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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour complaining about our gate

26 replies

doglover · 02/09/2013 21:27

We've recently moved and had a new, secure wooden side gate fitted. It was made to measure to go between us and our neighbours providing access to our back garden. We use this gate twice a day for walking our dog. This evening, our neighbour came out - first time he's spoken to us since we moved in 6 weeks ago - telling us to move the gate because it was noisy?!

Our builder happened to still be there and he was quite incredulous. We obviously don't want to antagonise the neighbours (even if he is a complete tosser) so said that we would look into putting the latch on his side rather than the hinges.
He agreed to this - no thanks - just asked when it would be done because him and his wife were sick to death of the noise of the gate against their wall.

I returned home feeling bloody furious. This man (again, tosser) is causing us to spend more money, inconveniencing our builder and refusing to contribute any money himself towards his (perceived)problem.
He's ignored us since we moved in - the house had been empty for 3 years before our occupation - and can only assume that they preferred living next door to a vacant property. Well, tough. We're considerate people and our horribly noisy gate is utterly laughable.

Sorry, rant over.

OP posts:
gwenniebee · 02/09/2013 21:30

Don't move the hinges. Instead attach cowbells (or similar) so that you can hear when people are opening it. Very useful for when friends visit and come straight to the back door.

Nanny0gg · 02/09/2013 21:32

I'm not saying he is reasonable, but does he have a point? Does it open and bang against his wall?

BumFunHun · 02/09/2013 21:32

I don't think YBU. But then our neighbour had a whinge about our gate. She couldn't open it and supposedly hurt her hand. Apparently, we should just leave our garden un-secure for another bugger to stroll right up and try to empty the shed. Knobheads.

Rant away. People like this make my shit itch.

redlac · 02/09/2013 21:32

He can hear it through the walls of his house? Mind you I heard next doors stair gate banging against the party wall and I jump out my skin every time I hear it. Maybe you should move it so the hinges are on your side just for neighbourly peace

DoJo · 02/09/2013 21:38

If it is noisy then I can see why he is complaining, although it sounds like he was needlessly unpleasant about it. Did you discuss the gate with him before installing it?

WeAllHaveWings · 02/09/2013 21:40

Is the gate banging off his wall? If it is you should move it, or put in a stopper of some sort to stop it (or just be more careful and not let it bang off his wall).

He may have not worded his complaint well, if he's let it annoy him for so long its blown up into a big problem for him, but you are going to be living beside him for probably a while, so try to develop amicable relationship with him at these early stages/pick your battles.

RandomMess · 02/09/2013 21:40

YABU, the noise will be travelling through their house and being amplified. I had a good friend whose neighbour did this to her and OMG the noise was really really loud.

summertimeandthelivingiseasy · 02/09/2013 21:40

Our next door's gate used to come undone and bang in the night. We used to have to get up and use a step stool to get up and fasten the bolt in the middle of the night to get any sleep - and that was not the hinge side. The sound carries through the building like a drum. Previous neighbour's football mad kids used to use the wall for football practice. It was the garage, attached to the sitting room. Definitely like living on the other side of a drum.

Original poster
doglover · 02/09/2013 21:41

Thanks for the replies - it made me feel better just venting my spleen!

Love the cowbells idea!!

No, the gate doesn't bang against their wall but we are going to move it anyway. I've made it clear that we will not be doing anything else after this.

We want to get on with our neighbours but are beginning to realise that this couple are unlikely to be our bosom buddies!

OP posts:
Eve · 02/09/2013 21:43

Ask to go in to their house and listen to the noise.

Original poster
doglover · 02/09/2013 21:46

I did and we weren't invited!!

OP posts:
Minx179 · 02/09/2013 22:21

My parents used to have this with their neighbour.

Is your gate attached directly onto their wall or is there a wooden strut between the gate and their wall? You may find that if the gate is attached directly to the wall then it can create noise in their house.

Though in my parents case there were kids in and out regularly, not just opened 4 times a day.

Whereisegg · 02/09/2013 22:32

Pound land sell those things you put on doors to stop them slamming on little fingers.
Paint one the with the same paint you are using for your gate (if wood), and attach to stop it banging off his fence/wall.

maddening · 02/09/2013 23:03

if it's a relatively easy fix and easier while you're still having work done then why not move it - and to get to the point of complaining they've possibly been annoyed for a while so have built up a level of annoyance on the subject. They should have been more polite but are probably pissed off and possibly hate the confrontation so have built up to this.

cumfy · 02/09/2013 23:22

Is it right outside their bedroom window or something ?Confused

Original poster
doglover · 03/09/2013 14:42

Good points all of you. The gate is mounted on wood next to their garage so not near the rest of the house but it obviously is in issue for them. We don't want to fall out with them so will be rehanging the gate on our wall (even though it doesn't touch their wall IYSWIM).

I think you're right, MADDENING, that they could have broached the subject more constructively and shown a tad of appreciation when we agreed to change it.

It's somewhat ironic that the first time the guy speaks to us in 6 weeks is to complain!

Never mind, all the other neighbours are lovely! Smile

OP posts:
Toni47 · 29/05/2016 10:35

We have got a problem with neighbours gate banging .they forget to bolt it and latch broke echoed all through house last night and still doing it .sadly will have to be polite and speack to them sadly not good when you cant get sleep in your own house .but will be nice about it as they seem nice people . Just hope they understand problem .can understand being used for access but not to close and just leave banging isnt good as very very noisy as our bedroom on wall and it is just constant banging .

xoe26 · 01/05/2017 12:05

Having found this thread by searching for cures to a noisy gate, I have to say that the original poster 'doglover' is rude, self entitled and irresponsible.

You put up a gate that when you close it, your neighbour can hear it and all you're bothered that it's going to cost you money. If i'd found out that I was disrupting someone else I'd apologise profusely and fix it immediately.

In this instance I'd recommend that your neighbour takes up the drums, put the washing machine on just as you're about to sleep and buy a rooster or two.

alltouchedout · 01/05/2017 12:07

It's a zombie thread, xoe26...

SquinkiesRule · 01/05/2017 12:40

We have a gate attached to the side of our house, it echos through the whole house if anyone opens it, it doesn't bang on the wall at all. I can tell if someone is coming into the side yard with it. Yet from outside I don't hear it.
I think if it had a thick piece of wood along the wall, then the gate attached onto that it would make it quiet from inside the house. Not sure, but that was what we had at a previous house.

RortyCrankle · 01/05/2017 15:01

I think the gate issue will have been resolved by now, seeing as this thread was started in 2016.

akwoodward · 27/01/2018 17:34

Our neighbour has a stair gate between the kitchen & lounge. It is rather noisy on our end when I went there today to discuss this they showed me the gate. It hardly makes a sound (on their end). But on our's it makes a rather loud clang. Before they put foam between the gate it actually sounded like a gong on a clock. I imagined a sturdy strong security type of baby gate. Somehow the sound travels along the tubing, through the wall and somehow it is made louder too. I would not have believed this if I did not personally experience this for myself. We do live in a terraced house with not noise insolation.

Patsy61 · 28/02/2018 15:07

Our neighbour has a gate attached to our wall which they like to slam shut every time they use it told them nicely about it they do it all the more now. Some people like having the power over you.

Troels · 28/02/2018 15:28

We have a wrought iron gate attached to our house, it was bloody noisy and echoed through the whole house when opened or closed. Dh put some sort of insulation (rubber maybe, I'm not sure) between the metal and the brick wall, it seems to have worked.

mikeyssister · 28/02/2018 15:42

ZOMBIE THREAD

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