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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think my neighbours are being a bit pathetic?

47 replies

PepperPigsPorkScratchings · 15/06/2012 12:05

My Neighbour (next door but one) has complained about my dog barking out the back garden. they're about 60/65 ish and their son is late 20's and living at home.

18 months ago we hadn't long moved in and had visitors. i put colin (the dog) out in the garden, as when he gets excited he tends ti widdle (sorry TMI) i thought i'd give him 5 mins whilst i make a cuppa for all of us. next thing my neighbour came up and complained that colin was barking and was "doing his sons head in" i apologised and explained i had just put him out because of the visitors and was about to get him in. He then said "i've been next door (the house in between us) and asked him if he could hear, but i dont know what windows he's got as he said couldnt!"
i personally thought it was a bit pathetic as Colin isn't allowed to be out the garden to bark and he hadnt be out there long.

anyways, fast forward to 2 months ago, we were having the electrics done. the whole house was being re-wired and all the doors were open for the bloke to be in and out of every room.
i put colin out the back garden, not for the electrition to fall over him, or for something to drop on him and get hurt. He started barking. it was a sunny day, i put his bed out there his bowls toys and new chewy treat thing.
The same neighbour (well his wife) came up to complain. DP said "we're having work done thats why he's out there" she went on to ask (abrubtly) "well what are you having done?" DP told her and her reply was "well i suppose i'll have to go out for the day?" and walked off. (If it had been me i must admit i would have told her "well F off then" but i had taken DC up to my mums. )

Last week, my parents came to visit. my dad wanted a cigarette so we stood by the back door; and i put colin out whilst we were stood there. he didnt bark as we were there with him. when my dad had finished, we all (us and colin) went back in. with in five mins the son of my neigbours came hammering on the door yelling at us to get the dog in. we explained if he could hear a dog barking then it isnt ours as he IS inside. the neighbour replied "no he isnt i just seen him out there" (he MUST have been watching us) he's threatend to phone the council etc on us (which i have no problem with, colin isnt out barking all the time and is cleaned up after because of the children, and is in a secure garden not wandering the streets) i told him to grow up, we have visitors and its not colin barking. when i went to close my front door, he put his foot in the way and wouldnt let me shut it, and started saying you dont want to start this, you really dont.

Im scared to let the dog out now. if he's complaining when colin isnt barking and he keeps walking past our house etc i'm scared of what he's going to do. in our little row of houses (6 houses) there is 5 dogs. AIBU to think they've picked on ours?

i'd never leave colin out to bark, never have. he goes out for the toilet, and other than that i take him to the woods opposite for walks and exercise.

sorry for the rant i've just never had problem neigbours before. :(

Sorry for spell errors etc i didnt proof read

OP posts:

Softlysoftly · 15/06/2012 13:12

I personally would ignore them and if they come again just say "right noted thanks bye".

If its only a few times they have been then it's not worth reporting noone will do anything unless it's harrasment and you will have to declare a neighbour dispute devaluing if you ever want to sell.

Latara · 15/06/2012 14:28

YANBU - excessive noise is loud music for hours (once had bouncers for neighbours who actually owned nightclub speakers, omg).

Colin the dog - love it.

I asked my nice new neighbours if my cat wakes them up at night (wails & howls loudly like a baby, races up & downstairs loudly, stands on back legs drumming front paws on cupboards & doors extra loudly, deliberately knocks things over....aarrrgghh!!

Only way i can deal with it is ignore her so she isn't rewarded with the attention she wants (i always leave food in her bowl, leave a clean litter tray so it is literally for attention.)

I've kicked her outside before but she just sat & not wanting to go outside the back door wailing loudly!!!! Or got stuck on the garage roof & 'cried' loudly all night until i gave in & got the ladder out to rescue her. Plus there are huge foxes & unneutered tom cats around at night.)

My neighbours said 'oh no we never hear her; do we make too much noise?'
Couldn't exactly reply 'well maybe a good idea to get a different bed that doesn't bang so much on the floor IYSWIM',
Basically they DO hear her but love cats. Lucky that, because she does like to pee in their garden.

Your neighbours may just be types who just enjoying complaining to be fair.
Poor Colin!!

Latara · 15/06/2012 14:31

PS: Colin is lucky that my cat doesn't live next door. She gave another neighbour's large Collie a panic attack.
Seriously dogs can be annoying, so can birds tweeting etc; but it's a natural noise & you get used to it.
Sorry to hear your neighbour sounds horrible.

NeverFearWonderWomanIsHere · 15/06/2012 14:49

They are being completely pathetic bordering on harassment TBH. In our close opposite (in the back) there's a woman who has a dog and the poor thing is out in all bloody weathers, and the barking is a right PITA. We've never complained. About 6 months ago we got new neighbours next door but one, and they have a really huge dog. He is not out all the time and when he is he barks, would never dream of complaining. Is actually quite funny as if we have music on in the back with the windows open he starts barking along.

carabos · 15/06/2012 14:53

My DM's NDN complained to the police about DM's cats being allowed out of the house. She also complained to the police when they had a new kitchen fitted and complained (again to the police) when DF parked the car on the public highway outside her house - no dropped kerb or anything, just on the road.

