CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Horrible neighbours!

(38 posts)
  • Started 7 years ago by RWoods
  • Latest reply from frippery13
  • This topic is resolved

12

  1. RWoods
    Member

    My husband is an athlete who uses his bike on a daily basis. We have just moved into a flat with the luxury of sufficient bike storage in the shared garage. We regularly maintain the bike in our flat and transport it carefully via the communal hallway to the garage.

    However, we have come in a spot of bother with one flat verbally abusing us in the hallway, and in a very disrespectful manner- explaining that we are not allowed to transport the bikes in the above manner as they 'have lived there for 10 years' and we 'must be renting'. I can only assume that we look considerably young to them and they have stereotyped us, but we intentionally chose this flat and area as we enjoy a much more quiet lifestyle.

    Please let me know if you have experienced this before, if what we are doing is actually allowed, and how we can go about solving this?

    Help is much appreciated!! :)

    Thanks

    Posted 7 years ago #

  2. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Make an effort to become friends with them? They'll either then be too embarrassed to give you a hard time or, if they don't become friends, you won't care about them.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    Make friends with the other flats and try to find out what their problem is!

    IF you are renting, contact landlord/agent before they have a chance to complain.

    If own flat, say you expect to be there for a long time and the last thing you want to do is any damage that would lower its value.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  4. steveo
    Member

    If you've bought the place then the communal space is as much yours as theirs. If not then its between them and your landlord. Ignore them.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  5. Morningsider
    Member

    I would say something to your neighbours along the lines of:

    "I have had a quick check of our tenancy agreement. I can't find anything preventing us from taking a bike through the communal stair. Is this prohibition written into the title deeds? We don't have a copy, perhaps you could check for us. If it is banned, then we are happy to stop."

    No title deeds are ever going to include a prohibition on carrying a bike through a common stair. Also, finding and then understanding title deeds will be a huge pain, particularly if you live in an old tenement - as they are hand written in the most florid language.

    I like IWRATS' approach - but if the neighbours turn out to be turnips then this might be the approach to take.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  6. RWoods
    Member

    Thanks all....I think I might go to their door with a peace offering and apologise (even although we haven't done anything wrong).

    They have now formally complained to our landlords saying that we "wheel our bike through the hallway rather than storing in the garage as it is intended". :-(

    I've clarified the situation to the landlord but feel a bit deflated to appear to have troublesome neighbours!

    Posted 7 years ago #

  7. Trixie
    Member

    Speak to them and ask politely what their perceptions/objections are and try to reach a friendly compromise asap. Worst outcome is that it may mean doing maintenance in the garage and just giving in to their nonsense. Given the bikes are stored in a communal garage, I'd be inclined to roll over to ensure the bikes stayed safe. Unless you have room to store them in the flat - in which case tell the neighbour to get stuffed and mind their own. It may be that the neighbours have had unpleasant dealing with previous tenants and you're bearing the brunt.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  8. jonty
    Member

    Some people just seek out conflict and wish to exercise power they believe they have over people. If the landlord complaint comes to nothing and they discover they're actually powerless I suspect you'll hear very little about it in the future.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  9. dessert rat
    Member

    making friends and trying to de-escalate it always the best way - although I wouldn't do that until you have clarified situation so you know where you stand.

    I'd be amazing if any deeds say anything about not allowing cycles to be transported via a communal hall.

    +1 for Morningsider approach.

    It's not unreasonable to feel that given their initial approach ie conflict, they may not looking to make new friends. That said ...

    Make tea, not war.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  10. RWoods
    Member

    I'll try and make friends and see how I get on...they are significantly older than us but hopefully I can put them at ease that we aren't here to cause any bother or damage.

    I contacted the landlady who said she has come across this before so not to worry, and now I will see if I can grab a copy of the deeds.

    I think that although we aren't in the wrong, to save any further verbal abuse, we will just give the neighbours what they want.

    Thanks all!

    Posted 7 years ago #

  11. neddie
    Member

    In modern developments (e.g 1970s on), there is often some kind of "feu"* over the development, which sets down rules as to what you can do, long after the developers have left.

    These rules may be valid for 30 years or more. The developers include them to "protect" the character of the estate. Typically they include things like what kind and height of boundaries you can have. And usually that they own all the oil underneath. But may also include what you can bring into the stairwell or flat. Might be worth checking if any of this applies if you live in a newer development.

    * Not sure of the exact name of it.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  12. crowriver
    Member

    They will be described as "burdens" in the title deeds, i.e.. the responsibilities that owners are compelled to observe. Might include things like appointing a factoring service to clean and maintain stair, planning restrictions, details of who can use communal areas for what, etc.

    Very unlikely to be a specific restriction on carrying bicycles on the stair!

    Your neighbours sound like a right pair of busybodies. Life's too short to try and keep these kinds of people happy...

    Posted 7 years ago #

  13. Ed1
    Member

    Storing a bike in a the corridor may create health and safety issues, making hard to escape in a fire, if someone had mobility issues or poor vision may be hard to get past bike and could get in the way of railing. Like pavement parking may get in peoples way, also have the entitlement to an illegal space problem, that’s where I park my bike, buggie etc

    Transporting bike though? What if someone transported a chair, furniture shopping a tv? It’s the transporting through is this likely to be the deeds.

