Dealing with noisy neighbours

Markcheese · 17-05-2019 9:36pm

Be friendly, be subtle, but theres a reason why good fences make good neighbours... A couple of roses, and maybe a gate...
But stay friendly...

D3V!L · 18-05-2019 9:07am

The ball hit my window for a 4th time yesterday evening. This time I caught it all on camera. I noticed the ball outside in my flower bed just afterwards and went out to get it , there wasn't a soul around.

Two minutes later their father popped in and I gave it back being civil and told them I'm not going to ask again. Shortly afterwards their mother arrived at the door accusing me of harassing her kids and that they're bawling inside !! I had only actually spoken to her kids all of once weeks ago when we moved in.

I think the crux of the issue is with the kids lying to their parents and the parents believing every little word they say. Its a sad state of affairs.

Anyway, I have the entire thing recorded on my CCTV and I'm going to the Gardai with it. Going to your neighbours door and accusing them of harassing little girls is a serious accusation.

Isn't technology great

starbaby2003 · 18-05-2019 10:28am

D3V!L wrote: »

The ball hit my window for a 4th time yesterday evening. This time I caught it all on camera. I noticed the ball outside in my flower bed just afterwards and went out to get it , there wasn't a soul around.

Two minutes later their father popped in and I gave it back being civil and told them I'm not going to ask again. Shortly afterwards their mother arrived at the door accusing me of harassing her kids and that they're bawling inside !! I had only actually spoken to her kids all of once weeks ago when we moved in.

I think the crux of the issue is with the kids lying to their parents and the parents believing every little word they say. Its a sad state of affairs.

Anyway, I have the entire thing recorded on my CCTV and I'm going to the Gardai with it. Going to your neighbours door and accusing them of harassing little girls is a serious accusation.

Isn't technology great

I think you need to ask the parents if you, your partner, them and their kids can all have a discussion on what is happening. If the kids are relaying stories of harassment and every time you speak to the parents you are a bit worked up, the wrong message is getting across. You are attached to each other, so getting along is paramount. You have just moved in, you are entitled to peace and quiet. They are also entitled to play though. The hitting the ball off the window is completely wrong but I wonder if they are doing it for a reaction ? Do you talk to any other neighbours ?

Just to add, going to the guards is an appalling idea, guaranteed to escalate the issue.

D3V!L · 18-05-2019 3:09pm

starbaby2003 wrote: »

I think you need to ask the parents if you, your partner, them and their kids can all have a discussion on what is happening. If the kids are relaying stories of harassment and every time you speak to the parents you are a bit worked up, the wrong message is getting across. You are attached to each other, so getting along is paramount. You have just moved in, you are entitled to peace and quiet. They are also entitled to play though. The hitting the ball off the window is completely wrong but I wonder if they are doing it for a reaction ? Do you talk to any other neighbours ?

Just to add, going to the guards is an appalling idea, guaranteed to escalate the issue.

I wasn't worked up. There is no talking to these people, we've just worked that out.

We're on good terms with the other neighbours on the other side and no issues with anyone else.

pablo128 · 18-05-2019 3:18pm

starbaby2003 wrote: »

I think you need to ask the parents if you, your partner, them and their kids can all have a discussion on what is happening. If the kids are relaying stories of harassment and every time you speak to the parents you are a bit worked up, the wrong message is getting across. You are attached to each other, so getting along is paramount. You have just moved in, you are entitled to peace and quiet. They are also entitled to play though. The hitting the ball off the window is completely wrong but I wonder if they are doing it for a reaction ? Do you talk to any other neighbours ?

Just to add, going to the guards is an appalling idea, guaranteed to escalate the issue.

Some neighbours are just cnuts. The OP has already spoken to them and got nowhere.

wirelessdude01 · 18-05-2019 3:26pm

What does your CCTV recording show?

18-05-2019 4:12pm

Keep or burst every ball that comes in, tell the kids to clear off and tell the parents to f*ck off anytime they come bothering you.

Why anyone wants to live in an estate is beyond me.

wirelessdude01 · 18-05-2019 4:25pm

Lea Orange Percussionist wrote:

Why anyone wants to live in an estate is beyond me.

Most people don't have a choice now but to live in an estate

pablo128 · 18-05-2019 4:39pm

Wren Unkempt Polo wrote: »

Keep or burst every ball that comes in, tell the kids to clear off and tell the parents to f*ck off anytime they come bothering you.

Why anyone wants to live in an estate is beyond me.

No we're being told now it's a luxury to live in a 3 bed house, and should be thankful for an apartment in Dublin. There are more than a few people on boards spouting that rubbish.

Anyway you should expect a certain amount of respect from your neighbours the same as you would give them.

Genuinely if it was me I'd try the civil route. If that didn't work I'd be picking the ball out of my flower bed and hopping it off their front window. You cannot beat a taste of your own medicine.

Wexforllion · 18-05-2019 5:07pm

Wren Unkempt Polo wrote: »

Keep or burst every ball that comes in, tell the kids to clear off and tell the parents to f*ck off anytime they come bothering you.

