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.

OMG do we share a husband 🤣 in our last garden we spent £6k on ‘proper drainage’ and the place still bloody flooded!

Even if OP had checked the allotment, without Barbara being there, she would have assumed the seller had been cultivating the plot. If she had seen the boxes in the garage she would assume they belonged to the seller the same as the contents of the house. it makes no difference.

But yes he’s very welcome he can keep DH company and they can peacock about drainage 😂

Someone might have replied already but it was Haydn Gwynne who played Camilla in the Windsors, and unfortunately she died last year.

Rupert Everett in drag further up the thread is a perfect Babs. Very Camilla like. 😂

I would agree except Barbara straight away told OP if she wanted the land she's have to fight for it - OP wasn't really given the opportunity to handle it the way you suggest.

I disagree, that’s Babs coming out all guns blazing because she’s upset, knows she’s in the wrong or a plain old unreasonable, selfish or horrible person. That’s when you disarm by suggesting a coffee and asking her to show you round what she’s done with the allotment and admiring it and thanking her, then asking her what would be her ideal way forward. Yes it might not work at all but with many difficult or entrenched people it will wrong-foot them and they’ll want to talk. The fact is, OP has the law on her side and can boot Barbara off. They can fight and OP will win. But possibly at a severe social cost. So knowing she’ll win, she can afford to befriend Barbara.

@YaMuvva
Completely off topic but what does HTH mean? Thanks.

There needs to be some evidence which surely would have come up in the searches?

You say "coming out all guns blazing because she’s upset knows she's in the wrong or a plain old unreasonable, selfish or horrible person"

Which of those personality types can you actually reason with?

Again, the part of my post you conveniently left off your quote, - this wasn't a knee jerk reaction.

She knew the house/plot was for sale for 9 months, then knowing that it had been sold decided to re-plant it without speaking to the new owners. She knew sooner or later the new owners would come so had time to consider how she would handle it. She decided on "all guns blazing". Someone like that isn't going to back down because you give a coffee and slice of carrot cake

*I think Maggie Smith could play @BotDranning

She could be outside with a placard about "We stand with Babs!"*

🤣🤣

Yes, urging passing motorists to 'Beep for Babs' 😃

Sense of humour bypass?

I think the OP can be as flippant as she likes on the thread she started...

I was just thinking that after a pp offered to sit there with her thermos and dog!

From context, I would say "Hope This Helps"

just wasted an hour 40 minutes watching I Give it a Year.
olivia colman is very good in it though. and simon Baker good looking.

I actually disagree with this take.
I think previous owner probably lived there 40+ years and so is of the generation that left financial/legal things to her husband.
If he died she probably found the plot to big to manage so gave it to her friend Babs without sorting out legal side, could she afford solicitor?
In return she perhaps got not only vegetables but some help/friendship from Babs?
That’s why previous owner didn’t mention it to estate agent as in her mind it wasn’t hers.
Could any of that be true op? I know legally it’s yours but it could explain the situation.
My grandmother owned a large house and let a local business owner store stuff there for free. In return he did a few handyman jobs around her house; only simple stuff like mending leaking tap but it was mutually beneficial.

HTH
hang the Herbs?

What are the risks?

Happy to help

You could take your friends on a hike to the not-allotment. If they’re ex-military too you could don ghillie suits, hide in the runner beans and put the shitters up Babs.

Best Saturday ever.

Hope That Helps.

*Which of those personality types can you actually reason with?

Again, the part of my post you conveniently left off your quote, - this wasn't a knee jerk reaction.*

I’m not blaming OP or saying she’s wrong - there are various ways to go about this, OP is clearly legally and morally in the right but there may be approaches that make life easier for everyone.

I do think from experience, yes you can often manage difficult and unreasonable people and often melt them with a kind and understanding approach. Reasoning with them is not quite the same thing. Lots of situations and behaviours are not really about reason.

People are often confrontational, stubborn, angry etc because they’re on the back foot, distressed, feel no one cares, have entrenched themselves in a position, and a bunch of other reasons. That’s not to say there aren’t irredeemably nasty people around, there definitely are but I’ve been amazed by how many seemingly difficult people will come around if you get them talking about what matters to them or show them some concern or interest.

i don’t mind if anyone thinks that makes me a naive old softy. It’s just a suggestion and as I’ve said, there are multiple ways to handle this.

I'd love to see an analysis of responses by:

1. those who live in a village/those who don't

2. those who have years of experience trying to manage a veg patch, along with kids & work / those that don't

3. those that get on with their neighbours/those that don't

Op I have no idea of your age or if you have young family, have full on jobs or are retired with lots of time on your hands & gardening experience.

I entirely agree you as legal owner should get the legal side in order. Where I may veer very much depends on

1. how much how much you value neighbourhood relationships (maybe a calmer introduction & chat would pay dividends) and

2. the amount of time (or money) you & your husband have to devote to the allotment. As pp have said, keeping a vegetable patch in good order is hard work and you sort of need to be there a fair bit. If the soil is weed and grass free, the soil good quality, then Babs has done you a favour and saved you A LOT of time, effort and money. Admittedly, it could have been seeded with green manure or covered with plastic, but the previous owner would have had to organise it. And you were short of time before:

'Moved into our new house in January.

Anyway we have never checked out the allotment before now (it’s not far about a 10 min walk from here) just because of time constraints and illnesses and crappy weather but decided to finally today go and find it as the sun is shining here.'

Maybe that was just due to moving house? Regardless - I wish you health & happiness in your new home/allotment😊!

OP is out walking today ( previous post info, not stalking)

What are the risks?

IMO if someone’s actually within your four walls including overnight, there’s much more impact on you having them in your space, more danger to you if they are aggressive, you could have things stolen from your home etc.

Someone hijacking your allotment is still legally not OK but less risk to you.