View Full Version : Advice Needed
After 15 years in our old home without any complaints we moved to a small community {10 houses} now it seems according to 3 houses 5 people in total we are the neighbours from hell.
They have made continuouse unfounded complaints about just everything we own or do. My dogs bark which they do like all dogs when someone comes to my door. My son has a ferret. We park our car in the wrong place.
Now Even though every other tennant in the street has come forward to say
my dogs never roam or make a noise I have to re-home them or face eviction.
We have also been told that the past tennants of our house were also hounded out. I was just wondering if anyone else has faced a simmilar situation and could offer any advice as to what we could do.
cuddlepop
27-Jul-07, 21:46
Lab that is so unfair.Dont know what else to say other than you have my sympathys.We have two collies and I know your only allowed one in a council house so am keeping everything crossed that no one complains.
neighbour on one side has four cats and there's two on the other side and the mess my garden is in sometimes is heart breaking.:~(
I have a friend who just bought a house in the next street and one of her neighbours took her washing down as soon as my friend went back inside.
It was a Sunday and the only day she has off work.
3 of the 10 houses is at least the minority, you have probably been unlucky enough to move into a clique where simply your face does not fit, are you situated in Caithness?
You could approach your MP?
Where have you moved to Lab? Royston Vasie?. Try and fit in share interests....... take no notice, carry on as you are. I feel the need to support but don't know how. Difficult.
Both my husband and I were born and brought up in Caithness, and yes def a clique before we moved we owned our own house and when we were housed by the council they Knew how many dogs we had. The concil are not the problem they have made numerouse visits and agree my dogs are not great barkers. But now these people have gone above Mr whites head and straight to Inverness. Seems we are in a no win situation either we give them the satisfaction of moving or we have to put my dogs down.
I wouldint mind so much if they were a nuicance I would say fair do sorry.
Well I guarantee you I wouldn't be going quietly, these types of bullying cliques need exposed and stopped as the next people will just get the same treatment :mad: it's pathetic and disgusting that you are being bullied out like that :mad:
Both my husband and I were born and brought up in Caithness, and yes def a clique before we moved we owned our own house and when we were housed by the council they Knew how many dogs we had. The concil are not the problem they have made numerouse visits and agree my dogs are not great barkers. But now these people have gone above Mr whites head and straight to Inverness. Seems we are in a no win situation either we give them the satisfaction of moving or we have to put my dogs down.
I wouldint mind so much if they were a nuicance I would say fair do sorry.
Seems a bit off that Inverness can over-rule the local administration who are in a position to know the background.
Have you contacted your local councillor?
Under what rules/legislation is this happening........and isn't there some kind of appeals procedure...........or do the Inverness jobsworths rule by dictat?
Failing anything else, I'd go to the papers and leave your neighbours and the council with no name.
Feel really sorry for you , it must be awful not being excepted in a new place. Are they of an older generation than you ?, Is there one person who is the "ring leader " ?maybe go and have a chat to them to find out why they don't like you . Am i right in saying there are mediators within the council who deal with situations like this ? Good luck to you anyway and hope it all turns out OK . jan x
Buttercup
28-Jul-07, 23:14
Oddquine and Paris are right, don't be bullied by people like that. You'll probably find that there's one ring leader and that he/she is making the others feel intimidated and they have to go along with them. Stand up to them. As Paris suggested, it might be an idea to go round all the houses and ask what you’ve done wrong in their eyes for example if you’re parking in the “wrong” place ask where you should park. Explain that unless you know what the problem is you can’t fix it. You’ll likely find that most of the people don’t have a problem when you approach them singly. But you have to make a stand and the truth will come out in the end. If, as you say, previous tenants were “hounded out”, then you have that in your favour, if it continues go to the press it's amazing how quickly that will solve the problem. Best of luck and let us know how you get on, after all you can’t be the only one with neighbour problems and your experience could help others that find themselves in a similar situation.
