Just when I need it most - neighbors from hell. Very long post, sorry!

[stormwytch]

Hi everyone. I'm feeling really stressed right now which isn't helping my fibro relapse/injury recovery one bit.

A year ago, my OH and I bought our first house, a lovely period conversion which used to be an old church - it's over a hundred years old and has quite a few original features. It's quirky and probably not everyone's cup of tea but it's ours. We are just starting to make it look like home, which has taken a long time because I am as much use as a chocolate tea pot when it comes to moving furniture around etc so I've had to rely on my OH to do it all.

The entrance to the property has a small patio garden which is framed with a five foot wall, beyond which is the old cemetery. Recently, whilst I've been recovering from my injury, I've been sitting on the doorstep at night, just basking in the moonlight. I have felt so relaxed and peaceful there. it was lovely. My peace has been short lived, however, because this week the house next door to our living room has new tenants. A family has moved in complete with screaming children of all ages, who seem to be left to run amok. As the house has wooden/laminate flooring throughout it sounds like a herd of elephants have moved in. The 2 girls who live behind us are at their wits end as well. I should be grateful that WE don't have to witness the chain-smoking ASBO teenagers who sit on the doorstep all day shouting and swearing. Their back window, however overlooks our patio, which has never bothered me until now and there has been several tenants there in the past year, but now it's horrible. It has pushed my stress levels through the roof.

I lived in a flat previously and I know inside out the process for reporting anti social behavior; keeping diaries etc, as I had problems a couple of years ago with a girl who was having parties till all hours in the morning. I guess, like a lot of you, one of my symptoms is extreme sensitivity to light and noise. I'm now sitting here on edge waiting for them to come back home and start making a racket.

Some of my friends are coming over on Friday for my birthday so I'm planning to make as much noise as possible although they will be gone well before midnight. I joked that I would hold a 'satanic' (not really, but I doubt they will know any different) full moon/Samhain ritual in the garden and hopefully scare them away. What I don't understand is how so many people can be living in a 2 bedroom property. I have spent all day on google trying to find out who the letting agency is cos I'm sure they will be breaking their tenancy agreement by being a nuisance. It is a private let, not council. I'm trying to be sympathetic to the fact that she/they have kids but really, if I'd behaved like that when I was little I'd have got a smack. I'm not suggesting that she hits her kids, just that she controls them and tells them to keep quiet. I was brought up to respect other people. I even felt guilty bidding against people on ebay - till I lost quite a few items with 10 seconds to go. Now I snipe with the best of them - all's fair in love and auctions it seems. I know that banging on walls usually just results in losing half the plaster. All we've been able to do is turn the tv up and hope they get the hint.

I'm tempted to take up the stair carpet so they can hear my cats thundering up and down the stairs but that wouldn't be fair to the girls the other side of the back wall. I also hope that it doesn't force them to move cos they are a really nice couple.

I'm still in pain from my accident, I have no energy at all and now I can't even sleep during the day cos of the chavbos next door. On top of this, my pony has developed bald patches and I can't get up to see him more than once a week. He's being taken good care of by my wonderful friend and hopefully it's just his summer coat shedding and not something more sinister.

I at least have my wonderful partner looking after me and my gorgeous bengal kittens to entertain me with their antics. I really want to start writing again, but my brain is like cream cheese. I get ideas in my head but everything get's scrambled when it comes to writing it down.

Sorry for the rant and such a long post - I just had to vent - ARRRRGH!

On a lighter note I did get a pair of designer boots worth £180 for £26! Of course they are too nice to actually wear lol.

I'll shut up now

Wishing you all a peaceful and pain-free week

Storm x

[Ginsing]

Oh Storm I would like to think it is a storm in a tea cup but I fear not neighbors can indeed make ones life so ghastly. It is of course half term so may be they will settle down and go back to School soon. The change in the clocks can make children more volatile but that is no excuse for too much noise and bad manners. Sympathy to you try and keep calm or you will be more poorley.

Wow you did well with your boots the little green eyed god smiles from me to you I doubt I will ever be able to wear a lovely pair ever again.

So flaunt those legs girl Take care xgins

[SootyB]

Oh, Storm, how horrible! My OH had some neighbours like this a while back, and his semi has walls like paper, so we could hear every thud of music, shriek, squawk ... it was a bit of a nightmare. They had parties until 7am on a weeknight, would go out individually and come home at 2am, without their key, and shout until one of the others heard and let them in - it got to the point where he would drive the 40 miles to my house to get some sleep, only to do the same back to work again in the morning!

