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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be upset at my neighbour using my garden area?

186 replies

AutiAngst · 30/04/2025 19:46

Firstly, this is a throwaway account.

Secondly, I'm sorry for the loooong post. I can't seem to be consise...

I can answer this before I even post it: yes, I'm probably being unreasonable! And yes, it's definitely a first world problem that isn't even a problem. But it's bugging me big time. Let me elaborate. First off, I'm autistic, so I know that I do tend to see things in black and white, right and wrong, fair and unfair. I have trouble with nuance. I know this. For the most part I try and not make a big deal out of anything that upsets me. This makes me a bit of a walkover. (some of this is due to not being verbally articulate. My mind goes blank the moment I'm confronted with anything even remotely upsetting and I can't speak. It's a form of mutism). So I try to be quiet, calm and non-confrontational to those around me. I also have anxiety as well as quite severe depressive episodes that can be triggered by seemingly innocuous events. This is another reason I keep myself to myself. I live with my dog in a ground floor flat, just the two of us, in a nice quiet village and it's mostly heaven. There are 3 other flats in my small block. I've been here the longest (16 years), whilst the other three have moved in over the past 5 or 6 years. When I moved in, one of the plus points of the flat was that it had its own garden. Originally the garden was a communal one, but waaaay before I moved in, the previous tenants had got together and had asked for, and been granted, permission to portion off the garden into 4 individual gardens and to take responsibility for them themselves. Each garden has a small fence between. The guy that was living in my flat at the time laid himself a small patio area under the kitchen window. There's also a small patio area in front of plots 1 & 2, though that's not paved, it was just pebbles until it became overgrown. Until the change of tenants the gardens were well kept. I had a gardener (I have a chronic health condition which often makes manual labour extremely painful), but the other three were younger and fitter and did their gardens themselves. Then the other three flats changed occupants one by one. Then I lost my gardener a couple of years back, and couldn't find a new one. The new tenants have never bothered with the gardens and all three are extremely overgrown and wild. I'm not bothered by that and I had managed, with careful planning, to keep my own garden fairly tidy on my own. Until last year when I went into a bad flare and couldn't do anything at all. Since last July/August time, I haven't been able to do anything in the garden and it was almost, though not quite, as wild as the other three. However, I've been feeling a little better, especially with the warmer weather arriving, which always helps with the pain, and so I ventured out last week to try and tackle my jungle. I managed to clear most, but not quite all, of the patio area in one session. Yesterday, when I drew the kitchen curtains in the morning, I found that the guy who lives in one of the upstairs flats, (and whose garden area is at the complete opposite end of the plot), had put his dryer out, laden with clothes, centre of my patio, right in front of my window! As I was planning to try and finish clearing the patio area yesterday, I wasn't impressed for two reasons; 1 - the dryer was right next to where I was going to work and so it was in the way and 2 - it's not his patio! I don't want to see his smalls in such close proximity, thank you very much! So when I went out I had to struggle to move the dryer. It was heavy, cumbersome and unwieldly. I'm heading towards 70, so I'm not the strongest person anymore, even without the added health problems. I managed to move it though (couldn't ask him, he was out) and I did some more clearing on the patio area. Today, I opened the kitchen curtains and the dryer is back. Again, slap bang in the middle of my patio, right in front of my kitchen window. I had considered trying to do more in the garden because surprisingly, yesterday didn't wreck me as much a usual, but the thought of trying to move the dryer again put me right off. And I'm just really upset at the sheer cheek of it. He's young and fit. It would take him a day, maybe less, to clear his own garden, and yet he waits until his elderly neighbour struggles to do her garden, and then he just swoops in and plonks his stuff down. He did something similar a couple of years back, just before I lost my gardener. My garden was the only one not overgrown, and with a flat lawn. I came home one Saturday to find he'd put goal nets up so he and his son (who stays for the odd weekend) could play football. In my garden. I just asked him to move it as my gardener was due in the next day or two and he did but it feels petty asking him to move his dryer. I know it's stupid but this is really upsetting me and I know it shouldn't. I understand that. It's just a dryer but I do worry that if it carries on, the next thing will be him having BBQs out there with his mates! I was going to fit my rotary dryer on the patio but now I think he'd just use that too! As I've explained, I'm pretty black and white, fairness is important to me. Respect is important to me. Had he asked me, I would probably have said yes, whilst explaining that I was hoping to do more work and suggesting a suitable place to put it. But he didn't ask, he just took advantage. I've felt physically sick since yesterday and my anxiety is through the roof. I'm even thinking I should just move, which I know is overkill, but that's where my mind is at right now. I can't cope with the uncertainty, the unfairness, the cheek, and the possible upset if I say anything. I'm just not sure what's the best thing to do....

