what would you do? - neighbour issue

[lisa12000___]

I have an interesting dilemma with my neighbour (who I have mentioned before on here). She's been next door to me for 6/7 years and about 2 years ago she met her current partner.

About 12 months ago she 'moved out' and moved in with her boyfriend. Brilliant you would say. However, She has kept this house on and she isn't living there. Now I know she is a single mum and does not work and is on benefits. I know this from her phone calls to the council (about her housing benefit being late into her bank) outside her back door on her once a fortnight visits to put her bins out the front... (which then dont get brought in for another fortnight - she just changes which bin is out the front!)

Now it doesn't take a genius to work out what is happening. I didn't think anything of it at first as I didnt blame her for keeping it on if she was unsure about her moving but now there is damp coming through the walls in our bedroom, her grass is left like a jungle most the summer, her smoke alarm goes off in the night occassionally, and the house really does look disgusting and its not nice living next to it. Her landlady does know the situation (that she's not there) and has no intention of doing anything about it which I find shocking really.


Tbh we are fed up - she brags about going on holiday to Bangkok and to America (something we have to save up hard for), but leaves the house a dump and is obviously not hard up!

Now a disclaimer here - I feel uncomfortable even asking really as I feel awkward - and I appreciate some may tell me to mind my own business we are just sick and tired of the mess (we cleared up her back yard - shared - as it was full of cigarette butts and weeds)

[ClaireNJ]

I’m sorry I hate mess especially when it’s next door to me, just think you’ll have rats or mice next& the value of your house will go down too, even if you rent it’s still not acceptable, I would make sure that those in the know find out about this

[lindylou46]

Honestly if it were me l would let the council know, there are many homeless people or people who are living in B&B's who could live in this house, drives me up the wall that people abuse the system so carelessly.

[katiec68]

Id have absolutely no issue with reporting her.

What she's doing is stealing benefits that are no longer hers to have - benefits that are funded by everyday folk going to work!

Makes me soo angry

[anneeb]

It sounds like she is claiming benefits whilst living with her boyfriend elsewhere. I am sure that there is a number to give this information, they can then check out if this is true or not. I would hate living next door to a mess, mind you, our next door neighbour's daughter and grandaughter have taken over 12 months to let out next door neighbour's after her death. It wasn't too bad, as they were slowly emptying it, but back garden was getting untidy, no grass but weeds growing through block paving.

[Guest]

Personally if it was me I would try and get the damp issues sorted. From your post it sounds like she private rents but has housing benefit paid for the rent? If so I would contact the landlord to try and get this issued sorted.

The garden, is it shared or separate. Again if shared I would ask the landlady to sort their part out, if separate I don’t think there is a lot you can do.
As for the benefits while not living there, I don’t know if I would call anyone. I feel I would just mind my own business, but then I can see it isn’t fair to tax paying people.

[Smilesonfaces]

This house sounds to me like a dole drop. She doesn’t want to lose her single parent benefits and the landlord doesn’t want to lose regular rents. This kind of situation really does annoy me. I would inform the council and HMRC. Sounds harsh I know but it’s really not fair on everyone else.

[lisa12000___]

Originally Posted by Clairelovestate

Personally if it was me I would try and get the damp issues sorted. From your post it sounds like she private rents but has housing benefit paid for the rent? If so I would contact the landlord to try and get this issued sorted.

The garden, is it shared or separate. Again if shared I would ask the landlady to sort their part out, if separate I don’t think there is a lot you can do.
As for the benefits while not living there, I don’t know if I would call anyone. I feel I would just mind my own business, but then I can see it isn’t fair to tax paying people.

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Okay just to say I have contacted the landlady about the garden. It is separate however her fence has all come down which means that her weeds/overgrown garden is encroaching in to mine. Ive also told her about the damp, about the woman leaving all her windows open when she isnt there (surely not safe) and the fact she has a cigarette and throws the butts on my side!

As for the mind my own business.- I have done for a year but it makes me so mad that she's so blatant, that she probably earns more money than I do by doing it, and that she does not even keep the house tidy and its affecting my property. The reason I asked is that I feel uncomfortable with the idea of telling someone but when the landlady doesn't care about the house and how its affecting us im at the end of my tether.

[anneeb]

Originally Posted by lisa12000___

Okay just to say I have contacted the landlady about the garden. It is separate however her fence has all come down which means that her weeds/overgrown garden is encroaching in to mine. Ive also told her about the damp, about the woman leaving all her windows open when she isnt there (surely not safe) and the fact she has a cigarette and throws the butts on my side!

As for the mind my own business.- I have done for a year but it makes me so mad that she's so blatant, that she probably earns more money than I do by doing it, and that she does not even keep the house tidy and its affecting my property. The reason I asked is that I feel uncomfortable with the idea of telling someone but when the landlady doesn't care about the house and how its affecting us im at the end of my tether.

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Find the numbers to phone and let the council and whoever else needs to be told, then you can start to relax. The one thing is though, don't feel that you should be minding your own business, it's people that fleece the system that are a drain on our society.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by lisa12000___

Okay just to say I have contacted the landlady about the garden. It is separate however her fence has all come down which means that her weeds/overgrown garden is encroaching in to mine. Ive also told her about the damp, about the woman leaving all her windows open when she isnt there (surely not safe) and the fact she has a cigarette and throws the butts on my side!

As for the mind my own business.- I have done for a year but it makes me so mad that she's so blatant, that she probably earns more money than I do by doing it, and that she does not even keep the house tidy and its affecting my property. The reason I asked is that I feel uncomfortable with the idea of telling someone but when the landlady doesn't care about the house and how its affecting us im at the end of my tether.

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I don’t really know what you could do then, other than tell the council/benefits office.