Neighbour says he’ll block our sale...can he?

nyermen

Should say - if the neighbour is as worried as is suggested, there's a good chance he might go to a good forum to get some guidance, see this thread, and...

MoneySeeker1

I'm surprised at those posters advocating telling a lie of one description or another to the neighbour.

Personally, I'd just ignore the neighbour and think "My house my business" and I just wouldnt have anything to do with them and give no response whatsoever.

No-one could subsequently think the worse of OP for not giving any response whatsoever - but plenty would mentally notch it up against OP if they were told he is the sort of person that tells lies and would be wary of trusting him. I'm still telling people at intervals the lies (of an indirect nature) the vendor of my house told me when selling it to me and that may be having a bad effect on that vendor (because he lives nearby) and people thinking twice about whether to trust him in other contexts or no.

Marvel1

danlightbulb said:

Whilst the posts here are right of course, nothing can stop the OP selling to the LA or veto the sale, I'm surprised that the neighbour's anger isn't at least sympathised with. No-one would relish your neighbour's house being sold back to LA with the risk of what tenants you might then get next door. I agree it probably does devalue his house, or at least make it harder to sell in future and has the potential to make his life a misery. Can thoroughly understand his anger at this.

I wouldn't want a neighbour like the OP's and they bought it, so don't really see your point.

Davesnave

It's not  necessarily snobbery when people think a sale to the council will result in a devaluation of their property; it's just a lack of understanding, perhaps coupled  with a fear of the unknown. At this time in particular, when many people's lives have been seriously disrupted, tensions may be running high as some folks grapple with feelings that they've lost control.

We live next door to tenants of a private house where the rent's paid by the council. Never had quieter or less demanding neighbours. Long may it last!

AdrianC

danlightbulb said:

I'm surprised that the neighbour's anger isn't at least sympathised with. No-one would relish your neighbour's house being sold back to LA with the risk of what tenants you might then get next door.

I rather suspect that the properties the local authority are buying are actually being bought-back, having been taken into private ownership under RtB.

I agree it probably does devalue his house, or at least make it harder to sell in future and has the potential to make his life a misery.

Meanwhile, the property the other side may have always been social housing, having never had the RtB exercised...

 And, of course, "making neighbours lives a misery" is hardly unique to social tenancies, is it? Private-sector tenants and even owner-occupiers can be just as bad. In fact, which category does the source of this issue belong to...?

roddydogs

Well, I wouldn't have told him in the first place. So why are LAs giving discounts to sitting tenants, then  buying privately to rent?

AdrianC

roddydogs said:

So why are LAs giving discounts to sitting tenants

Because the law requires them to.

then  buying privately to rent?

Because there's still a need for social housing.

mollycat

danlightbulb said:

Whilst the posts here are right of course, nothing can stop the OP selling to the LA or veto the sale, I'm surprised that the neighbour's anger isn't at least sympathised with. No-one would relish your neighbour's house being sold back to LA with the risk of what tenants you might then get next door. I agree it probably does devalue his house, or at least make it harder to sell in future and has the potential to make his life a misery. Can thoroughly understand his anger at this.

My neighbour is a senior manager in the largest employer in our area, his wife is the chief accountant in the same firm. By far and away the highest income in our street, which brings with it a sense of entitlement. Since arrival the police have been called 3 or 4 times due to "domestics", he has destroyed property of mine and of the neighbour on his other side, regulary fills the wheelie bin of another elderly neighbour rendering it unusable for her, (and is so arrogant about it does not even remove address labels identifying himself), and has been flouting lockdown advice since the start by visiting a 2nd home every Fri-Sun.

I could go on and on, but it's probably getting boring now,

Suffice to say, they are by far and away the worst neighbours I have ever had; give me your average council/HA tenant any day.
No sympathy for OP's neighbour at all, in fact quite surprised that anyone else would do.

mcpitman

mollycat said:

danlightbulb said:

Whilst the posts here are right of course, nothing can stop the OP selling to the LA or veto the sale, I'm surprised that the neighbour's anger isn't at least sympathised with. No-one would relish your neighbour's house being sold back to LA with the risk of what tenants you might then get next door. I agree it probably does devalue his house, or at least make it harder to sell in future and has the potential to make his life a misery. Can thoroughly understand his anger at this.

My neighbour is a senior manager in the largest employer in our area, his wife is the chief accountant in the same firm. By far and away the highest income in our street, which brings with it a sense of entitlement. Since arrival the police have been called 3 or 4 times due to "domestics", he has destroyed property of mine and of the neighbour on his other side, regulary fills the wheelie bin of another elderly neighbour rendering it unusable for her, (and is so arrogant about it does not even remove address labels identifying himself), and has been flouting lockdown advice since the start by visiting a 2nd home every Fri-Sun.

I could go on and on, but it's probably getting boring now,

Suffice to say, they are by far and away the worst neighbours I have ever had; give me your average council/HA tenant any day.
No sympathy for OP's neighbour at all, in fact quite surprised that anyone else would do.

I would regularly be leaving the contents of this wheelie bin where they belong, on his doorstep.

Had a similar thing with an elderly neighbour recently, where the "new family" next door to her, started parking on her drive without permission and using her wheelie bins. (Refuse/recycling and garden waste).
I only needed to return the rubbish once to their doorstep and it ceased. I didn't even mention the car and it was moved within an hour of the rubbish being returned.

They thought they could bully dear old Beryl, but now think I am her grandson or relative living next door, so don't do anything anymore.

AdrianC

mollycat said:

My neighbour is a senior manager in the largest employer in our area, his wife is the chief accountant in the same firm. By far and away the highest income in our street, which brings with it a sense of entitlement.

Extrapolation from the odd individual doesn't work that way round, either.

Higher incomes are no more inherent indicators of anti-social behaviour than lower ones are. Some people are simply gits, some aren't.