Do NOT put your dogs down whatever happens. Please contact John Thurso about your terrible situation and he will help get it sorted quickly. He is really good. Hope things work out for you very very soon. i feel so sorry for you
Both my husband and I were born and brought up in Caithness, and yes def a clique before we moved we owned our own house and when we were housed by the council they Knew how many dogs we had. The concil are not the problem they have made numerouse visits and agree my dogs are not great barkers. But now these people have gone above Mr whites head and straight to Inverness. Seems we are in a no win situation either we give them the satisfaction of moving or we have to put my dogs down.
I wouldint mind so much if they were a nuicance I would say fair do sorry.
Well puting the dogs down is not an option dogs have feelings to and have right to live as everyone else thats a big no from me.But what i dont understand is if u moved to a council house and u have told them u have dogs in the forms and they said it was ok then u havent done anything wrong .And before a council can evict dogs from a property hey have to be able to prove that the dogs are making an excisive noise u cant just evict dog of a property because someones having a moan i would take the council to court if they couldnt prove it thats harrasment.
But you know if i had a dog and a neighbour complained about it and if i had to remove the dog from the property and if i was 100% sure the dog wasnt a nusiance to the neighbours I would turn into a nieghbour from hxll for spite when u watch the neibours from hell programs on tv this is minor compared to what some people do and get away with.
But if i was you i would speak to the nieghbours and past tennants and try to get the ones that support u to put it writing there views and argue the case with the council and find out about takeing the tennant to court over harrasment and go to the citizen advice bureu no ure rights and speak to a solicitor sometimes a shxty letter from solicitor works.
But when you get nighbours like that its all the more reason to stay
The next time your nieghbours hang there washing out u should have a barbeque i bet u would really enjoy that a nice smokey barbeque or even better u need to start having late night parties.Start letting the grass grow long that will upset them lol
... or start feeding the birds when the washing is out :D
I live in aberdeen in the city center were parking is a problem i have works van that i take home and can use for private use so i dont have a car i get nieghbours complaining about my van being on the street they have even complained to my boss about the van leave notes on the window all because they dont want to look out the window and see a van.
My van is taxed and legal has a parking permit on the window and is 100% legal to park there and these people havent got the guts to put there phone number on the note that they put on my window so i can talk to them and when they phone in and complain to my boss about the van they wont leave there phone numbers so we can arrange a meeting so i just keep parking in the same area for spite.
When ever i get a note put on my window it really annoys me big time
porshiepoo
29-Jul-07, 11:29
Hang on, we're all just assuming here that lab is an innocent party and that the neighbours are just being mean.
If labs dogs are causing a problem for the neighbours then I'll bet lab and family will be the last to see it because they're their pets and it doesn't bother them so much.
Everyone has a right to peace and quiet and barking dogs - for however long - can be a great annoyance to some people, especially if they don't have dogs themselves.
I'm paranoid about the noise my dogs make and once lived in a cul de sac with 5 Great Danes and was on edge all the time about how much noise they made.
We also had the great big works van outside as well as a family car. At the end of the day no one has a right to tell you where not to park unless it's in front of a drop kerb, double yellows, permit parking etc. If it's a public highway and your vehicles are legal tell them to shove off.
As for the dogs - I do believe that the council have rules regarding how many dogs you can own in a council property? If it's gone so far as for the council to say you have to remove your dogs I would think that either you have too many or they have recorded the noise levels coming from them? If the answer to both of those is 'no' then I would seek legal advice as you may have a case.
Have you tried turning it round on them? Complain about everything they do! If their musics loud complain, if their animals make a noise complain, if they park wrong complain, if they are abusive comaplain. At least log your complaints with the council and seek legal advice.
Do not have your dogs put to sleep, that's not an option.
Finally - council exchange back up here. ;)
Of course im paranoid about my dogs barking I have got to the stage I just do not go out anymore in case they bark when I am away. They only bark when someone comes to the door as do most dogs. One sits on a chair all day looking out the window, they even complained about this as they said it was intimadating. My reply stop looking in my window and you will not see him. The dog warden has been to the house sat outside a few times knocked at the door to check how long the dogs barked for she said her time had been wasted they bark no more than any other.
