To think the NDN should ask first!

[LimeandTonic]

We have a shed with a combined garage. There are four windows which face next doors property. Two windows in the shed and two in the garage. The garage is kept locked and only used when moving the car in or out. The wall of the shed and garage form part of the boundary between our two properties. Last year a storm blew out a shed window. We have asked a local builder to fix it, either by replacing the window frame or just bricking up the window completely. He said he will do it when he has a window in his diary...( see what I did there?)
This morning I was in the shed as the NDN's mother walked past. She could clearly see in our shed, we could clearly see her walk by.
NDN has a room on that side of their house and they keep their blind down permanently. I presume in order to stop us looking in. I don't think we could see in, but maybe at night if they had a light on? But I don't hang around in our shed at night. Honestly, I really don't.
Today I heard a load of banging. It was NDN's father hammering a sheet of plywood onto our window frame on their side of the property. It looks shite. Worse from their side.
He said it was because he saw cats jumping through the open window. They hate cats, they are farmers and don't want cats peeing on the hay they feed the cattle with.
Firstly, the cats are feral and as such roam wherever and whenever they choose.
Secondly the boundary wall next to the shed is lower than the window and the feral cats can more easily access NDN's garden there.
Thirdly shouldn't he have asked before doing this? We wouldn't have objected although it's a futile exercise regarding cats. I really suspect it's because they don't want us to look at their house.
What angers me is that they don't talk to us about stuff like this, just go ahead and do things that affect us without seeking our opinion. He thinks he can just fecking go ahead and nail plywood to our property.
If it matters our house has been here 35 years, NDN 5 years. So it's not as if we were imposing on them.
All he had to do was just chat to us. We wouldn't have said no.
Maybe IABU. I feel better for getting it all out.
Thanks Mumsnet.
(Do you want photos?)

It does not matter how long ago the window blew out. It is your property and totally up to you when or if you get it fixed. He does not have the right to take matters into his own hands and fix something onto your property. So YANBU, he should have asked.

Who owns the boundary?

Yanbu. He shouldn't hammer anything onto your property without asking.

Remove it. People like that should be challenged, or next thing you know he'll be shitting in your garden.

Was it a frosted window before?

Ha! A smiley face! Boarding up his windows! Oh I love Mumsnet.
We own the shed that has the wall where the window blew out. ( does that sound like ' I know an old woman who swallowed a fly '?)
The glass wasn't frosted but it wasn't that clean either. You know that scene in The Girl With a Pearl Earring? You know when she says cleaning the window will change the light? Well that window was like that. Filthy.

Smiley face? I'd be thinking about something less polite...

"I really suspect it's because they don't want us to look at their house."

Could be ... or it could be that they have their side of that piece of plywood nicely painted.

After all, you also said that NDN "could clearly see in (your) shed" and maybe she really doesn't want to be able to see in there, so would rather look out on the plywood.

How about drilling a spy hole and pushing a telescope through? Then casually walk round swinging binoculars and tell him you're really pleased because the telescope was too wobbly to give a good view of his home previously and you felt a bit guilty whenever you were on reconnaissance duty round his house and were forced to wee in his hay.

"Deco"' for he sounds like a Deco, "thanks for the firewood but you can leave it at the back door next time."

Yanbu.
Knock it out, replace with stained glass scene of cats and 'fuck you' at the top.

I knew instantly it was Ireland after looking at the first photo. Why is that (I dont know you by the way)? Is it the landscape the house design or what?
Sorry off topic but I just amazed myself after you confirmed it.

This thread is epic

"Deco, that's an awful waste of plywood, can I see you putting the red diesel into you car perfectly well from the back window?"

can't I

It doesn't matter when the window blew out. It's your blardy window. You can do what you like with it or not. Maybe you like the breeze!

They're definitely BU doing things to your property. It's a bit odd tbh.

Cheaper version of Sisters idea. Get some sharpies and draw a massive cat face on the outside of the board.

Oh hang on, M's idea is better. Do it!

If he's ripped up your hedge, you have to declare war. This is easy enough for a conflict adverse person to do in The West. Every large village has an English expat woman who came over to Ireland to avoid the poll tax and, finding herself without much to do, took up the mantel of animal rights. She'll have some kind of cat protection or dog rehoming charity and she will be proper fierce, much fiercer than any chicken-neck-wringing farmer's wife.

Mention in passing, while she's in town to pick up the scraps she has bullied the butcher into keeping for her, that the are being mean to the feral cats and just stand back and watch. It soon becomes obvious why we were in servitude for 800 years.

Pretty sure that making changes to your property that isn't in someway owned by them is illegal. But find out from a better source than me though

Rude bastards! Well I'm not sitting on that fence, ya definitely nbu.

I make stained glass windows, am happy to branch out into ones containing abusive messages if ya like?

Boofy27