If tenancy action is being considered against a person who may be at risk, the HO must be confident that everything possible has been done to resolve the issue using alternative remedies. If the trunk or main stem of a tree or hedge is on your land, you own it. The resident emailed the landlord later on 16 April 2020 to convey his dissatisfaction with its response, highlighting that the wording implied he had. On 13 March 2020, the resident contacted the landlord advising the noise nuisance kept happening and he wanted urgent action to be taken. The landlords file notes confirm that on 16 April 2021 it had a further joint meeting with the relevant support teams to discuss progress with the action plan. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. concern that the neighbour was increasing the level of noise in retaliation to its intervention and that his only recourse was to seek alternative accommodation. In this instance the landlords ASB policy state. The council should determine your complaint impartially. The landlord has said it is considering the possibility of. It is noted that the country was in lockdown during this timeframe as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which may have impacted on the landlords ability to provide its usual service. Complaints about pay rise for councillors. They might, for example, make sure that your complaint is handled by someone who isnt responsible for maintaining the hedge. Take 3 minutes to tell us if you found what you needed on our website. They can only help if you try and solve the problem yourself first. The neighbour making all the noise is sleeping now so I have some rest at least. This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-hedges-complaining-to-the-council/high-hedges-complaining-to-the-council. If you think your neighbours tree is dangerous, you can report it to the council - for example if you think it might fall over. It is a suburban development situated 10.6 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It forms a post town in the TW postcode area. This and the lack of detail and explanation given in its responses was unreasonable and evidence of poor complaint handling. The HO did. Any disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 must also be taken into account before possession is pursued. If you receive a PCN, you can either pay the charge meted on you or challenge the fee through an appeal to the London borough of Hounslow council. It is recommended that the landlord arranges for the installation of noise recording equipment in the residents property to confirm and identify the noise reported and take appropriate follow-on actions. the landlord to report he could smell burning coming from his neighbours flat. and it did not explain why it had not logged an ASB complaint prior to August 2020. pay the resident total compensation of 600. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. Even when I asked them about the noisy neighbour they were very defensive. Following this incident, the landlord visited the neighbour to discuss his behaviour, which was appropriate. Search for 'trees' on your council's website to find which department to contact. The landlords policy also states it is important to establish if residents who report or are allegedly causing neighbourhood issues have care or support needs to ensure that appropriate measures are taken throughout the case. Collecting written evidence from you and your neighbour and visiting the site will make sure that the council have the information they need to make the right decision. Complain about noise to the council High hedges, trees and boundaries Call the police Take action through the courts Overview Follow these steps if you have a dispute with your neighbour. I gave up with the authorities. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. The landlords policy says on receiving the initial report, the HO would make an initial assessment to determine a plan of action and to make a referral to the ASB team for Grade 1 & 2 cases. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme (the Scheme). The resident asserted that the noise persisted, and the landlord had not offered a solution to the issue; therefore, he requested that it escalate the complaint. I unpacked my home pioneer home cinema unit just now and am blasting Def Leopard love bites so loud my ears are bleeding. Once theyve got all this information, the council will weigh it all up. Out of hours emergencies. He stated that he had no choice but to allow the upstairs neighbour to enter his property on its visit to him to assess the noise level. COMPLAINT 202001964 Hounslow Council 25 January 2021 Our approach The Housing Ombudsman's approach to investigating and determining complaints is to decide what is fair in all the circumstances of the case. The request was for the neighbour to be transferred to alternative accommodation which might work better for the neighbour. He said that the landlord had provided incorrect details of when he contacted the HO He said he contacted them in 2018 and not 2020. The police came round a couple of times (he posted a note through our door making threats), we kept the diary. The landlords ASB policy makes clear that it must do everything possible to resolve the issue using alternative remedies before considering tenancy action. He said these issues had been happening for two years. In view of the reported burning smell implying a potential risk to the health and safety of the residents, it is reasonable to expect the landlord to have also undertaken a risk assessment at this time however there is no evidence to suggest it considered this. Breaking the abatement order can result in fines up to 5,000 or up to 20,000 for a factory or business. Hounslow ( HOWNZ-loh) is a large suburban district of West London, 10+34 miles (17.5 kilometres) west-southwest of Charing Cross. On receiving the residents report on 6 March 2020, the landlord interviewed the resident and asked him to complete incident diary sheets. The investigation is thought to relate to a . The landlords internal record dated 19 August 2020 confirms it visited the neighbours flat with its fire officer and that a smoke detector was fitted. 