Great Laurence!
As I posted elsewhere, my elderly mother had new neighbours move in just three months ago. She has lived in her mid-terrace house for more than 60 years, and the house next door was sold to an Asian couple - not in itself a problem.  Mum knew that work would have to be done on the house, which was done during the day, without too much noise.  However, the day after the workmen moved out, the owner started his own repairs, and carried on hammering for two whole days until 6pm, when friends and relations arrived, and a 'party' that went on until after midnight. Mum knocked on the door at about 8pm on the second evening, and was treated with contempt.  Near midnight, she called the Police, who spoke to the couple. It turned out to be the best thing she could have done. Two weeks later, the owners let the house to relatives, with two young children who constantly ran around the house (on laminated flooring), banged on radiators, and threw things at the wall at all times of day and night.  Added to this, there were frequent noisy gatherings in the evenings.

Now, the problem is best part solved. As a result of Mum calling the Police, a community PO called to see her. In turn, the PO contacted the Environmental health Dept. The community PO spoke to the family, who apparently couldn't understand English.  Not a problem - a letter was written to them in their own language.  Although Mum was given the contact number for the EHD, the officer actually contacted her, as the PO had asked him to, and visited her. Mum had to fill in a report sheet of noise what and when but, before she sent it back, the EHO wrote a letter to the family. The noise levels improved somewhat but, interestingly, it was after Mum put a note through their door, asking for washing lines to be removed from HER fence, explaining at the same time how much their noise was affecting her health, that the situation improved radically.

So, first of all don't give up trying to sort out the problem. Being told by your council that "It's not our problem" or something similar, is highly unlikely to be true. If you are being kept awake at night, or your quality of life is seriously compromised, then you have a right to help and support from the local Environmental Health Dept. This is especially, but not only, so if you have young children who are being kept awake, or you are elderly, or suffer with serious health problems.  If music or loud noise is going on late into the evening/night, check your local bye-laws - I would guess that in most residential areas, that level of noise isn't permitted.  Start by talking to your neighbour(s) nicely, explaining the problem, and asking them to quieten down. If that doesn't work, or it doesn't last, then wrote a polite note. If that doesn't work, write another equally polite letter, informing them that, if they don't limit the noise, that you will, reluctantly, take further action. Again, if that doesn't work, then take said action. Unless the noise is exceptionally loud, and goes on until after midnight, then you can call the Police. Whatever, if the noise goes on, week after week, then make a written record of the details. When you contact the EHD you will probably have to fill in one of their own forms, but extra ammunition is never wasted. And again, DON'T GIVE UP!!!

Bearness

I'd recommend you register an account - that will allow you to edit any posts you make from then on. It also gives access to a few extra forum features, too.

Thanks again for the idea and I'm glad to read about your success!

Laurence
NN Administrator

Starfish, not only is your post on totally the wrong thread, it's almost impossible to read!  There are no fullstops, so I can't make out where one sentence starts and another begins, so it becomes meaningless. One thing I did get, though, and that your post is NOT a success story, so what's it doing on here?

Dear 'Somebody Help Please' !

My mum and dad moved into a retirement bungalow 2 years ago. From almost day one the daughter of the neighbour who owns next door has constantly played loud music throughout the night. She has physically threatened my parents and even 'promised' to kill them if they continue to complain. Of course, we have contacted the Environmental guys and the Police who try (?) but at the end of the day I/we are now at our whit's end with the whole situation with 2 elderly parents and their neighbour who is laughing at the law and continuing to stick two fingers up to everyone. I fear this is now making my parents ill, my mother is already suffering with cancer .. the woman next door doesn't care, the Police cannot do anything, Environmental Health are toothless; they record and record and record... but ultimately the woman next door knows the system and doesn't care.
To add to the situation the neighbour responsible for the noise has a long list of previous, including an incident of stabbing which made the local newspaper 7 years ago.
My parents have worked heir whole life and are absolute genuine caring citizens & the neighbour just does not care ... she is killing them, the authorities cannot (or will not) do anything concrete.
This is a sad sad situation where it seems once again the perpetrator has all the rights --- never worked, doesn't care & hates the world. My parents, ill, absolutely would help anyone in their hour of need and never had an incident with the law in 77 years are tossed aside.
No idea where to go next.... any ideas?
PLEASE HELP!

What a family. If they knew your situation but they still didn't care, you should consider move to another place. Since even the police couldn't do anything about it, what can we do?

If you have suffisant evidance of recordings of the loud music being played throughout the night by this neighbours daughther, issue a court case against this neighbour and her daughter and the noise should stop. If the neighbour and her daughter continue the noise nuisance, the court will serve a notice where as the noise nuisance neighbour will incur a fine. If the neighbour continues despite the court issuing a fine and numerous warnings, then the court will evict this women and her daughter.

Do not let this scum women and her garbage daugher continue to distroy your parents life. In the mean time go out and buy your parents a set of noise reduction ear muffs to wear while they are trying to sleep.

The Environmental Health Department have a duty by law to deliver the service they promise. You have a genuine noise complaint that will hold up in a court of law. Issue a court case against The Environmental Health Department as well for not doing their job. That will teach them.

Errol

Back in June I wrote that after c18 months of misery the Environmental Health had confiscated my neighbours stereo, dvd player and tvs etc. which resulted in complete bliss for the next few days. However a neighbour who I had never previously had trouble with decided now was a good time to start playing music very loudly, I was in despair! However she didn't keep it up, I think it was because the local press had got hold of the story and printed it including pictures of the original noisy neighbours stuff being taken away including 3 massive tvs - no wonder I could never tell what part of the flat above the noise was coming from. Anyway the original noisy neighbour has now moved out  - brilliant and the other noisy people in the block seemed to have piped down, which I can only put down to it being reported in the press.  The reporter had interviewed a number of people who said how bad the noise was - he didn't interview me, because I wasn't there; one woman said they were animals and that she was moving out because of the noise. When the Environmental Health Officer phoned to tell me my neighbour was moving out I asked him how many people apart from myself had complained, he said none, only me - all I can say is thanks neighbours for all your help.

New neighbours have now moved in above me and so far seem quiet, I don't know if they have been warned about making too much noise.  I love being at home now. So all you trouble by neighbours from hell, do persevere. Anne