What to Do if You Have Difficult Neighbours
At some point in your life, you will likely have to deal with troublesome neighbours. Perhaps they play their music too loudly, always leave their trash out, or have dogs that spend a lot of their time marking their territory in your front garden. Certain things, as good neighbours, you can tolerate. And in the spirit of being a good neighbour, it is also perfectly normal to also want your neighbourhood to be a calm and peaceful environment for everyone to live in.
Of course, we can all agree that there have been occasions where we have not been the ideal neighbour. Perhaps we had a party that went on a little too long and was a little too loud, or had a disagreement with a neighbour over whose responsibility it was to repair a fence. As with all areas of our life, including our professional, it is normal to have to experience some confrontation from time to time.
The fact is, while we would all like to have neighbours that can be relied upon to borrow an egg from, or check in on from time to time, the reality is that we can’t get along with everyone, and that also extends to the people we live next to. When it comes to breaking the law, however, this is quite another matter and should not be tolerated. The security of your home is also utmost, and you deserve to feel safe inside and outside of your home.
Any crime or antisocial behaviour, including aggressive or threatening behaviour, public disorder or nuisance, can result in legal action. There are differences between antisocial behaviour and neighbourhood disputes, and it is important to be able to distinguish the two. Did you know that anti-social behaviour such as a great deal of continuous noise, waste not being properly disposed of, graffiti or damage to your property, and having dangerous or banned animals all constitute antisocial behaviour.
Certain things that can be a nuisance but do not constitute antisocial behaviour include normal day to day living such as strong smells coming from cooking, or babies and young children crying. These kinds of issues are best resolved with a gentle conversation, or perhaps making an additional effort to be a friendly neighbour and invite them around for a beverage or something to eat, which will make them more likely to be mindful of you and their role in the community.
What The Law Says
If you encounter issues with your neighbour that cannot be resolved by having a conversation and you consider it to be intolerable or antisocial in nature, then this may fall into the arena of civil law, and you may have to place this grievance into the hands of the law in order for it to be resolved.
Contact the police if you or anybody else feel threatened as a result of your neighbour’s behaviour, you should never have to feel afraid in your own home. Hopefully, the issue will not need to go through the courts, and if it is not antisocial or illegal in nature, mediation services or your local council can be great places to get advice on how to resolve neighbourly issues.
