CF allotment thief part 2: the Battle of Barbara and the Beansprouts

[YaMuvva]

Hi all, sorry I didn’t get a chance to post the link to this in the last thread, but it filled up too quickly.

So, another update

DH and I sat and had a looooong talk last night. We poured over every option, the pro’s and cons and the best and worst case scenarios. We thought of every possible situation that could arise from each option and we made a decision this morning.

it was actually the best/worst case scenario talk that clinched it.
Best case scenario for selling it to her was we get a little bit of money. Worst case is we have no allotment and the house possibly devalues.

Best case scenario for if we shared the land is that she is a pleasant plot neighbour and isn’t bitter that we are on the land that used to be ‘hers’ and doesn’t try to boss us about. But worst case scenario is that she remains bitter and makes our lives hell, interferes and our allotment space becomes an unbearable place to be.

Best case scenario for if we keep it to ourselves is we have the enjoyment of a long awaited allotment, one that makes a massive difference to DH’s MH and our general life enjoyment. Worst case scenario is that we make a neighbour - who is smart enough to find another plot or use her own generous garden - cross.

We figured that the worst case scenarios for all 3 weren’t worth risking the absolute best case scenario could bring.

So we are kicking her off.

We discussed letting her wait some months before making her leave or until the end of the growing season around about the end of September. But that when you consider the weather, that would mean we wouldn’t truly be able to enjoy the allotment in good weather for a whole year. I know it can still be enjoyed in horrible weather but the thought of missing out on a whole entire summer of gardening, relaxing and recuperating just feels too long. She has also indicated she will fight us - well she can try and she won’t win so I’d rather the ‘fight’ was a short one not a long one

We went to the plot this morning (no Babs in sight!) and took a soil test, took pictures, used that app to mark the plots (thanks to PP for the tips), and measured it and took pictures of the measurements/readings. From what we can tell she has root veg, fruit and a little herb garden patch, all growing fairly well considering the time of year. We didn’t disturb anything

Going to call the home insurers today to see if we can get legal cover and reclaim costs from the previous owner so solicitors can write her a letter - if not we will just instruct our current solicitors and make the reclaim too. I know we could do a letter ourselves but I really think a legal middle man would be worth the money. We will take solicitors advice on how much notice to give her - but it won’t be long notice. No point, may as well rip the plaster off now. We won’t be offering to buy the shed as I don’t want to be beholden to Barbara or have her make out to others that we stole the shed. We want a clean slate, to pick our own items.

I do feel bad that Barbara will be losing something that is so dear to her and that her ‘sanctuary’ will be taken away but the bottom line is it does not belong to her and she has known this for 10 years. She could have spent that 10 years, or even just the nine months since the house went on the market, to find another sanctuary. We are being selfish, we have been through unimaginable struggles and it’s time to just live for ourselves not a random neighbour. If that makes us a pariah in the community I can take it.

DH also messaged our police officer friend of ours this morning who said if the time comes to bin her stuff and dismantle the shed to call 101 and tell them “We are doing this, it’s our property and we will handle everything with care and bring it to her home” and then if she calls them saying we are stealing or damaging our property then we are one step ahead at least.

Sorry quite right- I was about to clarify that it doesn't apply for registered land. But in this case the possession can't have been adverse whether the land is registered or unregistered

Good for you, I think her first reaction to you speaks volumes. She is never going to be reasonable so she needs getting rid of unfortunately.

Well done OP, I completely agree with you and your DHs decisions.

And ignore the 'be kind' 'what about her mental heeaaallllttthhh' lunatics.

It would be helpful yo know more details ie would you disputing a pie e of land included on the deeds?

Babs is a cheeky fucker of which there is no doubt... Maybe third thread needs to be Garden-gate....
Or Loopy Lotment Lady.....

This sounds like a midsummer murders plot!
I think you are doing the right thing OP.

I also have some sympathy for Barbara, and I can’t help feeling that anyone who doesn’t hasn’t spent a lot of time looking after an allotment (or a big veg garden). It is nothing like vacating a garage, especially if you’re part way through planting it up for the new season, window ledges bursting with (now homeless) seedlings…

OP, I’m not sure how much gardening experience you and DH have? You said the allotment is bigger than a standard one? That will produce more than enough food for all of you - but only if you know what you’re doing, and Barbara clearly does.

Your best course of action might well be to share with Barbara for a couple of seasons, learn from her and have her help until you get into the swing of managing such a big plot, or decide that half of it is enough for you to cope with anyway!

This is ridiculous. Why should they be expected to share their own land with anyone, but especially someone as rude and combative as 'Barbara' was.
Maybe if you live close you could offer to replant all her produce and share your garden with her instead?

If it’s ok OP, I’m going to pull up a deckchair and sit and watch. I have flapjacks and tartan flask of tea.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4310804-To-lock-the-jackass-in-parking-thread

@godmum56 @OVienna it looks like the original thread no longer exists, but the 3rd thread in the series is in Classics here - https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/mumsnet_classics/1994280-To-Kick-These-People-Out-3-the-countdown-begins?page=1

bless you and thank you

I can see it here https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4310804-To-lock-the-jackass-in-parking-thread

Why does Barbara clearly know what she's doing? OP hasn't given historical yield figures. She could be trying to grow guavas for all we know.

Ignore the ‘be kind’ brigade, it’s your land, she has no right to be there, she knows this. It may very well be her ‘sanctuary’ and she may have worked hard on it but it was never hers, she’ll just have to find a new hobby, it’s not the end of the world. Why should you lose out on a year of use of it?

If anyone should ‘be kind’ it’s Barbara by removing herself from your land, you wouldn’t let her come and sleep in your spare room just because the previous owner did!

Actually if she’s got that much gardening knowledge I really would! People just have no idea how hard it is to keep an allotment productive! And OP probably won’t be getting much help from her allotment neighbours now.

Of course OP and her DH may already know exactly what they’re doing - in which case, that knowledge is of no value to them

Yeah. The 'be kind' brigade wouldn't give up their spare room either.

Haven’t RTWT but I think that’s the right decision. Sharing a plot often doesn’t work, one person ends up doing most of the work. As she’s experienced ( and pretty hard nosed by the sound of it) she’d be likely to patronise you and make you feel uncomfortable. There’s a reason for all those novels about feuding peasants. People get extremely territorial about their piece of land and their crops.

@godmum, sorry I thought you were after the horses in a field thread, not the Ford Ranger thread! My link is the one about the horses (from 2014), not the car (which was 2021). If you go into the one I linked to it has links in the OP to Thread 1 and Thread 2 but the links say the pages no longer exist.

I can link to the original thread if you like? OP's husband is a keen gardener, from a line of gardeners.

My dear friend Stacey owned a car. She let me borrow it on Tuesdays and Thursdays to get to work. I even invested some money it (repairs, upgrades, etc.). She decided to sell the car. The For Sale sign was up for a while. She eventually sold it, and now the new owner won't let me drive it! I'm furious (at new owner)!

OP is YOUR land just a piece of land being used as an allotment, or is it actually a proper allotment?

Barbara has had the last 9 months that the house was on the market to make alternative plans.
Perhaps the seller and Babs hatched a plan, where by the seller wouldn't mention the land and Babs could keep using it.

Barbara can take all her stuff to her own garden.

I bet you filled it with fuel and everything 🤣🤣

I DID. And the car is my sanctuary.

In my experience of allotments they have been rented so not owned to sell. I thought they were all council property and the holder just pays a fee annually? X