18 May and 19 November 2020, the landlord made 22 visits to the property to assess noise in response to 50 reports of noise made by the resident. But a hedge with gaps at more than 2 metres above ground level that significantly affect its overall effect as a barrier to light or access is not a high hedge and, therefore, you cannot complain to the council about such hedges under this procedure. In the event of an emergency, such as if your neighbour physically attacks you, always call 999. They might be able to deal with the disagreement on your behalf. Hounslow Council Contact Information. He said the matter was urgent and he requested that the landlord take action or evict his neighbour. The council must be realistic about how long it will take your neighbour to cut the hedge or arrange for someone else to do it. Its often best to find a compromise, for example sharing the cost of pruning a hedge even though you think your neighbour owns it. If antisocial behaviour relates to council property or another registered social landlord (housing association) property you may still be able to report this with us online. He is owns the property. 60 councillors are elected from 20 wards, with by-elections held to fill any vacancies between elections. The landlord issued its stage one complaint response to the resident on 16, August 2019 and 12 March 2020 to observe the noise level. hounslow and richmond community healthcare nhs trust. Are you the owner or occupier of this domestic property? What does Hounslow mean? So stick some Motorhead or Slayer on full blast and try and wake the bastard up Once again, thanks. This phone number is Hounslow Council's Best Phone Number because 54 customers like you used this contact information over the last 18 months and gave us feedback . Contact your local councillor. This means your noisy neighbour must stop making the noise or face legal action. This Investigation will not consider the landlords handling of the events in 2018 as they were not raised as a formal complaint until March 2020 which is more than six months after the events occurred, as the Ombudsman expects formal complaints to be made within a reasonable period of the matter arising which is usually six months. the steps youve taken to try to settle the dispute, the problems that you are having in your home and/or its garden or yard because the hedge is too tall, how you think the hedge is adversely affecting the reasonable enjoyment of this property, take any action that could result in the hedges death or destruction, trim the hedge to a height less than 2 metres above ground level. Here is a summary of privacy when using this chat. Check if you can get help with legal costs. If it's noise from a factory or business, the penalty can be up to 20,000. If you still need help, you canlook for a mediatoron GOV.UK. The risk to other resident was raised as a concern. It reiterated that he should continue to complete diary sheets and send them to his Housing Officer (HO). Initial complaints should be directed to Hounslow Council directly. It is understandable that due to the ongoing issues experienced and the safety risk posed by some of the neighbours ASB, the resident seeks a permanent solution to the situation. You can also send a copy to your neighbour so that they know what youve done. Hounslow council only have 'noise teams' for Friday and Saturday night but no other day of the week. On 8 June 2020, the resident reported that there had been a burning smell coming from his neighbours flat the day before; they could not breath while. 7 Bath Road. Sometimes things go wrong and we need to be aware so that we can fix and learn from them. The landlord emailed the resident on 12 August 2020 confirming that they had visited the neighbours flat. Sign in. It also said it would keep him updated on the progress. But in some cases the council will decide that its right to refund all or part of a fee. Due the neighbour having mental health issues, the landlord had a responsibility to engage with support agencies in order to help, maintain his tenancy and also establish an action plan to address and mitigate the impact of ASB on those affected including the resident. that there was a burning smell coming from his neighbours property two days earlier. There is no evidence to show the landlord acted on this report. Think carefully about the reasons for your complaint. On 8 April 2022 the landlord told the Ombudsman that: the neighbour was temporarily house elsewhere from 13 January 2022 which was agreed for six months. The council may offer reduced fees for people who are on a low income or benefits. The council can order your neighbour to take action to stop the problems with the hedge happening again. Advice can vary depending on where you live. However, the landlord said that its HO continued to monitor the situation which resulted in periods when the nuisance stopped. that the landlord failed to act appropriately or reasonably when handling the residents reports. You can complain about problems that you have in a home that you own or occupy and/or its garden or yard because of the hedges height. Registered charity number 279057 VAT number 726 0202 76 Company limited by guarantee. The landlords file notes confirm it had a joint meeting with the relevant support teams on 24 March 2021 to discuss this case and what action to take going forward. The Ombudsmans role is not to establish whether particular events occurred; for example, it is not our role to assess whether antisocial behaviour happened. Chapters 4 and 5 of High hedges complaints: prevention and cure include detailed guidance for councils on the sorts of hedge problems they can and cant deal with. It advised that, as there was no evidence of noise nuisance, it could not take any further action. The complaint was not upheld as it said the investigation was still ongoing and was being carried out satisfactorily and in accordance with the landlords policy. The out of hours service is designed for emergencies only. It said it appreciated that the issues were reported over 12 months previously, but they had not yet been resolved. