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Homophobic, racist and harassment from neighbours tenant

Started by phg, October 14, 2019, 12:49:46 PM

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phg

Good afternoon. My neighbours tenant (single lady) has been very difficult since she moved in around 8 years ago, I've owned my flat for 21 years. I lived there permanently, then had long term tenants, once the neighbours tenant moved in she drove out my tenant, with harrarement. People locally know how this woman is and in the shop unit below they known her as 'rottweiler', this does sum up her character. I've since had other long term tenants but she manages to make them feel very uncomfortable and they all end up moving out. Tenants in another flat in the same building also moved out because of her.  I've also since done some shorter lets because the fees are less, if they end up leaving early. I've now moved back in because it's becoming more and more difficult to keep any tenant in there. She is now harassing my partner and I, with racist and homophobic abuse. On Police advice a motion sensitive camera was installed in April 19, overlooking my entrance door.  This has recorded some very weird and disturbing behaviour, listening at my door, looking through the keyhole and banging on the door, when knowone is even inside. It's become clear that she has many issues with the flats and people living around her, and mental issues, although nothing is getting done. The Police are again giving her warning for harassment this week, we don't have any concrete evidence for anything else as my only witness doesn't want to get involved.  So i'm trapped with this flat, it's almost impossible for me to rent it, long or short term, I can't sell it because I would have to disclose the issue with the neighbour and I don't really feel safe and comfortable living here. What do I do, board it up and wait until she goes. This is K & C. The freeholder of the building doesn't seem bothered to take any action. Likewise the landlord of the flat in question says this is her tenants home and doesn't want to take action. Surely if the landlord does not condone or take action on her disruptive tenant, then she is encouraging this behaviour, then I can somehow take legal action on the landlord? Very difficult situation that I've chosen to ignore for all these years in the hope it would go away, but now it needs to be dealt with, but I do feel very trapped as described earlier. The Police are going to interview her this week, but she will most likely get a written warning this time for harassment. I want to get her out of the building. Is this harassment warning good enough evidence for me to say that she is preventing me from peacefully enjoying my property under the lease, and if so, is this strong enough to get her out and can i put pressure on her landlord? If you have got this far and read my questions thank you for taking the time. Let me know if you have any advise. Very much appreciated.

Mortimer

Harassment is a crime, and giving you racist and homophobic abuse are crimes.  You're a victim.  You've done the right thing by contacting the police.  It's for them to deal with.

In the meantime, if you move out and go and live somewhere else, then you're letting her win -- but if that's what it takes to make you and your partner feel safe, then you should do it.  Don't live somewhere you don't feel safe, or you'll be miserable.

Hippogriff

Quote from: phg on October 14, 2019, 12:49:46 PMSurely if the landlord does not condone or take action on her disruptive tenant, then she is encouraging this behaviour, then I can somehow take legal action on the landlord?

Despite you quite artfully framing the question with "Surely... " no, this doesn't follow logically at all. The Landlord of the Tenant in question doesn't want, or need, to get involved, rightly so.

It could be six-of-one and half-a-dozen of the other... you could just tell a better story / have the funds to get cameras etc. - it's hard to be objective when you only hear one side. The advice from here would nearly always be - treat the Tenant neighbour just as you would an Owner neighbour - do not attempt to 'report' the Tenant to the Landlord thinking that the Landlord is some kind of authority interested in your wellbeing... they are not, and should not be. It's a dispute between neighbours, pure and simple and there are always processes to follow in these circumstances... those processes do not involve bringing the Landlord in (the Landlord here cannot really be expected to be objective).

Stick with the established processes.

raiden

From my experience most of the time tenants or just people in general who act like that are all just mouth.

I've had with a tenant in the past saying your not getting your rent and me and my big brother are going to kick your head in.  Being as I lived next door and both of them where twice the size of me I assumed the tenant thought he could get away not paying his last months rent after he gave me notice to quit early.  I just told him when do you want to beat me up?  I'll save you both a job and pop round to your flat now.  Went round and they let me and the big brother had no clue what the T had said so they both had an argument about it.  The brother said sorry and that I would get my rent tomorrow and that his stupid brother would be gone at the end of the week.  Worse case the T hits you and you press charges and they get arrested.  Yes no one likes a punch in the face but just tell your T they need to pack this all in and whenever I've had issues like this I record the T with my smart phone and then at a later date play it back to them.  Again they always back down and start to behave or just leave quietly.  And just play it to the police and say look i'm getting all this abuse and if you don't arrest her i'm to the press that you are sorting this out.  If you walked up to a stranger in the street and started abusing someone verbally you would be arrested wouldn't you?

Hippogriff

Quote from: raiden on October 15, 2019, 09:05:23 AM
From my experience most of the time tenants or just people in general who act like that are all just mouth.

I've had with a tenant in the past saying your not getting your rent and me and my big brother are going to kick your head in.  Being as I lived next door and both of them where twice the size of me I assumed the tenant thought he could get away not paying his last months rent after he gave me notice to quit early.  I just told him when do you want to beat me up?  I'll save you both a job and pop round to your flat now.  Went round and they let me and the big brother had no clue what the T had said so they both had an argument about it.  The brother said sorry and that I would get my rent tomorrow and that his stupid brother would be gone at the end of the week.  Worse case the T hits you and you press charges and they get arrested.  Yes no one likes a punch in the face but just tell your T they need to pack this all in and whenever I've had issues like this I record the T with my smart phone and then at a later date play it back to them.  Again they always back down and start to behave or just leave quietly.  And just play it to the police and say look i'm getting all this abuse and if you don't arrest her i'm to the press that you are sorting this out.  If you walked up to a stranger in the street and started abusing someone verbally you would be arrested wouldn't you?

Incoherent ramblings of a mad-person... coupled with poor advice... I felt like deleting this, and almost did... but thought I'd allow you to play it back to yourself.

heavykarma

I agree in principle that neighbour problems are not the concern of the landlord.However,whatever the legal position,there is also a requirement for common decency,which applies to all of us.I had experience when a man in the neighbouring flat was driving my tenants out.Real threat and danger was involved (shared gas pipe being severed,a samurai sword being wielded for instance) The police and I tried, without success, to get the landlord to evict.He was a wealthy man with many properties,and nothing to lose.I was losing money for voids,paying for emergency B&B,but I had no realistic grounds to sue him.Only when the man stabbed a stranger in the face was he arrested and jailed.I know this is an extreme version,but I would not allow a tenant of mine to cause such misery.

It is really not clear from PHG's account what form this harassment takes. I don't get the impression that this woman poses any real danger.Does she mutter insults as you walk past? Ignore her.She is clearly a deeply unpleasant and ignorant person,but there is no shortage of those in the world.I think it would require a group effort between neighbours,meeting with the police to see if an ASBO would be appropriate.If others won't back you up,you will have to make the best of things for now.
In the meantime,I would do what plenty of people have to do every day,try to avoid her,don't give her the satisfaction of disrupting your life.With a bit of luck she will start to cause trouble to the landlord,and he will evict purely out of self -interest.

 

raiden

I understand what I said is not the best coarse of action.  But unfortunately some people just can't be reasoned with no matter how hard you try.  My story of the T threatening to beat me up was the final straw after months of agro and I just thought at the time you are not going to bully me anymore.  Its like being at school usually the kid with the biggest mouth writes cheques his backside can't cash