It may be the time of the season for goodwill to all men and women but some folk sadly don’t share that sentiment.
Anti-social tenants don’t acknowledge Christmas spirit or good cheer towards their neighbours at any time of year.
I visited someone last week who’s recuperating after treatment for cancer.
Long before he started his recovery period though, he and his partner were getting abuse and threats from a next door neighbour, a woman in her 50s with previous form for anti-social behaviour.
Given this has been going on for many months without the problem being fixed, she appears either to know how to work the system to her advantage, or the system is too cumbersome to deal promptly with her behaviour.
Her various nasty exploits include throwing rubbish including bottles and paper stuffed with chicken bones into the neighbours garden; scribbling threatening messages on cardboard saying ‘your windows are next’, (she’s already smashed another neighbour’s window) and creating loud noise at various hours.
The council have installed a small machine to assess the noise levels she makes.
But, having previous experience as an anti-social tenant, she counters this device by making malicious mischief in different ways which are difficult for both the police and authorities to deal with.
The law often appears to be more sympathetic to the perpetrators than the victims in these situations.
Feckless folk who care not a jot for those they live beside need to be treated much more firmly than the law deals with them at present.
The kid gloves approach with them is a complete waste of time.
All attempts to reason with them over their obnoxious behaviour are sneered at; they seem allergic to common decency.
The police, under resourced and over stretched, have to find corroborating evidence of anti-social conduct which the courts will accept.
But increasingly, with the law appearing tilted in favour of the law breaker, they face an unequal struggle trying to find sufficient evidence to secure a satisfactory outcome for innocent parties.
Often the problem is simply moved around which means that relocating a troublesome anti-social tenant gives another innocent neighbour elsewhere, grief and misery.
Talking to some folk recently who’ve also endured this grim sort of behaviour from people who have, as in the above case, issues with alcohol and mental health, I’ve heard tales of good people forced to move from homes they’ve lived in for years to escape the neighbour from hell.
This isn’t a case of being unsympathetic to those struggling with various issues.
But the rights and the welfare of those who live peaceably and decently should come well before those whose anarchic and self-centred behaviour makes the lives of others a daily misery.
Good tenants and home owners are also, as in this case, fed up of the victim card being played with the anti-social behaviour being laid at the door of drugs, drink, or mental illness.
Nice folk shouldn’t have their lives turned upside down and face threatening and uncivilised behaviour, irrespective of whether those causing it face personal problems with their various issues.
There has to be a better balance struck in society between duties and rights.
Everyone has a duty to behave considerately towards their neighbours; if they don’t or won’t, then their legal rights to a house or a tenancy should always come secondary to those folk who live within the law.
It’s anti-social to be anti-social and it’s time for tougher action against those who aren’t prepared to behave like good neighbours.
JIM SPENCE: Time for tougher action against neighbours from hell
6
0
12.12.2023
It may be the time of the season for goodwill to all men and women but some folk sadly don’t share that sentiment.
Anti-social tenants don’t acknowledge Christmas spirit or good cheer towards their neighbours at any time of year.
I visited someone last week who’s recuperating after treatment for cancer.
Long before he started his recovery period though, he and his partner were getting abuse and threats from a next door neighbour, a woman in her 50s with previous form for anti-social behaviour.
Given this has been going on for many months without the problem being fixed, she appears either to know how to work the system to her advantage, or the system is too cumbersome to deal promptly with her behaviour.
Her various nasty exploits include throwing rubbish including bottles and paper stuffed with chicken bones into the neighbours garden; scribbling threatening messages on cardboard saying........
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