Issues with neighbours

Clauric

Posting for a female friend. Sorry about the length.

Friend is renting a property in Dublin City. The property was built in the 1860s, and was subdivided in the past 30 years into 3 1-bedroom flats, and 1 2-bedroom flat. All the residents are non-Irish originally, and 3 of the properties are occupied by people from North Africa.

Over the past few months, she feels that she is being increasingly bullied by the other residents of the property. Things like:

· Banging on the door, demanding that the TV/radio be turned down/switched off (during daylight hours) so that new-born can sleep, or that it is disrespectful to play music during their prayer time. (edit: was in the house one day when they did this. TV was set at volume 8 on RTE News Now).

· Demanding that she can’t cook pork or pork products, as it makes the house unclean.

· Drawing up a rota for use of the washing machine/dryer that does not include for her to use the machine (communal machine provided by the landlord).

· If she does use the machines, they will stop the machines, and take her things out and leave them on the ground.

· Demand that as a woman, she should mop & hoover the communal floors, because that is her role.

· Smoke cigarettes, and other smokable products, outside her windows, especially living room window, when she is trying to air the house out.

· Constantly leave the backdoor open at all hours of day and night. This has brought in wild animals into the house, especially cats, and rodents. (Her flat is the first after the backdoor).

· One of the residents is not allowed to leave the house by her husband. As such, she has taken to exercising by running in place, and using a skipping rope. She does this at all hours of the day and night, but especially between 21:00 and 23:00, when the husband as just left for work. This is done over her bedroom, and has caused cracks in the ceiling, as well as plaster to fall onto her when she tries to sleep.

· If she is on the phone, they will bang on the door, and demand that she hangs up, as they can hear her in their apartment, and it is “too loud”.

· If she has guests over, they will try and interrogate the guest before/after they leave, and will often make derogatory, sexist, or threatening thigs to her and the guests.

· They threaten to call the Guards every time she says anything, especially saying that she is not allowed talk to them, as she “is a woman and has no rights to say anything to them”. Additionally, they have on a number of occasions raised their fists at her, and threatened to do serious physical, and sexual damage to her. (They always have a witness there – one of the other residents – who will later tell her that they will testify that he didn’t say those things).

She has raised the issues with the landlord, but he is unwilling, or more likely afraid, to do anything. Each time she raises the issue, that landlord will often say that it would be better to sell the property, and be done with the issues. The Guards are not interested, and tell her without physical proof, they won’t even both investigating.

The woman is at her wits end. She has lived in the property more than 10 years, and considers it her home. All the others have only been there about 5 years, and have progressively bullied all the other residents out.

Would any Boardie have a suggestion on how to resolve the issues (apart from moving out, which she can’t afford)?

doylerkelly

If the Landlord is ignoring the issue, can she report it to the PRTB?

Clauric

doylerkelly wrote: »

If the Landlord is ignoring the issue, can she report it to the PRTB?

Got the impression that the landlord basically said that if he had to deal with any problems (Inc RTB, Guards, etc.) he would sell the place, and basically kick them all out.

Browney7

I'm all for not being bullied out of her home but life is too short to deal with crap like that.

I wouldn't be engaging with them at all and to be honest would be more likely to ramp up my cooking of pork products and noise making and if they want to break the door down that's on them.

I hope she has made a detailed diary of events and I would also audio record any interactions with them. If she gets a detailed bank of evidence together she may have recourse to the RTB for anti social behaviour but so much stress and work and things may get much worse before they get better. Would she have the stomach/nerve to tough out the situation?

Any threatening or Intimidatory behaviour, call the guards. If there are children there, a few Tusla referrals may be in order seeing as they threaten violence, again though, this could escalate things.

Horrible situation to be in but I'd be looking for somewhere else

tigger123

Clauric wrote: »

Got the impression that the landlord basically said that if he had to deal with any problems (Inc RTB, Guards, etc.) he would sell the place, and basically kick them all out.

She should call his bluff then and get in touch with the PRTB and the Gaurds.

Clearly what she is going through now is unsustainable and she's going to have to move out, so she might as well try to do something to remedy this situation. Either she does nothing and ends up moving out, or she contacts Guards/PRTB and gets it sorted, or the landlord dumps them all out.

Subutai

Clauric wrote: »

Got the impression that the landlord basically said that if he had to deal with any problems (Inc RTB, Guards, etc.) he would sell the place, and basically kick them all out.

http://revisedacts.lawreform.ie/eli/2004/act/27/section/14/revised/en/html

Edgware

She has one option. Leave and leave now.
PRTB etc are just a waste of time. The troublemakers will get some do gooder solicitor from Threshold to support them.
They are so erratic that they are liable to inflict serious violence on her

the_syco

Clauric wrote: »

• that it is disrespectful to play music during their prayer time. (edit: was in the house one day when they did this. TV was set at volume 8 on RTE News Now).
• Demanding that she can’t cook pork or pork products, as it makes the house unclean.
• Demand that as a woman, she should mop & hoover the communal floors, because that is her role.

