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.

If Babs has her own garden, she can easily grow veg there.

I’m glad you didn’t sell her the allotment, as it will definitely add value to the house.

Excellent!😂😂 AND I bet she wears mauve!

The woman who played Camilla in The Windsors was Haydn Gwynne and she died recently.

They don't need 'another plot',they'll be using the one that came with their house.

Morally I think your dad should have given it to you when your mum passed away not kept it by for his next wife. But he did and it’s her because presumably he means a lot to her and it’s a token of love from her dead husband.

But I don’t think that is the best analogy so I will counter you:

You buy a house
Your neighbour who has lived there for 60 years always likes to use your drive to sunbathe.
The person you bought the house off was their best friend who also lived there for 60 years and they had some of the best times of their lives on that driveway.
The neighbour want to continue to use your drive because it’s his special place
But you now need to driveway to park your car.

Is the Driveway morally yours to use because someone enjoyed it more before you?

Thankfully the world doesn’t go by ‘morally owned’ because if nothing else that’s entirely subjective and therefore unworkable.

Your not in Hampsthwaite are you!?

Ooh good question! A neighbouring allotment owner who initially sided with Barbara but after some perspective that Barbara is a piss taker she changes her allegiance to Joanna Frogatt and Rob James Collier?

Oh gosh did she! I didn’t realise how awful

I am loving some of the assumptions being made on this thread.

i agree 100% with the actions the op is planning on taking

Some posters on here are an absolute parody of what MN has become. Many wanting something for nothing. Happy to give away everyone else’s stuff or money. It’s your land and your DH would benefit from it.

I’ll never forget the posters telling a single mum who was going to be tens of thousands worse off as she hit the 100k edge. She was told to suck it up and go to work to pay for their stuff.

The absolute entitlement of people. How dare you want access to your own land?

Whattt? No, Broccoli Babs buried the husband under the patio...so if there's another body under the 'allotment'.....who is it?

I feel a plotline coming on....can it be that Broccoli Babs, who seems so down to earth, is a serial killer (or if there are any fields nearby, maybe she's a cereal killer)?

It’s really shocked me she was only 66 and an amazing actress

Won't somebody think of the Barbaras?

How did I miss that news she died in October!

I find it a little crazy how this thread is taking off considering you've had only one interaction with Babs so far ??!? 🤷 I feel like she should maybe be fined a second chance to discuss??

No but close!

But the situation here is more like if the stepmothers daughter then sold the jewellery. Should the person who bought it in good faith feel obliged to give it back to you?

We are keeping it professional and only going through solicitors, I think it’s the most prudent way forward for everyone

Shall we take bets as to how long before this thread is referenced in a certain tabloid newspaper. The one where I make reference to a headline it used in 1936?

I think you’ve made the right decision op, get Barbara off of the land and also don’t let her in your house as your housekeeper or babysitter to your children!

It's the only sensible way.

To my amazement, the legal line that my home insurance includes is open 24/7. Which was absolutely wonderful when I was freaking out about my own issue at 9pm. So don't feel you have to wait until Monday.

And if you get a lovely young lawyer called Beatrice, she's amazing.

Sounds like a good plan!

Thanks to whoever for the Olivia Coleman reference!

Why is she rarely applauded for her performance in Hot Fuzz?