Monday, October 31, 2005

Un-Neighbourly dustbin use

We heard a noise last night. It sounded like our dustbins being used in the middle of the night. Later on we heard the noise again and my wife saw one of the squatters exiting the area where our dustbins are kept. This morning we checked our dustbins and discovered that they were full of rubbish - a mixture of trash & builder's rubble. The rubbish wasn't even put into bin bags. The refuse collectors may not even get rid of it because it hasn't been properly disposed of.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Same building neighbour confirms loud bangs

Just spoken with our same building neighbour. They were also awoken by the loud bangs. They saw flashes of light accompanying the bangs. They suspect it was firecrackers. Obviously firecrackers are better than gunshots but it still is not on to be setting them off at 4:20am. Our downstairs neighbour confirmed it was from next door because they could see them being set off.

They complained to Brent Council about it and the person they were speaking to in the housing office was also woken by the same noisy bangs! They live several streets away.

Woken up by gun shot like bangs

It is 4:20am. We've been awoken by a series of gun shot like bangs from the direction of next door. We heard between 5-10 of them. We phoned the police just incase.

Monday, October 24, 2005

Gas smelt again today

TransCo have had another look at next door's property today after gas was smelt again today. They couldn't detect anything from the outside because of rain and they cannot gain entry to the property. They have booked to go to see the property again when the weather is better.

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Council sends someone round to check gas in next door's property

The council sent someone around to check whether there is a gas problem next door. They encountered no evidence of a gas problem. But this doesn't explain why not only us but also the emergency gasman could smell gas.

Are we living next door to a potential powdercake?

Friday, October 21, 2005

Why didn't Brent Council make next door secure?

Why didn't Brent Council make next door secure when they had the opportunity?

They could have done so when our neighbours moved out in May. They could have done so when we reported dripping water last week. Now we've discovered that our neighbours have told the council about suspicious goings-on next door on numerous occasions in the last few weeks.

Why have Brent Council waited to act until squatters have been confirmed?

Now they will have to undergo the expense of evicting them.

And we have to wait even longer for next door to be repaired - 26 months and counting.

We smell gas from next door

At 10:30pm tonight we noticed the smell of gas. We called out TransCo and they tested our gas supply and equipment. We have no faults. But the gasman noticed a smell of gas and that it could be coming from next door. He attempted to detect it from next door but the squatters wouldn't open the door to let him test inside.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Surveyors confirm repairs were going to be done

The same surveyors who checked to see if there are squatters next door confirmed that Brent Council's Void property department was going to contract the repairs out in about a month's time. This cannot now be done because of squatters!

Squatters have moved in next door - Official!

Brent Council surveyors have visited next door's property and it is confirmed that squatters are there.

They managed to gain entry whilst the squatters were out of the property but informed us that they cannot evict them because the squatters had already moved some of their possessions inside.

People moving in next door

We've been hearing a lot of noise next door. Sounds like furniture being moved around. We walked past the property and a woman was leaning out of an open window. She volunteered that she was moving in today.

We have contacted the council to find out whether they are moving people into the property whilst it is still in its damaged condition.

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Water dripping from next door's empty property

We have noticed strange things going on next door. First we noticed a bath towel in the bathroom window, then the next day the bath towel had disappeared. Today we noticed that the overflow pipe from the bathroom is overflowing.

We have phoned Brent Council's Void Property department to tell them about these matters.