Neighbour interfering with viewings

sheramber

The police should  deal with a claim of harassment

https://www.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/sh/stalking-harassment/how-to-report-stalking-harassment/

housebuyer143

As others have said, if it's ruining your life then be prepared to lose money and just get out. An auction route is useless if you are going to put a reserve £10k below market value in my opinion.

Bailey1980

sheramber said:

The police should  deal with a claim of harassment

https://www.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/sh/stalking-harassment/how-to-report-stalking-harassment/

We have asked them to but they have refused stating that it isn't harassment and even if they considered that it was harassment it's too complex/difficult to pursue. 

Bailey1980

pinkshoes said:

Bailey1980 said:

It was all reported to the police, but they are not interested. Telling us that it is civil boundary dispute, there's no reason for us to be afraid, we and our dog are 100% safe to be in the house/garden as there has been no physical injury to any of us. My other half has attempted suicide on three occasions as a result of all of this and we have made a complaint to the police but nothing has happened with that. 

Bailey1980 said:

we invested a lot of money into it so in order to get the money back ideally it needs to go for market value. 

The money invested is irrelevant.

If your OH has attempted suicide three times due to this neighbour, then who cares what it sells for!? Just auction it, put a SENSIBLE reserve on it and move on with your life.

Personally I'd move back in, instal CCTV, then consider early morning violin and trumpet practice. Or perhaps yodelling? 

I think OH would be even more suicidal if we lose money as we've already been driven out/ lost our home that we had built.  CCTV is already up. 

Titus_Wadd

OP you have my sympathy. 

We have been suffering for 4 years and logged crimes and ASB with Police and council.  Both bodies deny the attacks from our neighbours from hell are crimes or Anti-social Behaviour. 

They did serve a CPN, but then refused to enforce it! (I'm pretty sure a CPN (community protection notice is an ASB remedy, but hey-ho they still won't enforce the breaches even though they came to photograph the breach).

The police are only interested in public order offences and log each incident piecemeal and we have both been assaulted twice!  The police charged one with one assault but cocked up the evidence (video of the assault) and he was acquitted.

Have you contacted Victim Support (I've found them very helpful, though results may vary). 

Also read the ASBHelp website, but being a charity they are stretched pretty thin.  Their website is a great source (including their professional pages).  However, being up-to-date with the latest ASB government guidance leads to frustration when the council says the Government Guidelines are just a "serving suggestions" and aren't mandatory!
We've been asked by a Chief Inspector to supply statute and case law that makes us believe they or the council should act!!! It's been like a Kafkaesque nightmare with police and council ineptitude being called "secondary victimisation" by victim support.

We plan to sell at a loss, there's no alternative really.  We've had one Police and one Local Government Ombudsman complaint upheld so far, with another live complaint being investigated by the LGO at the moment.

The police are not interested unless we have an independent witness and/or full obvious video film (it's hard to film consistently when being assaulted).  It begs the question how did they "police before mobile camera phones or video door bells?

We have kept logs for 4+ years and hours of video footage that these two bodies refuse to look at yet their Web pages brag about extra government funding for ASB, which is galling!

OP just keep logging incidents with Council and police...just don't expect them to do anything with it.  I'll let you know if we get any breakthrough to protect us.

sheramber

Bailey1980 said:

sheramber said:

The police should  deal with a claim of harassment

https://www.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/sh/stalking-harassment/how-to-report-stalking-harassment/

We have asked them to but they have refused stating that it isn't harassment and even if they considered that it was harassment it's too complex/difficult to pursue. 

From the link above to the police uk website shows police should deal with someone being “offensive or threatening”. Being complicated is no excuse or there is more information you are not giving us. 

Send a complaint to the chief Constable.  If you are not prepared to pursue it nobody can help you.

What to contact the police about

• an animal behaving aggressively, or being used illegally (eg fighting)
• if you've found drugs or have information about drug dealing
• vandalism or damage to private property
• someone being indecent, threatening or offensive
• abandoned or stolen vehicles
• someone parking in your driveway or stopping you from being able to get off your own property
• speeding or dangerous driving

ThisIsWeird

Hi Bailey.
Is there anything you are not telling us?
You have come on here for help and advice - what are you hoping or expecting to hear? Because there is no magic answer to this as far as I can see.
You either sell via auction or a wbah-type outfit and lose a significant amount on the deal - which you reckon you simply can't afford to do - or else you stick it out and make these folk behave.
I'm not being flippant with that last remark; if their behaviour is anything approaching what you have described on here, it is ASB/harassment at the very least, and possibly a public order offence at worst - and a serious one at that. Ie, a crime.
This is clearly not a 'civil' matter, and I do not understand why the police would try and pass it off as such. And neither would numerous legal teams.
Unless, you are not telling us something? 
But, on the assumption that you are giving us an accurate and honest account, then all I can suggest is that either you, or some friends/relatives, move back into the house, take it off the market, and eyeball the neighbour with a, "Well? What are you going to do about it?!". And record the response.
I am telling you that if your account is accurate, then the police (and your Local Authority) will act, because they'll have no option but to do so. You escalate escalate escalate.
You call up the police every single time an unacceptable remark or action comes from your neighbour.
Is there anything else you can add to the equation? Could it be considered a 'hate' crime, for example, or racially motivated?
Once the neighb has been put in their place, then they can pay you the full market price if they still wish to buy.

Bailey1980

I was trying to reply to the last few comments but the page crashed and lost the responses. Will try again a little later. Apologies, it's all very draining and feels like too much. 

Grizebeck

@bailey80   I can help you with a civil injunction if you wish to go down that route
The court fee for an injunction either on notice or ex parte (without notice) is £332 
You can get the injunction worded so any breaking of it is a criminal offence
you do not need a solicitor for this

I am not soliciting for business here as Injunctions are not a tracked matter so they are not something i deal with in the county court on a professional basis but I have served one on a former neighbour and they broke it, they got arrested and then were very quiet as a result

Have a general read here
https://www.netlawman.co.uk/ia/injunctions

ThisIsWeird

Bailey1980 said:

I was trying to reply to the last few comments but the page crashed and lost the responses. Will try again a little later. Apologies, it's all very draining and feels like too much. 

Your desperation is completely understandable.
I will state this clearly, tho' - once you take proper action against these folk, you will feel the pressure on you lift.
You tell yourself, over and over again, that these folk just cannot get away with this.
You remind yourself, over and over again, that these folk cannot actually do anything physical to you.
Yes, their behaviour is deeply offensive and can even be traumatising, but you can face this, and determine that you will not allow it to be so. 
I mean, what can they actually do to you? They can shout. They can 'cuss. They can threaten. 'All' you need to do is stare at them and shake your head slowly, as if they were nuts. If you can add a wry smile, then all the better.
AND RECORD IT ALL. AND REPORT IT ALL.
They cannot touch you. If they do, that's a whole different level of crime, and they will be nailed for it.
You CAN turn the tables on these folk. And it will be more empowering than you can imagine.

Evidence - and - report. Repeat repeat repeat. Escalate escalate escalate.

This WILL work, if what you are telling us is the whole story.