Advice how to deal with neighbours

[Annette_1805]

Hi sorry I didn’t know which forum to post in so apologies in advance if I got the wrong forum.
I am a carer for my partner who is bi polar and I have mental illness to.
My neighbours who are adjoining know we both have mental illness. Two of them work at my local doctors so should be more understanding etc .
Basically they are making my life hell . The man wrecked my brand new fence back in 2016 and got away with it through lying in court .his solicitor found out after the court case he had lied about the boundary being his.
Anyway you think it would stop but they carried on leaning heavy old panels up my fence twice told by police to remove them.blocking my car in.even got their neighbours involved and got them to park their van on my drive and come round threatening us. Police did nothing.
Then it seemed to calm down after their other neighbours moved. But the door slamming and banging about started to increase which I just put some background music on .
But it seems to have started up again leaning stuff up my fence, my front fence I even had set back from my boundary by just over a foot but they still leaning stuff up it. Like me they have a huge garden but continue to lean stuff up my fence .
I actually filmed the wife who works at my doctors leaning something heavy against my front fence.
My doctor is aware of what they are doing and done in the past.
Sending a solicitor letter would not work they act like they are above the law.
In fact it would make the situation worse.
My mental health is in tatters. I can’t sleep at night. When this first started the police did advise me not to enter into any conversation with them after they refused mediation twice.
This all started when they found out I had inherited enough money to buy my council house out right.
So basically it’s jealously driven.
Their old neighbours told me a few years before that if she bought something new they had to go out and buy the same thing . But what can I do ? I’m pretty sure he has contacts within the police as he always seemed to know before police arrived ie blocking my car in he would move his vechicles just before police arrived etc.
It’s getting so bad now I physically shook when filming the wife putting something heavy against my front fence . I got my phone out quick when I saw her near my fence so filmed her in the act so to speak.
Everyone agrees with me they are doing this on purpose so it’s not me being paranoid.
I am not in a position to move or I would. Can anyone offer me any advice please I’m at my wits end. Non of this what is going on bothers my partner.

[Breezey]

I wish I had answers for you, but I don't.
it's an awful situation for you.
you could email citizens advice which is anonymous, you don't need to give details of where and who they work for, just the facts and see what legal advice they can give you.
If you are in the MIND forum you could try asking in there if anyone has advice.
photos, films for evidence.
Your road is a public highway and drivers can park wherever they please within the law for unmarked kerbs but I believe not in front of a dropped kerb, that might need double checking.

If someone parks on your drive, on your land it is trespassing, however, the police will not intervene because it is on private land and a domestic matter but there could be loopholes to that, I don't know. You are not allowed to damage that vehicle or block it in, it would be very costly for you in legal terms.
You would need to keep your gate locked.
Banging and slamming doors is a matter with the council to see if it constitutes an ASBO.

The police advice of not engaging with them is possibly their way of managing it by saying ignore them and hope they will cease because they're not getting a reaction.
There are solar powered CCTVs available online now, you could have a look at prices and reviews for them or get a plug in system if you need surveillance.

Try not to over focus on it, easier said than done in the circumstances.
My neighbours boundary fence is a bit weak and they have a shrub that presses against it when the wind blows at it, but they're not worried about it, they will fix it if it goes down so I have adjusted that bit of the garden accordingly. But that's just one fence panel and all very amicable between us.

[Cassy_2206]

Oh my God it's awful,really sympathize with your situation, maybe you should write an email to local city hall

[Michael_2205]

Keep a written diary of every incident. Record or video anything you can. Complain to the council's Environment Health department and complain again every time something happens. Keep complaining. Get other neighbors to complain as well. When dealing with you becomes more irksome for them than dealing with the neighbor, they will take action.

[bowlingbun]

Just to clarify things, you now own your house outright?
They are council tenants still?

[Patrick _2202]

If your friend can bear it he needs to start keeping a diary of all the incidences of noise. This sort of written record is accepted as evidence as long as he doesn't exaggerate or embellish it in an easily disproven way. The local authority (council) has a statutory duty to investigate complaints of noise and other nuisance, they often have a team working over night that will drop by at short notice or arrangement to witness noise for themselves. I'm also wondering if your friend has any other 'official' visitors, district nurse, key worker etc who might be willing to write a letter corroborating what your he is saying. How obvious is the drug dealing/taking? If, for instance the hallway reeks of weed your friend could call the police and say that and that he believes they are dealing, he doesn't have to give his name. Even if the police don't come out every time they have to log every call/complaint and higher officers will eventually escalate it - perhaps to a satisfying, dawn door down kicking raid! If they are done for dealing they may well lose their tenancy automatically (my council social housing has this policy) it is certainly evidence of antisocial behavior. Does the Housing association have a website? Check on their codes of practice on how to deal with antisocial behavior and support vulnerable tenants, it sounds like they would be failing on both of those and it should be pointed out to them. Lastly and probably most important, if you are worried that your friend might be suicidal or close to it please ask him about it. It is a fallacy that asking a depressed person if they feel suicidal precipitates suicidal behavior. It is often a relief for them to be able to express how they are feeling to someone supportive and non judgmental, they may also be able to put your mind at rest that they don't feel like that at all. Excuse any spelling or grammar errors or poor explanations, a bit tired to be typing but this one tugged my heartstrings.

[bowlingbun]

It may be that they enjoy winding you up?
Some people are like that.
Think about putting some obscure film on your windows so you cannot see the fence and anything leaning against it. You cannot change them, but you CAN change your feelings, with practice. It won't be quick or easy, so persevere.

[ontheverge]

BB - you are right. Some people are indeed like that. The b**** next door is a prime example. Certain doors (on the party wall that is between our houses) she will repeatedly slam full pelt but quietly closes other ones (not on the party wall). It's been like this for years and years. It's made me so poorly. I'm still waiting for karma and religion to do their thing - fanciful fantasies more like!

OP - if your neighbours are still council tenants / housing association tenants, get in touch with the environmental health team. They will ask you to do a long and lengthy log and then they will take it further. If your neighbours own the property, forget it. The council will do sweet FA. I've been there, done that. Try and move if you can or say hello to a world of misery and upset.

I'm still trying to convince my Mum to move but she is having none of it.

[Charles_2112]

This is perhaps a possibility. It's the harassment bit you need to look at. https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/s ... harassment