Not once has any of the neihgbours aproached us. Just letter after letter to Mr white.
My youngest son was given a baby ferret from our nearest neighbour who breeds them, they even complained about this even though it is in a hutch in a shed. Must of had a good look round my garden to even see it.
We do not drink so partys are out, we do not even own a stereo so cant play loud music.We do have an appointment with Mr White tomorrow we are going to request mediation, and thankfully the other residents on the street will support us. In the mean time Im going to cut one of there bushes down as it scratches me every time I come in my gate.Only the branches on my side of course. Perhaps he will come out to stop me but then that would meen having to complain to my face.
boy i tell you what ! they would not like to have us as neighbors!!
lets see.. 4 and almost 3 year old boys .. whom lets see.. like to shout and scream.. run about like mad... and cause a ruckus.. no way on earth to keep them quiet.. up every omorning laughing and carrying on by 7:30 (no break for weekends) we have a dog, cat and a 1/2 (timeshare our tom with the neighbours!) a guinea pig, hamster , bird and big 4 ft tank of tropical fish.
we tend to turn the music on and dance like fools in the sitting room with the curtains open. run around like loons in the back garden.
and basically enjoy life..
ohh and my garden isnt tidy.. their are toys everywhere.. the grass is not cut to a quarter inch.. *wicked grin*
and you can usually hear me yelling at the top of my lungs for them to quit shouting and calm down or stop doing something!
hmm all in all a normal family.
we dont drink or smoke or throw parties.. kids are in bed at 8:30 and sometimes you do hear screaming in the middle of the night as my almost 3 year old is having night terrors at the moment and he has huge lungs.
im not a shy person either.. and if what has happened to you happened to me.. i would be knocking on said doors and telling them if they had a problem to bring it to me!
weve had problems with loud music next door in the past .. and i simply go over middle of the night bang on the door.. put on my sterm mum face.. tap my foot.. and when the door is open say.. umm hun do you know what time it is?
its late kids are in bed.. and if you wake them up im bringing them over! *winks* but seriously..have always just asked and they have always been really good.. a sheepish look an im sorry didnt realise and down goes the volume.
If you have an appointment with mr white why not suggest to hm to put one of those noise level recorder device in the house of the neighbour which is moaning so that would tell one way or another if your noise levels is acceptable or not that would kill the arguement
The sad fact of life is that some people just are not happy unless they are making someone else thoroughly miserable and sticking their noses in where they are just are not wanted. It is easy for me to say don't let them win but our house was the same, last 2 sets of homeowners sold and neighbours on the other side left twice but we have stuck it out and just ignore our neighbours, they are thoroughly unpleasant people, we tried getting the housing association to help but were just told you are homeowners not tennants so it's not our problem, when pointed out that it was their tennants causing the problem they just said you chose to buy your house, pathetic :eek: I just keep my blinds closed on that side of the house so they can't look in my windows and I feed and water my hedge well :D
incognito
15-Aug-07, 07:27
Our friends had neighbours for 6-8 months who were temporarily rehoused by the Council after they had their house reprocessed. The family went to the papers with a great story and claimed homelessness. Anyhow, the family of 6 moved into the council house, along with their four dogs. Yes, the dogs continually barked. The Council should not allow more than two dogs in a council house.
But you should have seen the state of the house/garden that was repossessed! And the state of the Council house after 6-8 months of the family living there - the Council had to get professional cleaners in to clean up the house. It would be interesting to see whether the family were invoiced with that cleaning bill.
Why these people were rehoused a second time by the Council is beyond me. I would suspect they would have left the 2nd council house in the same condition as which they left their repocessed house and first council house in.
I hadn't read this thread before.... I don't know why.
But it sent shudders through me.