OP posts:
Serencwtch · 30/04/2025 20:23

When the gardens were portioned up did you do this formally involving a solicitor?

If it was just a mutual agreement between the tenants at the time then you might find that the garden is legally still a communal garden.

Do you all own your own flats or are some owned by a landlord? What do the deeds of your property show? What is in the tenancy agreement if you rent?

IfYouPutASausageInItItsNotAViennetta · 30/04/2025 20:19

He definitely knows. He just sounds like one of these people who 'believes in community and in a bit of give and take' but who, curiously, only ever seems to take.

Can you get a small sign on your gate/fence saying 'Flat 2 Garden: No unauthorised access' or similar? He may well ignore it, but he then can't claim ignorance or confusion - which could be useful ammunition for any later (hopefully reasonably civil) action to assert your rights.

Either that or have your own BBQ or bonfire right next to his washing, so it makes it stink!!

ReignOfError · 30/04/2025 20:18

I’d either talk to him or leave him a note telling him to stop using your garden for any reason.

Then, if he put his laundry there again, I’d take it in, fold it neatly, and take it to a charity shop.

fgwcam · 30/04/2025 20:14

He probably thinks the whole garden is communal and if you don't tell him that it's been divided up into 4 lots then he won't know and he'll continue to use your patio area.
You will either have to go round and explain or write a note.
Otherwise he will keep doing it because he doesn't know he's not supposed to use your bit.

Blueblell · 30/04/2025 20:13

Write home a note/letter and say you are going to start doing some work in your garden so that you can make use of it over summer and could he use his own garden for drying ect.

ThejoyofNC · 30/04/2025 20:11

If you struggle in person then peg a note to his dryer asking him not to put it there again.

Paperthin · 30/04/2025 20:09

Oh @Dearg has it much better than me !

JustAnotherManicMomday · 30/04/2025 20:09

Politely remind him that his garden is the other plot and should he wish to dry his laundry outside he should get to work on his section. Alternatively, if he would like to maintain your section for you, that if he asks before just assuming its OK, you might let him use it at times.

Paperthin · 30/04/2025 20:08

Firstly you are NOT being unreasonable.

I’m sorry that he is taking advantage of you and being very cheeky - the football goals is even worse!

I know that anxiety can also be crippling especially when you aren’t sure if you are in the ‘ right’ and as you say you sometimes cannot articulate what you want to say.
I think he probably knows that you may not say anything and I wonder if it’s a bit bullying too.
Are you friendly with any if the other neighbours who could go around / speak to him with you?
if not I’d write a polite but clear note :
Dear Bill
Just in case you are not aware the garden and patio directly in front of my flat is my private garden. So please could you dry your washing in your own garden from now on.
thanks

Gemmawemma9 · 30/04/2025 20:08

Dearg · 30/04/2025 20:04

Drop a note through his letter box. Don’t apologise, just say ‘
Neighbour, I’ve noticed you have taken to using my garden for your airer.
Please don’t. Your garden area is x ( draw a grid if that helps)
. Please use your own area.
Thanks
Auti
He likely doesn’t realise , but put a stop to it before he has his mates round for beers in your patio.

This is brilliant OP, I would use this verbatim!
You are not being unreasonable at all 💐

shortsharp · 30/04/2025 20:08

was the garden divided up informally between previous tenants? Is it on the deeds to your house?

it would piss me off but then if you dont have a legal right to sole use then I don’t know what you can do?

