To say I don't want my neighbour to block my drain?

[Flossyfloof]

I had a knock on the door a couple of hours ago to ask if I wanted my block paved driveway cleaned as my neighbours are having it done. I said no. Last time neighbours had this done, all the rubbish went down the drain on my driveway and very soon after that the drain was blocked. I am at the end of one run and my neighbour is at the beginning of the next, so our drains are not linked. I have just looked at neighbour's driveway - they have no drains at all. I have two. WIBU to say something to the effect of "You will be careful, won't you, not to swish all the rubbish down my drain?"?

[DoJo]

YWNBU to mention it to them as it clearly caused you significant inconvenience, but maybe mention it to them in a 'can you remind the company doing it' type way to avoid them thinking it's a direct accusation (even if it is!).

[Flossyfloof]

Thanks for your response, in the end I spoke to the lad doing it when he came to ask me to move my car off the drive and said more or less what I suggested. He has now called to say that there will be water on the drive but that they will clear up any mess and put it in the brown bin for composting. He has assured me that nothing will go down my drain so I must hope for the best. Just went out the back and they had obviously made a bit of the mess of their kitchen window - and I got the backsplash! Lovely! Thanks again, Dojo, I know it is not the most exciting AIBU of the day!!

[DoJo]

Always love a good neighbourly IABU - we have recently gone from awful neighbours to lovely ones, so I know the stress you feel when you have to deal with something that could impinge on your relationship! I hope you are MN-ing whilst keeping an eye out for any drain infringement!

[Flossyfloof]

OMFG!!! Just got in, I went to have a pedicure and...The whole of my drive is covered in mud, all along the front window, all up the front door, all on the front step! Went next-door to get the number - phoned it and spoke to a delightful ...locksmith who is nothing to do with them, doesn't have offices where they said they were...
Poor neighbour is devastated, I asked them to come and have a look at the mess. Front of the drive in front of the garage is simply awash. Neighbour is elderly and I feel really bad for getting them round now, but I was so shocked! Neighbour then came out to try to clear up - he is early 70's and not in the best of health so I gave him a hug and reassured him.
SO - clearly we have been done! These blokes told me they were charging £200 for the job. They are supposed to be coming back on Saturday to sort out a dropped brick for the neighbour but we are guessing that won't happen.
I related the story to the locksmith as they are using his number. He suggested phoning the Police but I very much doubt if they would do anything.
AIBU to be really really upset? I don't think I am...!
Actually now I am more upset that an elderly couple have been preyed upon. Saw the same with my Dad, partner's Dad was done with his hedge - it is not fair.

[Flossyfloof]

• has been

[MrsBigginsPieShop]

Call Trading Standards

[Flossyfloof]

Locksmith suggested this but unfortunately I don't have any info on them, except for the false phone no and address. I will give it a try though, you often see stories like this on the telly don't you? Thanks

[WaitMonkey]

How awful. Have you managed to clean up the mess ?

[seasidesally]

god one year i decided to power wash my blocked paved drive,what a bloody mess it made,lots of sand and grit,never again,havent tried again for years and honestly still looks good

sorry to hear what a bloody mess they made especially as it wasnt yours they were doing

hope it gets sorted,and neighbours realise it dosent really need doing,just a little upkeep over the year and it's all good

[Flossyfloof]

It rained quite heavily while I was out so I will leave it until it is dry then give it a go. I have been onto the local council website and emailed "Report a Rogue"!
Sally that is the problem, I think which happened before, all the sand grit and general muck was washed into my drain!!
Anyway, I expect they are long gone. I have left my phone no in the email so maybe Trading Standards will get back to me.
Honestly - the mess is unbelievable! I am laughing about it now, as I said to my neighbour, it is only a thing and it can be sorted. But it is awful!!
Thanks for the sympathy everyone.

[seasidesally]

good job your so reasonable about it

hate people that rip people of like this,especially the elderly

we have a problem with rogue roofers (a whole bloody family)2 have been imprisoned,have had many suspended sentences over the years etc bit still ply their trade once out

trading standards have taken them to court and are on the local council list of rogue traders but still carry on,disgusting and these poor people mostly elderly never get their money back and were talking thousands

how people sleep at night i will never know

[Hollycopter]

Is your neighbour vulnerable? I only ask because the lady who owned our house before us had a terrible time with dodgy people who cleaned her roof, she was confused and wrote out a good few cheques for large sums which had to be cancelled when my neighbour found out what had happened and called her family.

They came back looking more money so it might be worth keeping an eye out for him.

[Flossyfloof]

The problem is that the man has always been very active and did everything about the house himself. He is just coming to terms with the fact that he can't. They are lovely and great neighbours. I have mentioned in my email to Trading Standards that they are supposed to be returning on Saturday and asked them for advice. When I went out he asked about what time I was going to be back and I told him about an hour. Of course, hindsight being so wonderful I now imagine that they were asking in order to ensure they had scarpered well before I got back. I think I will take some photos in the morning.
We'll have to see if they turn up on Saturday. As you say, Sally, once they have had some cash they might turn up again. I will find out if they paid by cash or cheque. If cheque I will try to persuade them to cancel it.

[AndHarry]

£200 is an awful lot of money for jet-spraying a drive.

[NothingMoreScaryThanAHairyMary]

If you neighbour wants reassurance when he looks for tradesmen many councils now have some form of buy with confidence schemes where the traders are vetted by the trading standards teams. Not helpful today but may help in the future!

[Flossyfloof]

Yes. They did say that that was for sealing it as well, I don't know what that should look like but it doesn't look as if it was sealed to me!!
I haven't checked with them how much they did pay - that was what the bloke told me.

[whois]

Hopefully neighbour can use this as a learning experience not to let dodgy fraudsters who come knocking on the door do any work for him! Clearly a scam. The whole 'we were in your area' thing is so old.

[MidniteScribbler]

Can you rent a pressure washer to clean up the mess? I know the hardware stores here rent them out for the day and they aren't expensive. I have one of my own and they're really easy to use, just the same as hosing, and they do a great clean up job.

[lastnightIwenttoManderley]

As an aside...one reason for a lot of the mess is that a lot of block paving has sand between the blocks to allow it to flex with changes in temperature.
Aggressive jet washing is potentially just going to wash all of the sand away...