luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
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I definitely think it might be worth at least asking a solicitor if there's any recourse open to you about this harassment... after all, that's clearly what  neighbours did. Illegitimately. Sadly, the longer you keep playing the nice guy and not rising to their bait, playing their silly games, the more secure they'll become, the more convinced of their righteousness and the more relentless in their harassment. No-one should have to live under such scrutiny and you probably need to do something to let them know you're not an easy target for them to externalise their tragic empty lives. It's a cliche, but now they've got a taste for it it probably won't stop unless you do something to make it stop |
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they are certainly paying out enough rope for your to "hang 'em high". you are clearly a principled gent with far more patience than myself but i think the time is rapidly approaching where you could legitimately and with a pile of supporting evidence file a harassment order against them. i'm surprised that no one on here has a solicitor who is a either a relative or good mate that would offer you sound advice for no more that the satisfaction of helping out a decent bloke!
is there actually even a right to privacy any more? i think as far as planning goes you have no right to complain on the grounds of loss of view/privacy... though i may be wrong ....again!
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'80 s1 924 turbo..hibernating
'80 golf gli cabriolet...doing impression of a skip
'97 pug 106 commuter...continuing cheapness making me smile!
firm believer in the k.i.s.s and f.i.s.h principles.
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Jun 15, 2019 10:04:16 GMT
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I would have a look at my various insurance policies and see if I have legal expense cover and then go from there.
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Jun 15, 2019 10:38:44 GMT
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Hi, This can be put down to a frivolous complaint and has, I guess, been dealt with by the local constabulary. If these continue they're deemed to be vexatious complaints and are treated more seriously. So keep your powder dry and keep a log of all incidents, don't retaliate and especially don't lose your rag with them. They will either stop because they're not getting a reaction or if they continue they will keep giving you more evidence.
Good luck.
Colin
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Last Edit: Jun 15, 2019 10:40:47 GMT by colnerov
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Jun 15, 2019 12:57:24 GMT
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Let us pray that karma strikes Mr and Mrs Petty and their property is burgled with the only evidence of the perpetrators being captured by your camera.
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,353
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Jun 15, 2019 13:24:13 GMT
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Hi, This can be put down to a frivolous complaint and has, I guess, been dealt with by the local constabulary. If these continue they're deemed to be vexatious complaints and are treated more seriously. So keep your powder dry and keep a log of all incidents, don't retaliate and especially don't lose your rag with them. They will either stop because they're not getting a reaction or if they continue they will keep giving you more evidence. Good luck. Colin This. Carry on quietly letting them have more and more rope. I have no doubt you are already keeping track of “events”, but if you’re not, then you really need to be doing so. Lay out a timeline, and include everything. The council business, the posts, the turf, the complaints, the whole works. Sooner rather than later, they’ll be crossing the line from frivolous/petty to vexatious/vindictive (indeed they may have done so already). You need to make sure that if it gets to court then there’s no doubt which side of the line they stand, and that you are definitely the wronged party. Satisfying though it might be to retaliate in kind, that will make you just look like a pair of equally idiotic fools in the eyes of an examining magistrate. You need to clearly be the victim. If you’ve the stomach for it, then I’d think restraining orders and recovery of costs should be entirely possible. |
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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63v8
Part of things
Posts: 232
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Jun 15, 2019 16:50:16 GMT
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If you decide not to send out a solicitor letter right now I would still find a solicitor for when you do need one, if you don't have one already. I'm sure with all your classic car customers, contacts and friends someone will know a classic car owning solicitor who can help. It just makes you wonder what they will dream up next to give you unnecessary grief.
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jikovron
Part of things
mechanical chaos
Posts: 633
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Jun 15, 2019 20:58:41 GMT
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Ive got a neighbour who behaves in a similar manner with signs of obsessive fixation on various neighbours in the vicinity.
I first noticed that there was an issue 4 years ago when he was overtly whipping back his curtains, coming out into his garden and staring anytime i worked on the car at any time during the day or evening regardless of task; fill with oil = mad staring, bleed the brakes = more of the same.
When something minor becomes someones adversarial obsession it is a bit of a predictably cliche and obvious manoeuvre to metaphorically dig a trench and engage in verbal/legal polemics.
All that comes out of various 'threats' is purely hardening of position and justification of each others perspective.
You have the clearly laid legal framework to back up your business after a decisive bureaucratic battle, embarking on legal wars over minor hot air would in a way correlate to burning your cash in a bin next to their washing line etc regardless of outcome way down the road.
Ive largely fixed my issue,by keep the comms open, and firmly shoring up the facts of the matter. Not an easy road to go down but free and also better than it could be.
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Jun 17, 2019 14:51:00 GMT
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Oh dear, 'there's nowt so queer as folk'.
