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ENTRY TO REAR OF HOUSE BLOCKED SINCE THURSDAY

(22 Posts)
Jalima Thu 14-Jul-16 19:56:51

I meant to reply to this yesterday but pc has been playing up.

Marieeliz I would suggest that you keep a log of everything with dates and photos. You can contact your local councillors too, town, community and county councillors should help in circumstances like this.
It amounts to harrassment.

The thing is, you may have to live next door to this young woman and her family for a long time. I hope you and she can come to some kind of rapprochement even if her father is a bully.
flowers

rubylady Thu 14-Jul-16 19:08:30

Contacting your MP will help. Nothing was happening with our house move or with the guy who was tormenting us and as soon as I got our MP involved, wheels turned and we were out within weeks. He was really good. Keep on at them, go to a surgery they are holding, write to him but keep copies. smile

Marieeliz Thu 14-Jul-16 18:42:47

To answer your queries, I did report that no one was living there, the family must have had a phone call from the HT to say they were visiting. That night net curtains went up and a pram was left outside. I told the housing officer that. The 8 year old does not stay there at all. Sleeps at grandparents. I feel that I am banging my head against a brick wall with HT. They go to the family right away and say there is a complaint.

I suspect the next job will be a loft extension, they will probably wait until they can purchase. I am not too sure how long they have to live there before they are allowed to do this. It is a two bed and they have a boy and girl.

No one seems to obey the rules re CCTV a couple of neighbours have it. The ball type and that has an all round view.

We have a new set of Councillors who are much more helpful than the last lot. I will ask them to find out what is allowed. Thank you for all your advice. At least I was out when he came around shouting and swearing.

petra Thu 14-Jul-16 07:06:49

I agree with everything everyone has said. I would be contacting my local MP.
My daughters next door neighbour took down his back fence to try and take over the back entry so that he could build the huge shed to house people in, and yes, he told my SIL that that was why he was doing it. He didn't see anything wrong with this. My SIL soon put him right.

Izabella Wed 13-Jul-16 11:41:39

And (heaven forbid) there is a fire, how will you get out?

rubylady Wed 13-Jul-16 04:43:43

Marrieeliz In your original post, you said that the tenant was not occupying the property for nine months? This is against her tenancy agreement, she is not allowed to leave it for so long. Also, I would have thought that she would have had to get permission to have jobs done to the property, I know I have to to mine. If it is possible, look on the housing association she is with, their website and see if it says anything or ring them up on another number and enquire if, as a tenant, you would have to get permission to do jobs and how long you can be away from your property, pretending you are interested in renting from them.

Keep a diary of everything they do. I had this in my last home but unfortunately I ended up moving house to get away from the person who was making my life hell. Install the CCTV so that you have evidence but it can't be pointed at anyone else's property, only your own. Take photos of any more stuff left in the entry and put the date on the camera. Voice record any conversations.

Then change your name on her to Miss Marple. grin

Good luck, some people need a kick up the jacksy to be normal human beings.

jinglbellsfrocks Tue 12-Jul-16 19:43:34

Elegran has given excellent advice here. The Housing Trust in this matter are your enemy. They are only concerned about the improvements being made to their property. It is adding value to their property. I think you should tell the Housing Trust, in a letter, what they can and what they can't do with regard to your property, and tell them you will contact a solicitor next time the rules are flouted.

Marieeliz Tue 12-Jul-16 19:28:30

Thank you for your advice. On Sunday, while my friend was here, I knocked and said "I'm afraid I am going to have to ask you to remove the ladders". I have workmen coming early tomorrow. The first thing out of her mouth was I'll have to ring my Dad". She is about 26 has a partner who lives with her.

My friend and I then went out for lunch 12.30 came back at 4.30 and ladders were in the back garden. Think they will be for gutter paining, so that is the next challenge. I have taken photo's onmy tablet of the roofline as it is now in case they paint over it. I did get the impression that the Contractor was not happy about doing it. I was thinking of getting CCTV quite a few people have it around.

The problem with keeping HT informed is they go to the Tenant and the father and mother are always there they know it is me making the complaint and I get the pay back.

cornergran Sun 10-Jul-16 23:23:08

Can't agree more with MOnica. Please record everything, photos if you can without inflaming the situation. If you can have a witness to any interaction so much the better. Your window cleaner could perhaps confirm access was blocked. There seems to be an assumption of entitlement here on the part of your neighbour's father. If you can seek advice from the CAB or a similar organisation in your area that would be good. If nothing else it will,help you feel more confident. You should not have to put up with aggressive behaviour. The builder doesn't even live there so has no rights at all! I do hope this can be resolved quickly and you can live a life without hassle.

M0nica Sun 10-Jul-16 15:39:02

Marieeliz. Keep a diary of every single incident and get a camera and make sure that every incident of obstruction is photographed. If necessary speak to the police about the intimidation.

But, most of all, log every incident in print and photographs.

Eloethan Sun 10-Jul-16 14:05:30

I think I would put all this into a letter to the Housing Trust so that there is a paper trail. I feel it is always better to have a written record of events and to show that those in responsibility have been fully appraised of what is happening.

I also wonder if the local council would approach the Housing Trust since the council has a responsibility to you - as a community tax-paying resident of the borough - to ensure your right to enjoy your property without intimidation or aggravation.