We had two Bassets - we own our house & are not on any estate, we live at the end of a cul-de-sac, a couple of streets off the prom in Blackpool, right in the heart of the holiday area. We have a pub directly behind and to the left of our property, & our back yard meets their 'car park/ smoking area. There is a wide alley to the side of us between & the next sidestreet, used by cars & walkers.
2 years ago, we got a visit from a neighbour from the street next to the pub, complaining about our dogs barking.
Well, yes, our lady Basset was quite the neurotic, & any and every noise she heard would have her out of a deep sleep, bowling through the hallway, into their room, & out the dog flap to bark at said noise - whether it was at the back or not!
So, the 7am dustbin guys got it, the kids on their way to school got it, anyone walking through & making a noise got it, & the drunks leaving the pubs 'lock-in' at 2am got it!
We tried everything - I got one of those units that emit a high frequency noise everytime she barked - didn't work, but Burtie could be seen looking for where this whistle came from! (Note: The other 2 dogs would follow her, but NOT bark)
We tried a calming remedy in her food - didn't work either, we saw no marked difference.
We tried taking her into the alley to meet a couple of the noise makers - didn't work, as soon as she was back in her yard, she'd start again.
Someone suggested one of those electric collars - no, I wouldn't.
So, then we heard that the complaining neighbour was going to get a petition up to make us get rid of her.... not enough people were disturbed or bothered. And then the panic set in.
It seemed that the year before we moved in, a similar thing happened the other way with a dog & one day, the owners came home to find their dog was dead & had been poisoned - no-one knew who had done it, but it seems that it was something the dog ate.
So, to preserve the safety of our other 2 dogs (Burtie Basset & Charlie the Cavalier) plus 3 cats, we had to make the heart breaking decision to re-home Bonnie. We had been through a lot with her - we drove to South Wales to get her in the first place (now THAT was along day!) she contracted Parvo virus, & we got her through that - cost a fortune at the vet too! And she was Burtie's woman (although both had been 'seen to' so no unplanned pregancies!)
Cat number 3 moved into our house because of her - and they were favourite wrestling partners - you've never known panic till you see an 8 week kittens head in a Basset's mouth - only to watch the kitten 'rabbit kicking' the Bassets head!
But I didn't want to come home one day & find 3 dead dogs. So we contacted Basset Welfare, and took her to a nice lady who did in fact rehome her to someone who had a bit of land.
We often think of her now, & hope she ended up ok - and every time I see the old guy who was the complainant, I want to smash his face in! (And I'm a pacifist!)
As it turns out, Burtie's ok - he hasn't got to chase a neurotic female around the house all day & he & charlie can get on with sleeping in till 3pm in peace.
There's no point to this post, I just thought I'd share a sad moment in our time.
Julie
x
Our friends had neighbours for 6-8 months who were temporarily rehoused by the Council after they had their house reprocessed. The family went to the papers with a great story and claimed homelessness. Anyhow, the family of 6 moved into the council house, along with their four dogs. Yes, the dogs continually barked. The Council should not allow more than two dogs in a council house.
But you should have seen the state of the house/garden that was repossessed! And the state of the Council house after 6-8 months of the family living there - the Council had to get professional cleaners in to clean up the house. It would be interesting to see whether the family were invoiced with that cleaning bill.
Why these people were rehoused a second time by the Council is beyond me. I would suspect they would have left the 2nd council house in the same condition as which they left their repocessed house and first council house in.
Eeeks, I assume that's not in Caithness though. Thankfully, I'm blessed with very well behaved neighbours who have very well behaved pets :lol:.
Lab, I really hope things have settled down for you by now. It's pretty poor when the neighbours cannot even be mature enough to talk with you directly to resolve any issues they may have. You have my sympathy, but stay strong and don't be bullied by 'em :mad:.
incognito
15-Aug-07, 17:54
Eeeks, I assume that's not in Caithness though. Thankfully, I'm blessed with very well behaved neighbours who have very well behaved pets :lol:.
