Neighbours and wheelie bins.

[Theicingontop]

I have a busybody neighbour, and bless her, I think she has a bit too much time on her hands.

Since I moved in a year ago, every time I see her she gives me a stink-eye and a snarky comment about me leaving my wheelie bin outside the front of my house past bin day (a day or two.. I know, hang me)

Well, things escalated a few weeks ago when she got a family member of hers to come to my door, with a flatbed truck, and demand that I give him my wheelie bin. I asked him for some proof of ID so I could be sure he was from the council as he said he was, but he couldn't provide anything and got a bit flustered, and went away. But not before knocking on my neighbours door to animatedly tell her what I'd said. I went to the council following this and enquired about their procedures, and the woman was as dubious as I was.

Yesterday, a letter drops on my mat from the council, telling me there's been a complaint made against me and my offending wheelie bin. My bin day is Monday, and I generally put the bin in the alley behind our houses on Tuesday. I literally just did it actually, which is what prompted this AIBU.

The thing is, most residents on our road keep their wheelie bins out all week, and even my neighbour has done this on occasion

OH wants to retaliate with a counter-complaint, saying she's disturbing the peace when she's loudly complaining about how many foreigners live on her road. She lives next door to a Pakistani family, so we assume this is for their benefit, and not ours, considering that although OH is black, he's also British. Who knows.

So, would OH be unreasonable in retaliating?

She sounds lovely!

I would go to her house and ask her what her actual problem is and point out that she herself has left an offending bin out on more than one occasion.

I am sure the council won't actually give a shit if your bin is left out past bin day, it's hardly causing a road block!

I wouldn't retaliate in that way as it will just cause an escalating war, I would nip it in the bud in person.

To be honest I would go and make my point known and then just move my bin but I'm lazy and anything for an easy life

What business is it of hers where you keep your bin? Provided it is on your property you can do what you like with it, surely?

The diplomatic way to deal with it, would be to go and have a meeting with the council, explain you feel the neighbour is targeting you, explain the situations that concern you, ask for advice on how to handle it, be factual and calm, be the good guy.

Make sure your bin is always put away, so you are not at fault, and keep a diary of her harassment, if continues ring 101 for advice.

Good luck she sounds toxic.

I would be inclined to reply to the council that you don't understand why this neighbour is harassing you but you wonder if it is because your OH is black.

Anyone else got the advert for Wheelie bins in all shapes and sizes on the side here?

OP maybe you could invest in a number...

I have a very similiar horrible neghbour! We have had numerous letters from the council after she complained we werent taking our rubbish out. We take out rubbish out on bin day faithfully but have had problems with our bins over flowing or when other neighbours chuck ours out to put theirs in!

It escalated in the summer when I finally confronted her after over hearing her bitching to one of her cronies about how much she hates us! Now I just ignore her. You would do best to do the same with your nosy neighbour!

"Yesterday, a letter drops on my mat from the council, telling me there's been a complaint made against me and my offending wheelie bin. My bin day is Monday, and I generally put the bin in the alley behind our houses on Tuesday."
I'm not following what the actual complaint is that she made to the council. Where does the council empty the bin from, front of house or back alley? Are there actual rules about where it is to be kept when not being emptied? Sorry, just not clear on how she has involved the council.

Sorry, just not clear on how she has involved the council.

I'm not clear about this either. Our local council would be supremely disinterested in where we kept our bins provided they are on our property. I can only imagine they'd either ignore any letters from neighbours or at least do no more than send a non-committal reply confirming that it wasn't their issue to deal with.

Do you live somewhere that has specific rules about where bins must be kept, OP? Only ds2 lives in a social housing development where there are conditions about how you dispose of rubbish and where. In other words, you can't bung bin bags out onto communal hallways and all rubbish has to go in the bins that are kept in the bin shed.

Yep, there are rules. Bins are collected curbside. Our properties don't have front gardens, so the public footpath is directly on our doorsteps. Think 1800's terraced houses.

