My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

AIBU?

to think SIL's lucky she hasn't been arrested for criminal damage?

108 replies

WorldPeaceAndFreeProsecco · 22/09/2013 15:47

She's just said that her neighbour was so rude to her that she went home and cried.

SIL had weeded her neighbours front garden because she decided it needed doing. Later on she saw the neighbour cleaning her windows so joked, 'oh you can do mine if you like' and the neighbour snapped 'not bloody likely'.

SIL said, oh and I weeded your garden for you. Neighbour said, yes, I know, you've pulled up all the wildflowers I planted.

Shock

SIL went home and cried, not because she felt bad but because the neighbour was rude, and shoudl bloody well keep her garden weeded, and told me that next time she's just going to put weedkiller down.

I've offended her now because I said she's bloody lucky not to be charged with criminal damage, and that if anyone did that to my garden I'd be furious. She has done it to us as well, she just comes round and starts cleaning or pulling up 'weeds', now I know she means well and mostly let her get on with it but I think she's seriously fucked her neighbour off.

The thing is, I'm pretty sure she'll carry on, and I do think the neighbour won't stand for it.

I thin kI need to say more to her, make it crystal clear that what sh'es doing is not NORMAL and that the neighbour is completely right to be annoyed.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Report
NellysKnickers · 22/09/2013 15:49

Ha ha, she sounds like my Grandma, she's a bit dotty and does things like that but she is 80+ .
YANBU

Report
FeckOffCup · 22/09/2013 15:51

YANBU she really needs to learn some boundaries, I would snap at her too if she trespassed in my garden, she needs to mind her own business.

Report
hermioneweasley · 22/09/2013 15:52

YANBU - does she have mental health problems?

Report
SusuwatariToes · 22/09/2013 15:53

Wow, she definitely has some boundary issues.

Report
WorldPeaceAndFreeProsecco · 22/09/2013 15:54

She said she's going to get rid of the neighbours pyrocanthus as she hates it and it's not a suitable shrub because the neighbour has children.

She just wouldn't listen when I said, with a massive shock face, you can't DO that!

OP posts:
Report
ShadowSummer · 22/09/2013 15:54

YANBU.

It's definitely overstepping normal boundaries to start weeding someone else's garden without their knowledge or consent, regardless of how well-meaning your motives are.

I'd be annoyed if one of my neighbours decided to start messing about in my garden like that, even if they were pulling out plants that I did consider to be weeds.

Report
MaBumble · 22/09/2013 15:55

Your SIL sounds well meaning, but interfering - I'm not surprised the neighbour was rude.

Maybe sit her down and explain that you know she meant well, but that people are very territorial about their gardens. They often see it as a way of relaxing, wanting it just the way they like or. Ask her if her neighbour let themselves in and changed all her things in her sitting room, throwing put 'old' pictures and ornaments, would she be upset?

Suggest for the sake of harmony she pop round with a packet of wildflower seeds and an apology.

Report
rosiedays · 22/09/2013 15:55

Can you send her to my house please. :)

Report
YouStayClassySanDiego · 22/09/2013 15:56

Is this the same SiL who mows the next door's garden too or am I confusing her with someone else?

Report
ImTooHecsyForYourParty · 22/09/2013 15:56

Bloody hell. I don't blame the neighbour for being pissed off. Your sister in law cannot understand that she has no right to tresspass in someone else's garden or to decide how their garden should look? In your shoes I'd be telling her look, it's not your place to decide how someone else's property should look. you've got no right to set foot on her garden, much less decide what she is or is not allowed to grow in her own garden!

Report
WorldPeaceAndFreeProsecco · 22/09/2013 15:57

Yes, same sil, and same neighbour. She was pissed off because the neighbour didn't offer her a cup of tea when she mowed her lawn 'for her' without permission.

She;s just taken it a step further now.

OP posts:
Report
hermioneweasley · 22/09/2013 15:57

This is not normal behaviour. Does she have a partner you can speak to?

Report
Pawprint · 22/09/2013 15:57

YANBU

She mustn't put weed killer down - for a start, it's dangerous stuff and secondly it's not her business to do her neighbour's garden.

Report
spindlyspindler · 22/09/2013 15:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WorldPeaceAndFreeProsecco · 22/09/2013 15:58

I'm actually really concerned about this, I mean, she does a lot of stuff that I find off kilter, but this is a whole nother level of batshit.

She threw away the leftover crackling from my roast pork last week, I nearly moidered her for that.

OP posts:
Report
ImTooHecsyForYourParty · 22/09/2013 15:58

x post. It gets worse! Shock Would she be ok with the neighbour doing the same to her? Have you asked her that?

Report
spindlyspindler · 22/09/2013 15:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WorldPeaceAndFreeProsecco · 22/09/2013 15:58

DH is going to speak to his brother (her DH) tomorrow, it's unlikely he knows she's doing this.

OP posts:
Report
ImTooHecsyForYourParty · 22/09/2013 15:58

I actually think she needs help.

Report
JeanBodel · 22/09/2013 15:59

I sow wild flowers in my garden.

I would be blimmin' livid if some idiot neighbour came around and pulled them all up.

If you don't manage to stage some sort of intervention, I imagine SIL is going to end up with a restraining order at the very least.

Report
MrsGeologist · 22/09/2013 15:59

She really does need some help, you don't just pull up other people's plants.

Report
YouTheCat · 22/09/2013 15:59

I think she needs a visit from the local community officer about trespassing.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

FeckOffCup · 22/09/2013 16:02

I think she needs help too, is there a reason she can't understand that she needs to stay out of the neighbour's garden? She will end up either being arrested or with a smack in the mouth if she cuts down that bush.

Report
CharityFunDay · 22/09/2013 16:03

Has she always been like this, or has some life-changing event sent her a bit doolally, or what?

YANBU

Report
Dawndonnaagain · 22/09/2013 16:03

I would go nuts. I have stuff that I planted, that some consider weeds, I have some beautiful thistles, evening primrose and a bird must have dropped <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/54/43/1544367_d4f81ff7.jpg&imgrefurl=www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1544367&h=640&w=480&sz=143&tbnid=wix44XzP01EUUM:&tbnh=99&tbnw=74&prev=/search%3Fq%3Daaron%27s%2Brod%2Bplant%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=aaron%27s+rod+plant&usg=__Mm4Kgl1C5mrD0u2snEivBJCU2Dg=&docid=i8wvVazf7kXnAM&sa=X&ei=QgY_Uvi3BIKG0AX8hoHgCA&ved=0CEYQ9QEwBA" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">this Aaron's rod and I've kept it because it's lovely and a bit different. I rather think she may need some help!

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.