Under Siege at Home!

Spender£

Apologies if this is the wrong section!
Some weeks ago our neighbours builders cut down our trees and hedges, kicked rockery rocks in our pond, sprayed silver birch paint in our pond all whilst we were at work and without permission.

We did the wrong thing by rushing home and getting into a heated argument with the builders and the homeowners walked away, the builders made various threats to me and my partner so I called the Police.

The Police arrived hours later and agreed to talk to my neighbours informing them to keep their builders out of our garden and away from us to help diffuse tension.
Ever since that day the builders have been in the neighbours garden doing odd jobs and looking over the fence, my neighbours have also installed a camera watching my back door to see when we come out, it seems like they are expecting us to retaliate.

It seems like the neighbours are being taken for fools by these people because when they finish a job they show the neighbours something else that needs doing and they keep them there five days a week every week. My neighbours are two women living alone and it seems like they are intimidated by these men.

Everything they do is next to our property rather than the neighbour the other side and we are goaded by the builders every time we come in or out to work, they are currently cleaning their guttering and shoving the mud over our side and now are a team of four men all seemingly playing mind games with us.

These so called builders have been at the property since February and show no signs of ever leaving, today we noticed their van driving slowly past our house looking in the windows.

We have told the police and they told us unless they come over your side we can't do anything so let them finish their work.

I am not afraid of these men but I can't take on four people on my own, I also worry about my partner having to deal with them on her own when I work away, her mother and our family believe it is funny thinking about how much money is being paid to keep them there but we are considering moving out if this continues.

Our neighbours walk away when we try to talk about the issue and slam their door and they are spreading rumours with the other neighbours about us with other neighbours giving us evil looks in the street.

Any ideas, should we continue to ignore them, it feels like we are in a horror movie or something.

Grenage

For reference.  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6543908/terrible-week-neighbours-builders#latest

Spender£

Grenage said:

For reference.  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6543908/terrible-week-neighbours-builders#latest

Yes thanks that is the original thread!

elsien

You absolutely are overthinking it.
There is only a finite amount of work that can be done and it will be finished long before your house is marketed and sold.
How much they are spending is nothing to do with you.
Why on earth would you want to be taking on the builders anyway unless you’re particularly looking to get arrested?
Just keep a low profile till they’ve gone.

LinLui

You seem to be overly invested in your neighbours business. I'm fairly positive there are better things to do than watch your door. Just get on with your life and leave them and their builders to get in with theirs. And honestly,  whatever part the builders played,  you aren't covered with glory here, and if my neighbour was threatening violence, I'd walk away and ignore them too. 

Frank99

I would stand your ground and smile or wave whenever they goad you, put in some headphones and whistle tunes.
If they see that your not intimidated they will soon get bored.
You should use a recorder in your pocket to record what they are saying and gather evidence in case you need it later on, become a columbo and take photos of any incidents. I have been dealing with people like this all my life and i soon found that they have a lot of guts in a gang and they are cowards if separated. You could find their business address and drive past also playing mind games if you wanted to go that route.
If they have been doing jobs at one house since February they can't be very in demand builders in fact it seems like they are milking the owners.

TELLIT01

If you are at all on speaking terms with the neighbours I think you should make it clear to them that you aren't blaming them for what has happened.  That your argument is with the builders and their actions.  The camera could just as easily be intended to ensure the builders don't go on your property as your apparent interpretation that they are spying on you.  The builders will soon be gone but the neighbours presumably won't.

Jellynailer

Isn't there a law against CCTV focussed on private property?

Vitor

The Information Commissioner's Office can help if you believe your data protection or privacy rights are being infringed by the use of a surveillance camera. Cameras that are explicitly setup to capture images beyond the boundaries of a household can potentially breach the Data Protection Act.

Bookworm105

Jellynailer said:

Isn't there a law against CCTV focussed on private property?

yes, if it is focussed on someone else's 

thegreenone

It definitely sounds as though your neighbours are vulnerable and being taken for a ride, if the builders have been there since February.  Ignoring you and spreading rumours may be their way of justifying it all or just fear.

Do they have visitors at the weekend that you may be able to intercept and explain what's been happening or leave a note on their car?  Expressing your worry about them being fleeced and nothing about what's happened between you and the builders.  It's a tough line but I think I would do it.

Do you have the builders van reg?  Is it taxed and MOT'd?