I am at a loss as to why local Plod even wasted their time in the first place, with such a complaint. Quite simple - not a Police matter. Civil action if you wish to take it any further. Good day.
Drawing upon 70 years of life's little adventures, and having been in a position called upon to sort many such problems out, I can think of many suitable little japes to inflict on those across the road.
At the end of the day such people are not worth the time of day. Ultimately there will come a time when ythey will require assistance, and that's your chance to get even.
I have a similar situation and have openly made it known that in the event of my protagonists property going up in smoke, I shall rush inside; make a mug of tea, rush back outside and then find a suitable place to sit and watch the conflagration.
Just remain calm; keep out of their way; document everything.
Shoulkd they come to sell their property, they have to declare to any interesyted party that they have issues with you. Their property could be blighted by their own actions.
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Jun 17, 2019 15:38:24 GMT
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In the event that you take photographs of any situations, always take a set of 35mm back ups so there can be no accusation of Photoshopping.
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Jun 17, 2019 18:46:32 GMT
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I do hope that Sid stays out of their way, is he a stay at home cat or does he like to go exploring?
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Jun 17, 2019 21:13:00 GMT
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If you are not already - keep a proper A5 or A4 diary.
Document everything with photos if required - however trivial.
Very sorry to hear you life is blighted still.
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vulgalour
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 7,285
Club RR Member Number: 146
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Jun 17, 2019 21:41:35 GMT
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A complaint about a camera could be a precursor to the neighbour committing petty vandalism. Some years ago we had a similar issue with a neighbour about a camera that was set up to try and find out who was scratching, tampering with, and leaving fixings on the driveway to puncture the tyres of our cars. Once the camera went up, the vandalism stopped happening on the drive and instead started happening on the street where the camera didn't cover - I had my wheel nuts loosened so many times I got in the habit of checking them before every drive - and after several complaints the Council insisted the camera be removed. Predictably, the vandalism began again.
We did eventually find out it was the neighbour committing the vandalism, purely by chance, and there didn't seem to be any reason for it beyond some imagined grievance.
I would advise caution in the meantime and keep an eye out for anything that seems a bit off. The diary idea is sensible, it can help put things into perspective and help see patterns you might otherwise miss. It's likely this nonsense will carry on for years, the only way I managed to deal with it was to move house so I can only hope your problem neighbours decide the only way to get away from you is to sell up and move.
There's no point applying logic or rational reasoning to any of this. The neighbour is acting emotionally and on imagined and enlarged slights that they feel are a personal attack when, of course, they're nothing of the sort. You just have to sort of sigh, roll your eyes at them, and get on with what you're doing until they either do something stupid enough to get them on the wrong side of the law, or just give up and move on to bothering someone else.
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v8ian
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,832
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I can see me having dificulties in the near future, i have intentions of moving in with my partner soon, renting out my house,and, then, hopefully semi or full time retirement, we need to build a sensible sized workshop/shed, building within permited building regs but the neighbour is kicking up about loss of view of beachy head, he would need to stand on top of his roof to see beachy head, especially as we have a better vantage point and struggle to see the cliffs on the horizon, although I don't think there is any claim over loss of views SO, we have approached the council and asked for a document of legality, which they are willing to do for a fee, lets whats going to hapen in the next couple of weeks....
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Atmo V8 Power . No slicks , No gas + No bits missing . Doing it in style.
Austin A35van, very different------- but still doing it in style, going to be a funmoble
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vanpeebles
Part of things
I am eastbound in pursuit of a white Lamborghini, this is not a recording.
Posts: 981
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Strange that the cops turned up, even though they had nowt to do with it. I wonder if they were told other things too?
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Strange that the cops turned up, even though they had nowt to do with it. I wonder if they were told other things too? Hi, Yes I would tend to agree, I would think he has taken a scatter gun approach of many and various complaints. I would guess they have taken the view that it's a frivolous complaint and spoken to GN to get his side. They should have written it up as such and so is now logged. It's now down to the neighbour whether he persists with his vendetta. Colin |
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Jun 18, 2019 11:55:27 GMT
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Do you not need to have a clear sign stating that recording cameras are in use?
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samta22
Club Retro Rides Member
Stuck in once more...
Posts: 1,276 
Club RR Member Number: 32
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Jun 18, 2019 12:12:45 GMT
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I don't want to waste my time but I am at the verge of spending a few hundred quid and having the strongest worded correspondence forwarded via a solicitor to them setting out the civil legal actions that I am prepared to take if this nonsense of false & fabricated allegations continues. Just playing catch up on the latest goings on. Chris, the offer still stands if you need some 'assistance' in the legal department. Owe you a catch up call anyway, so will see if I can find some info out for you in the meantime that might cause them to 'reconsider' their current activities.  |
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'37 Austin 7 '56 Austin A35 '58 Austin A35 '65 Triumph Herald 12/50 '69 MGB GT '74 MGB GT V8'73 TA22 Toyota Celica restoration'95 Mercedes SL320 '04 MGTF 135 'Cool Blue' (Mrs' Baby) '05 Land Rover Discovery 3 V8 '67 Abarth 595 (Mrs' runabout) '18 Disco V |
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Chris i've just seen this and can only wish you congratulations and encourage you to keep your chin up as the madness continues. The best approach is to continue being friendly with your good neighbours and engage heavily in village life. Without realizing it, you will be gaining so much support for yourself, it will be noticed by the crackpots and they will feel the outsiders. Its a bit of clever psychology.