Lab, I really hope things have settled down for you by now. It's pretty poor when the neighbours cannot even be mature enough to talk with you directly to resolve any issues they may have. You have my sympathy, but stay strong and don't be bullied by 'em :mad:.
YES WEE BURD, DEFINATELY IN CAITHNESS - SO EEKS INDEED!!
Of course im paranoid about my dogs barking I have got to the stage I just do not go out anymore in case they bark when I am away. They only bark when someone comes to the door as do most dogs. One sits on a chair all day looking out the window, they even complained about this as they said it was intimadating. My reply stop looking in my window and you will not see him. The dog warden has been to the house sat outside a few times knocked at the door to check how long the dogs barked for she said her time had been wasted they bark no more than any other.
Not once has any of the neihgbours aproached us. Just letter after letter to Mr white.
My youngest son was given a baby ferret from our nearest neighbour who breeds them, they even complained about this even though it is in a hutch in a shed. Must of had a good look round my garden to even see it.
We do not drink so partys are out, we do not even own a stereo so cant play loud music.We do have an appointment with Mr White tomorrow we are going to request mediation, and thankfully the other residents on the street will support us. In the mean time Im going to cut one of there bushes down as it scratches me every time I come in my gate.Only the branches on my side of course. Perhaps he will come out to stop me but then that would meen having to complain to my face.
been there done that and won.
please stand up to these people ..u find they are cowards.keep ur dogs ..council rules are broken all of the time and not just about animals.
i know it is horrid feeling intimidated and threatened by people ..have had it for 2 years now[private house ,in group of 5] again a clique when we arrived here 6 yearsa ago.last family..husband had a heart attack and lady had a nervous breakdown.only had one dog..but nothing to do with dog..neighbourts just want their own way all of the time.[not in caithness by the way.] just note the anti social ways of ur neighbours ,keep a record.
the council can send in SACRO..to mediate..absolutely useless.
i find it very sad these days when folk with or without animals can not live peacefully in their own home[private .council or otherwise]..........the word we all need to remember,learn ..is TOLERANCE/.
caring for others feelings would help too.
i would say do not let ur dogs bark between the hours of 8 am and 10 pm...except in emergencies or extenuating circumstances.
no day is ever the same.
hold ur head high and fight for UR rights.
if u can afford it,please get ur solicitor to draw up letters for neighbours and council.[after all u were upfront about the dogs then].that could just shut them up.
if they evict u with ur dogs..then they have to evict everyone with the same amount of dogs that u have.
best of luck.
Very strange response here - am I missing something or has there been a bit of a ding-dong going on? What a shame people can't get on. :confused
Very strange response here - am I missing something or has there been a bit of a ding-dong going on? What a shame people can't get on. :confused
Ricco, I was just about to say the same.... have we missed something here?
Julie
Alice in Blunderland
20-Aug-07, 20:44
????? Looks like the confusing post has disappeared ?????? :confused
Whilst lab has my sympathies a game of cat and mouse played out in front of us on the org is not something I for one would like to see.
Hmmm, I agree with you Alice.
If I had a problem with someone in the community, I would go & knock the door & face them - whether I was complaining about them, or they were complaining about me...
To be quite honest, too many people have the ability to hide behind a screen - whether that screen be pen & paper, telephone, or indeed the internet.
And I just think that by hiding in this way, we are fast becoming a nation of 'home moaners'... my hubby calls them 'window lickers' - dunno why!
But it's this form of division that is breaking down communities and causes bad feeling all round.
Communication, compromise and respect - in other words, give & take - goes a long way to build up a happy world in which to live.
Or am I being too simplistic?
Julie.
Must appologise post was pm husband sent to wrong place. We have since moved back to town partly because of neighbours partly due to ill health of a familly member we have been getting some rather horrid mails and just found out who is responsable. Hence the post. Thanks to everyone who gave advise and we did contact a solicitor who has put in place safegaurds so the next tenants never have to go through what ourselves and previous ones did.
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