Neighbours sabotaging property sale - advice needed

Parsimonious_Monk

Hi all.

First time post here. I am in the process of selling my 2 bedroom flat in East London. We've had an offer accepted on a house in the area (partner is pregnant so we need more room), so have been working to get ours on the market at speed.

We've been really happy with estate agent and they've done a great job marketing the flat - so much that we had approx. 45 viewings scheduled on the first day over a 3 1/2 hour period (Saturday just gone).

My partner and I were away at a festival over the weekend, so hoped to come back to some good news. Fortunately we've actually had a few offers come in above the asking price, and are now in the process of asking for best and final offers, but we also received some rather unexpected feedback regarding our next door neighbours behaviour during the viewings.

I had already informed the neighbour that we were scheduled to have viewings on Saturday morning and she told me she would ensure noise was kept down and that she would let her kids know. However, we've heard that throughout the viewings that two XL bully dogs were jumping up against the fence near where viewers were standing, music was blaring throughout, and that the son of the neighbour next door was accosting a lot of the viewers about standing too close to the dogs who were around roaming their front garden.  

This is incredibly disappointing for us as we heard feedback from estate agent that one person was going to make an offer as loved the flat but neighbour caused such a scene that it scared them off. Lots of similar feedback from other viewers about neighbours being a nightmare and shouting directly at viewers. 

I've already been around and spoken to the neighbour next door and told her how disappointed I was given I provided her with a heads up and that we've been nothing but good neighbours for six years. She was slightly apologetic but mostly defensive and evasive (said she was at a hospital appointment so didn't know what went on and would talk to her son to find out). I've yet to speak to the son but he doesn't seem the sort you could reason with. Big question we have, although doubt we'll ever get a clear answer, is why would they do this on such an important day for us?

The neighbours have been a periodic nuisance over the six years we've lived here (smoking weed/playing loud music/arguing out the front) but nothing particularly sustained, or anything we couldn't handle or have ever complained directly about, so not really clear what their agenda could be in sabotaging our sale - other than just boredom. 

Any advice on what we can do to stop this happening again would be appreciated. I have thought about contacting police and reporting XL bully dog situation as they are not muzzled, and it is not a private front garden (property contains multiple flats), but this seems quite petty. Also, as a dog owner, I fear what would happen to the dogs if not registered. 

swingaloo

Parsimonious_Monk said:

Hi all.

First time post here. I am in the process of selling my 2 bedroom flat in East London. We've had an offer accepted on a house in the area (partner is pregnant so we need more room), so have been working to get ours on the market at speed.

We've been really happy with estate agent and they've done a great job marketing the flat - so much that we had approx. 45 viewings scheduled on the first day over a 3 1/2 hour period (Saturday just gone).

My partner and I were away at a festival over the weekend, so hoped to come back to some good news. Fortunately we've actually had a few offers come in above the asking price, and are now in the process of asking for best and final offers,

So the sale is not sabotaged if you have had offers

but we also received some rather unexpected feedback regarding our next door neighbours behaviour during the viewings.

I had already informed the neighbour that we were scheduled to have viewings on Saturday morning and she told me she would ensure noise was kept down and that she would let her kids know. However, we've heard that throughout the viewings that two XL bully dogs were jumping up against the fence near where viewers were standing, music was blaring throughout, and that the son of the neighbour next door was accosting a lot of the viewers about standing too close to the dogs who were around roaming their front garden.  

This is incredibly disappointing for us as we heard feedback from estate agent that one person was going to make an offer as loved the flat but neighbour caused such a scene that it scared them off. Lots of similar feedback from other viewers about neighbours being a nightmare and shouting directly at viewers. 

I've already been around and spoken to the neighbour next door and told her how disappointed I was given I provided her with a heads up and that we've been nothing but good neighbours for six years. She was slightly apologetic but mostly defensive and evasive (said she was at a hospital appointment so didn't know what went on and would talk to her son to find out). I've yet to speak to the son but he doesn't seem the sort you could reason with. Big question we have, although doubt we'll ever get a clear answer, is why would they do this on such an important day for us?

