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.

OP once you get your allotment back and the TV show airs, you can use your new-found fame for a special-edition “Barbara’s Lost the Plot” parsnip cake at Betty’s AND a regular slot at RHS Harlow Carr talking about vegetable gardening. You can thumb your nose at the neighbours without a care!

Have you ever seen her performance in I Give it a Year? She only has a very small part but she’s absolutely hysterical

I'm ringing this post far too engaging, considering I hate gardening.

I think its mental how everyone on here has decided Barbara has a poor life and Mh issues, therefore you are evil by wanting to use land you own. What has the world come to.

She should have immediately apologised and tried to work something out. I dont see a world on which you are in the wrong here...

I'm so sorry to have to tell you OP, but it's sadly inevitable that in the upcoming drama based on your predicament, Sarah Lancashire will play the lead role of you.

Finding. Just as a query does the edit button not work on the app?

Haha I wish I love Harlow Carr, but don’t tell Betty but I think she’s over rated 🙊

When we moved into our house the woman next door had lived there since they were built (more than 50 years).
Our sellers were also elderly and had issues with letting go.
They came round to collect a bin they left on at 2 and let themselves into the house.
I said thank you for the spare key and he said, "but we won't be able to get in!" I think he was confused but we kept the key.
Day 3 next door neighbour tells us our sellers used to cut her hedges and mow her (sizeable) lawn.
She seemed to think we might have inherited that responsibility.

@MiniCooperLover

equally, Barbara has had plenty of time to approach them to try a second conversation about it or apologise for her own reaction. She doesn’t seem to be bothered about finding a way forward

No

No, I haven't, but will make a point of doing so!

Nooooooo

Do you think if she did she could at least do me the service of cracking a bloody smile?

Where is the original thread please? X

I love the idea of an unwritten contract involving carrots.

The rest of the movie is OK (and it has the gorgeous Simon Baker in it who I’d love to play DH in Barbara’s Loses The Plot but sorry DH you aren’t good looking enough) but it’s worth it to watch Olivia Coleman as the cynical therapist.

It's her or Suranne Jones.

OP, you sound quite fun (and clever and level headed) - if the locals will give you a cold shoulder because of Babs allegiance it will be their miss!

big mistake. Huge!

Hmmm. I’m still annoyed with Suranne over the travesty that was Doctor Foster.

Ooh I know - Claire Foy!!! Please play me Claire (I could do with the money to pay Siobhan Finneran’s legal bills after I slandered her 😂)

I love all the sofa solicitors giving it large about adverse possession
CLUE: in the name adverse unwanted,unsolicited,unwelcome. This was an informal arrangement, no documentation , no land registry changes

but don’t let fact get in the way of all that judge off the telly routine

I've just finished reading both threads and find it amusing the amount of posters who cannot deal with facts, they'd rather focus on Babs MH, things they think you didn't do and not understanding that it's a plot of land not an allotment.

I hope she buggers off quietly and you and your dh enjoy your veggie patch.

<whispers> I agree, but I’m not a local-local so
my views don’t count.

Still, it seems we’re close enough that I will hear the fireworks from your Babs-eviction celebration, and will expect an invitation to the TV show launch party at the allotment

@YaMuvva I can’t believe the people who are being arsey over you claiming YOUR Allotment back!
Babs has had a good run using it for free, and should use her garden as a Lottie.

A fair number of Mumsnet people can be jealous over those who own property- so would LOVE for Squatter Babs to have “adverse possession “, but it’s a domestic property- Babs has zero rights to it legally or morally.

Honestly I don't get it! If ex-owner had wanted Babs to have the allotment plot, she should have sorted that out legally before she put the house on the market. Surely they both knew this was likely to come back to bite them one day. And now it has, the most graceful course of action for Barbara would be to say "it's a fair cop, you got me bang to rights, good while it lasted I'll clear off now"

It wouldn't matter if Barbara was a lonely little 90-year-old who watched her whole family die in a freak combine harvester accident and whose only source of succour is her giant marrows, IT'S NOT HER LAND! And it's a right cheek that she kept her head down and hoped that the new owners wouldn't want it back.

I say this as a keen gardener and veg grower - I know how it enriches your life. I know it would be a great shame to have to leave just as all your crops are getting going. But that isn't a defence for nicking someone else's land. There's no way she didn't know this day was coming and it's on her for planting up anyway and expecting to stay.

ooooh yes! But who is playing OPs DH?

Is anyone else confused why Babs would want her own sizeable garden, someone else's allotment and presumably her own (assuming every house on the street has one as part of their deeds). There's only a finite amount of gardening one person is capable of surely?