A COUPLE once fought with their neighbour about who was stealing tea and biscuits – now they're being threatened with eviction.
Andy and Maureen Williams, of Surrey, have been handed an antisocial behaviour warning from their local council after a series of disagreements with neighbours in their senior living facility.
The pair, who are 81 and 73, are furious after receiving the warning – which could see them evicted – and say it's all based on a "pack of lies".
The retired publicans have lived in Cranleigh for much of the last 50 years, and moved into their current home for about eight years.
They claim the trouble started in 2018 when a dispute started over who was using the tea, coffee and biscuits intended for the building's social club.
The Williams' say since then matters have deteriorated.
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About two years ago, Maureen says she was involved in a verbal fight with another resident after issues arose around who was responsible for maintaining the communal gardens.
Not long after that, the pair say they picked up a phone call from a Waverley Borough Council official, who accused Maureen of being rude to a neighbour.
Andy told SurreyLive: "That's what started it.
"What a petty thing – it was two old women having a little tiff and you'd think World War Three had broken out.
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"The ramifications of that were just unbelievable."
The 81-year-old believes another of their neighbours then started gossiping about them.
Andy claimed on one occasion they were reported to the site manager for noise disturbance – which he said was actually coming from a nearby flat.
The pair say they then had a solicitor issue cease and desist letters to those they believed to be involved in damaging their reputation.
In May they received the letter from the council, issuing them with a warning for antisocial behaviour.
The letter, which has been seen by SurreyLive, said that the council had "received a range of reports from several different tenants, visitors and staff relating to the use of threats, swearing, shouting, inappropriate comments, and intimidation".
Andy in particular was accused of being "rude, shouting and swearing, making threats and unkind comments of a personal nature to more than one tenant".
The letter ended by saying that a continuation of this kind of behaviour could be deemed as harassment, and that if the Williams' failed to comply with the terms and conditions of their tenancy agreement, then the council may take action against them.
But Andy strongly denies the accusations.
We're having our name blackened – it's not true and it's not right.
He said: "It's a load of nonsense. The only person I was rude to was the area manager who phoned up my wife and accused her, but I certainly didn't swear.
"It's a pack of lies from start to finish and it's starting to affect Maureen mentally.
"For me, it would take more than something like this to affect me. I'm fortunate that I can cope with all of this and it doesn't bother me.
"But we're having our name blackened – it's not true and it's not right."
The couple say one solution offered to them was to move out, and be transferred to a bungalow away from from the site.
They're currently trying to decide whether this would be a good option for them.
The council told SurreyLive: "Waverley Borough Council does not comment on specific cases concerning our tenants.
"Where we have received complaints about a tenant, it is our practice to initially write to them to remind them of their obligations to comply with their Tenancy Agreement.
"In rare instances, where all our attempts to resolve the issues fail, we may offer one party the option of transferring to a new property.
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"As with all those on the Housing Register, they will be offered a property that meets but does not exceed their assessed level of need."
SurreyLive attempted to speak with some of the other residents in the facility, but we were unable to reach anyone who was willing to talk with them.
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