Disclosure

[Rick burdett]

My friend came around for a coffee and a chat tonight moaning about the noise his neighbours are making at night when his family are trying to get off to sleep so I queried whether he'd gone to the police or complained to the council and he said he didn't want to on the grounds that if he ever moved he'd have to declare that there had been problems with his neighbours! Is this true? Moral obligations apart is this right do you have to disclose problems such as these with neighbours? What if the problem neighbours have moved on when he wants to move? Does it appear on a search or does he have to disclose?

[Ethel]

It is true that a house seller has to disclose neighbour disputes.

In fact on my questionnaires the seller must fill in for the buyer to read, the questions can include problems/noise with neighbours.

If the seller has complained he cannot deny there is a problem if the neighbours have not moved. But noise is subjective.

What one person classes as loud or unacceptable another person may not notice.

However, this should not be grounds for not resolving a problem. Has he mentioned the noise to his neighbour? They may not realise they can be heard.

[Rick burdett]

I believe he has spoken with them and they promise to try to keep the noise down but it all ramps up again in no time and he goes to talk to them again, (I think the problem is they're shift workers and finish around mid night when the slightest sound is amplified). He doesn't want to go round to them too often as he feels that familiarity will almost certainly lead to contempt