But we all have bay windows, which create little areas in between each house that are handy for putting our wheelie bins in, so it's never an obstruction to pedestrians.

We all have gated alleys that run behind our back gardens.

Sorry, I should say that the rules stipulate we can't keep our wheelie bins out past bin day, and should store them in our gardens or alleyways. Which I do! But sometimes not quick enough for my neighbour, apparently.

pretty sure ,once emptied ,after a reasonable amount of time? anything left on a public walkway constitutes a hazard >endless hassle re same here ,bins out at night so locals can steal them ,empty over st, set them on fire ,slam them into parked cars, and round here people do nick them, at least the neighbours are cool about everything ,i wonder why people would rather cause trouble than help i.e. take it in for you. if only cos one day she may need your help.

How much trouble would it be just to put the bin away. This would be the stress free solution possibly.

OH wants to retaliate with a counter-complaint, saying she's disturbing the peace when she's loudly complaining about how many foreigners live on her road. She lives next door to a Pakistani family, so we assume this is for their benefit, and not ours, considering that although OH is black, he's also British. Who knows.

Definiteky complain to the council about the bin fraud.

However, can you clarify what you mean above? The Pakistani family are as British as your black British boyfriend. Not sure why they are considered foreigners?

I think you are all missing the point here.
The woman is perfectly within her rights to expect her neighbours to behave considerately. Leaving dustbins on the pavement in front of a property is very slovenly to say the least. I would never buy a property in an area where people left dustbins on the pavement.
Our standards have dropped considerably in the last ten years and Britain is becoming the slum of Europe. Nowhere in Europe will you see dustbins left on the street. Only a few years ago, councils would fine people for this inconsiderate behaviour.
I really am astounded that so many people on this forum think it is okay to behave in this way. I am truly shocked.
I really do feel sorry for this poor woman. She is obviously trying to maintain standards in her once beautifully maintained street and now she is being vilified for trying to do the right thing.
What a terrible, bullying nation we have become. No one cares about their neighbours any more and people like this poor woman are being driven into an early grave.
I can't imagine what is must be like to step out of one's front door to be faced with a sea of dustbins. Poor, poor, woman. I can only hope that she manages to move away to a better area. How dreadful for her. I wish I could help her.

ZOMBIE

I should say that the rules stipulate we can't keep our wheelie bins out past bin day, and should store them in our gardens or alleyways. Which I do! But sometimes not quick enough for my neighbour, apparently.

Or quick enough to actually, you know, follow the rules. Note the following from your OP:

My bin day is Monday, and I generally put the bin in the alley behind our houses on Tuesday.

Since I moved in a year ago, every time I see her she gives me a stink-eye and a snarky comment about me leaving my wheelie bin outside the front of my house past bin day (a day or two.. I know, hang me)

Lol is Billybee my neighbour!

She’s bang on to have a go at you, you’re a scrote that is too lazy to have pride in the appearance of street. Leaving bins out is just plain lazy and there is no excuse. It takes you a minute to bring it in. I imagine you bring the bin in when you’ve had your first bag of rubbish, I doubt you only leave it a day or two. BillyBee is bang on. I would hate to have you as a neighbour, you scruff

ZOMBIE!

You and your neighbour are both being unreasonable. You for not being considerate and putting your bin away when you should, just because others do it doesn't give you the right to do it.

She is not being unreasonable by reporting you to the council but by her other actions.

She lives next door to a Pakistani family, so we assume this is for their benefit, and not ours, considering that although OH is black, he's also British

Well, the Pakistani family could also also British be careful of your own assumptions I doubt she's regarding your OH as British. She probably just thinks that to be British you have to be white, and anyone of colour is a 'foreigner.'

Can you just ignore the complaint? It seems very trivial. Not worth an all out neighbour war!

I think that since this happened in 2013 it might be resolved already

ZOMBIE thread people!!!!

this is 5 years old..... probably all sorted by now.

cross posted with whaaaat,