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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Am I being mean or un neighbourly?

82 replies

InspirationFailed · 18/06/2014 13:58

I have far to much stuff, I've got 4 DC and they just seem to have so much stuff! Doesn't help that I've moved house several times and still have stuff in black bags that haven't been opened over 3 house moves!

So I've saved up and hired a skip. I don't drive so couldn't get to the tip and when though skips are expensive it seemed like the best option.

It arrived an hour ago. I am pathetically excited about filling it up and clearing some space in the house.

My neighbour knocked my door, I think he lives about 5 doors down as I only vaguely recognise him. He said he was clearing his spare room and asked if he could put his stuff in my skip!

I said no, because I don't know how much if it I will fill myself, and if his stuff is in it there might not be enough room for mine, I've paid £200 to hire it for the week so want to get maximum use out of it. I've got lots to put in it including a table and chairs, a bed etc so big stuff. I can't afford to pay for another skip.

I explained that to him and he was pretty annoyed and said it was un neighbourly and selfish.

I asked him if he wanted the number of the skip hire place I used but he said he couldn't afford his own skip. I was going to suggested that he waited until I had finished to see what space was left but didn't when he called me selfish.

AIBU?

OP posts:
margarethamilton · 18/06/2014 14:47

A woman I'd never seen knocked on the door recently and asked if we were having a skip (she'd seen we were having some landscaping done). I said no as the firm were taking the old fence, tree stumps etc. away. She looked at me as if I was lying then said she had some tiles she needed to get rid of. Again, I repeated that we had no plans to get a skip and attempted to end the conversation with "Sorry..." and slow close of front door. She started to tell me then how she knew my husband. "Ok but we're still not getting a skip!!" DH claims to know no woman fitting her description...

YANBU

keepyourchinupdear · 18/06/2014 14:48

I'm going to go against the grain here. I think you were being rather uptight. He can't afford to hire a skip, it may well have been only 2 or 3 items he wanted to chuck in. I think it could be seen as being a bit selfish tbh.

natwebb79 · 18/06/2014 15:16

keepyourchinupdear - I think the OP said he needed to clear his spare room! Grin

hiddenhome · 18/06/2014 15:22

One of our neighbours dumped an unwanted gnome in our skip one day. He didn't ask and dh was in no mood to be trifled with, so he took the gnome right back to the neighbour and gave it back to him.

The neighbour was Angry, but dh pointed out that he should have asked.

CoffeeTea103 · 18/06/2014 15:26

Yanbu, you hired it so not like you're saying no out of spite.

Fudgeface123 · 18/06/2014 15:27

Then he should go to the tip keep, why should the op pay to get rid of his shit

passmethewineplease · 18/06/2014 15:30

YANBU, I would of said if there was any room left after your stuff then sure but not after being called selfish and uneighbourly!

Prat.

whereisshe · 18/06/2014 15:31

If he'd offered to pay for some % of the skip based on usage, fine. But I want doesn't get otherwise! How rude of him to tell you off.

mommy2ash · 18/06/2014 15:38

You aren't being unreasonable but if the skip is left at yours for a week expect to find a lot of random rubbish In it or people rummaging through your skip to take stuff.

Sidge · 18/06/2014 15:53

I've had the opposite - people coming up my drive and rummaging through my skip!

I don't mind them taking stuff that's going to be skipped but would prefer it if they ask first. I don't like random people coming up my drive and helping themselves!

stripedtortoise · 18/06/2014 15:57

Another one against the grain, I think it's a tad unneighbourly tbh. But there was no call for him to be rude.

I'd have asked him to clarify how much stuff and asked him to contribute X towards it. If he still wasn't happy then I'd tell him No.

wildfig · 18/06/2014 15:59

YANBU. It's almost worth sleeping in the skip so you can leap out at him at 1am tonight when he tries to sling an IKEA Sverker in there under the cover of darkness.

flummoxedlummox · 18/06/2014 16:07

YANBU, off topic but having my first skip delivered excited more than it should have, no idea why. Blush

Xcountry · 18/06/2014 16:13

Tell him yes if he wants to pay half the skip hire. if not - then sorry sunshine.

Andrewofgg · 18/06/2014 16:13

YANBU of course.

HecatePropylaea · 18/06/2014 16:18

I don't think it is at all unreasonable to say no, I want to have the space to put my own stuff in the skip I have paid for!

I mean, god mn please give me [boggle]

Grin

unneighbourly?

To let someone else use your skip before you have ascertained whether or not them doing so means you won't be able to clear the rubbish that you have paid for the skip for?

There's neighbourly and there's muggins, frankly. You didn't pay to hire a skip and have rubbish left over because you prioritised the bloody neighbour.

They get to chuck stuff in AFTER you have finished IF there is room.

LadyCelia · 18/06/2014 16:20

YANBU! But having a skip for a week is going to be a problem with most of your neighbours/passers by. Our builder advised us to only have one for a day, fill it up straight away & get it collected that afternoon before everyone else in the area fills it up. Can you set a booby trap on it overnight? Grin

Lemonsole · 18/06/2014 17:32

A neighbour, who didn't even know my name, came and asked to put some rubbish in our skip. At £200 quid a pop, and as we were on our fifth, we said no. It turned out that the rubble and hardcore was from a cash-in-hand job that they had done (very badly) for somebody else who was moving out. They were very put out, and clearly thought that I was incredibly tight. Errrr.....

Lemonsole · 18/06/2014 17:34

YANBU, btw.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 18/06/2014 17:37

Where we live, the council will collect big items free of charge (like the table, bed etc). If that's an option for you then you could let him put his stuff in if there's space once you've finished do putting your stuff in.

If not - it's too bad. If he'd offered to share the price of it then that would be one thing but as he was just expecting to fill your skip for free - he was being very entitled!

Get all your stuff in it today though - I bet plenty of others in your neighbourhood will be planning on popping a few things in!

mrsspagbol · 18/06/2014 17:43

Please set up a night cam! Please!

thatstoast · 18/06/2014 17:52
  1. He's cheeky.
  1. Freecycle or Charity Shop, next time?
WorraLiberty · 18/06/2014 17:57

I've had this before and I've just told them to wait until the end of the week, to see if there's any room left.

Mind you, as fast as I was filling my skip up, the skip pickers would come round and make loads more room.

I must've got about a skip and a half's worth of rubbish into it and still had room for my neighbour!

WorraLiberty · 18/06/2014 17:58

Oh crap! That sounds like I chucked my neighbour into the skip, doesn't it? Shock Grin

JoeyMaynardsghost · 18/06/2014 18:05

WorraLiberty with some of the neighbours who get mentioned on here, chucking them in the skip almost seems too nice!

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