Neighbour moving flower pot in my garden

[CTRL]

Hi all
I’ve lived at my home for the past year or so and so far no problems with my neighbour. They keep themselves to themselves and same for myself but we do say hi on the occasion and they collect my parcels if I’m not home and vice versa.


Anyway I live in a maisonette (upstairs) and have a small garden area in the front of my home with a small back gate that leads to the public road.
My neighbour below has a back garden exclusive to them and has a back gate against thier garden leading to again the same footpath.
In the front of our home we have a front garden which I assume is a communal space between us both as we both have access to - however the flat downstairs has a front door which leads directly to this space, however it’s currently overgrown with bushes and we have no need to use it so neither I or the neighbour use it.

Often I see my neighbour passing out his back door and walking around his garden to come to my ‘garden’ and walk around to the front of the house. This I have found strange as like I mentioned, his front door leads directly to the front of the house so I feel there’s no need to keep passing my garden space to get to the front. But it doesn’t affect me and I don’t want to disrupt the neighbourly ‘friendship’ so to speak to I haven’t bought it up.

In my garden area I have put out a potted plant in the front of my home for decorative purposes and noticed yesterday it was moved. I assumed mabey it was an accident so put it back this morning in the original spot and went for a day out with my family.
I’ve come back home about 20 mins ago and again I’ve noticed my plant pot has again been moved - this time further opposite the original spot near my door.

Now I know it wouldn’t be anyone else but the neighbour downstairs as it’s a very quiet cul de sac and the only people to pass here are the residents. Also my house is ‘hidden’ behind the main houses so nobody ever passes there but me and my neighbour.

We also have large bins and again they store thier bins in my garden. Now before it didn’t bother me as in the cul de sac other houses have the same layout and I didn’t pay attention to where the bins were being stored. But after having a walk to another neighbour earlier on in the week I’ve noticed the bottom houses store thier bins in the front garden of thier home - so now this has started to make me feel I should mention that I would like them to store thier bins there also as I think it’s fair.

AIBU to have a word with them tomorrow about moving thier bins to thier front garden and telling them to stop moving my flower pots !?!

It seems silly issue but I don’t want to end up living next to a nightmare neighbour - and at the same time I think some boundaries are being crossed here and I don’t want to keep quiet and let them feel is OK ?

[polarpig]

Do they think it is all their garden because they are downstairs and you are upstairs?

[CTRL]

I’m not sure although I would hope to think not as they have two gardens, the space in the front which thier front door leads to. And the space in the back garden which thier back door leads to.

This space is my only space that my one single door leads out to. My front and back space so to speak and all the other neighbours on the estate who have the same layout have the same thing - the upstairs use thier space similar to mine and the downstairs use thier garden space which is exclusive to them.

[TheInvestigator]

Sorry but all this "it didn't bother me then" stuff is why you end up in situations like this were they start to overstep.

You let them turn your garden into their walkway. You let them store their bins in your garden. And now they are moving your stuff around.

It's your property and you need to tell them that. Move the bins out of your garden every time they put them in there. Tell them to stop walking through your property and tell them to stop moving your belongings.

If they keep it up for weeks on end then you can say it's harassment.

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

I can't picture this at all. Any chance of a diagram?

[CTRL]

Thank you
I accept that it’s my fault for being so relaxed about it but honestly that’s just the kind of person I am. And it wasn’t affecting me so I didn’t let it bother me.

I’m definitely going to have a word tomorrow and take some action as this is taking the piss and honestly the flower pot just made me see RED

[Saturdaycartoon]

Diagram please! Trying to figure out doors and bushes and gardens and gates...

[SosigDog]

I’m confused. You have a front garden with a back gate? And your upstairs neighbours have both front and back gardens? And their back garden has a gate leading out the front? And there’s also a communal front garden?

The only thing that’s clear is that the neighbour is regularly trespassing in your garden and storing their bins there, which is not on! Tell them to stay out and put their bins in their own garden!

[TheClaifeCrier]

Yes we need a diagram

[LordWheresMyShoes]

You don't sound at all sure that it definitely is your garden 🤔

[TulipsTulipsTulips]

I may not be popular with this one but in the whole scheme of things I think having a friendly relationship is the priority. These sound like pretty small infringements to me.

[Namechangeforthiscancershit]

Do you know definitely that it's your garden?

[recrudescence]

I have put out a potted plant in the front of my home for decorative purposes

[Bbang]

Can’t picture it either I’m afraid! Deffo need a diagram lol

[CTRL]

So we both enter the front garden up a garden path that splits on the left behind the bushes to the downstairs flat’s front door. The path then continues along (before the split) and I continue to walk straight to enter my front door. (So example being were both number 2 but downstairs is flat A and I’m Flat B). In this space marked ME is where my garden area and is fenced in the left and the right. On the left hand side is FLAT A (downstairs) garden and the one that is on that footpath is my garden (FLAT B). Next to my garden on the right is the next house but again they are a similar layout so the garden next to me is number 3 Flat A’s garden (Upstairs) and the garden next to that on the right is FLAT B’s garden (the flat downstairs).

The next picture is the other houses with similar layout and you can see they have a front door which leads directly to the road so you see there’s no reason for the neighbours to pass my garden daily.

[SosigDog]

Clear as mud I’m afraid. Are you saying your garden is at the side of the house?

[CTRL]

My garden is that space you can see between the two houses. And on the right side of my garden is the next house on the next side’s garden. The garden on the left hand side of mine (behind the house) is my neighbours garden which is exclusively thiers.

[8misskitty8]

Move their bins over to their garden and tell them that it’s your garden and they need to keep their bins on their own property.

[Smelborp]

I’m afraid I don’t understand the layout, but if you’re sure that area is for your exclusive use then no way should they be keeping their bins in it.

[Bibijayne]

£3 and you can get a landregistry diagram of your property and boundaries. Should clear it up. I bet they think it's all theirs.

[SosigDog]

So they own the back garden, you own the side garden (because your entrance door is round the side) and you share the front garden?

Tell them to stay out of your garden and put their bins in their own garden. If you can put up a fence or gate to block their access then do so.

[gleegeek]

We used to live somewhere similar. We were the upstairs flat and had garden tothe front, side and rear. Downstairs had big front garden and back garden. They had a right of way through our garden unfortunately which they used a lot!
Do you rent or own? If own, check your deeds as to rights of way/who owns what. If you rent, ask your landlord to clarify. HTH.

[SusieSusieSoo]

Op don't be hard on yourself - I've sort of softened after loving here for 20 years and having policed my spare parking space like a maniac even when I only had a mini, lived on my own & had 3 spaces but I've been a bit soft with this neighbour & it's bitten me on the bum quite frankly. Get tough op xx

[honeylulu]

Can you fence off your garden? As they have front and back entrances they'd still be able to access front and back gardens.
Agree you should look at the lease deeds for both to see if either if you have a right of access over the other's land (which probably means you can't fence off) and maybe a right to store bins in a particular area etc!

I am curious about the front garden. You say you think it's communal but no one "uses" it but presumably you both use it to egress your properties (or can you egress from your land at the side without crossing the front. It must belong to someone, either you, your neighbour or perhaps the freeholder if it is truly "communal". If so maybe you should both be storing bins there rather than dragging them around the side/back. See what the deeds say.