association property, in between two men whom have severe mental health conditions and have took an unhealthy interest to me. I believe the HA were aware of both these tenants conditions.
This is not a rant on mental health because I also have my issues, like depression and anxiety but I do not harass or bully people because of it.
I am also from a domestic violence background, coming from a women refuge to the HA which they were aware of when I moved. (have moved 3 times been with them since 2009)

So I have moved into this lovely property, both these men were constantly knocking on my door to which i had to eventually complain.
this isnt really about the man below me so i wont go into detail about him.

However the man above me when i wouldnt answer the door to him he would make deliberate noise, he used to ring the outside doorbell to pretend like he is an outsider ringing my bell, since i dont answer the door to strangers he never got me that way, then knock on my flat door i wouldnt answer and would hear him say "for !!!! sake" then stomp around upstairs.

One day it !!!!ed me off so much I knocked on his door and was polite saying when he walks in shoes because he has laminated flooring i can hear it, he told me to fuk off and nobody else complained.

after i complained to the HA which resulted in him trying to kick down my door. I again phoned the HA (should of called police i know) however the female housing officer i spoke to said "he wanted to know what my issue was"

since this (been going on since last year) he has been making up false complaints against me which are backed up by the man below, none of their complaints have been proven.

this has lead the HA to ignorantly think i am the issue.

they refuse to address he has laid laimated flooring which is against the tenancy agreement, they have even lied and said he is allowed it.
they claim the tenancy changed but i said i have been with you since 2009 this tenant moved in 2008 so when did it change, they cannot answer this, even trying to lie and say he has been here longer than 2008 which is not true, i have checked and asked neighbours.

they have even told him to lie and say he has an allergy because I have got a case with the ombudsmen

but really? your allergy only came around AFTER i complained about you? AND he has carpet in his hallway stairs. So the allergy only affects you in certain rooms right?

it is both female HO as well dealing with this case and they have taken such a destain against me.

I have sent emails to my MP, solictors have written to them, my doctor has confirmed my mental condition is getting worse but nothing.

all these two female HO do is ignore my complaints but side with the males and send me threatening letters with 0 evidence yet when i complain they say they need evidence to send letters, well they did before they started ignoring me. They dont even reply to my emails anymore

even both these males were caught saying about lying to make up complaints about me to get me evicted, admitted by the man downstairs to the HO and instagated by the man upstairs, yet they dont see this as harassment.

the man upstairs has made this seem like it is a tit for tat to try destroy my case, he has also done this with the police who are also involved due to him damaging my car and pushing me. Now the police wont do anything

but what 25yr old female do u know who works as a teacher harasses a 46 yr old man who smokes cannabis all day, it is not likely, It is sad people cannot see what he is doing.
Anything I say he says, and his complaints are so petty, like I put dirt on his door

He even said how he can hear me stomping around, i have carpet and underlay
to anyone with common sense they would realise that the above complaint is to do witht he man below and their plan to get me evicted

I have also had noise recorders which proved there is noise but either way common sense everyone knows about laminated flooring.

I just dont know what to do, I have spent so much on this flat doing it up making it a home but it is liek a prision and nobody will help me

is it time for court action? I feel this will be the only way.

court for discrimination and housing act

the HA wont move me either, they want to keep me here to suffer.

sniggings

In my experience, HA do as little as possible, they turn on the complainer as it's a lot easier to tell someone to go away and stop complaining than to sort out the issue they are complaining about.

All I can suggest is to carry on complaining and hope it makes a difference, try councillors as well.

Stay calm when complaining and stick to the facts, ring the police as much as you need to.

Shelter may help.

I have the same issue with laminate and my HA will do nothing either, so I'm moving, they say court will not enforce a no laminate rule, so even if the tenant above as a clause saying no laminate the court will not enforce it. This is what I was told.

Really tho, if you can just move, life is to short to live like you are.

Good luck.

[Deleted User]

I understand you are feeling extremely stressed, unsupported and picked upon. But there is something about the way you write that indicates the view you have of what is going on may be not quite what is going on. It could be tit for tat as you say.., but it could also be helped if you ignored things a bit more. If you aren't knocking on their door, complaining to the council when clearly they won't do anything, maybe your neighbour would stop knocking on your door.

I DO realise this isn't an easy situation. Try wearing headphones. I have ASD, find outside sounds (and there are many here) stress me, so headphones playing something I like to hear, distracts me. Otherwise I'd get more stressed about it because there's nothing I can do about the sounds. The men causing problems can't get inside your house so the reality is they can't harm you. And you can negate the sounds. If they knock on the door, smile to yourself, say he's a silly berk, and move on.

Can you get any counselling? If you have had problems in the past, it can make you expect problems and that means the quality of your life is low if that happens. (Believe you me, I'm speaking from experience here lol). Its kind of if you have been a victim you expect to be a victim and that in itself disempowers you and stresses you and makes you react in a fearful and stressed way that can create yet more problems. I faced something today that I'd been dreading because it had been awful before. I was stressing for six months about this appointment, but spoke to someone today who put a fresh perspective on what had happened, made me see I could be far more positive rather than fearful and expecting problems.., and well, it went entirely differently. Try and put the past behind you if you can, and give the future a chance to be different.