We did get one bit of enjoyment, though - when his letters to the letting agent (and their bad rent payment record) finally got them evicted, the one tenant's Dad came with him to help him move out (and repair the damage they'd done to a previously lovely house), and we could hear the pasting he was getting from his Dad through the walls! Oh, it was fun!

Try to stay calm, find out who the letting agents are, and put in a well-worded complaint. Hope there is an end to this very soon xx

[Hidden]

Poor you Storm, my heart goes out to you on so many levels! Feeling well and having the neighbours from hell is bad enough, but having Fibro on top is too much!

We have recently moved away from our neighbours from hell. We owned our last house, but the terraced house next door was rented and had a succession of neighbours from hell who frankly didn't give a damn. The noise levels 24/7 were intolerable, even our surround sound system didn't drown it out! We tried everything, we spoke to them nicely and just got abuse. One night they set off industrial strength fireworks in their tiny garden which not only is illegal but the noise, smoke etc., at 1am in the morning was horrendous! It wasn't even New Year or near Firework Night, just a random night in the middle of the year. This happened regularly.

My hubby built some lovely decking in our back garden, the garden looked wonderful. We used to sit in the sun on the decking thinking how lucky we were, that was indeed before the NFH (neighbours from hell) landed! No more sitting on the decking, we kept all doors and windows permanently shut and locked.

Last Christmas we were all sitting in our front lounge watching tv and nibbling on snacks as you do, the next thing we know we can hear screaming coming through the wall which extended into the back garden, they were fighting! Hubby went into the garden to see if everything was ok as there was a woman with three small children there and he was worried about this. The next thing he knew was that two men were piling over our fence stoned on drugs and drunk, threatening him! Fortunately they were too "off their heads" to pursue their mission and fell over the fence their side! We literally barricaded ourselves in from that point. We didn't call the police perhaps foolishly in retrospect because we were worried about the repercussions with these sort of people. We decided to sell up instead and that's what we did!

The children from next door had always been unruly, they used to climb over our fence and terrorise our two little dogs, they threw things over the fence including glass bits - looking back I wonder how we all got through it! This went on for two years until we said that's it!

Prior to leaving we managed to find out who the letting agents were next door, we contacted them and told them about everything that had happened to us, the damage etc. Within two weeks the tenants piled all their stuff into a battered van and moved round the corner! At least our consciences were clear when we sold the house as a young family expecting a baby were moving in! There was no way we wanted them to go through our experience, so at least that was sorted out. Hopefully they have a happy life in our old house!

I feel really sorry for you, is there anything you can do like we did?! Can you find out who the landlords or letting agents are?! Perhaps having a quiet word with them might help?!

I hope it works out for you, I wish we could do something to help you! Hopefully during the day before school-time you will be able to get some quiet time and some peace.

I am so jealous about your boots, you lucky thing, well deserved, enjoy them!

Here's a hug (((hug))) xx

[hollykarma]

The trouble with noisy neighbours is that even when it is quiet you are on edge waiting for it to start again. You can't even rest when its quiet. I had the same problem and was forced to move. There is no help for people who are experiencing this problem. When I lived in Bristol I lived in a flat and had this problem. I got in touch with the noise polution people and they came out and put a microphone in my flat. Trouble was they told all the neightbours that they were doing it !!! What is the point of that ?

[ArctoLindy]

Hi Storm, I can sympathise because I live in a block of flats - which is great when I have nice neighbours but a living hell at other times. The flat that backs on to mine is currently empty due to a repossession and I'm keeping my fingers firmly crossed (or they would be of I could!) in the hope of someone quiet moving in as that flat has had quite a track record of awful tenants. Sadly a set of nice tenants had to move when the property was repossessed from their landlord.

I hope your neighbours from hell don't hang around for too long xxx

[JSue]

wear your boots around the house -- dance in them even! fck the NFH, they will get their's (though maybe not in this life). consider putting in underfloor board insulation -- i did this in my flat and it stops at least 50% of the noise from downstairs (i've got a house full of students !! and the freeholder doesn't give a hoot). sound insulation was worth every penny. now i just need to get double glazed windows. bloody inconsiderate ppl should all live in one noisy neighbourhood. i'm sure they would be happy there. PS earplugs are v helpful for reading and general relaxing. extreme measure i know, but whatever works! xx

[hamble99b in reply to JSue]

if you don't mind me asking how much is sound proofing?

