We have been living in our home for just short of 3 years and during that time there has been a neighbour whom constantly is burning stuff in a Shack he has built in his Garden. The smoke is dreadful and the smell sometimes is choking, even inside our Home - The last time he did this , the fumes where so bad it irritated my eyes and I developed a very bad headache from this. He has already been reported to the local council by other neighbours and as far as I know has been given an ASBO.

Normally I am the sort of person whom lives and let live.....But the other week I kind of snapped, for 4 days solid there was a constant plume of smoke emitting from this shack, the smell was ridiculous and on the 4th day I lost my temper and shouted over the fence for him to put the fire out. Shortly after he came round to my house and basically told me to mind my own business etc. I put it to him that he was a nuisance and that we lived in a LAQM area (Local Air Quality Managed) which basically meant that his actions were in breach of the Contract of his tenancy.

He made various comments, to which I suggested he leave my property.

Since then we have reported the problem to our council and Housing Officer, which has resulted in us having to fill out an Anti Social Behaviour form (Like a diary) we have also recieved one from the Environmental Health and within this document it states that if this person is in breach of any laws he could face Jail..... .....I know he probably won't, but now I feel somewhat guilty.....

Did I do the right thing?? or have I become a Nosey Neighbour

if it's something that's putting your and others' health at risk, it's by no means being nosy.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Thanks We have pointed out that once a week wouldn't be an issue if he felt he really needed to burn stuff, but he obviously does not have anyone elses interest in his mind.

We have had a multitude of occasions where we have hung Washing out to dry and then had to re wash them because of the smoke - We can't fit a Tumbledryer in our house due to the small size.....When we approached him about this he just laughed at us.

I just feel really frustrated but on the same hand, I don't want to be fighting with Neighbours.....We all have enough daily stuff to be getting through without warring amongst ourselves

You're totally doing the right thing. There's no way I would put up with that.

Doing the right thing!

I don't want to think about what he is burning. I so get a Hannibal Lecter feeling just cuzza your description.

HamsterHuey said:

Totally!
Seriously, who has that much stuff to burn? What the hell is he burning?

HamsterHuey said:

We made a joke about that once.....apparently its just wood and general rubbish.....But again, out of 3 years I cannot remember a whole week without smoke.


Thanks for making me feel a bit better about what I am doing. I just feel bad because the worst case scenarios for him are Losing his home or even Jail for breaching the ASBO. I keep trying to tell myself that he is an adult and should know better, but it doesn't always work.

YES YOU DID!

so when he burns your house his house and the other neighbors house down you reported it. You should report it EVERYTIME. You need to report it everytime so they no its an ongoing proble. It will give you grounds to have evited as a nuicance to the neighborhood. The more people complain the faster he will be removed.
Or you will have grounds to sue the city for not doing anthing.

SpisaRibb said:

We have forms we have to fill in like a Diary for the Enviro Health and the Council. One problem we do have is that he has a lot of friends in the neighbours we share, so they will be less likely to complain with us. We even have a CD with Video footage of the smoke - There is one occasion where we can't see the fence at the bottom of our garden through the smoke

I think you are doing the right thing. I lived in a block of flats for years, and it's amazing what people do with no regard for those living around them.

If you are feeling guilty about your actions, perhaps you could try talking to him when both you and he are calmer. Come to some arrangement over the fires. Without knowing him, I don't know if that approach will work, but no harm in trying. Well, no harm unless he kills you and burns the evidence in his shack!

Failing that, go down the official route as you're doing. Or, burn down his house in the middle of the night! :arson:

If he is just burning wood and stuff IMO you are over-reacting. Just remember that eventually you will be the one people will be telling how to live your life with silly laws. Everyone bothers people sometimes and I think that burning wood should be real low on a list of complaints.

lovemachine said:

it isnt about laws and tell people how to live.

It's about respect for one another and the this neighbor lacking in that department.

You don't burn shit in a town or city. Period. It can catch another house on fire, aside from the smoke, which no one can control where that goes. And Im certain if he is burning that much shit, he isnt only burning wood.
But buring other things like plastics and other chemical based things that are toxic. Logic and reason. Right and wrong.

lovemachine said:

Maybe, but the thing is - It isn't once in a while its constant and it will start at 11am and go on till late into the night - Sometimes 4 or 5 days running at a time - That isn't bothering someone sometimes.....this is like 90% of the last 3 years of mine and my families life I am talking about.

Why is it he chooses to dispose of his trash this way? Sounds like he's just trying to be a troublemaker!!!

SpisaRibb said:

Well we have family bonfires all the time including at my wedding and on Saturday.