Marieeliz Sun 10-Jul-16 11:26:02

Next time I contact the HT I will ask for the Manager, the officer who came out was not familiar with English and seemed more impressed about the work done. This guy has a reputation. It is a small world I went to my Cousins house in Monmouth and he had a friend their who new him. I got the impression no one liked him much. The friend said " I didn't actually have any problems with him" but insinuated that others did.He doesn't do the work just calls people in and when leaving I hear him say if you have any trouble from her text me. That's me.

Marieeliz Sun 10-Jul-16 11:21:27

The housing trust just seem delighted they are doing the work. They bought these houses of the Council for £11,000 each.

breeze Sun 10-Jul-16 10:57:58

kittylester I was wondering that. But I assumed perhaps it was a part buy or something. It sounds like he's a decent builder but supposing he was a right bodger. Surely you can't knock property about that's owned by a Housing Trust? I honestly don't know but I wouldn't have thought so.

chloe1984 Sun 10-Jul-16 10:30:11

I am not too sure that I would speak to these people directly over this problem don't allow yourself to be intimidated by them just because they swear and raise their voices ( as easy as that is to write I appreciate that it will not be easy) They are not allowed to do exactly as they choose. When speaking to the housing officer make them aware of the fact that this is the last time you will contact them directly over this matter you can say that you have contacted a solicitor/CAB/taken legal advice etc. And if it happens again in the future they will be hearing directly from them ,and at the same time you may wish to add that any costs incurred by yourself by workmen having to be turned away due to no access being available the bill will be forwarded to them. After the phone call send an email confirming the conversation and don't be afraid to copy in any interested parties perhaps your local council representative MP, and of course the housing officers line manager ( whose name and email address you would have asked for during the phone conversation ) Perhaps you may wish to suggest that your local paper have shown an interest in running a front page article with photographs etc. Good luck, no one should have to put up with being bullied by people who find it easier to store their stuff where it suits them irrespective of others needs and legal rights.

kittylester Sun 10-Jul-16 10:25:35

Has he got permission to do all these marvellous alterations to a property belonging to a housing trust?

Marieeliz Sun 10-Jul-16 10:16:42

I own my house theirs belongs to a Housing Trust, it is one of only two left on the block. I just thought I would, at least, try and be polite and ask first nicely. Unfortunately, my window cleaner comes at 8 am tomorrow and the Housing Trust are closed.

Elegran Sun 10-Jul-16 10:07:37

If you do have to ask him to move things, make sure you have a witness, and that you are perfectly polite. Any shouting and threatening from him should be noted down and reported to the police.

This is not on. The Housing Officer clearly told him the last time that he should not store things in the entry, so he can't claim not to know.

Welshwife Sun 10-Jul-16 10:04:15

Who actually owns the houses?

Pippa000 Sun 10-Jul-16 10:02:36

I assume you have a flying freehold with your house. There are set rules which the user of the pathway must abide by. I would contact your Housing Trust Officer or her superior if she is not of any help, and insist that there are regulation that should be in both contracts regarding this and that are reviewed and enforced.

Elegran Sun 10-Jul-16 10:02:35

I think you need to contact the Housing Trust officer and tell them that you are unable to use the back of YOUR property because of the stuff that is being stored across your entry.

Remind them that the neighbour has right of ACCESS not the right to block off YOUR access, certainly not to paint over any part of your property, and that you are afraid to speak to him directly because he is a bully who has sworn at you in the past, and told lies that you prevented him access.

Add that whatever marvels he has done to his daughter's property, he has no rights over yours!

Marieeliz Sun 10-Jul-16 09:37:28

I have not gone to sleep all night worrying about this.

I have a Housing Trust Tenant moved in next door, just on twelve months ago, her father is a builder. The first nine months she did not live there and building work was carried out 7 days a week. No one apologised about the inconvenience to me, the girl went around to her mothers while this was all going on. She has a partner but the father seems to be in charge. It all came to ahead this time last year when he used the entry to store goods and put a lock on the gate so I could not get through. The father turned up as my window cleaners arrived and I asked that he remove the stuff from the entry and he was rude and swore and quite violent. We both contacted the Housing Trust. Housing Officer came out. He said I hadn't allowed him access. I told her that he was storing things there. After that, equipment was left in the rear garden.

On Thursday morning a van drew up and a triple set of ladders was placed in the entry I assumed they would be moved that night but they are still there. My window cleaner is again due early tomorrow morning. I know if I asked for them to be moved he will get angry and shout and threaten. I was also expecting to have someone use the access to clean my patio area next week.

The entry is only access for them, my property actually goes over it and although he is a builder does not seem to know rules about this. I recently overhead him instructing a contractor to paint over my UVPC which goes over the entry. The contractor pointed out to him that it was UPVC. He seems to call favours in from other people he has worked with.

Any advice please? I need to either put a note through the door asking that they be moved, they have all gone off now to her mother's, which is the usual routine. If I speak to her I know the minute she rings her father all hell will be let loose.

I did not find the housing trust Officer very sympathetic she was so impressed with the work they had carried out in the house she said "I cannot tell you what they have done but it is wonderful"

All this family live in very large houses about 10 minutes away.