JackieDaytonaLuckyBrews · 30/04/2025 20:07

Have you got a copy of the agreement about the gardens? You could add that to a note through the door.
Otherwise, move his washing every single time without fail. I'm not sure of the fencing situation (I know you said a small fence) but would it be possible to secure your garden with a gate/higher fencing? I'd also definitely put up my own rotary washing line if that is what you had planned. You can always fold it down after use and even pop a padlock around in if needed (as pathetic as that sounds, it makes the point).

ShockedandStunnedRepeatedly · 30/04/2025 20:07

Dearg · 30/04/2025 20:04

Drop a note through his letter box. Don’t apologise, just say ‘
Neighbour, I’ve noticed you have taken to using my garden for your airer.
Please don’t. Your garden area is x ( draw a grid if that helps)
. Please use your own area.
Thanks
Auti
He likely doesn’t realise , but put a stop to it before he has his mates round for beers in your patio.

I recommend using this wording.

OP I sympathise. He’s cheeky and you shouldn’t have to deal with such nonsense. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

ThDanielDay · 30/04/2025 20:06

Tell him to get to fuck.
Hes either ignorant or the situation (unlikely) in which case he'd be apologetic and embarrassed or (more likely) he's relying on making you feel petty and establishing a precedent so he can take the piss.

Either way cut it off early

LittleGem87 · 30/04/2025 20:05

People are so so rude!

Dearg · 30/04/2025 20:04

Drop a note through his letter box. Don’t apologise, just say ‘
Neighbour, I’ve noticed you have taken to using my garden for your airer.
Please don’t. Your garden area is x ( draw a grid if that helps)
. Please use your own area.
Thanks
Auti
He likely doesn’t realise , but put a stop to it before he has his mates round for beers in your patio.

ShockedandStunnedRepeatedly · 30/04/2025 20:04

OhCalmTheFuckDownMargaret · 30/04/2025 19:51

I’m sorry this is far too difficult to follow. Does he even know he has his own bit of garden elsewhere? I can’t trawl through all that just to find the obvious.

You must be pretty inarticulate if you can’t follow that. Nasty.

Hoppinggreen · 30/04/2025 20:04

If you own the flat is the garden shown on your deeds are belonging to your flat?
My concern is that if this was always a casual arrangement all residents may have the right to access all of the garden.
I am not a lawyer though

Cardinalita90 · 30/04/2025 20:04

You need to say clearly that you dont want him using it because it is yours. Dont hide behind statements like because the Gardener is coming or you need to weed your patio. He needs to understand he can't use it because it's not his. He might as others say not realise, but I'd go up and knock or put a note through and explain that. The longer it goes on the more awkward it'll be to raise it.

Wakemeupbe4yougogo · 30/04/2025 20:02

Drop a note through his letterbox. And DON'T apologise on it.

I've noticed that you've been using my patio/garden area to put your washing outside. You have your own garden space for that and I'd appreciate keeping mine for my own use. Happy to show you which bit is yours if you didn't realise. Thanks.

YesThatsATurdOnTheRug · 30/04/2025 20:02

He knows it's private because he asked OP previously to use it for football. He's being a dick OP, it's not you or your thinking - it's him. You need to tell him flat out he may not use your garden as you need to be able to use it whenever you want, and it is yours. If you don't feel able to tell him do you have a more robust relative who could (politely) do it for you?

TheFlis · 30/04/2025 20:01

All those saying he probably doesn’t realise it’s only the OP’s garden, he’s already been told that and asked not to use it once when he put up football nets. He’s being a CF and I bet chancing his luck that an older lady won’t want to stand up to a young bloke.

HollidayRanger · 30/04/2025 20:01

Just tell him
or leave a note on it

HateThese4Leggedbeasts · 30/04/2025 20:01

A polite note might help you. Something like

Dear (name) you might not be aware but your garden area is at the far end and the area closest to my doors is my private garden. I would appreciate it if you would respect my privacy by using only your allocated area when you want to use the garden.

Thank you (your name)

RedHelenB · 30/04/2025 19:59

Are they private though or was it an informal agreement to portion the garden up? You need to talk to him about it OP

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