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Police say this cannabis factory discovered in Knowle contained 80 plants. In accordance with paragraph 54 of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, there was maladministration by the landlord when handling the residents complaints. The Local Government Ombudsman is the final stage for complaints about councils. The landlord noted the residents dissatisfaction in its email to him on 24. The landlords notes reference that the neighbour had confirmed during this visit that he was burning paper in this flat. He complained about the risk to the whole block and said he could not keep calling the Fire Brigade. This was appropriate as incident diary sheets provide first-hand evidence of incidents. The landlords policy refers to interviewing the reporter and providing incident diary sheets where relevant. It stated that it would provide an update by 24 March 2020. He had already raised his concerns previously and his safety was important. Police refused to do anything, and environmental health were even more useless. On 13 March 2020, he stated that he wanted to raise a formal complaint. The councils website will have information on how you can contact them. It is noted that the landlord enquired about the installation of noise monitoring equipment on 19 May 2020. It advised of the contact details for the Councils Enforcement team who it said were available depending on the type of nuisance. We are an independent directory of contact information that enables consumers to quickly and efficiently find appropriate contact information and discus their own complaint experiences with other internet users. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme. The landlord assured the resident that a great deal of effort was involved in resolving the issues and the case was overseen at a senior level. There are different ways to deal with the problem depending on who owns the tree or hedge. Contact your local council. The lease started on 10 July 2017. If its on the boundary between properties, youll need to check the legal documents you got when you bought your home. We had a similar issue with students that went on for about 11 months. You can change your cookie settings at any time. The council here instructs the police to confiscate items. The Council's definition of a complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about: failure to follow process failure to follow the Council's own policy significant or repeated failure to. Although most of the district lay within the London Borough of Hounslow, some parts fall within the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and the London Borough of Hillingdon including Heathrow Airport. The STANDS4 Network. All rights reserved. If your neighbour wont cut branches hanging over your garden, youre allowed to chop them off - but only the bits on your side of the boundary. Further, despite the resident reporting further instances of loud music, hammering and banging over the subsequent two weeks, there is no evidence to show the landlord acted on these reports. This service has not seen any evidence to show the landlord wrote to the neighbour to warn him about the noise nuisance at this time. Search for trees on your councils website to find which department to contact. The landlord said it would contact him again in four weeks with an update. It was literally 24/7. You can ask the council how long they expect all this to take. The council should decide whether the hedge is adversely affecting your reasonable enjoyment of your property and, if so, what action (if any) should be taken to put right the situation or stop it happening again. Use this comments section to discuss problems you have had with Hounslow Council, or how they have handled your complaints. Heartbroken dad issues warning after son, 13, dies in TikTok challenge, Red flag after possible suspect in missing brothers case made eerie request, Two dead and four injured after 19-year-old 'opens fire at prom after party', $80k reward offered for shooting suspect Francisco Oropesa after five killed, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Noise is one of the most common neighbour complaints, just because you find a noise or habit irritating. Listen, and request some time to think about the problem and measures you intend to take. Your local council can step in if the dispute involves any activity that is a nuisance or could damage your health. If you think your neighbour's tree is dangerous, you can report it to the council - for example if you think it might fall over. Hounslow schools and libraries have announced plans to celebrate the Coronation through a series of free events and activities across the borough. The landlord will then open an ASB case and send the reporter a letter acknowledging the report. From ground level. DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme. This inevitably caused the resident distress as they were concerned about the possible consequences of some of the neighbours actions although it did advise him to contact the local authoritys Enforcement team in event he felt in danger. Serves them right, even