    A lot of blocks are flats are not really owned but long term lease hold so would be the superior land lord if own or rent same land lord that owns the free hold, the land lord rent from would be like a sub let, unless they objected had any personal objection would be the freehold landlord or management company acting on their behalf, although a management company may still be in place to settle disputes even if freehold and in the deeds.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  14. unhurt
    Member

    "I contacted the landlady who said she has come across this before so not to worry"

    This sounds to me like your landlord has come across this - or similar issues - with these specific neighbours. In which case I would very politely ignore them and if they come at you about the bikes look politely baffled and calmly explain that you're just moving them from A to B, and that you have even gone so far as to check this was OK with the landlord and she says there's no problem. (It seems a really bizarre thing to object to though - As @Ed1 points out, people move all kinds of things through common stairs!)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  15. PS
    Member

    Is their concern that you will damage the communal hallway with the bike? What's the décor like? White carpets?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  16. ih
    Member

    @RWoods I empathise with you, having a similar non-bike issue with one of my neighbours.

    What do you think is the problem they have with your behaviour? Is it simply that they don't want you to transfer the bike from the garage to your flat at all, or is it something about the WAY you're doing it, for example wheeling a dirty bike along a pristine hallway? If it's the former, I don't think you will be able to resolve the issue easily; from your posts so far it seems your neighbours are behaving very unreasonably, but sadly not untypically. If it's the latter, maybe there is scope for discussion and a friendly approach would help.

    It seems that your landlord is basically on your side. Also 10 years is not all that long for your neighbours to feel they have a veto on the unwritten rules of communal spaces.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  17. chdot
    Admin

    I'm assuming it's a modernish (or very old) stair with narrow corridors so they will be 'worried' about damage to the walls or dirt on the floor.

    I'm sure you'll be extra careful.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  18. chdot
    Admin

    "Given the bikes are stored in a communal garage, I'd be inclined to roll over to ensure the bikes stayed safe"

    Sadly something to consider - but not just that there would be a 'threat' from any particular people.

    Are other people's bikes stored there?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  19. RWoods
    Member

    Thanks all.

    To shed some further light, our stairwell is blue carpets with white walls so I think they are worried we will drag in dirt or scrape the walls. However, we take good care and would never wheel a dirty bike through communal areas as we are respectful people!

    They have told us that in all instances we are not to carry it through but I think this probably goes hand in hand with concerns they have materialised about the way in which we might do this.

    Other people's bikes are stored in the garage but only a couple, and ours are significantly more expensive as they are for competing.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  20. GDR
    Member

    @RWoods-I suspect they don't have a leg to stand on but in the interests of neighbourly harmony you could always get one of the CTC plastic bike bags (12 quid on Wiggle) for carrying the bike in the communal stair. One of my sons did this in his student flat and had no complaints even although the landlords did get grumpy with other bikes being taken into the flats.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  21. RWoods
    Member

    @GDR thanks - that's such a great compromise!!

    Posted 7 years ago #

  22. Ed1
    Member

    The blue carpet white walls sounds like stockbridge only time noticed that feature, always try and chain my bike quickly to the stairs when visit a mate with with the carpet in close. Always seems a bad idea to have carpet in the close

    Posted 7 years ago #

  23. RWoods
    Member

    Oh cool to know that they have that set up too- we are out Colinton way.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  24. wingpig
    Member

    I encountered some moany neighbours at my parents' premises, warning me not to let my bike touch the carpet even though the carpet was due to be replaced in three days' time. I assured them I would carry it over the carpet and into the flat, neglecting to mention that the extra weight being borne by my feet would cause them to wear away more carpet than rolling the bike would have. It is assumed that they are the people who previously whined about the bike shelf/hook thing in the hallway, though they are apparently quite happy to have the use of a previous resident's bike locker, taking up rather more of the hallway.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  25. morepathsplease
    Member

    If someone has an issue with what you are doing shouldn't they come and speak to you nicely or at least in a civil manner? If they have gone straight to verbal abuse isn't that just bullying?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  26. friskiffla
    Member

    I have experience of a neighbour who likes to rigorously enforce the deeds, which say no commercial vehicles in the development, and no hanging of washing outside (also no working from home!). The development is probably just over 30 years old.

    The only bike related aggro I have experienced was when they observed that the door to our block of flats was a bit scraped up and said that it was caused by people moving bikes in and out. I sometimes take my Brompton through said door but am uber careful about not bashing or scraping anything. I am pretty sure the comment was aimed at me because 1) nobody else moves bikes about and 2) I have argued with said neighbour in the past about other things. I also know for a fact that the scraping was caused by some of my former neighbours moving furniture in and out, because I heard it and saw the damage immediately after. But I don't think they want to hear that.

    If they are anything like this person, I would say just ignore them.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  27. RWoods
    Member

    Update to everyone - I took some biscuits round and spoke with the couple.

    They looked absolutely shocked that I had gone to their door and the husband kept repeating to me how he really was grateful that I'd had the courage to speak to them.

    They actually apologised and said we were receiving the brunt of an old tenant who mistreated the hallway with their cycling apparatus. So after I clarified our situation and assured him of our character, it then was like the flick of a switch and suddenly the couple were so happy to have us in the building and provided me with their life story.They even offered to help us if anything flat-maintenance related in our flat needed attention and are going to see if they can get us included in the building meetings which are technically only for owners.

    It was the strangest situation but it's now all sorted and I'm happy to have restored the peace!! Thanks for everyones support!! :)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  28. chdot
    Admin

    Well done.

    And (slightly) belated welcome to CCE.

    Highly useful first post/thread.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  29. RWoods
    Member

    @chdot - thank you! :)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  30. chdot
    Admin

    I'm sure you'll be able to post on other things.

    You'll have noticed 'we' don't just post about cycling and/or Edinburgh...

    All rules MUST be adhered to (see left panel).

    Posted 7 years ago #

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