The neighbours have been a periodic nuisance over the six years we've lived here (smoking weed/playing loud music/arguing out the front) but nothing particularly sustained, or anything we couldn't handle or have ever complained directly about, so not really clear what their agenda could be in sabotaging our sale - other than just boredom. 

Any advice on what we can do to stop this happening again would be appreciated. I have thought about contacting police and reporting XL bully dog situation as they are not muzzled, and it is not a private front garden (property contains multiple flats), but this seems quite petty. Also, as a dog owner, I fear what would happen to the dogs if not registered. 

You have offers so what is the problem. Leave it. I would not make a fuss with the neighbours because if no offer is successful or if the sale falls through you may find they are much less co-operative next time round.

FlorayG

It's not petty to report a large and potentially dangerous dog not under proper control, whatever breed it is

Parsimonious_Monk

swingaloo said:

Parsimonious_Monk said:

Hi all.

First time post here. I am in the process of selling my 2 bedroom flat in East London. We've had an offer accepted on a house in the area (partner is pregnant so we need more room), so have been working to get ours on the market at speed.

We've been really happy with estate agent and they've done a great job marketing the flat - so much that we had approx. 45 viewings scheduled on the first day over a 3 1/2 hour period (Saturday just gone).

My partner and I were away at a festival over the weekend, so hoped to come back to some good news. Fortunately we've actually had a few offers come in above the asking price, and are now in the process of asking for best and final offers,

So the sale is not sabotaged if you have had offers

but we also received some rather unexpected feedback regarding our next door neighbours behaviour during the viewings.

I had already informed the neighbour that we were scheduled to have viewings on Saturday morning and she told me she would ensure noise was kept down and that she would let her kids know. However, we've heard that throughout the viewings that two XL bully dogs were jumping up against the fence near where viewers were standing, music was blaring throughout, and that the son of the neighbour next door was accosting a lot of the viewers about standing too close to the dogs who were around roaming their front garden.  

This is incredibly disappointing for us as we heard feedback from estate agent that one person was going to make an offer as loved the flat but neighbour caused such a scene that it scared them off. Lots of similar feedback from other viewers about neighbours being a nightmare and shouting directly at viewers. 

I've already been around and spoken to the neighbour next door and told her how disappointed I was given I provided her with a heads up and that we've been nothing but good neighbours for six years. She was slightly apologetic but mostly defensive and evasive (said she was at a hospital appointment so didn't know what went on and would talk to her son to find out). I've yet to speak to the son but he doesn't seem the sort you could reason with. Big question we have, although doubt we'll ever get a clear answer, is why would they do this on such an important day for us?

The neighbours have been a periodic nuisance over the six years we've lived here (smoking weed/playing loud music/arguing out the front) but nothing particularly sustained, or anything we couldn't handle or have ever complained directly about, so not really clear what their agenda could be in sabotaging our sale - other than just boredom. 

Any advice on what we can do to stop this happening again would be appreciated. I have thought about contacting police and reporting XL bully dog situation as they are not muzzled, and it is not a private front garden (property contains multiple flats), but this seems quite petty. Also, as a dog owner, I fear what would happen to the dogs if not registered. 

You have offers so what is the problem. Leave it. I would not make a fuss with the neighbours because if no offer is successful or if the sale falls through you may find they are much less co-operative next time round.

I think the frustration is that given the interest that had been built up we could have potentially been in a much better situation regarding number of bidders and therefore the size of any bid. It may cost us tens of thousands for no particular reason and something entirely out of our control. 

Not sure how they could be much less co-operative next time to be honest. And if the dogs are reported then that's one less thing to worry about. 

powerful_Rogue

Parsimonious_Monk said:

Hi all.

First time post here. I am in the process of selling my 2 bedroom flat in East London. We've had an offer accepted on a house in the area (partner is pregnant so we need more room), so have been working to get ours on the market at speed.

