drpellypo Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 Bought this house about 14 months ago now having viewed it and totally falling in love with it. Right on the beach, the neighbours were ACE (we got wedding presents from most of the street - loads of people I didn't even know!) All in all, things were great. We, as the months went by, started to make it more and more of a home, and really settled. Then, about 6 months ago, the chap downstairs decided to bang on our door at 2am, drunk, shouting abuse at MrsP because we had three cars, and they were parked on the street. As a result, he had to park 10 feet away and wasn't happy. We ignored him, MrsP dialed triple 9, and POlice came and told him to go inside and shut up. He did, then later apologised. However, something about that unsettled both of us. Thankfully the little one was at his dads, as if he'd heard the banging on the door (it was forceful) he would have been freaked by it. It took us the last few months to finally get back to the secure feeling we had and not worry about noises outside etc (the tenant left) Now, some new tenants moved in. Seemed OK. Bit miserable, but hey, no worries there. In fact, at about 7pm last night, they knocked on the door and asked if they were being too loud. No, we said, as we hadn't even heard them (they had relatives round and were laughing on - so they said.) Felt quite settled at that thinking 'yay - we've got good neighbours downtairs.' Fast forward two hours, and we heard shouting outside. Looked outside and the couple from downstairs were having an argument with someone from down the road. Now, the thing is with this place, is it's a kind of 'honour amongst thieves.' It's a rough place - but if you get on the right side of people, you are embraced by the community. We have been very much so, and we've had no problems from anyone at all. Not the kids, not the chav parents from the council estate down the road - nothing. So the fact that these tenants who only moved in last week were having a ruck with someone was not a good sign! It seemed to settle about 10 minutes later and we went to bed. Three hours on - about midnight we were woken up by a hammering on door noise. Great - it's started again! But it wasn't our door - it was downstairs. Thank god the little one was at his dads because this time it was the back door, right underneath his window. Looked outside and it was the tenant, supposedly locked out. Now she was completely hammered, staggering around, falling over etc. Not so bad in itself, but she's heavily pregnant. I couldn't even begin to describe how mad I felt. Next door came out and asked her what was the matter and she said she was locked out. Banging continued for about an hour when the lad came back. She obviously didn't realise, but he'd been out. Just after 1am, we finally got back to sleep. 2:30am - woken up again - this time to terrified screams from down the road. Looked out the window and there was a fight going on - low and behold, it was downstairs and the people from down the road. Heard a bottle being smashed, and caught a glimpse of him dowstairs smashing a bottle over the neighbours head. Police were called, and about 2 minutes later we had 5 police cars in the street - a huge shouting commotion going on, and then 2 minutes later, an ambulance turned up. At this point I said 'stuff it - I'm not staying here' and we got in the car and went to mum and dads. Fortunately (kinda) the people downstairs are mums tenants so she's given them a warning (he was arrested for assault) but landlords have essentially naff-all rights, so they'll be staying for the next 5 months anyway. Thing is now, I just don't feel safe in my own home. What's worse is that I fear for my car, property, and families safety. Round here is a sedate - it's full of some bad people yes - but they do their thing, and keep themselves to themselves. Now I feel that's all being wrecked, and I just don't want to live here anymore. I want to sell the house, and just go. Am I over reacting? Do I need to think about this? I just dunno! There's so much more at stake than just my feelings - I have a family to look after now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadstoys Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 Move house. It will eat you inside just waiting for something to happen, or thinking something is going to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 I'd start looking for another home but not make a firm decision yet. It'll take time to find somewhere else you'll fall in love with and that time can serve to let you see how things develop. Often in a 'honour among thieves' environment there'll be one family who are 'in charge' so to speak. If you know who they are and are on speaking terms with them, let them know your fears. Some of your neighbours might be a bit 'rough' but they're human and will understand your concerns and the sense of community may kick in. The trick is to help your neighbours feel that you don't look down on them. How long have you lived there? And how many other such disturbances/incidents have there been? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vagabond Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 In a word..MOVE. All it takes is one 'bad egg' to pull the whole place down. Short of buying your own estate with a large wall around it, you will always be susceptible to complete eejits moving in next door Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppetboy Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 Family to think of... Move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drpellypo Posted June 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 Thanks for the advice chaps. SPoke to mum today and the tenant has said they are moving out. She's offered to terminate their 6 month contract without any penalty, so a win situation for us. I still feel uneasy though, and I don't know whether we are ever going to feel settled here again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saab Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 I don't know what I would do in this situation, other than I would think very carefully about embarking on an expensive, disruptive and stressful move unless you are absolutely sure about that you doing - and it sounds to me that your concerns are being driven almost entirely by problematic neighbours who are going to move anyway. Before you move make sure that what you are moving to - home/neigbourhood etc - is actually going to be improving your situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulboy Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 I agree with everyone else about moving, but remember that this is 'silly season'. Warm weather, light nights etc. I have slept with the windows open the last few nights (in a relatively nice area) and been woken up until 4 in the morning with pi55ed up people arguing and fighting. In spring, autumn and winter it is normally fairly sedate - so you are probably seeing things at there worse right now. So dont panic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drpellypo Posted June 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 Soulboy - yes - I agree. Oddly, I've just had a conv with him downstairs as he knocked on the door to apologise. He's moving out, pretty sure about that, but my eyes have been opened to the kind of people that live here, and I wish I'd kept them closed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drpellypo Posted June 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 And it gets worse! Apparently later on after we'd gone to mum and dad's, the lady two doors down had her car nicked, driven round the corner, and torched. Little old woman who owns an old Metro. Why?! I just can't understand this whole