[JSue]

i cut this from the invoice << I can confirm that we will soundproof the floor in your flat, 32.5sqm, using 100mm high density acoustic mineral wool, with acoustic membrane. The cost for this will be £2,500 >>

That was for two rooms and a hallway (32.5 sq metres) -- covering the whole area wall to wall.

Although i can still hear some noise from downstairs i can't hear actual words -- nor their satellite tv even when the games are on. Also the remaining noise comes mostly through my kitchen window which is where they congregate to smoke cigs and talk. that window is single glazed.

Anyway, I would NOT be able to live here without the insulation. So, not cheap but most def worth the price.

good luck x

[JSue]

btw there are different methods for soundproofing and thus dif pricing as well. I chose the one where they lifted all the floorboards and put the wool between the joists. Then a rubber membrane over that and the original boards nailed back. Then i put down a normal carpet with felt underlay.

[JSue]

sorry one last comment... there are also soundproofing options for Walls and Ceilings too. So don't give up just yet

[stormwytch]

Thanks for your support guys. Tonight's screaming fit has already started thank you for sharing your own tales of NFH. I peered thro the window as I passed on the other side of the house earlier. There is a little boy of about 5 a toddler a very chavvy mother who looked like she was on drugs and there was a little girl of about 8 stood in her knickers and a t shirt in full view of the window, on a chair on her tiptoes reaching for something out of a very high cupboard whilst mother just sat there. Noise, screaming etc aside, this is dangerous - I don't even stand on chairs to get stuff down from high cupboards if I can help it. My friend thinks if there are cars morning noon and night (thank god not at our side) she might be dealing. This is quite common unfortunately in this area. Most of the tenants of the old chapel tho have been good people. It's like we have our own little bubble away from everyone else. If I thought she was a decent person I'd just go and introduce myself but, from first impressions and answers I got from my dowsing crystal, Vicky Pollard, yeah but - no but, computer says no!

[Kirby]

Ah Storm, I've so been there and it's horrible. In fact, we had it for several years in last place and we ended up moving but it was a battle. Our council had bought the house next door to us for homeless families. The thing is, we didn't know they were families with problems until the first family drew attention to themselves with all their noise. They weren't actually horrible to us, but they shouted at each other and swore at their kids, so they were trying to control them but didn't have a clue. There would also be running and thumping about, laminate floors too, could hear everything, and as someone said above, even when it stops, you don't relax, but are waiting for the next onslaught. When we first went round we mentioned the soundproofing wasn't very good, and sometimes they did try but they just couldn't help it. They had three boys, sometimes four, and other people coming and going. They were only there 9 months but we kept on at the council and they moved them on. Then we had a lovely family. We didn't want them to go. The time flew when they were there. Then we got another family, with only one child but two dogs and the poor dogs weren't walked and they left them in the heat in the summer, we had to give them water over the fence because they never left enough, they left tons of dog crap in the garden so we couldn't sit out, it stunk, and then one night they had a blazing row and one of the dogs got out and got run over. Fortunately he wasn't killed but he was badly injured, and then they had the nerve to appeal to the local press saying that a van had knocked the lead out of their hand when walking the dog at 4 in the morning! They then left and the next person was a single parent who seemed OK at first but she let her brat thump about for hours in the morning and when we told her she didn't seem that concerned. Of course, we'd had the stress from previous tenants so by the time she came and was selfishly making what noise she wanted - we really fell out over it and I had a breakdown. I ended up being driven out of my home and having to stay at my mum's and dreaded going home. I think it's because I knew she didn't care and that made it loads worse, and sometimes she would do it deliberately. I would scream at hammer on the wall.

Anyway, for me, what did it was going to see a solicitor. The Ombudsman was rubbish. We discovered late on that the council didn't have an Anti-Social Behaviour Policy and that was actually illegal!! I found that out too late, but by then, we couldn't stay. It was a miracle how we managed to move, it was all against us, and very complicated, but once we did, have never looked back. I just hope you get some peace. It might be worth getting together with the girls behind you - we found that having other allies helped us.

XX

[stormwytch]

Thank you Kirby. The noise hasnt been too bad tonight. I am still a bit on edge tho. I hate to blame the Kids cos they are little and children are innocent - their behaviour is learned. Children will push the boundaries if left unchecked just like animals do. I hate to think of them being made homeless at Christmas too. I guess I'll just have to hope they it is new home excitement and that they quiten down. I think it is the little girl who is screaming so possibly being tormented by her brother. I can only hope that things calm down. I honestly could not cope with the stress of another move and I love my house