We've been really happy with estate agent and they've done a great job marketing the flat - so much that we had approx. 45 viewings scheduled on the first day over a 3 1/2 hour period (Saturday just gone).

My partner and I were away at a festival over the weekend, so hoped to come back to some good news. Fortunately we've actually had a few offers come in above the asking price, and are now in the process of asking for best and final offers, but we also received some rather unexpected feedback regarding our next door neighbours behaviour during the viewings.

I had already informed the neighbour that we were scheduled to have viewings on Saturday morning and she told me she would ensure noise was kept down and that she would let her kids know. However, we've heard that throughout the viewings that two XL bully dogs were jumping up against the fence near where viewers were standing, music was blaring throughout, and that the son of the neighbour next door was accosting a lot of the viewers about standing too close to the dogs who were around roaming their front garden.  

This is incredibly disappointing for us as we heard feedback from estate agent that one person was going to make an offer as loved the flat but neighbour caused such a scene that it scared them off. Lots of similar feedback from other viewers about neighbours being a nightmare and shouting directly at viewers. 

I've already been around and spoken to the neighbour next door and told her how disappointed I was given I provided her with a heads up and that we've been nothing but good neighbours for six years. She was slightly apologetic but mostly defensive and evasive (said she was at a hospital appointment so didn't know what went on and would talk to her son to find out). I've yet to speak to the son but he doesn't seem the sort you could reason with. Big question we have, although doubt we'll ever get a clear answer, is why would they do this on such an important day for us?

The neighbours have been a periodic nuisance over the six years we've lived here (smoking weed/playing loud music/arguing out the front) but nothing particularly sustained, or anything we couldn't handle or have ever complained directly about, so not really clear what their agenda could be in sabotaging our sale - other than just boredom. 

Any advice on what we can do to stop this happening again would be appreciated. I have thought about contacting police and reporting XL bully dog situation as they are not muzzled, and it is not a private front garden (property contains multiple flats), but this seems quite petty. Also, as a dog owner, I fear what would happen to the dogs if not registered. 

Reporting two un-muzzled dangerous dogs in a non private front garden is far from being petty. How would you later feel if something tragic happens and you never made a report?

MysteryMe

If you have received offers over asking price you will have lost nothing.  If it was so important to you, you would have been present and seen first hand what was taking place. As it is, you have received third hand information which may be exaggerated.  It obviously wasn't so terrible to stop people offering over asking price.

The neighbour has stated she was not present throughout the day, you can't prove she was not as you were not there. I can imagine she would be defensive being confronted in the manner you state you did.

Any neighbour dispute must be declared and you have now created one.  Focus more on getting the flat sold and be grateful you are in a better financial position than you thought you would be by benefitting from over asking offers.

Vectis

Just one observation:

'why would they do this on such an important day for us?'

It's YOUR big day (even though you made the decision not be there on YOUR big day), it's not THEIR big day. It means nothing to them.

In fact, they might have found it slightly annoying with 45 people turning up in the space of just a few hours.

But, I'd probably still want to do something about two aggressive dogs in a public area, without somehow opening a neighbour dispute.

BonaDea

The dogs need reporting, even if it's anonymously.  Every week it seems there's a story in the news about somebody being mauled to death by those things.

Kim_13

My first thought was maybe they quite like OP and partner as neighbours - they’ve never complained where others likely would.

subjecttocontract

I'm not condoning your neighbours behaviour but I do think 45 viewings on a single day is excessive and compounded by you not being there. You must have a lot of faith in your Estate Agent. I don't think I'd ever do that and rely entirely on them to deal with things satisfactorily. But you've had offers so hopefully you don't need to repeat the exercise.

Myci85

I'd leave it, you'll have other things to focus your attention on with moving. In fact, if your neighbours were showing themselves at their worst and people still offered over asking, I think that's probably a good thing, as they've offered In full knowledge of what their new neighbours can be like, and they're clearly fine with that.