OK, I live about row of shops. In past I guess each flat above shop was owned by shop-keeper, but now the flats have different owners than the shop. Shop beneath our flat was empty for some time, then cafe recently opened there.
Each flat has a yard/garden area below and over the years in relation to some of the other gardens formal/informal agreements have been reached between the flat-owners and shop-keepers for the shop-keepers to use the respective gardens/yards.
Our garden/yard hasn't been used in this way. I rent and landlord very clear with me that he wanted me and me only to use the garden/yard (as parking space).
When shop opened beneath us, the shop-keepers children went into our garden/yard and played on my children's trikes out there, swung on our washing line. Parents were there so I politely pointed out the garden/yard is ours, it's not very safe anyway (I put down weedkiller etc) and can they respect that. Few days later, cafe worker was hanging tea towels on our washing line. I asked her not to do so please and she was quite rude. Then there was another occasion when the children were on there and I went out and asked parents more sharply if they could respect our area, even offered to have the children up in our flat with mine if they wanted a break for an hour.
Then I came home from work one day to find they have erected garden shed in neighbour's plot (presumably with their consent or perhaps neighbours genuinely don't care one way or another). But to do so they had chopped down my garden fence (albeit this was a plank between a couple of fence posts) and the shed door would only open into our garden (which is presumably why they chopped down the fence).
I notified landlord who was most unhappy and wrote letter insisting immediate reinstatement of fence. The cafe folk came round unhappy but saying they would put the fence back and would have difficulties accessing their shed. Actually they have now done the fence and moved the shed door to the other side of the shed where they can access it without needing to go through our yard.
AIBU to have notified landlord and stood my ground?
The worst thing about this is there's a lot of gossip going on about be behind my back - I've been told by one of the other shop-keepers that "community is more important than your rights, you know". Nobody seems to care that the landlord could easily have gone so far as not to renew my tenancy here had he inspected and found I'd consented to the fence being removed and access for all cafe staff through our garden on a constant basis. I previously got on well with all the shop staff but now I can nearly hear their sniping behind my back when I go past...
I am a sensitive soul and will try to rise above this, am keeping my cool and saying "There's two sides to every story" to everyone sniping about the "poor" cafe (who clearly aren't poor in financial terms, whereas I actually am quite poor!) and keeping my calm. AIBU?