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AIBU?

AIBU to be annoyed with my neighbours?

21 replies

dribbleface · 05/03/2013 10:49

We do not have a great relationship with our neighbours here

However the wife and I manage to be civil and reasonable, as we all have to live here.

Today scaffolders arrive, some of which is on my property, it has blocked our communal alleyway so I cannot get anything in or our of back garden (bins etc), and the work they are having done is very very noisy. Have no issue with any of this if they had at least had the decency to mention it, first I knew of it was spotting a man standing on my back fence!

She had clearly gone out for the day so as not to disturb her baby (out before school run which is unheard of as she is on mat leave), I now have a grumpy baby who can't sleep, so I will have to head out for the day and get him to sleep in his pushchair (again not an issue but I had things planned for the day)

AIBU to think they should have mentioned it. DH says to tell workman they cannot use our property, however its not their fault and they have a living to earn so wouldn't do that (also hoping they drop something on the car - which is close to the scaffolding, so I can get a new one )

OP posts:

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dribbleface · 05/03/2013 11:05

Well DS2 sleeping though the worst noise. Other neighbours had a 2 storey extension that wasn't this bad!

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dreamingofsun · 05/03/2013 11:37

if they are usiing your property then yes definately should have asked nicely. even the joint areas, it would have been polite. they sound like our ignorant neighbours who complained when they arrived with a tree surgeon and complained and wrote us letters (copying to the neighbours) when we wouldn't let them access our garden till we returned home.

poor you with all the noise.

some people are just ignorant.

SirBoobAlot · 05/03/2013 11:44

They should have mentioned it at least. Nothing they can do about the noise, but common courtesy to give you a warning.

dribbleface · 05/03/2013 11:48

Have no issue with the noise at all, would have been nice to know though!

They just seem to think the whole world revolves around them.

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TheChaoGoesMu · 05/03/2013 11:49

Yes of course they should have mentioned it, especially if its on your property. I'd ask them how they are planning to get your bins out for you.

Catchingmockingbirds · 05/03/2013 12:12

They definitely should have mentioned it, especially as they're using your property and know you're at home all day with a baby.

WhatchaMaCalllit · 05/03/2013 12:24

What I would do is pop a note in their door asking them to let you know

When the builders will be there (on a daily basis)
How long the work will take (a few days/week/month)
If access to their property is required via your property as you will not want to inconvenience them but you would also want to make sure that your property isn't damaged in the process.

See what they say to that.

dribbleface · 05/03/2013 12:24

Thanks. Needed some others views because I don't particularly like them.

Heading out now as watching the workmen use my drive is making me cross!

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MmeThenardier · 05/03/2013 12:51

If someone wants to put scaffolding on your property, they need to ask first. End of. They are not entitled to put it there just cos they 'need' to.

MmeThenardier · 05/03/2013 12:52

This may be hard but you would be best placed to set some boundaries with the builers now. Otherwise they will assume (or may have been told) that it is fine to put scaffolding on your property and use your drive. By the time the job is finished they'll be using your bathroom if you're not careful...

Cheeio26 · 05/03/2013 12:56

As other posters have said. You need to nip it in the bud op before it escalates. Good luck I know it's not easy.

Chelvis · 05/03/2013 13:00

I'm not an expert on this at all, but aren't there insurance implications if you knowingly let them use your property? I mean, if they were to cause damage to your house, would your insurer think you were at some fault if you had [implicitly] allowed them access?

BlueberryHill · 05/03/2013 13:00

Why do they need to use your drive?

Will it prevent you using it?

Agree, set some boundaries with the builders, you can still do it nicely but you don't want them taking the piss or leaving a mess.

idococktailshedoesbeer · 05/03/2013 13:10

Don't let them use your drive without checking they have proper insurance! Could go horribly wrong... your neighbours are being completely out of order.

HeadfirstForHalos · 05/03/2013 13:11

The neighbours may have told the builders they had sorted it our with you re. the scaffolding. Either way I would have a polite word, say I didn't mind the scaffolding or the work, but I would have appreciated being asked first, particularly because you now can't get the bins out! You could have put them out the front beforehand if you had known.

blacklightning · 05/03/2013 13:59

We recently went through something similar with our neighbours. The insurance company were not happy about any scaffolding where our neighbours wanted to put it as it was along an access. We too needed it to take out bins. One of the reasons they gave was that in the event of an emergency, it would hinder the emergency services if they needed to get to the back of our property. My husband was the one who spoke to the insurance company, but I think I remember him saying that our neighbours should have got a surveyor involved and prepared a scaffolding agreement if they wanted to place scaffolding on our property. It never came to this though so I don't know what the insurance company would have said.

Also shouldn't they have checked it is ok from with whoever owns the communal area?

stoatie · 05/03/2013 17:10

They should have informed you. we are having extension done at mo (so probs neighbours from hell as it is taking ages). As it turns out we have all scaffolding on our property - however both planners and builders told us that if scaffolding needed to encroach onto neighbours they couldn't refuse if it was a health and safety issue for the workmen.

That said we would naturally inform neighbours and I have been insistent that no-one blocks access to neighbours, parks out side their house etc (we move our cars and the park on our wasteland (was a front garden once).

The only one we have no say over is building supplies lorry who does have habit of coming (and blocking pavement) during school run time - thankfully not for long

digerd · 05/03/2013 17:23

There is an "access to neighbouring land act", and it states that they must let you know well before and state the dates it will start and finish.
Any damage done to your property, plants and bushes ,neighbour is responsible for replacing as they were.
Inconvenience is not mentioned.
My < nasty piece of work> neighbour, is under the impression nobody can enter her property without her permission which she doesn't give.

dribbleface · 05/03/2013 17:43

Was only a temp thing, all done and cleared up. Still feel they could have said though! As I said would be happy with whatever as long as they said.

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digerd · 05/03/2013 17:43

The builders and surveyors were pulling the wool over your eyes.
According to the Act, you can refuse permission, and the neighbour must then apply for a court order that they must pay for.

stoatie · 05/03/2013 19:34

thankfully we don't need to go on neighbours land and we have been keeping the neighbours sweet (party wall act etc) and did the garage foundations in segments to reassure them that foundations to their property would remain secure.

In terms of neighbours we have dream builders (never turn up before 0930 - always gone by 1430, don't work on Saturdays, tend to have one small van parked on our land). From our point of view - work is great - but taking an age, glad we have a fixed payment contract and are not paying a daily rate!!

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