My next door neighbours are currently having work done on their house. We live on a very small country lane and so the workmen have been parking opposite my house in a small lay-by. However last week when one of them was trying to turn around he drove over the grass verge outside my front garden leaving deep muddy tyre marks through it.
Then at the weekend there was a car pulled over on to my grass verge. I went out to ask him to move when my neighbour appeared, so I asked my neighbour if he could tell the work guys not to drive over the grass or park there as it was getting ruined. I didn't think this was a huge ask but to my surprise he was very defensive and said it was nothing to do with him.
Seconds later I receive a text message from his wife saying how dare I blame them for ruining the grass and that I had no right to have a go at her husband. I was so shocked! I replied saying there had been a misunderstanding and that I wasn't blaming them and was very sorry if he felt that I was having a go - which I honestly wasn't. She replied saying that they have no control over when the workmen park and that she 'could do without me adding to her hassle'. The text messages where huge paragraphs of bold text and exclamation marks. They were extremely hostile, aggressive, over the top and unnecessary. I felt so upset because I had no idea how it had turned in to this and I absolutely hate confrontation. My husband wanted to defuse the situation so he went went round to speak to them. He apologised for the misunderstanding and said he didn't want us to fall out. They all agreed that they had no control over where the workmen parked and my husband said that he'll buy some boulders to stop it from happening (even though we can't afford to do this).
To my husband this is now done and dusted. However the more I've thought about it the more angered I've felt at how they treated me and have just gotten away with it - in the sense that my husband didn't say anything to them about their awful behaviour. The wife is a right gossip and I can just imagine her telling everyone in the village that I had a go at them. We're not close friends or anything but I work from home (as do they) and I see them most days when out walking the dogs. I have no idea how to act when I next see them. I feel like I deserve an apology and I also want to point out that I was only asking them to pass on a request to the workmen - that is all. My husband says I need to let it go and just be polite in order to all live here harmoniously.
What would you do?
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Relationships
Fall out with neighbours
ForeverHopeful21 · 13/11/2017 15:23
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