Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

[PlanB]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

this man has implied in the past that he has photographs/video evidence of us trespassing on his property hence the reason for installing the fence as his side footpath . . .

. . . . this neighbour continues to spy on us and report our every move to the council. Firstly it is invasive and causing me huge stress at a time when i should be relaxing the most.

. . . this neighbour can cause hassle for us in such a way now, he is hell bent on causing trouble

You are at war with your neighbour not your council. This isn't about whether you're trading or not, it's about two people who have fallen out and the only way to settle this is for you to mend fences (pardon the pun) or waste a fortune on legal fees while exacerbating this already tense situation. This battle will go on forever unless you do something to make peace. Someone has to make the first step. What's the real history behind this quarrel?

Check whether your local authority provides a free mediation service - most do. This can work really well with neighbour disputes. Here's an example of how one council solves these problems for its residents:

http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content...542A30C3D7316E

[bluebottle]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

Now you have mentioned that you are heavily pregnant, this puts matters in a different light. As you will probably know, pregnancy does have its risks as well as its pleasures. You do not need to be put under the sort of stress your neighbour is putting you under at a time like this.

As long as the instances your neighbour has engaged in have occurred on at least two occasions, the civil remedy provisions under Section 3, Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (as amended) can be invoked. However, as previously stated, they are a measure of very last resort and should not be entered into lightly. At this stage, a Cease and Desist Notice is, probably, what is needed to abate your neighbour's current course of conduct. Although you can do this yourself, getting a legal professional to do this may be preferable as receiving a solicitor's letter may be what is needed to bring your neighbour to their senses.

[PlanB]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

this man has implied in the past that he has photographs/video evidence of us trespassing on his property (hence the reason for installing the fence as his side footpath runs along the edge of our drive, and sometimes my kids jumped out of the car and stepped onto his path). So in light of that I have a paranoia that he is still filming/photographing us.

He has obviously been eavesdropping or spying on us in order to make such detailed reports to the council. My concern is that, despite confirming with the council the address of our new trading premises, clarifying with them that there is no business related traffic to and from my house, sending invoices to confirm the new delivery address, this neighbour continues to spy on us and report our every move to the council.

Do you have any evidence that he's been taking photos or videos of you on your own property or is this, as you yourself have said, paranoia? You say he has "implied" this in the past (in relation to photographs of you and/or your family on his own property) but you haven't actually seen in him action. Why not call his bluff and ask to see these photos which may/may not exist hoto:

I would think he's perfectly entitled to take photos of anyone trespassing on his own property and that would be within the law.

How do you know that he has reported your every move to the council. The council will never reveal the name of anyone who makes a complaint about a third party because they can't (DPA). Who's to say those reports weren't from another busy-body in the same street.

Before you contact the police or any solicitor you will need proof of your allegations not just suspicions.

[tuniebellie]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

I understand that I have no proof which is why I am doing nothing. I also understand that I can't make accusations randomly. This neighbour is the only one who can see or hear anything and the council staff inadvertently confirmed it has been one single person making reports.

I want to know that if they continue spying and reporting what I can do. This neighbour issue is simply down to my kids stepping on their path...nothing hidden or more sinister. I've a small family and couldn't be bothered with their petty behaviour. When we went on holiday a few months back they placed a letter of notice through our letterbox advising they would be accessing our property to paint their fence. They splashed paint on our drive, van and garage door in the process. Ee did not make an issue of it. Never mentioned it at all and it seems this is just another way to get a reaction from us. I'm refusing to react impulsively. They will trip up or go to far eventually x

[wales01man]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

You have no proof they called the council forget that,if you don't react they will crawl back into their hole that's the best attitude to take the only way to know if they are spying is to catch them as for reporting in most cases you will not be told who reported you for obvious reasons view them as saddos nut not all us oldies are

[Inca]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

Well,,all I can say to that,me old luv,,is you're a darn sight more patient than me.
I'd get on to the local cop shop...ask for a copper/special/c3po or whatever they're called to accompany me to their front door and have it out with the miserable vicious gits...age is no excuse to think harrassment of a pregnant lady is acceptable...nor does pregnancy give 'oh she's hormonal' excuse..
You are being targetted by these people and it's got to stop.......and write to your council and tell them straight,,if they want a 'turf war' they're gonna get it because you are not taking any more of the crap you are being subjected to!! Ooooh I do get angry over this type of thing (can you tell :rofl
Bloody snobbery is the worst kind of 'social' bullying.

[ruthie59]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

I can't add anything to the excellent advice you have already been given, except to say that your health and your family comes first. So sit yourself down with a cuppa and relax. All the best x

[enquirer]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

Advice similar to Bluebottle. This will be covered by the Protection from Harassment Act. It's quite wide in scope - simply monitoring someone else's activity on the internet may be deemed harassment.

A Subject Access Request to the council to see what paperwork they hold on you may be worthwhile, particularly in light of recent revelations about secret council blacklists.

The neighbour could be threatened with an action in defamation (you would be unlikely to go ahead with this, but the threat is good). You could also point out that were you to sue your neighbour, the council would (since they are the recipient of the information and have chosen to act upon it) necessarily be drawn in. The are unlikely to appreciate this prospect.

Finally, I would consider simply demanding that the council 'put up or shut up'. A written reply stating that they are satisfied would be very useful in the future.

[wales01man]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

Sue the neighbour for what?Defamation? all this will wind things up even more best to try and ignore it and live their life we have noisy neighbours but they ate ok very friendly well looked after kids just noisy sometimes

[jon1965]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

You have said that you speak with a "foreign" but british accent. Not quite sure what you mean, do you mean that they (or you) have an accent that does not come from that area such as a bloody Yorkshire man living in Lancashire ( I have no prejudice against Yorkshire men , honest) or that you have an accent that is not English but is British such as Scots, Irish etc.

I do agree with Plan B though that until one side tries to reconcile your differences it can only get worse and if you get lawyers involved, the only people who will win are the lawyers . There is a time and a place for them but not sure if this is one of those

[tuniebellie]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

Yes. I am a non-English British person living in rural England.

Mediation isn't an option as they don't want it. I'll simply have to rent my drive to the local travelling community

Is it simply a case of they can continue to do this and harrass us unless I take legal action or involve solicitors?

[wales01man]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

Up to now you have been sensible renting drives out NO if your non English there could be a racial harassment avenue to explore you may NEED that legal advice

[bluebottle]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

Up to now you have been sensible renting drives out NO if your non English there could be a racial harassment avenue to explore you may NEED that legal advice

I would tend to agree with what you say, Wales.

[tuniebellie]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

The renting out our drive comment was tongue in cheek

[wales01man]

Re: Neighbour reporting our every move to the council

I guessed that its only a short drive?the rest was advice don't let all this get to you if they are behaving in a racist way do something about it no one should be abused in any way