complicated neighbour dispute

[esiotrot]

I will try to keep this short.
We have lived in our house for 10 years, nice neighbours, no problems. 18 months ago neighbour attached to our semi moved out to live with her partner. She let her house privately to a 'work colleague'. Problems started from day 1. New tenants teenage daughters and friends vandalised our car, they constantly throw rubbish in our garden and play loud music for hours on end. Next door has a flat roof extension and this has so much rubbish on it it blows into our garden, smells and is a breeding ground for flies in the hot weather. Spoke to the parent, who agreed to sort the problems out. Nothing has changed and things got worse when they got 2 dogs. The dogs chewed through the fence panels and despite constant requests the tenant says it isn't her responsibility to replace the fence. The dogs now run around our garden and foul it almost daily. Spoke to the landlord who says she gave them money off the rent to repair the fences but they didn't bother. Boundary is neighbours responsibility. Now the problem is that the ex neighbour didn't sort out a proper tenancy agreement and is having trouble getting her tenants to pay her rent. She is working to remove the tenants but in the meantime we are stuck with them and their anti social behaviour. The council say that as the dogs aren't 'loose' they won't send round the dog warden and there seems to be no progress in sorting out the fence, as each party is blaming the other. Landlord says it isn't her dogs that caused the problem, but anyway has already given them £500 to repair fences, tenant says it isn't her fence so she doesn't have to repair it. Meanwhile the dogs are running riot in our garden. What can we do to force the repairs of the fence? I am on a limited income and can't afford to replace the fence myself or I would.

[tamborine]

nooooo.....farmers don't shoot dogs mauling livestock without police witness/evidence.

[AlBags]

It's pretty obvious that a few pretty words will do nothing for those creeps.
Sooner you get tough and show you mean business, the sooner they will stop.
If you don't, they will walk all over you.

[joko]

i would send them a formal letter statign that next time the dogs get in you will open the gates... also state that you will be installing some sort of dog deterrent such as barbed wire on your lawn or around the holes, that may injure the dogs or something - DONT DO THIS OF COURSE - but the threat of ti may make them believe you and sort it out.

also include some literature about the dangers for kids an dog poo...and mention if the kids catch anyhting it will be on their heads...and you will sue

re the fence, you could just staple some chicken wire over and leave it at that.


i know this all might sound nasty but i think you need to fight them with like versus like...people like that are not phased by letters an courts an rights etc... if they know you will give as good as you get they may just back down... buy a set of dummy cctv cameras an install very visibly...

be prepared though

[dotty.]

dogs should not be allowed into your garden if you have chidldren, that is dangerous, ring the police next time it happens

[cassa333]

Unless otherwise stated in the deeds no fence has to be errected or maintained. Therefore you cannot force your neighbour to mend the fence.

However the owner of animals has a duty to keep their animals penned in and safe from harm. This doesn't have to be a fence. It could be a pen.

As this neighbour obviously doesn't care then you have only the options mentioned already.
Fix it yourself. This can be done relativly cheeply with builders pallets, sometimes available free.

Leave your gate open so the dogs get out.

By the way complain to the council often but if your complaints become excessive they will regard you as a pain in the b'm and ignore most of what you complain about. Or they may think you are harrassing them...