Also.....nice assumption. MORE LAWS!!!!!

lovemachine said:

if it was your daily life, health and home that was being impacted daily you would not have such warm fuzzys for this guy.


myown... you have tollerated his actions for three years and he seems to have no regard for the impact of his behaviour. it might be the only action he will understand is being kicked out of his residence. but never ever feel guilty!
all he has to do is stop burning his trash

lovemachine said:

In the city? I doubt that.

You start passing these laws. Then you pass a law against people playing basketball because the dribbling bothers people (which is happening) and then someone is bothered by children playing in general so I guess you need to pass more laws. It's a vicious cycle and eventually it will catch up with you.

It's the same thing with smoking bans. It isn't going to end there because some people want to tell you EXACTLY how to live your life.

Obviosly there has to be some regulation in everypart of life but safely burning wood (assuming it's safe or else he wouldn't be relying on some clean air law for having it stopped) should be way down on any list.


.
[Edited 10/16/06 10:22am]

SpisaRibb said:

Well it's not like its downtown in an apartment complex but it's definately in the city.

emm said:

How exactly is burning wood going to affect your health? Maybe we need a law banning fireplaces.

people can have backyard fires here in my city too
there are laws however about what and when you can have a bonfire
and in what container you can legally burn

on a nice summer's evening you can often smell the faint hint of wood smoke
on a rare occasion the smoke from multiple fires hangs in the air and it becomes necessary to close doors and windows.

however, lovemachine...
i would invite you to our farm where we burn our rubbish in a barrel far away from the house and miles away from any one else's home..

it is quite a different kind of smoke. it is not pleasant. i would like to see if you would still liken it to having a backyard bonfire.


.
[Edited 10/16/06 10:26am]

Definitely doing the right thing Some people just think they can do whatever they like, its not fair on others to do so and you shouldnt be made to feel guilty when YOU ARE RIGHT.

lovemachine said:

becuase he is BURNING TRASH. asie from that I bet your 'bonfire' is small and contained. Not some ragging Burning Man bonfire. Burning trash is illegal in cities. Why? Because of saftey issues and respect of each other space.

SpisaRibb said:

Its going to affect all of our health. The carbon dioxide emitted from combustion is a pollutant, which we cannot breathe, and which is an irritant to us. Its acceptable in a controlled industrial environment, or in a properly designed chimney, but not right next to her windows where it can be sucked in.

And look up global warming too!

lovemachine said:

Yeah he is burning nice and safe in a little wooden shanty town shack he built out of boards of wood approx 3 ft away from a wooden fence that adjoins to five properties.....


I would point out as well.....Do you know why a Chimney stack is ABOVE a property?

I think some people here have misread that he actually burns this stuff in a Shack he built.....I presune he uses a Coal burner or some other form of stove.....We wouldnt know as we have not been in there, however there is a tube eminating from the top of the shed.....????

I wonder if you would not think twice about complaining about the smell from a Crematorium if it was built in your neighbourhood.....??
[Edited 10/16/06 10:55am]

myownprivateinsanity said:

Well it sounds as if you have your mind made up so why did you start this thread?

lovemachine said:

Why didn't you read the original post thoroughly???

We had a neighbor doing the same thing one time. There was this chemical-smelling smoke wafting through our house on a regular basis (turns out he was manufacturing some kind of concrete stuff in his backyard). We threw a fit. This is your health.

myownprivateinsanity said:

Well as soon as someone disagrees with you get all defensive so obviously you have made up your mind and think you are right so there is no need for thread but for the record I personally feel you are being a whiney neighbor. Just remember eventually it will be you.

Actually - I had already proceeded (like I said if you read it you would know), however I do not want to get this person into trouble as I don't get off on that sort of shit - Hence my thread - I presumed the common sense of many orgers here might have eased the conflict I had with sensible advice of what I was doing

I was not getting defensive with you as I have no need to - From your first post it was obvious you hadn't read my original one completely and the more you commented the more that presented itself as fact.....If you had read the original post you would have noticed he is burning stuff in a wooden shed...(shack).....FIRE HAZARD.....he burns stuff 4 to 5 Days a week.....NUISANCE.....His smoke and fumes enters our home which we in turn breathe in.....POLLUTION.....we are not talking a friendly BBQ once a month.....We are talking approx 765 out of 1095 days (yes I just added up) having Smoke and Fumes wafting into my home even when my windows are shut because it comes through the Chimney Stack and the Ventilation.....Of which my 9 year old and 2 yearold children are breathing in.....Hell I don't even smoke in the house (or their presence) to protect their health.....


You know what else.....If standing up for my rights to live in relative comfort makes me a whiney Neighbour.....Then so be it, I would rather be whiney than an arrogant selfish plantpot who thinks its ok to make other peoples lives a misery by smoking out there homes with Bonfires and putting themselves and their neighbours lives in danger with an unsafe and unhealthy environment.....Thanks.....You actually made me feel a whole lot better..... .....