though they could not sleep, they were all too limp to report someone they feared. He said that the neighbour was also verbally abusive which frightened his children. It advised that there was an ongoing investigation about the issues he has raised. "Hounslow." I have to say I am amazed how protected these people are. The landlord made reasonable efforts to substantiate the residents reports of noise and acted appropriately by initiating mediation in accordance with its policy. The TW4 postcode is made up of Hounslow West and parts of Cranford, whilst the TW5 postcode includes Heston and Cranford. The resident is a leaseholder. This is evidence of the landlord failing to follow its complaints process. Registered number 01436945 England Registered office: Citizens Advice, 3rd Floor North, 200 Aldersgate, London, EC1A 4HD, If you disagree with your neighbour about a tree or hedge. On 4 June 2021, the landlord provided a stage two final response. If your neighbour is complaining about you, If you disagree with your neighbour about a wall or fence, Deal with flooding in a rented home - overview. One of the most common neighbourly issues is excessive or unreasonable noise levels. If you do anything more than trim overhanging branches, your neighbour could take you to court for damaging their property. Phone. We could take no more so we sold up and moved, it took us a year to sell. If the hedge includes protected trees, you might need to get separate permission from the council for trimming overhanging branches. We couldn't complain to the council as we owned the house and if we sold we would have to inform the new owners. From disruptive planning permission to noise complaints, you can tackle the issue of nuisance neighbours though your local council. He said that he had been complaining for two years. . If their behaviour crosses into verbal abuse and intimidation that can be classed as antisocial behaviour. The committee met in private at the end of last month to discuss a complaint about the behaviour of Mr Gill. To help you test the strength of your case, it also might be worth reading High hedges complaints: prevention and cure. He expressed frustration with the landlords response and felt that, 13 March 2020 to advise that it had not raised, complaint at stage one of its complaints procedure, referred the matter to a staff member to attempt to resolve. . However, there is no evidence of the landlord explaining this to the resident which is reasonable to expect if that was the case. . Before approaching your council you should always try to compromise with your neighbours. On 8 April 2021, the resident raised a formal complaint with the landlord relating to the length of time it had taken to act against the neighbour for nuisance. The Ombudsman considers the evidence and looks to see if there has been any 'maladministration', for example . The landlord also reiterated to the resident at this time that there was an ongoing investigation. We bought a house a few years ago, only to find as soon as we moved in, a single mother drug dealer lived next door. If youve taken the steps listed in Over the garden hedge and can answer yes to all the points listed below, the local council is likely to be able to consider your complaint. The landlord failed to follow its ASB policy in this regard. It may also have information on how to make your complaint, any fee you may need to pay and which department handles complaints. the landlord advised the resident that it was working with other departments, and it had a meeting booked next week. We got fobbed off or ignored by the council being told it was his right, they couldn't make him homeless. There was a further incident in August 2021 when the police had to gain entry into the neighbours property in the early hours. Its an offence to fail to do what a remedial notice requires. You can find out more or opt-out from some cookies. Their accounts of what has happened are summarised below. Should you be. The complaints responses did not sufficien, detail its investigation into the handling of the issues raised. The document detailed the reasons for the referral as due to allegations of anti-social behaviour from residents. Its a good idea to ask your council if they can help you find a mediator. In conclusion, the landlord made, and continued to make, reasonable efforts to evidence the noise reports made by the resident and took reasonable action to resolve the matter by initiating mediation between the parties. Neither did it respond to the residents request for an update on 14 April 2020 or to his further report made on 14 May 2020 of loud music and banging early in the morning. If your neighbour has broken the law This report is not an exhaustive description of all the events that have occurred in relation to this case, but an outline of the key issues as a background to the investigations findings. It might be worth reading Hedge height and light loss. Use FixMyStreet.com to Contact your local council. Talk to your neighbour face to face if you can - make a note of what you agreed. Most of Hounslow, including its Town Centre, the area south of the railway station and the localities of Lampton and Spring Grove, falls under the TW3 postcode. Hounslow Council was the subject of more than 100 complaints and enquiries to the ombudsman about its actions last year, new figures show. You can find out more or opt-out from some cookies, Benefit calculators: what benefits can you get, Check how much redundancy pay you can get, Template letter to raise a grievance at work, Grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills, You can't afford to top up your prepayment meter, Check if you can get your money back after a scam, Renting from the council or a housing association, Living together, marriage and civil partnership. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 12 metropolitan centres in Greater London. The complaint is about the landlords response to the residents reports of noise nuisance. It explained that the complaint process was not a means for punishing residents and it approached complaints impartially, based on the available evidence. Email Customer Services on customerservice@hounslow.gov.uk. We use cookies to ensure that we provide you with the best possible experience on our website. 150 for its service failures when handling his complaints. The right hedge can be an ideal garden boundary but the wrong hedge may bring problems. There was a referral in October 2020 in respect of the neighbour to the appropriate agency, however there is a lack of evidence to demonstrate that. As such, there was no maladministration in the way the landlord responded to the residents reports of noise nuisance. Hounslow Council 29April 2022 Our approach The Housing Ombudsman's approach to investigating and determining complaints is to decide what is fair in all the circumstances of the case. I gave up with the authorities. He asked for an update as he believed that landlord had been working with the neighbour for almost four years. It said that the investigation was still ongoing and was being carried out satisfactorily and in accordance with its policy. Therefore, from March to June 2020, apart from contacting the resident to discuss the issues and asking him to complete diary sheets, there is a lack of evidence to demonstrate the landlord properly assessed or investigated the residents reports despite agreeing that it would. The remedial notice issued by the council will say what must be done. This guide and the related spreadsheet can help you work out whether an evergreen hedge is blocking too much daylight and sunlight to your home or garden. Heathrow Airport and parts of Hatton comprise the TW6 postcode. Complaints Department is not affiliated to, linked with or otherwise endorsed by Hounslow Council. It also advised him of the importance of it witnessing the reported noise to be able to take further action. You can send your complaint to the council by post or email. His original complaint had not been dealt with satisfactorily. For example, the hedge might help to make the area an attractive and pleasant place. To complain all you need to do is contact your local council, many have a specialist team to deal . Its actions were appropriate with no delays or service failures. The landlord advised that it saw insufficient grounds to escalate the complaint to the final stage as there was no further investigation that c, be carried out and escalation was unlikely. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk. The Councils definition of a complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about: Not every expression of dissatisfaction will be a complaint. The property is a flat on the fourth floor of the building. The Housing Ombudsman's approach to investigating and determining complaints is to decide what is fair in all the circumstances of the case. In its response of 29 May 2020, the landlord told the resident that: there were complex issues relating to GDPR so it was unable to discuss matters relating to the neighbour. If they want you to cut your tree or hedge just because they dont like the way it looks, its up to you whether you do the work. The sub woofer is incredible on this system. The ASB officer said he had contacted police to see if they had any concerns about the neighbour and they await their response. The complaint was logged with the Housing Officer in August 2020. The numerical value of Hounslow in Chaldean Numerology is: 6, The numerical value of Hounslow in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1. Check what to do if you think a hedge is too high on GOV.UK. Your hedge might count as a high hedge if its over 2 metres - check the definition on the Royal Horticultural Society website. The resident replied to the landlord later. No. i think you only have to inform a purchaser if there is an actual dispute and its within the last 12 months. The key question is: There are no fixed rules on the size of gaps. There are also over 60 community events and street parties will be taking . We used to go to work shattered. The landlords advice to the resident on 20 March 2020 that his neighbour had been taken to hospital that morning for treatment indicates it had been in communication with his care worker at this time. Find out about the Energy Bills Support Scheme, nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3, Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, High hedges complaints: prevention and cure, trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order, appeal to the independent Planning Inspectorate. Make a complaint or comment. Excessive amounts of any of the following could also be handled by the council: It is hard to define unreasonable noise as this differs from person to person. You can make a complaint, like I did before and nothing happens. For example, 2 metres will only be the right height in some cases. What does it mean to have power of attorney? The landlord carried out a risk assessment on 27 August 2020 with the neighbour following which it discussed their case with other agencies and identified an action plan to assist and support him. They must take into account any relevant concerns raised by you and your neighbour. Visiting Hounslow House. You can find contact details for Hounslow Council above. The resident said that he had previously mentioned this serious and dangerous behaviour to the landlord and so far, no action had been taken. Here is a summary of privacy when using this chat. This should include a likely timeframe for any action outlined. Search for trees to find which department to contact.
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