I must admit i have almost been on both sides of the boundary. In a previous house we lived next to a very large family who constantly had other family members round. For some reason they never ever got it into their heads that it was wrong to park across my drive. It wasn't so much them i had a problem with but the principal and the fact that they couldn't think of anyone else outside their own little family world. It got the point that i started making out i had to go out even if i didnt, or jumping to the window every time i heard a car outside the house. I remember thinking this has become obsessive and is affected me doing day-day things. When we came to move, the neighbours were actually lovely and fed us after we loaded the van. The old mum was introduced to us and she said "oh your the one who always complains where we park". I realized I had become a moaner.
Now i'm not saying your a*hole neighbours should be forgiven, but i'm trying to understand how anyone can carry such a saga on for so long. I can only think they have become obsessed with it and they themselves probably don't realize how sad they have become. They are so used to looking for ways to fault you they do it automatically. They will trip up one day and then they might look in the mirror and ask themselves if it was worth it. Its like road rage - one-up-manship and desperate to be right is simply not worth it.
I currently have a great set of neighbours on one side, a council house on the other side awaiting new occupants which is worrying, and a tight penny pinching idiot at the back who i have had big falling outs with over the boundary fence. He tried reporting me to the council who couldn't be bothered and assigned us to their mediator team who have been wonderful. By being nice and straight and factual it was winded this guy up even more to the extent where he resorted to underhand tactics that I reported. Still though, it is not nice feeling watched or having awkwardness in your own garden. It goes around though because when some thieves came through our garden and the police followed with dogs, all our neighbours pointed to his garden, so the Police went straight to his back door and gave him a fright.
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Last Edit: Jul 5, 2019 14:42:18 GMT by toast00
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,971
Club RR Member Number: 71
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Jul 14, 2019 11:53:53 GMT
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Really feel for you @grumpynorthener as for the last 27 years living in the same house I have had similar issues with one immediate neighbour - I was initially incline to write a long thread listing them all but decided to bullet point them Driveway was 2 car spaces and I had three cars so I parked one car on the grass - made sense to me to replace driveway and grass square with brick weave hard standing - complaint to council resulted in my request to extend dropped kerb area being declined although the driveway wasn't deemed as an issue Garage was a single - applied for planning permission to extend to double (tandem) 1 objection received and whilst planning permission was granted it was only with condition that it was not to be used for business purposes Numerous complaints since about me using garage for business purposes (normally when working on mates cars for no personal reward - something I no longer do just to avoid the hassle) all NFA (No further action) House was compromised design - planning permission applied for 2 storey ext to the rear - 1 objection (over development of the land and some privacy concerns regarding overlooking the neighbours garden) Extension to the house was on the same footprint as a glass conservatory Extension involved removal of rear fence to gain access for building materials - council then got involved who informed me I could not put back up a 6ft fence because it was within 1 metre of a highway (it was a 6ft fence before and at the time the house was built there was no highway behind) So I put up a 6ft double gate that was panelled like a fence NFA I have a 10pm curfew for noisy work out of consideration for all the neighbours - numerous complaints of noise at silly hours none of which had originated from my garage but from houses behind me all of them have been NFA from the council Numerous other small issues from deliberate or accidental attempts made to poison my cats to petty vandalism of property or shrubs/trees Recently we were burgled so I had CCTV installed all round the house patrolling cameras etc - had I not done this Mrs BC would have been unhappy with me being away from home so no more RRG, RRW or Le Mans trips and this has clearly not gone down well with the neighbour despite a fixed camera being used on the side that our properties share the same border and every effort made to position the camera to cover the side access and not his property - still discussing with the council Also waiting for a complaint about some errant bamboo shoots that have penetrated his garden boundary - everything else we tried to grow along the boundary fence seemed to die very so we planted bamboo because it's quite hard to kill that stuff However I do believe in Karma and it seems I am right to do so Neighbour has made at least two unsuccessful attempts at taking his own life and is completely ignored by pretty much everyone on the estate - he is clearly very unwell and struggles to walk unaided has home help and meals on wheels daily - I'm pretty sure he would blame me for that when he really should take a look at himself as the cause. I'll be cracking open a bottle of bubbly when his misery finally takes him from this earth  |
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