During this period of non-stop complaining, leading to several visits by the police, the NDN virtually demolished and rebuilt her house, all through the summer, making it impossible for DM and Df to sit in their garden or have the windows open because of the noise and dust. They never said anything as quite obviously when building work is going on, that's what happens and it isn't for ever.

The state of the place and noise was so bad that when the police came round, they intially went to the complainer's house as they thought that must be the source of the problem .

Some folks just like to complain, others like me come on here to moan about it as at least that way we don't get our heads kicked in by NDNs with nasty dogs and noisy kids.

EldritchCleavage · 15/06/2012 15:02

I don't think Colin is the issue, tbh, because from your posts it seems the barking is pretty minimal. They sound like people who are just delighted to have something to complain about. If so, their complaints are inevitable and nothing you did to resolve them would ever really be enough. You might as well just shrug them off.

My best friend's neighbours did this, complaining about everything when they first moved in. Turned out their real grievance was not to do with building works or noise or what have you but 'Why has a young Asian couple like YOU got more money than us?' (Seriously).

What do you do with people like that?

hermionestranger · 15/06/2012 15:21

Eldritch people like that want putting in their place.

On the whole I hate out close, full of hyacinth bucket wannabes it is. One of them, and I swear to god I am not making this up, when their new car arrived stood outside shouting about how wonderful their BRAND NEW car was and wasn't it wonderful that they had the only 10 reg on the close! when we got our new car it was hilarious how quick they all came out for a nosey and to cast admiring glances. Fucking idiots.

We are considering getting a really old land rover, just to put the cat amongst the pigeons

Oh dog bark neighbour said that my dogs were in the conservatory morning until night. 'I'm a SAHM so she may just have been telling porkies.

Pendeen · 15/06/2012 15:53

carabos

Those neighbours sound a perfect subject for a new documentary series...

" Nosy neighbours from hell "

SofaKing · 15/06/2012 16:13

We used to live next door to anti social neighbours. One of the things they did was complain that our cats were in their back garden (this was after we saw them in our enclosed back garden, taking a short cut and jumping over our fence ).

Neighbour came to the door to complain and got my sister, who shouted 'The cats are in your garden? Don't worry, I'll sort that out right away!' This then allowed her to slam the door on them and wander back into the house before they realised they had been denied the opportunity to have a mad rant, which is what they really wanted. It was priceless

DoingTheBestICan · 15/06/2012 16:14

Is it just me who wants to see a pic of Colin?

PandaWatch · 15/06/2012 16:16

Meeee!!!! IIIIIII doooo!

Co-lin! Co-lin! Co-lin!

DoingTheBestICan · 15/06/2012 16:17

Yeah
Col-in Col-in Col-in

PandaWatch · 15/06/2012 16:19

2shoes · 15/06/2012 16:19

no idea if yabu
but love the name Colin for a dog.

DoingTheBestICan · 15/06/2012 16:22

How cute would it be to have a pic of Colin printed on a t shirt with Team Colin underneath?

PandaWatch · 15/06/2012 16:24

And a pic of Thelma on one sleeve and Louise on the other - just in case the neighbour gets any funny ideas about guinea pig squeaks

Toomanyworriedsonhere · 15/06/2012 16:25

oh yes please, pic

GetDownNesbitt · 15/06/2012 16:27

I was so hoping Colin was a dachshund, just for the Blackadder reference.

Dogs bark. You can't stop them. It sounds like you have been more than accommodating to their requests. He sounds like a git.

DoingTheBestICan · 15/06/2012 16:28

We should be t shirt designers.

PandaWatch · 15/06/2012 16:32

I'm picturing a Che Guevera style pose from Colin for the tshirt...

DoingTheBestICan · 15/06/2012 16:37

Come on op post a pic of him...please

smilingthroughgrittedteeth · 15/06/2012 16:44

Your neighbours sound mad, just ignore them and hope they get bored.

I'm another with irratating neighbours, about 2 weeks after we moved in I had been at my mums all day with the dog, parked outside the house, got out the car and neighbour practically run out her house to tell me that my dog whined when I was at work and that I shouldn't leave her for 12hrs by herself as it is cruel and that she had been barking all day, I smiled at her and said "how strange, since she's been with me ALL day" opened the car door and dog ran past her into the house where my DP had opened the door, whilst she was standing there open mouthed I took the opportunity to inform her that DP works nights so the dog is never left as he is home all day (and since the dog spends most of the day asleep next to him he would hear her bark or whine) and i only work 4 days, 2 of which she comes with me and if I'm not working she is at the stables with me!

Clearly neighbour thought I lived alone, she barely looks at me know

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