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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Should i tell my neighbour?

22 replies

Claw3 · 03/09/2011 22:48

I was cutting the grass today and as the mower went against the edge of the fence, a cable (like a washing line) came through from next door and wound itself around the blades of the mower.

I couldnt untangle it, so i went next door to ask if it was ok to cut it, no one was home, so i cut it. It looked like a piece of discarded washing line.

My neighbour is extremely moany and will make a drama out of the slightest thing, should i knock tomorrow and tell her and offer to pay or not?

OP posts:

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 03/09/2011 22:49

I wouldn't.

Original poster

Claw3 · 03/09/2011 22:57

I was thinking if i knock and she says it costs £50 for example which it clearly doesnt, then what do i do!?

OP posts:

BimboNo5 · 03/09/2011 22:59

No, just say nothing.

oldenoughtowearpurple · 03/09/2011 23:01

take it round and tell her her damn discarded washing line was pushed to your side of the fence and has ruined your mower, and ask for £50 to cover your costs.

Original poster

Claw3 · 03/09/2011 23:07

I cant take it round, i cut the bit i needed to and poked it back under the fence. Im not 100% it was a discarded washing line, that is just what it looked like. It had knots in it etc, that were already there, not from being tangled in the blades.

Knowing my neighbour, it will be from something very important which i have absolutely ruined!

OP posts:

pictish · 03/09/2011 23:08

God no.

ivykaty44 · 03/09/2011 23:10

If she/he come round then you say oh it was your washing line thing that wrecked my mower and cost me 60 quid you owe me so when are you going to pay up?

ChaoticAngeloftheUnderworld · 03/09/2011 23:11

If your neighbour's washing line (or whatever) has trespassed into your garden and attacked your lawn mower it's not your fault it came off worse and you had to cut it

izzywhizzyletsgetbusy · 03/09/2011 23:14

Have you destroyed the evidence?

I would suggest a twist on purple's advice:

Do nothing. If neighbour appears on your doorstep in whinging mode', tell her you're glad she's called as you were just about to visit her to discuss payment for repairs to your mower caused by an item of hers that had inexplicably made it's way into your garden.

festi · 03/09/2011 23:14

you are lucky it was not a live cable.

I would say nothing after the experience of owning up to something with a neigbour...but saying that after the roasting I got on here for being upset and saying I wished It kept quiet, I wouldnt like to admit that

Original poster

Claw3 · 03/09/2011 23:23

Izzy, i poked the wire back under the fence, the whole thing hadnt come totally under, there was still some on her side of the fence.

She doesnt speak to me or ackowledge me, apart from to complain about the most silly things. I think, she thinks i killed her cat after i found it dead in my garden, she hasnt spoken to me since.

OP posts:

festi · 03/09/2011 23:29

and the plot thickens I f she thinks you killed her cat then definatly dont tell her. maybe it was a boobie trap she had set up to catch the crazy cat killer lady you next time you fancied a cat killing frenzey.

droves · 03/09/2011 23:32

. You found her cat , and she thinks you killed it ?

Id worry less about the stupid knotted line , and more about the fact a loon lives next door.

Build a bigger fence ....and electrify it !

Original poster

Claw3 · 03/09/2011 23:44

Hahaha Festi and Droves!

She knocked one day to complain about her usual petty stuff, she had seen ds throw a tiny stone in MY garden and by throw i mean literally about 6 inches in front of him, into a bucket (i was with him), she was worried that he MIGHT throw a stone over the fence and smash her windows!

Next night i saw foxes in my garden trying to drag something along, it was the cat, i rang the number on the collar and it was her cat. She sent her son in to pick it up, he did so in total silence, no thank you or small talk and she hasnt spoken to me since!!

OP posts:

bubby64 · 04/09/2011 00:01

We have neighbours like that, we try to ignore them, epecially after they complained about our boys making too much noise when playing in our garden, they were 6 at the time! Dont say anything, just make sure the cable is back in her garden and leave things as they are, act ignorant if she says anything, anything for a quiet life.

Original poster

Claw3 · 04/09/2011 00:16

Bubby, she knocked when i first moved in about 2 years ago to introduce herself and tell me that previous neighbours were very noisy, parties, extremely late BBQ's etc, etc and to say she hoped that we wouldnt be like that.

I havent had a party or any kind of BBQ, late or otherwise. I have 2 teenage boys, almost men, who dont really use the garden and a 7 year old ds, with autism, who cannot be left unsupervised in the garden (and he is very quiet anyway).

She used to talk to me, in passing, but now she looks the other way when she sees me. Im not sure what i have done to upset her

Perhaps the wire was a booby trap, as others have suggested

OP posts:

bubby64 · 05/09/2011 00:15

I think we upset ours just by being here!! I now say to DH that they moved next door to us, they knew we had young kids as they had visited the house several times before moving in, and we were home at the time, so if they don't like the fact the kids can be noisy, we sometime shout at them, and the dogs sometimes bark, they should move out! Doesn't help they are "Mr+Mrs No Kids, NO Pets,perfect House and Garden" though .
She had to talk to me last week as she is our GP's receptionist, and I had to take DS1 there, she was so saccharine sweet that I looked round wondering who the hell she was talking to!

Original poster

Claw3 · 06/09/2011 12:39

Bet she didnt know quite what to do, when faced with being forced to talk to you!

One of my kittens escaped yesterday, while i was putting the rubbish out and guess whos garden he decided to run into I had to knock on the door and ask whether it was ok to look for him, he is too young to be allowed out. I wanted the earth to open up and swallow me, talk about awkward!!

OP posts:

PigletJohn · 06/09/2011 12:57

with people who don't want to talk to you, I enjoy shouting in a jolly voice "Hello, Fred!" or whatever their name is when I see them, especially if there are other neighbors around.

I think it put them at a disadvantage, having either to reply, or look surly.

PigletJohn · 06/09/2011 12:58

(in fact, I get on with all my neighbours, although one woman has turned into a complainer with the onset of dementia)

Original poster

Claw3 · 06/09/2011 13:29

Piglet, I still say good morning or hello, if we happen to see each other when coming out or going in to our houses, she looks away and pretends not to hear/see me! Even yesterday, i apologised for disturbing her and asked if it was ok to look for the kitten. She just said 'yes' and left me to it, no small talk whatsoever!

Neighbour the other side is lovely, one out of two isnt bad i suppose, perhaps i should train the kitten to run in that direction

OP posts:

bubby64 · 07/09/2011 22:41

When we were painting the house the other week, she and her DH came out to have a look, then started whispering to each other, My DH shouted over to them to speak up, as we couldn't hear them complementing us on the great job we were doing! They hunched their heads down into their shoulders like tortoises and dissappeared back into their house. The neighbour our other side is ok, but hardly ever there, he is single and a long distance lorry driver, he only seems to be home a couple of days every fortnight.

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