BB FANS

Some may know...

I live in a white trash ghetto. Its generally vile here, where I live the atmosphere is literally toxic. No happiness here, just nastiness, the smell of assault, rape, and utter lack of social standards.

Living below me, an old guy who coughs 24/7. Mr Cough - as I refer to him, plays music (usually, 'the doors', 'oasis', or 'TRex' every day, usually quite disruptive, sometimes horrific.

Living to the left of me, the little 'Rose' who shares her life with her beloved abusive psycho 'Kevin'. As well as being a walking cliche' for abused women across the world, Missy is even more obnoxious than Mr Cough. She will play music for large parts of the day and evening (usually mega loud Reggae or country music).

My home is for a lot of the time, effectively unliveable. If I did own it (I don't), it'd be worthless. No one would justifiably pay ANYTHING for my apartment.

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Now, here is the issue though...

Last week I signed up to a national housing transfer list. I'm looking to literally 'swap apartments' with someone. Personally, I've massive doubts about being able to find someone to switch with. Anyway...

Today, -and totally unexpectedly one of the people I wrote to 2 days ago knocked on my door (he said he was in the area).

After a few moments of 'err....who are you?', I decided to let the guy in. He seemed okay, and was indeed very polite and 'professional' (haha Gerbilgranny, couldn't resist to use that world).

He mentioned about his area and his situation...and then

one of the questions he asked was 'what are the neighbours like?'. Hmm, I guess I didn't really answer it, I just kinda muddled through. Unless he was autistic, he must have sensed I was totally not answering the question.

He seemed okay about my home, but the more we spoke the more I realised that my entire situation stinks. How the hell am I supposed to get outta this nightmare? I currently have TWO ongoing cases with both neighbours about noise, and so I have something of an ethical dilemna.

I'm totally broken mentally since last summer. My life is worse than I could ever have imagined, and now it comes down to do I lie, and let some nice couple/single person have my home? What I should I do ? I don't know.

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Its another lousy Thursday evening. So far today, a mere '3 hours' have been ruined today.

I've been sending the regular noise sheets and making calls to my local Environmental health lately. However, they are not usually able to make calls to monitor things outside of office hours. My landlord says its down to Environ, and they won't do anything other than write a polite letter to the obnoxious pigs.
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Last week I went crazy and smashed up what was an immaculate bathroom. Its taken a lot of hours and money to get it back to near perfect.

I am not sure how much longer I can hold on.

Calrissian: coming to another breaking point.

*edited for 'legal reasons'

my sympathies cal

The sooner you get moved the better Cal. When you get to the "ChainSaw Massacre" stage it is time for a fast relocation.

Maybe you need to move OUT of London, there must be some decent areas left within comuting distance of the city.

Keep on at the Authorities, tell them, in a quiet voice, how it is stressing you and make sure they take note.

Cal is this still going on . I know the stresses of bad neighbours i live in fear of any new tennant upstairs being like one I got evicted some time ago, and this building is solidly built and you dont hear the neighbours unless they stage a mini concert in the lounge like they did.

I think you need to see citizen advice, you may be able to get a move from your housing assosiation on medical reasons or some hole in the system.

Also consider you may be swapping one hell hole for another, dont agree to the move till youve been there and talked to your new neighbours.

as for the question about the lie, well unless you bride the scum to be quiet when he next comes round. they are going to hear it anuway arent they, unless you pretend to be deaf

Poor Calrissian If I were you I would tell the truth about your neighbours and get any potential enguiries to endorce a letter saying that you had told them the truth about the noise and the living conditions to your housing officer saying how you will be unable in all honesty put anyone into the situation you so desperately want to leave. Don't do anything rash, Calrissian. Also get your local MP and your doctor to write to your housing officer confirming the desperate situation you are in and and keep your hands off that hammer I will pray for you.

Try writing to the landlords concerned, my dad is a landlord and does take note of bad tenants- they're not all ogres.(if it's council then they HAVE to act)
Environmental health are also legally obliged to act if it's affecting your wellbeing, keep banging on about it to them.
But as the others have said if you do doing something rash then it'll only weaken your case.

I sometimes take for granted living in an idylic place with no noise and perfect neigbours so you have my sympathies Cal.

Hmm...
the guy who visited today actually said that many of the places he has visited are people with vile neighbours, and that is certainly something he doesn't want.

*maybe he has loony neighbours too? Who knows.
Anyway, what I sensed was a nice guy looking for a relatively 'quiet place', and I sure as hell don't have that.
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So, I can't see any realistic hope of being able to arrange a transfer. Its all pointless effort. Worst still, it'd be totally against what I believe in to lie my ass off about this home being 'liveable'. Its not.

A major issue is that the noise is usually intermittent, and its out of office hours. Chances are, i'll never get together a decent court case against either mr cough or missy.

If I had a gun, I'd stick it at each of their heads...and ORDER them to STFU or 'you get DEATH'. That'd work. Maybe.