Why anyone wants to live in an estate is beyond me.

Maybe everyone doesnt want to live in an estate but is not rich.

Maybe using words is a better route then bursting balls. Who knows.

the_syco · 18-05-2019 5:11pm

D3V!L wrote: »

We're on good terms with the other neighbours on the other side and no issues with anyone else.

Ask them if they know why the previous people in your house sold it.

Wren Unkempt Polo wrote: »

Why anyone wants to live in an estate is beyond me.

Local Needs laws prevents most people building elsewhere.

Wexforllion wrote: »

Maybe using words is a better route then bursting balls. Who knows.

Thus far, using words hasn't worked.

uck51js9zml2yt · 18-05-2019 5:19pm

GoneHome wrote: »

The joys of living in a semi-d in a housing estate, that's why I love the peace and solitude of rural living!

Yup. I have to put up with hundreds of birds singling outside my house all the time.
They just won't shut up

uck51js9zml2yt · 18-05-2019 5:21pm

Wexforllion wrote: »

Maybe everyone doesnt want to live in an estate but is not rich.

Maybe using words is a better route then bursting balls. Who knows.

Being rich or not has nothing to do with living in an estate or not.

knipex · 18-05-2019 5:26pm

LillySV wrote: »

! If they want to belt the ball off a wall, beat it off their own house or go to a pitch ...

Who is belting a ball off the OP's wall ???

Wexforllion · 18-05-2019 5:53pm

Veda Prickly Tan wrote: »

Being rich or not has nothing to do with living in an estate or not.

Obviously it has something to do with it.

Taiga · 18-05-2019 6:15pm

I suppose if your house was empty for the past year the kids have been used to that and just simply not thinking and are continuing to play as they normally would. It will take a little time to get used to the fact that your property isn't fair game. I'd play this clever if I were you, make nice. Nothing like a grouchy neighbour (in the kids minds) to attract their negative attention. Be friendly with them. Subtly fence around or a wall or whatever you have to do.

It is the usual in estates, often it isn't personal. I have a fab back garden, but no one would know it from the front as any plant I've tried to keep has been trampled, flattened by a ball etc but they don't mean it. I stay friendly with them and everyone gets on well.

You have to live there and the last thing you need is hassle. Once they're quiet at night I'd be happy enough tbh.

SonOfGoat · 18-05-2019 6:29pm

Mod note @SonOfGoat

Do not advocate violence.
Next post like this and it’s a ban.

18-05-2019 6:36pm

Wexforllion wrote: »

Obviously it has something to do with it.

Not really, a very good house in the county will be a similar price to a run of the mill house in a (nice) estate. Building or buying in the county is not necessarily cheaper than in a nice estate but you get vastly more for your money.

Charles Babbage · 18-05-2019 11:42pm

Get one of those high pitched yokes that adults cannot hear. It won't do any harm, it won't reach very far, but will make the area near your house slightly less preferable as a playground.

Wren Unkempt Polo wrote: »

Not really, a very good house in the county will be a similar price to a run of the mill house in a (nice) estate. Building or buying in the county is not necessarily cheaper than in a nice estate but you get vastly more for your money.

Having slurry spread outside your window is not much fun either.

the_syco · 19-05-2019 12:54am

Charles Babbage wrote: »

Having slurry spread outside your window is not much fun either.

It's bad for the 1st 20 minutes, and then you just get used to it.

The Enbalmer · 19-05-2019 2:52am

How you approach this issue will decide how it's resolved. Saying the wrong thing to kids might just paint a target on your back so choose your approach carefully...if at all possible you should try diplomacy and attempt to reason with the kids.

Graces7 · 19-05-2019 5:38am

the_syco wrote: »

It's bad for the 1st 20 minutes, and then you just get used to it.

no; the stench fills the air for three days. trust me on that. rural living is not always a bed of roses.... crowbangers, barking dogs... farmers cutting sileage all night..

Always Tired · 19-05-2019 6:07am

Are you seriously going to go to the guards with footage of a ball landing in your garden?

Ffs.

Just so you're prepared, they will do absolutely nothing about it, and you're gonna look a bit foolish. I've a neighbor with over 30 convictions including a near fatal stabbing and he routinely threatens people in our estate and the guards dont even bother about that. They're not going to bother kids playing ball in the street.

That said, I know it's annoying and I would hate it, too.

JustAThought · 19-05-2019 6:34am

If the father is making allwgations about his daughter he is dead right he has to protect himself. I wonder is there a history of problems with a prior neighbour from this guy that the gaurds might know about ? I totally agree with the OP & feel his pain - at leeast with the abuse allegation, kids entering his property and fears of a claim and a basketball beingg used he will have some chance with the gaurds - and thank God for cctv. Bring a copy of yhe clip with you. As regards the trespass get a sign -you will often see some on builders yards that say parents are to discuss and control their children. I would follow up with a letter by registered post . You can always take a noise complaint without a solicitor to the district court - with aheavy basketball & times & dates this would allow you to start the process as you need to jave tried being nice and negotiating reasonsbly first. Its the same legislation used for noise from barking dogs & you will find it on the dog warden leaflet. The local district court will give you the A4 form to fill in.
As regards whatever the father said to you I would consider a once off letter from a solicitor to him and his wife regarding defamation -mind you it has to be provable and not true. Isn't shouting at someone battery?