Please understand I am not trying to patronise you.

glasgowdan

I don't think it's relevant that's it's 'men' bothering you. It's just people. And I don't think the HA are on their side, they just can't be bothered doing anything.

Best of luck. I'd be considering a move if I were you and sending poo letter bombs to all involved afterwards!

Norman_Castle

(have moved 3 times been with them since 2009)

Why? If you have a history of complaining about the neigbours the HA may be dubious about the current complaints. Keep a diary of all events and contact with the HA concerning this. Buy a dictaphone to record conversations with the neighbours.
If the problems continue make a formal complaint and ask to speak to someone other than these housing officers.
If you feel threatened or if someone tries to kick your door in call the police.

marksoton

katiekatz wrote: »

this has lead the HA to ignorantly think i am the issue.

Reading your post in whole i'm not convinced there's much ignorance present.

katiekatz

I have in the past slammed doors in frustration which I stopped doing because it gave him ammo against me but even being super quiet for the last 6 months it has actually made him worse like he is trying so hard to get a reaction out of me and it is so hard not to react, but I don't.

In actual fact when the man upstairs had noise recorders in his flat he was purposely kicking my door and stamping on the floor trying to get a react out of me. I had suspicions he had noise recorders and was doing this so I did not react

The reason I brought up men is because of my background, I dont have some issue with all men, I am a straight woman but being bullied by two men is triggering what I went through before and they are twice my age.

I moved 3 times due to my ex partner finding me at my first address, the second one I was housed in the wrong borough aka my danger area now I am in this house.

I had a minor issue with a previous neighbour which was sorted out and by the time I left we were okay, so I dont know if they are judging me on this or what either way the fact that none of these men reports about my apparent noise can produce evidence when it is two of them, you would think the HA would have more sense. Both of them have had noise recorders and witnesses for noise and nothing was produced.

Even tried mediation and the male upstairs said he was upset I do not speak with him.
I told the HA this is his problem with me, he wanted to be in my business and I would not let him.

Deanna what you said about victim and fearful could have some truth in it. I know I probably should of just answered the door and told him I do not like to be disturbed instead I ignored the door and hoped he would just go away. If i answered I probably could of just addressed the problem.

With me I dont express my feelings very well and do not lik to face things I know this is an issue I should deal with.

G_M

The obvious advice, some of which you have done, is

* complaints in writing (letter). Short and focussed on the issue (not rambling like your post), enclosing evidence eg
- recordings from the sound recorder
- photocopy of the lease highlighting the 'no laminate flooring' clause
- photo of his floor if possible
- list of dates & times when you've been harrassed
* look up and follow the HA complaints procedure
* local counciller (what did he say?)
* MP (likewise)
* Report illegal activity to police (eg cannabis)

anselld

katiekatz wrote: »

The reason I brought up men is because of my background, I dont have some issue with all men, I am a straight woman but being bullied by two men is triggering what I went through before and they are twice my age.

.. But you do seem to bring gender into this to a rather obsessive level. It seems essentially to be a noise complaint yet your posts refer to "male" occupants, "female" HA representatives, etc, etc and allegations of discrimination.

I would suggest you need to focus rationally on the real issue, be it noise, harassment, or whatever and not complicate it further than it needs to be.

marksoton

katiekatz wrote: »

I have in the past slammed doors in frustration which I stopped doing because it gave him ammo against me but even being super quiet for the last 6 months it has actually made him worse like he is trying so hard to get a reaction out of me and it is so hard not to react, but I don't.

In actual fact when the man upstairs had noise recorders in his flat he was purposely kicking my door and stamping on the floor trying to get a react out of me. I had suspicions he had noise recorders and was doing this so I did not react

The reason I brought up men is because of my background, I dont have some issue with all men, I am a straight woman but being bullied by two men is triggering what I went through before and they are twice my age.

I moved 3 times due to my ex partner finding me at my first address, the second one I was housed in the wrong borough aka my danger area now I am in this house.

I had a minor issue with a previous neighbour which was sorted out and by the time I left we were okay, so I dont know if they are judging me on this or what either way the fact that none of these men reports about my apparent noise can produce evidence when it is two of them, you would think the HA would have more sense. Both of them have had noise recorders and witnesses for noise and nothing was produced.

Even tried mediation and the male upstairs said he was upset I do not speak with him.
I told the HA this is his problem with me, he wanted to be in my business and I would not let him.

Deanna what you said about victim and fearful could have some truth in it. I know I probably should of just answered the door and told him I do not like to be disturbed instead I ignored the door and hoped he would just go away. If i answered I probably could of just addressed the problem.

With me I dont express my feelings very well and do not lik to face things I know this is an issue I should deal with.

But you do have serious issues. How far do you expect the HA to satisfy these?

At some point you need to take some personal responsibility.