Anyone got a gun ?

Calrissian: waiting for his pm box to overflow with offers to lend a firearm

What I think it's that it's an absolute disgrace that someone who is a model tenant, and who has put up with intolerable conditions for a long time, ends up in a situation where they are put in the position of having to 'sell' the place to a future tenant.

The landlord(s) don't seem to give a crap. They haven't acted responsibly. They don't care that there are anti-social people ruining things for others. If those anti-social people were looking to swap homes with someone else, they wouldn't care what lies they told, because they are currently messed-up people who don't have much of a conscience.

The last thing I want to see is a decent person be driven over the edge, but I can well understand how it could possibly come to that.

Calrissian, you are being honest here, telling it like it is. The people who have replied to your post don't want you to hurt yourself, or other people, because they/we don't want you to suffer.

It's my opinion that someone just has to be made accountable for a situation where a good citizen is driven to thoughts of acting illegally.

I agree with everything Madeline said.

If you let your MP know about this situation, and nothing is done, then they aren't doing their job, and if - God forbid - you end up doing something drastic - then they will have a case to answer. But then, I wouldn't just stop at one MP....I'd write/email hundreds of 'em, and see if anyone has the moral fibre to do something.

I know you think this situation is somewhat hopeless - and I can understand how you would feel that way, but I am not willing to give up hope in humanity, yet. If no-one with some wretched authority or influence does anything, then everyone is implicated if you are driven to act illegally.

Mind you, I wouldn't just stop at MPs....I'd be e-mailing all sorts of organisations - if only to see who will do something. And I mean all sorts of organisations.

Maybe I wouldn't do any of this, if I was in your situation, because, to be honest, you've been worn down by all the misery, and it's a credit to you that you have maintained your dignity to date. It would be unreasonable for people to expect you to have much energy and enthusiasm, to take on the authorities - but there are others, who would be willing to do some campaigning on your behalf.

Blags mentioned Citizen's Advice, and that sounds like a good suggestion.

Yes, I know I sound a bit wound-up over this...but it's something worth getting wound-up about. Justice and fairness should mean something, in twenty-first century Britain.

Writing to an MP will do nothing.

I'm screwed, can't even move outta here. Thats what really gets me, besides the fact that right now my entire home is shaking (to the tune of Titanic, by Celine Dion), there is no realistic hope of getting away to someplace better.

I was thinking the other day, what if a new place has bad neighbours? I can't imagine how it'd be worse than here, after all, I had TWO unsocial pieces of filth, one below, one to the left.

The irony is that I sometimes even hear either shouting things out loud about me. No doubt trying to annoy me that little bit extra. So nice.

Calrissian - I don't know what to say except that I feel really bad for you that you're forced to live in such hellish conditions. I really hope you find a way out of it soon, as it's obviously affecting your health and well-being.

Surely there is SOMETHING that can be done?

As others have said the CAB is a good starting point.

Useful information
http://www.antisocialbehaviour.org.uk/index.php
http://www.together.gov.uk/category.asp?c=27
http://www.thesite.org/homelawandmoney/ ... rsfromhell

Can't offer and practical help but the information on the pages above might help.

I think I have one tactic, which I may launch next week.

an online and leaflet campaign against both Rose' and her psycho boyfriend. i'll leaflet houses and do an online blog of the lame situation here.

I really am way beyond 'the line' now.
Rose is regularly abused, but I will use it against her. I'll let the whole world know about her social inept attitude...and anything to totally send mr psycho 'over the edge' is probably a good thing.

Hey, I might even end up making the news. 'local man launches tirade against couple'.
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ohh, I suppose I could be sued for libel, but then..its doubtful the nasty woman or psycho would do that. Besides, I have little concern for leagl issues that are far in the future.

Its 9.20pm...and celine dion has finally stopped. The glasses in the cabinets are not rattling anymore, its quiet. Even so, it'll probably be a lousy weekend, usually is.

Cal : still waiting for offer of a gun

when my brother had a similar problem with the bloke next door, he turned his speakers to the wall, put Iron Maiden on at the highest level and then went out for three hours

it seemed to do the trick!

sorry i know that's a bit flippant Cal! - but I don't have a gun!

Actually, I start a full time course next week for a few months. I'm highly inclined to just still on a loop various sounds from 9-5pm every day.

I lack the speakers though for a really decent retaliation. then again....maybe 40hrs a week of crying baby or some other BB clip will suffice on even small desktop speakers.

oh well....i'll keep you updated, I will probably take suggestions for 'noise of the day' or something like that.

a little update
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Managed to have Enviro' catch 'missy' booming this morning. They issued a notice to her, if she breaks it...she be going to court.
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However, things still suck so badly. I have mr cough below me, and he is almost as annoying as she is.
Today, so far 3 hours have been 'wrecked' by noise. A long weekend ahead.

Calrissian: time for some lunch