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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour made a mistake and now wants money

422 replies

DomingoFlamingo · 20/09/2016 02:55

Neighbor moved in about 10 months ago - its a house converted into flats with a communal hallway, front door and letterbox (I live upstairs, she lives downstairs) since she moved in we've had several issues including persistent loud music and her "borrowing" my things that then take several weeks to be returned (if at all)

Then today she knocks on my door with a letter address to me and dated July. She then proceeds to tell me that the letter (a bill) was picked up by her son and she didn't bother to read the name on the front until today when she went to pay again.. hence she's (somehow) been paying my bill since July Hmm and I now owe her a 3 figure sum for doing so......

I'd have normally payed this bill in installments throughout the year, but she payed the whole amount in two payments. Because of this I don't have that amount of money available to pay her back immediately (I work part time and its nearly 4 weeks wages for me)

She's asked for the money by the end of the week, I've offered to pay her in installments but she refused the offer and said she wants it in one go or she'll call the police. :( is she BU or am I? I will/would pay her back but I simply can't afford the whole amount in one go......

OP posts:
Shiningexample · 20/09/2016 19:21

She has been an idiot and doesn't have a leg to stand on and she's desperately truying to gain control of ththe situation by intimidating you and acting as if you are at fault and have deliberately wronged her

She's a bullying bullshitter!

Shiningexample · 20/09/2016 19:32

You've arranged your finances to pay monthly installments, you don't have to be out of pocket because she fucked up, let her do the work to sort out the mess

She has form for being a pain in the arse, if you let her walk all over you she'll be taking the piss forevermore!

GabsAlot · 20/09/2016 19:59

what happened when you tried to pay though i assume u did

IAmNotAMindReader · 20/09/2016 20:26

My DH did this. He paid a bill by mistake for a previous occupant instead of us. Rang the council, they had to get in touch with them as well but it was sorted and refunded within a couple of days.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 20/09/2016 20:36

The council can sort this out if she's paid the wrong account and has proof. I've done it once and they just transferred the money.

I don't see how you can do it more than once without noticing though. Ours send a reminder a week after the missed payment. So she would have realised hers hadn't been paid. Perhaps your council are a bit more lenient.

Shiningexample · 20/09/2016 20:44

She see's an envelope with someone else's name and address on, she opens it and inside is a bill with someone else's name and address on which she pays

She does this not once but several times

She also picks up and opens packages with someone else's name and address on....
Really?

stonecircle · 20/09/2016 20:49

Maybe she struggles to read?

merrymouse · 21/09/2016 07:47

For various reasons some people do struggle to do things like pay bills correctly and maintain good relations with their neighbours.

diddl · 21/09/2016 08:43

Presumably Op has to look into it with the counil as it is her account that the neighbour may have paid into.

Original poster
DomingoFlamingo · 21/09/2016 17:22

Went to the council this morning.. Turns out dumb neighbour did manage to pay some money into my account but it was significantly less than she originally claimed/thought (two figures rather than three)... Unfortunately council say they can't transfer the money across accounts and the only option is for me to repay her in cash Hmm which I'm reluctant to do but am glad its not the original amount she demanded......

I told neighbour that council said she'd only managed to pay the lower sum into my account. She said must have made a mistake and scuttled off..... Says it all I think. So in short I'll be giving her the smaller amount back but not what she originally asked for

OP posts:
MuffyTheUmpireSlayer · 21/09/2016 17:24

What a lying, thieving cow!

DartmoorDoughnut · 21/09/2016 17:25

Get/make a receipt!

HeldTogetherByGafferTape · 21/09/2016 17:27

Don't give her cash!! Do it by bank transfer.

expatinscotland · 21/09/2016 17:28

Do NOT give her cash! It's worth even buying a postal order so you have a receipt. And take a photo of the receipt on your phone and scan it into your iCloud or Google so you always have a copy of it.

Justjoseph · 21/09/2016 17:30

You need to pay it direct to her bank. ( if you choose to pay her)

You are well within your right to pay her in instalments.

However I don't think that the council have a leg to stand on. Personally I would be paying them directly and insisting they refund her. They are leaving you open to her ripping you off. It's her problem to obtain a refund not yours. Her mistake after all.

Plus she opened you mail which is illegal.

HerFaceIsAMapOfTheWorld · 21/09/2016 17:30

call the police LOL she is deluded this is a civil matter, Baffles me when people cannot work out the difference

AdaLovelacesCat · 21/09/2016 17:31

I agree with expat...do not give this person cash.
it MUST be a cheque or PO to leave a trail.

AdaLovelacesCat · 21/09/2016 17:32

" Baffles me when people cannot work out the difference "

sometimes it is confusing. For example my friend had her cows stolen from the field that she was renting, but the police told her it was a 'civil matter'.

diddl · 21/09/2016 17:35

I wouldn't pay her back until the money that she paid into your account is either refunded or deducted from the next bill.

Until then it's extra money from your pocket.

Also no to cash-you need a record of it.

Memoires · 21/09/2016 17:38

I had to use my work address for everything when my neighbour kept stealing my mail. Can you do that? It was no hassle, but I didn't have big heavy deliveries, just the odd small thing from time to time and all the bills. Though she did take a love letter which would have made a massive difference if I'd ever received it. Bitch! Grin

SapphireSeptember · 21/09/2016 17:39

I don't know if anyone else has said this, but stop letting her borrow stuff, never to be seen again, and make sure you get anything she still has back, (that she threatened to call the police on you would have made me laugh, I'd have threatened her with that in order to get my stuff back, because technically that's theft.) Also hope the landlord lets you have a separate post box, incidentally, do they know about her antisocial behaviour?

AGenie · 21/09/2016 17:40

She needs to contact the company herself. If she keeps hassling you then you can call the police. It would be good to call the company yourself though and ask if it's been paid.

JudyCoolibar · 21/09/2016 17:44

sometimes it is confusing. For example my friend had her cows stolen from the field that she was renting, but the police told her it was a 'civil matter'.

The police were wrong. Theft is by its nature a criminal matter.

JudyCoolibar · 21/09/2016 17:45

I really don't believe the council can't deal with this themselves. Swopping money between accounts is a few keystrokes, ffs. Or, if it's really that difficult, they could simply refund the money back to the neighbour and she could pay it back to the credit of her own account.

toodles60 · 21/09/2016 17:46

You owe them nothing. Maybe morally but that is it. She opened letters addressed to you which in and of itself is a crime. She then chose to pay the bill. You didn't ask her to do so. I can assure you she doesn't have a legal leg to stand on and the police would tell her so. So because she's being a complete idiot i wouldn't pay her a penny. You don't legally owe her it as you didn't ask her to pay it. Morally is a different story but because of the way she is acting i wouldn't give her a penny.