Clauric wrote: »

Would any Boardie have a suggestion on how to resolve the issues (apart from moving out, which she can’t afford)?

TBH, if she can't move out, her options are limited.

If religious, ask her to have her priest to talk to them.

If political, have her talk to her party; they may have a solution.

=-=

If this was a family member, I'd pop over with a few metal heads, and have a BBQ sesh out back whilst pumping out thrash metal, as it seems the OPs friends neighbours agenda is to have a house full of their religion only.

_Brian

Clauric wrote: »

Got the impression that the landlord basically said that if he had to deal with any problems (Inc RTB, Guards, etc.) he would sell the place, and basically kick them all out.

That’s what I would do so, call his bluff on that. She is going to have to move sooner or later anyway with that carry on and if I were being made leave I’d be dragging all their sorry asses into the street too.

4ensic15

Record all activities. She should be able to have a full-length movie in a week. After that guards and rtb.

Fann Linn

the_syco wrote: »

TBH, if she can't move out, her options are limited.

If religious, ask her to have her priest to talk to them.

If political, have her talk to her party; they may have a solution.

=-=

If this was a family member, I'd pop over with a few metal heads, and have a BBQ sesh out back whilst pumping out thrash metal, as it seems the OPs friends neighbours agenda is to have a house full of their religion only.

'.....,I'd pop over with a few metal bars,....'
FYP.

enricoh

Just bullying your friend out to get one of their own in i reckon. Behaviour of pure scumbags.
Id insist on not getting fobbed off by cops, pulse number etc.
North african - are they all legit here? how could u find out? Be sweet if some weren't!!

Bicycle

Workplace relations now look after discrimination on grounds of race or religion etc.

My suggestion would be for your friend to contact Workplace Relations and claim that she is being discriminated against, in her rented accommodation, on grounds of gender, marital status, ethnicity and religious beliefs.
https://www.workplacerelations.ie/en/What_You_Should_Know/Equal_Status/

By turning a blind eye, the landlord is enabling the discrimination.

MSVforever

That's absolutely ridiculous carry on but doesn't surprise me. Look at the ghettos in Germany, England, France, Belgium, Netherlands and who dominate in these areas.
Hopefully this won't happen to Ireland.

I would love to advise your friend to stay put and stand her ground. However this could turn out nasty for her so moving out is the best solution.

As a foreigner myself I despise those people. They ruin our reputation and should be shown the door. If you can't live by the rules of the host country then leave.

Graces7

Bicycle wrote: »

Workplace relations now look after discrimination on grounds of race or religion etc.

My suggestion would be for your friend to contact Workplace Relations and claim that she is being discriminated against, in her rented accommodation, on grounds of gender, marital status, ethnicity and religious beliefs.
https://www.workplacerelations.ie/en/What_You_Should_Know/Equal_Status/

By turning a blind eye, the landlord is enabling the discrimination.

These are good people to help , OP> I had need of their services and they were stellar. Fearless and direct.

jeepcj

I'd invest in a small body cam like this one and report all intimidation with evidence to guards. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1080P-HD-Mini-Action-Camera-DR-Camcorder-Dash-Cam-Body-Motorcycle-Bike-Motion/233028580206?_trkparms=aid%3D555017%26algo%3DPL.CASSINI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20170912101845%26meid%3D9e854b6bdccf46e7bb75e8adac4fd6bf%26pid%3D100705%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D233028580206&_trksid=p2045573.c100705.m4780

Necro

Realistically, the only option for peace of mind and her own safety is to move. I'd be gone like a shot to be honest. If you escalate by involving the Gardaí, it might end up worse.

Move now, to wherever they can. Life is too short for putting up with that nonsense.

Graces7

Necro wrote: »

Realistically, the only option for peace of mind and her own safety is to move. I'd be gone like a shot to be honest. If you escalate by involving the Gardaí, it might end up worse.

Move now, to wherever they can. Life is too short for putting up with that nonsense.

easier said than done these days.

jam_mac_jam

I think moving is the really the only option here, the Gardare not going to do anything here. Do you think they are going to get involved in washing machine rotas?
Either go to prtb and call the landlords bluff or move. There aren't really many other options

Markcheese

Cameras and microphones in communal areas (done legally), record everything.. Keep landlord informed, go legal if necessary..
But its a slog, and probably not worth it...

Graces7

OP; advice from a friend who has been through this. Find their Imam. tell him what is happening. It is against their laws. Assuming they attend temple?