I totally sympathise with the OP & living in other peoples childrens noise is an absolute nightmare regardless of how nice the children are. At least there is some hope that the kuds didnt go into your garden to get the ball -it shows some hope. I started keeping all leather footballs & sliotars & recently brought quite the collection to the local GAA.

Might be interesting to look up the weight of a basketball and pressure per square inch so you can quantify the damage to your plaster/infrastructure. Some people ate pig ignorant. He wouldnt allow it on his own living room wall I"d bet.

Regarding door slamming I wouldnt give him the currency to annoy your further. He sounds like the kind of person who'd slam it harder & more often if he knew. Total Pr☆@$.

19-05-2019 10:13am

Charles Babbage wrote: »

Having slurry spread outside your window is not much fun either.

Once or twice a year and the smell lasts no length dies down after a few hours and I wouldn’t even notice. If anything I quite like the smell of freshly spread slurry too.

LillySV · 19-05-2019 10:33am

I think I would keep the cctv going and continue to tape the going ons outside your property for the next week... if there is afew more situations or encounters, make sure they are all caught on tv and saved to the hard drive. It would be good if you had a nest or other camera to catch any further encounters you have at door ... catch them threatening or accusing you of things.

On a separate note are you sure your neighbors actually own their house? If they didn’t you could try and make contact with the actual owners to report antisocial behavior .

If social housing could it be possible to report anti social behavior to the council and get something done??? Don’t know how the social housing works but I’m guessing anti social behavior wouldn’t be permitted by council supplying house???

Wexforllion · 19-05-2019 10:41am

Wren Unkempt Polo wrote: »

Not really, a very good house in the county will be a similar price to a run of the mill house in a (nice) estate. Building or buying in the county is not necessarily cheaper than in a nice estate but you get vastly more for your money.

People generally buy in cramped estates because thats all they can afford.

They have also weighed up pros and cons of country living and decided the cramped estate is best for them.

To say money has nothing to do with is odd. In an ideal world with limitless money people could get the best of both worlds.

D3V!L · 19-05-2019 12:08pm

Did a little research and the neighbours own their house and bought when it was built 16 years ago.

iwillhtfu · 19-05-2019 1:15pm

This thread is mental OP kids will play outside their own home and there's little you can do about it to be honest. If the ball hits your window ask the parents of the kids to tell the kids to be more careful DO NOT engage with the kids at all or as you assume they'll be back to their parents telling them this that and the other. I assume you're a grown up as are their parents call around explain the ball has hit the window several times and that it's unacceptable. If the father is as you say an Ahole tell him you'll be keeping any balls that hit the window in future if he's unwilling to do anything about it. FYI I assume you leave in a reasonably new home double glazing etc a basketball will NOT smash a window so drop that one you'd do well to smash it with golf ball and driver from several feet.

As for the whole cctv thing honestly you may find yourself in the wrong if they are in anyway covering anywhere other than your own property. As for what they've captured any garda will tell you to go home and sort it out yourself as it's a civil matter he'll also think it's a ridiculous waste of time reporting such an incident.

My own kids play outside and yes if it goes on late at night it can be a pain but usually all dies down by bed time there seems to be an unwritten rule among parents in the area past 8.30-9 rein your kids in a bit.

As for doing some research on your neighbour WT actual F is that all about I don't even want to know where you were snooping.

Kids will be kids and the ball games will end before long then you'll have house parties and god forbid one of them is a boy racer and has whatever the futures fiesta with a 4" exhaust is. You've a long road ahead of you and no one wants to be that neighbour.

In saying all of that if the kids are little terrors which you don't mention so I'll assume they arent but if they were then I'd be having a chat with the father and I wouldn't be polite about how you feel. All other advice about throwing water etc is boloxology and the ramblings of a nut job.

Honestly I can think of worse things to complain about.

the_syco · 19-05-2019 7:49pm

Graces7 wrote: »

no; the stench fills the air for three days. trust me on that. rural living is not always a bed of roses.... crowbangers, barking dogs... farmers cutting sileage all night..

Have spent time in the countryside, and my current house used to be very close to the countyside (area is now more built up); I got used to the smell very quickly. The rest of it; meh. Have lived in built up areas (large towns), and the noise is about the same in badly insulated houses.

Always Tired wrote: »

Are you seriously going to go to the guards with footage of a ball landing in your garden?

He's going to the Gardas to prove that he didn't touch the kids.

iwillhtfu wrote: »

DO NOT engage with the kids at all or as you assume they'll be back to their parents telling them this that and the other.

The OP doesn't, but the kids are saying to their parents that he is. The OP has CCTV proof that he didn't.

iwillhtfu wrote: »

This thread is mental OP kids will play outside their own home and there's little you can do about it to be honest.

The kids are playing on the OP's driveway.

Dealing with noisy neighbours

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