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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be furious that my neighbour ‘borrowed’ my garden furniture for her BBQ?

238 replies

2coolec · 05/08/2025 17:37

Went away for the weekend, came back Monday afternoon to find our patio table, four chairs, and parasol in next door’s garden.

Turns out she’d had a BBQ on Sunday and “thought we wouldn’t mind” if she borrowed them. Was “going to return it”. Only I found out because by Monday evening it was still all sat there and I saw her teenage son and his mates hanging out on my furniture.

No note. No text. Just helped herself. I wouldn’t even have known if I hadn’t looked over the fence.

I’m honestly livid. It’s not a small thing to borrow and she didn’t even ask. What if it had got damaged? Or gone missing?

AIBU to think this is beyond cheeky and actually borderline theft?

OP posts:
Zoraflora · 05/08/2025 18:32

I would be mad about this too.

They didnt ask and then went into your garden and helped themselves.
I would be calling round and letting them know its not on.

Thanksman · 05/08/2025 18:32

Kangarude · 05/08/2025 18:15

Sorry but 😂
How did you not notice till you looked over the fence? Didn’t you notice it was missing? I am imagining you peeping over the fence and seeing your neighbours relaxing on your garden furniture.This is one of the funniest things I’ve read for a long while. I can’t stop laughing. I hope you make them carry it back round to yours

🤣

Thanksman · 05/08/2025 18:31

Are your neighbours thick then? The sensible thing to have done would be return them before you returned so you would never have known.

the80sweregreat · 05/08/2025 18:29

You could buy a big padlock and chain if you can’t put in a shed or garage next time you’re away. Anchor it to the ground somehow so they can’t do it again.
Such a liberty.

KitsyWitsy · 05/08/2025 18:29

If they don't know you well enough to have your phone number to ask you, then they have no business borrowing your stuff!

And not to even put it straight back!!!

Viviennemary · 05/08/2025 18:29

That is beyond cheeky. Awful.

MavisandHetty · 05/08/2025 18:28

You have to be firm in telling them that you don’t ever want a repeat of this and you are not okay that they helped themselves this time. Leave no room for doubt. People like this don’t take hints.

GloriousGoosebumps · 05/08/2025 18:28

Well she's not exactly a master criminal is she? Anyone with half a brain cell would have returned the furniture before you returned home, making sure to put it in exactly the same place so that you didn't notice any thing was amiss.

On a more serious note. I'd tear a strip off her and make her bring it all back immediately. On the assumption that your garden shed isn't large enough or empty enough to store a table and chairs, I'd be chaining table and chairs together any time I went away, that way she'll never be able to move them and will have to content herself with staring longingly at them while her guests sit on wooden crates!

ExitPursuedByABare · 05/08/2025 18:24

More front than Blackpool.

MaryGreenhill · 05/08/2025 18:23

It's ok in my eyes let it go @2coolec

4forksache · 05/08/2025 18:22

Agreed. They thought you were away for a week!

Kangarude · 05/08/2025 18:15

Sorry but 😂
How did you not notice till you looked over the fence? Didn’t you notice it was missing? I am imagining you peeping over the fence and seeing your neighbours relaxing on your garden furniture.This is one of the funniest things I’ve read for a long while. I can’t stop laughing. I hope you make them carry it back round to yours

Hm17 · 05/08/2025 18:14

Cheeky as fuck. At least they’ve shown you who they are. If you want to fight fire with fire, you could send them an invoice for hire of garden furniture.

TheHandmaidsSnail · 05/08/2025 18:12

What has she said about it?

Jamesblonde2 · 05/08/2025 18:10

Incredibly rude. Just another example of how entitled and shameless some people have become!

Mosaic123 · 05/08/2025 18:08

Not only are they thieves but they are idiots. If they'd given it back you might not have noticed.

Tell them to return it to where they found it ASAP.

Stand in the garden and watch their humiliation.

Tell them if you ever find it's been used by them again you will call the Police.

BakingMuffins · 05/08/2025 18:08

Wow! Cheeky fuckers.

Therealjudgejudy · 05/08/2025 18:06

That's shocking behaviour on their behalf!

outerspacepotato · 05/08/2025 18:05

If they were just borrowing it, why was it still in their yard? It's not borderline, it's blatant theft. They took your stuff without asking and didn't return it

That would be a BIG deal here. Like somebody's getting hurt deal.

Now you know your neighbors are thieves. Tell them don't take your stuff. Lock up your stuff and your garden area.

Marianwallace · 05/08/2025 18:04

How on earth did they manage to get it from your garden to theirs ?

amylou8 · 05/08/2025 18:03

As long as you're on good terms them helping themselves wouldn't have bothered me at all if I wasn't there to ask. But they should have been returned immediately on Sunday. Still being sat there on Tuesday is taking the piss.

BerryTwister · 05/08/2025 18:00

AlphaApple · 05/08/2025 17:39

For a good neighbour/friend it wouldn’t bother me. For a neighbour on nodding acquaintance it’s CF territory and she owes you an enormous thank you, a bottle of wine and some chocolates.

If someone came onto my land and took my property I don't think a bottle of wine and box of chocolates would make it all OK.

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 05/08/2025 17:54

AlphaApple · 05/08/2025 17:39

For a good neighbour/friend it wouldn’t bother me. For a neighbour on nodding acquaintance it’s CF territory and she owes you an enormous thank you, a bottle of wine and some chocolates.

A good neighbour friend would ask or not take it if they hadn't.

A cheeky twat of a neighbour is what the OP had

BlackCatGreyWhiskers · 05/08/2025 17:50

MrsMillyFluff · 05/08/2025 17:46

I remember years ago, we were away with dds for the weekend. When we came back our external fence was missing and there was a nice newly built shed in our old neighbours garden!! Yes, they'd nicked our fence.( Bit of a rough area) Their reasoning? " Oh, we thought you were away for a week!" 🤔😂

What on earth!!!!!!

MounjaroMounjaro · 05/08/2025 17:46

Are you normally in the habit of borrowing each other's things? I'm just wondering how she could possibly justify it.

Get yourself a Ring doorbell so you can see what else she's up to. I doubt this is the first time she's done anything like this.