Complaining about a problem tenant?

[Keef Monkey]

Just curious if anyone has dealt with this before because I'm clueless how to proceed!

Our neighbor across the hall leaves bin bags full of dirty nappies in the hall outside our door, we can smell them in our home and generally she leaves them there for almost a week. We were really nice about it and were loaning her our key to the bin area (because she claims to not have one), but she's now refusing to take it (posting it back through our door if we post it to her).

The latest bag has been there for 3 days so I wrote a letter explaining the smell and hygiene problems and asking if she could remove it, posted it through her door and then found it unopened in the hall. Posted it again, same thing happened. Knocked on her door to hand it to her and she started shouting at me and threw it at me.

It's a council flat so I've emailed them but I don't even know if that's the process and they apparently don't respond for up to 15 days. I don't really want to deal with her anymore, but them nappies need gone :/

Anyone dealt with problem neighbors before and got any advice?

[Dandontdare]

most councils allow you to log a complaint online. If not, call the housing dept. Nothing moves fast, so they'll probably contact her and give her so many days to comply and then you'd need to keep a log of incidents and complain again if it isn't resolved.

Or just arm yourself with nose plugs and gloves, open the bag and push each nappy through her letter box.

[Buttonman]

Sounds like she has real issues if she's not wanting to engage with you on even a basic level. It might be worth a call to social work because if she's happy to have bags of shitty nappies at her door god knows what kind of environment the baby is suffering.

Failing that I understand that Commando Forces has some experience in driving people out (he strikes up conversations with them!).

[Keef Monkey]

Ha, yeah if she would just take the time to get to know me I'm sure she'd move out of her own accord.

Actually bumped into her downstairs neighbor who says she's contacted social work because someone is jumping up and down and banging all day, to the point that their wall has started to show cracks from it. Again she tried to write her notes and knock on her door but got the same kind of reaction I'm getting. I told them if they wanted to add the bins to their complaint I'd back them up.

Maybe something will come of that, in the meantime I'll stew until Monday then call the factor/council. I'll be stewing with the smell of poopy nappies in my nostrils unfortunately!

Thanks for the advice guys.

[SuperSurfer]

Take photos of the bin bags as evidence. They are not only unhygienic but a tripping hazard. Nothing should be left in the hallways at all.

I've had my fill of flats. I never knew just how many people can be so inconsiderate. Considerate people are in the minority when it comes to flats.

I would rather telephone the council and speak to someone in person.

[Keef Monkey]

I think we maybe got really lucky in our last block Supersurfer, it was entirely old folks. I remember moving in thinking that would be a negative, but they were the sweetest most considerable people you could meet (the old fella downstairs went door to door with candles when the power went off one night, which you'd never see anywhere else). The atmosphere of the block was like a wee community and I'd happily have gone out my way to help any of them and vice versa.

They confessed when we moved out that they'd all been equally worried when they saw a young couple move in, but that they'd loved living with us (we still exchange christmas cards with some of them).

Sorry, total tangent there, just reminiscing about what used to be! It's amazing how much better the quality of life is for everyone in a block when people make the effort to not be dicks to each other (not that it should be an effort).

[COMMANDO FORCES]

Sod writing letters or phoning, get your arse down the council for a one to one with department required (social and/or housing). Inform them face to face what is going on and then tell them that if they don't resolve the matter pronto, that you will take it further! A nice letter to the local paper complaining about the council always helps. I did this about something that had been going on in my street for months (this was part of the scum next door) and within 5 days their car was crushed 
You could also go to your local MP's surgery and get them on the case if the council shrug you off.

[Keef Monkey]

Cheers CF! Current status is I've emailed the council/social work (as Buttonman said, it's worrying if she's got young kids and thinks having bags of week-old excrement on her doorstep is fine) and I'm going to follow it up with a phone call to them and our factor on Monday and see what happens.

Bea is wanting to give it another day and then take out the bags ourselves, which if we want rid of the smell (and the germs) is pretty much our only choice. The principle of caving to her and doing that really bothers me though! Barely slept last night because I was just fuming about the whole thing. I'd like to think that even if I was fine with piling crap on my doorstep I would still stop doing it if neighbors had a problem with it, hell, for all the time it'll take her you'd think it'd be worth it just to get us off her case.

Will try the MP route if the council won't act, thanks.

[Keef Monkey]

BINS UPDATE (I know you're all in suspense):

She took the bags out this morning, along with a bunch of other ones that must have been in her flat, and is now having a big spring clean from the looks of it (she's got her door open and is stoating about with bleach and cleaning products). The sudden dramatic swing makes me think maybe the complaint to social services from her downstairs neighbor has seen fruit and she's getting a visit soon or something. Or maybe just the threat of getting them onto her has made her change her ways. Or maybe she just suddenly realized she was being a dick, who knows.

If it is just for the benefit of inspection my worry is she'll go straight back to her old ways, but for now I'm just massively relieved to not have to deal with it today and that Mrs Monkey can come home today without having poop on her doorstep. It does mean if any of my complaints are followed up on it'll look like I've made it all up though.

[COMMANDO FORCES]

Keep a log on dates and times, as this will help in the future in case she starts doing it again. I would put down what she has already done and also write in the log what you have tried to do about it. This bit helps, as it will put the council departments involved in a bad light if it does continue.

[Frank]

I'm just massively relieved to not have to deal with it today and that Mrs Monkey can come home today without having poop on her doorstep. It does mean if any of my complaints are followed up on it'll look like I've made it all up though.

The danger here is that living amongst her own faeces may have been some kind of dirty protest. If the intervention of the authorities provokes her into going on hunger strike, you could be looking at a lengthy and damaging existential battle of wills, in which her eventual death affords her the status of a martyr, turning your fellow tenants against you and prolonging the conflict. I'm worried that her apparent clean-up may just have been her priming the walls for a crudely rendered mural.

It may take until Good Friday before all parties can agree on a mutually acceptable compromise.

[Richard]

It's this kind of thing that makes me wish that Judge Dredd wasn't fiction.

[Richmond Clements]

It's this kind of thing that makes me wish that Judge Dredd wasn't fiction.

Ummmm....

Anyway, I'd call the Council Environmental Health Dept. if it happens again.

[Keef Monkey]

Yeah, will keep tabs on it and give them a call if it happens again.

Keeping a diary sounds like good advice CF, particularly as if she's only going to clean it up when there's an inspection due they'll see that the dates match up and it won't look like I'm making it up! Fingers crossed whatever has caused her change of heart sticks though.

Again, really appreciate all the advice guys, all good suggestions moving forward. Good to have a forum full of level-headed helpful folks like yourselves to turn to. I also got my wi-fi problems sorted this weekend thanks to vzzbux, I do love this forum

[Professor Bear]

Leaving anything in the hallway is a fire hazard and most councils won't even let you leave a bicycle in communal areas, as if someone trips over it, it's the council that gets sued and not the owners.  Organic waste?  You'd be surprised how many people have asthma these days, or even just get stressed out by bad smells.  If anyone has tripped over that shit or developed a cough, be sure to mention it.
You could also try leaving doors open and seeing if any foxes take the stuff away.  If that doesn't work, mention the fox problem.