Bad neighbours

So, we live in a flat. We're on the top floor. Our dogs are not horrible-- not, at least, to the people who've lived in the block for the last six years. But they do occasionally bark, as dogs do, often to greet us when we come home, waggy tails and happy barks.

This new guy has moved in downstairs from us. He hates dogs, and, apparently, all life that isn't him. He opens his door and shouts up the stairs at us every time we come in. He has sneakily opened his door to watch me when I took Old Dog out for a pee late at night. He is extremely intimidating and aggressive, and has threatened to call the police on us-- if our dogs bark for 12 seconds. Seriously. That's about how long it is when they greet us.

This guy terrifies me. He is huge. I don't like being screamed at anyways but I feel genuinely threatened by this guy, but he's already said he'll call the police, and if he says 'dogs barking' even if it's only 12 seconds it's an asbo for me. What about him? He is actively threatening me. I'm afraid to go out the door. What can I do?

Sorry you're feeling threatened by this new guy downstairs, but if you have written permission to keep your dogs in your own flat, then there's nothing he can do about it really is there?

The police won't be interested in this at all, they've got far more important things to do. The only people who will be interested are the Environmental Health at the local council, or if you're renting, then your landlord, but he'll have to be keeping a log of all the noise, then they'd send somebody out to witness it and decide whether to take action or not if they consider it bad.

It is YOU who have to call the police if you feel threatened by him, and in fact, he's beginning to verge on "harrassment" to you by the sounds of it, so tell him that if he carries on harrassing you like this, then it's YOU who will be calling them. Good luck, let's hope that shuts him up!

I hate neighbours full stop!

We had a neighbour complain about our barking, if the complaint goes the way this one did the dog warden wrote to us. we phoned him and explained when they bark (like you when one of us comes home). Dog warden said how lovely they obviously love seeing you. Dogs bark and as long as it isn't prolonged and unsocial hours then neighbours will have to accept they live in a flat. Tough really but they can always move to a place with no dogs.

Quite surprised me I thought we would be in trouble !

But if this man is threatening or intimidating I would get in first and complain about him. You have a right to live safely in your own home.

I feel for you I really do

our old neighbour had us visited by the council, the dog warden and finally we where called by the RSPCA, not one of these organizations had a problem, our dogs where happy and healthy but used to bark at the back gate when one of our very old neighbours would insist on letting his dog say "hello" to ours at the gate!! One time the son next door came out and screamed at me because he had been woken up at lunch time

I do hope you can find a resolution to this it is very stressful place to be, meanwhile we shall send hugs xx

12 seconds of dog barking wouldn't get anyone in trouble so try not to worry

That's what I think too. However I'd be more worried about this unstable sounding neighbour - it's all very well telling people to report someone who is threatening them or scaring them but, let's face it, if they were reasonable or the sort to 'obey the law' they wouldn't behave like that in the first place.

Wiser I think to try to get the 'measure' of him or find out a bit more about him before jumping in to make a complaint about him - he could go berserk and not worry about the consequences. He could be a druggie or an alcoholic or suffer from a mental condition that would make his reaction to being reported totally unpredictable.

Bad enough now with him shouting and hollering and lying in wait and 'standing staring' at you. Heaven forbid it should escalate to a stage where you (or someone) has to call the police because he's gone further than that.

It's not as if it's something you can report 'anonymously' he will obviously know who complained about him. Perhaps get some advice from the local neighbourhood police about where you stand and whether they know anything about him first.

Many many many years ago I lived next door to what I'd describe as a nutter and it was not a pleasant experience at all. Wasn't his house - it was his ladyfriend's house but he was always there. I found out he'd been put away for about 17yrs for killing an old lady by pushing her into the canal when he was a teenager and hadn't actually been out all that long!

I moved house!

I agree with all the above. Perhaps you could have a word with your landlord as he has presumably seen references for this new tenant? He needs to be made aware of this problem and, you never know, he may be able to put your mind at rest!

Horrible situation for you As other members has said he won't get very far complaining,obviously your dogs aren't being a nuisance Keep yourself safe though,this guy sounds like a knobhead!!

I'm sure I read that for dogs barking to be considered a noise complaint it must be at least 5 minutes of continual barking within an hour...not sure... but 12 seconds is nothing

I had a downstairs neighbour once that would scream at us for stamping on the floor...when we were all asleep in bed!! That was the first place I lived when I moved out of my parents home and unfortunately I am now totally paranoid about making noise and upsetting the neighbours! drives my husband mad I understand how distressing it is for you.

I recommend that you start keeping diary of when he interacts with you so that you can put a complaint in about him, be it with your landlord or otherwise. Antisocial neighbours are the worst!

sending hugs xx