thug logic. I seriously gotta get out of here. Only prob is, I got a two year deal on my mortgage which means I'm going to have to pay 2% early repayment fee if we do move, because if we go we'll not be buying anywhere, but renting, due to the fact we'll be moving into mum and dad's in about a year once they've built the extension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isoproturon Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 Move, move, move... no other way around it. I know I would never be able to settle in an area where people were fighting in the street and cars were being nicked and torched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drpellypo Posted June 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 What narks me though is it's never been like this. Never! But yes, the time has come where we really need to consider being somewhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skifly Posted June 12, 2007 Report Share Posted June 12, 2007 rent it out for the remainde rof your morgage? Surely in an area like that the rental potential is ok - esp with your mum doing it downstairs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drpellypo Posted June 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2007 I could rent it within an hour! The problem being that we won't have anywhere to live! I don't have the money to put forward a months rent in advance if I were to rent somewhere. However... having reflected somewhat on this, and taken advice from your lovely felllows of TSN, I've decided to see how things go. If it happens again, we need to take serious steps, but this could well have been an isolated issue. I have to remember too that the people causing this are my parents tenants, and ultimately, I can have them evicted, because they've already breached their agreement. Thanks for all the advice though folks - I'll keep you posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bells0 Posted June 12, 2007 Report Share Posted June 12, 2007 Would have thought u could port your mortgage over to a new property? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drpellypo Posted June 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2007 I could, but there's no point moving house because in less than a year, we're moving into the extension at mum and dads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xaddiction Posted June 12, 2007 Report Share Posted June 12, 2007 One thing though............... is the grass always greener on the otherside??? The last thing you wanna go do is move out and then be wanting to move back coz your new place is even worse. Better the devil you know and all that crap eh? xaddiction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randellp Posted June 13, 2007 Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 If that's the case drpellypoo why not sit tight for 9 months or so, and save yourself the hassle and cost of moving? You have the potential to get sh*tty neighbours even in the nicest of neighbouhoods. It's not as if you are going to be making this place your family home for the next 25 years, and if this family downstairs (who seem to be the main cause of your issues) move out then it all might be fine anyway. If anything have a word with your mum (the landlord of downstairs) for allowing such dodgy, and pregnant tenants to move in in the first place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drpellypo Posted June 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 drpellypoo Randell - you are totally right, and what you said is the conclusion we've come to. And yes, I have had several chats with mum about letting those tenants in! Needless to say, one more even slight bit of aggro, and they are out. Thankfully pretty much the only thing you can evict for in terms of breach of tenancy agreement is your tenant being charged by the police. He was. Knowing our glorious justice system though no doubt his court date will result in nothing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted June 13, 2007 Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 Give it another month or so, and if it still the same - move out. Don't rent the place, as the tennants seem as if they would abuse the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon3000 Posted June 13, 2007 Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 I would move asap, i had a similar situation about 2 years ago, wont bore you with the details. It ate me up every day, I was'nt so worried about me but hated my Mrs coming home on her own, worried about my motor and always expected something to kick off and it usually did! We put the flat on the market and sold within a week and were out and never regretted it. As you also have a kid around the house and 3 cars I ould probably rent out for the remainder and find somewhere else to rent. At the end of the day you get the deposit back and you can chill for the next nine months. If it were me, not just your neighbour, but also the area would not only get me down, but wind me up every day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calm Chris Posted June 13, 2007 Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 So what happens when you have to state on the selling forms the relationship issues with your neighbours. Lieing isn't considered good, since you have misinformed the new owners and fall foul of the sale of goods act. After all when the new people arrive, try to have a chat and then get thumped to the ground or the neighbours start saying "that f$%£ker who used to live here didn't get on with me, we gave / received grief" it becomes rather obvious that you'd be in breech of the declaration you gave prior to sale . Get some heavies round , beat the bloke and any other vermin that needs a good kicking. Then you become daddy, and daddy doesn't have problems- he causes them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drpellypo Posted June 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2007 [ QUOTE ] So what happens when you have to state on the selling forms the relationship issues with your neighbours. Lieing isn't considered good, since you have misinformed the new owners and fall foul of the sale of goods act. After all when the new people arrive, try to have a chat and then get thumped to the ground or the neighbours start saying "that f$%£ker who used to live here didn't get on with me, we gave / received grief" it becomes rather obvious that you'd be in breech of the declaration you gave prior to sale . Get some heavies round , beat the bloke and any other vermin that needs a good kicking. Then you become daddy, and daddy doesn't have problems- he causes them [/ QUOTE ] AFAIK - you only have to declare that if there was a complaint. We never made a complaint. We didn't call the Police - complain to them in any way or anything like that. Anyhow - they are out in 6 months maximum anyway. They'll be getting their two months notice in 4 months. Mum and dad will not be renewing the tenancy. Things have settled down tbh. Them downstairs have been keeping a very very low profile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drpellypo Posted June 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2007 Oh - and re the heavies. I do have numbers. Of course, I'd never ring them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R32Ash Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 [ QUOTE ] MrsP dialed triple 9, and POlice came and told him to go inside and shut up. [/ QUOTE ][ QUOTE ] AFAIK - you only have to declare that if there was a complaint. We never made a complaint. We didn't call the Police - complain to them in any way or anything like that. [/ QUOTE ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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