Or are my neighbours complete IDIOTS 😂

[Lilianna123]

Another neighbourly dispute, same neighbours that claimed our cat was teasing their dog, and the same neighbours who accused us of stealing blackberries off their bush that happened to grow over my fence.

Well if I hadn't thought they were ridiculous before, I definitely do now.

Woke up this morning to find a note through the door saying they have had a new piano delivered and due to space they were limited on places it could go indoors (not our problem) they are saying where they have placed it is under a window and their view from the piano is a large oak tree which is in our garden. Their problem is that they are saying the many birds nests that are in this tree are distracting and these wild birds are making too much noise therefore distracting them from the piano.

There isn't even a suggestion in the note of what they'd like us to do about it. Not that I would even consider taking any action towards the tree but FFS what on earth are they doing? They don't have a bloody leg to stand on??

Enlarge the note so that it is window sized, pop it back through and suggest they block the view with it ... any extra paper can be used to stuff their ears so they can't hear the birds ... or their playing so you may need ear plugs too!

crikey! I actually sort of agree that some sympathy is needed for anyone so lost in their own misery they think they have rights over the position or inhabitants of trees in other people's gardens....

Your neighbour sounds like Old Mr Heckles from Friends... Bat Sh#t Crazy

They're seriously suggesting you cut down a tree because someone has the attention span of a goldfish?! F*ckwit central.

May I suggest that someone in your household takes up bagpipes?

He said he will look into where he stands and be in touch!

I'd love to be a fly on the wall in that conversation with a solicitor/Citizens' Advice/whoever Andy is going to contact.

Naff off, Andy.

Bloody hell! Andy really things the whole world revolves around him doesn't he!

Buy him a birdwatching book. If the birds are that distracting, he may as well give them his full attention.

He's dementing for sure. He might kill himself trying to cut it down with an axe or something yet.

I'd take legal advice now I think. As an absolute minimum I'd write formally to him stating your position, with a copy signed by an independent witness and date-stamped by the post office.

Love a PP's suggestion of a new book: "Notes from my neighbours". Perfect stockingfiller. All the exchanges must be documented and encouraged.

Get a dictaphone and insist on recording every conversation with them as you are feeling harassed and want to document it. Bet starting to record everything will put him off.

OP I could come and practice my saxophone whilst Andy's playing, it would take his mind off the birds

Having dealt with dementia, I'd strongly suggest you at least have a go at getting Mrs Andy on-side and support her to see if she can get some advice / supports (if she wants them). This isn't just about being the Good Samaritan, it is also about finding a way to damp down the fire rather than fuel it. I'm guessing that poor Andy knows he isn't quite right and his wife is also out of her depth (they may not admit it to you, though). Dementia is a real mental illness and it is a cruel and often misunderstood one.

Read this book OP:

www.amazon.co.uk/Magpies-Mark-Edwards/dp/1477817999

Hope your garden has a secure gate/fence to keep him and his chainsaw out!

This has made me actually cry laughing.
Sorry you are having to live it OP though.

Nope, I doubt this is anything to do with dementia, i suspect hes one of those anal individuals that only sees things from his own point of view. Its probable his retirement has given him way to much free time to focus onto stuff most of us would never contemplate.

Can't you offer to get a bunch more cats to scare the birds away. Ask them to chose between their piano and the cats tormenting their dog!

OK so I haven't read the entire thread but I would strongly advise against getting a tree preservation order (TPO) as it could cause you all sorts of problems later on.

My parents bought their 7 year old house in 1977 and sometime in 1980 a letter came through the door stating that the trees (which were tiny at the time) had been protected.

Nobody really thought much more about it.

Since about 2005 these trees have caused the gardens of most of the houses to be in shade a lot of the time, they also cover the gardens in pine cones.

However due to the TPO it is not possible to remove them as the council say that they have too much amenity value. Some of the trees are nice but some of them are ugly, spindly things.

The biggest joke of all is that this road is within 500 metres of the entrance to "the woods" where the council regularly chop down thousands of trees as part of their forestry management programme but they cannot let a group of neighbours chop down one or two trees in their own back gardens.

Dementia is, sadly, a good point. DMIL became absolutely obsessed with the NDN new extension, looking back it was one of the first signs. That and weighing the laundry, and leaving odd socks out because they took the laundry over the weight limit.

I hope he speaks to the council to explain that some wild birds in your probably protected oak tree are putting him off playing his piano at 7 in the morning!!! Give them a laugh too.

You are going to have to start recording these visits as they're possibly the beginnings of harassment from your neighbours.

Take a picture of the view from their window. Photoshop the tree out. Get it printed on a screen which you place in front of their window in the dead of night .

Tree? What tree.

I think they're both in the early stages of dementia. It isn't just Andy - the second note was written by the wife, who admits that she's watching her neighbours coming and going and demands a reply straight away. I'm worried for the OP about the passive aggressive tone of that note, as well as what Andy may get up to next.

OP you need to make yourself clear to them in writing, with a date stamp and stating that you will not tolerate any further harassment from them. But get your key back from them first, maybe under the pretext of needing it for a visitor or contractor tree surgeon

Do you have any contact details for the son? May be worth asking him if everything is ok with his parents as they've seemed a bit odd totally bonkers lately...

I thought possible dementia too, but could equally be personality.

Send a reply:

Dear neighbours

I'm writing to you in receipt of your letter regarding the wild birds in the tree outside, and how it is distracting you from piano practice.

The birds are currently employed by ourselves to distract my cat from teasing your dog. Unfortunately part of the employment contract states that we have to provide them with suitable accommodation. Hence the tree. Under employment law I'm afraid there is nothing I can do, however I will issue them a written warning regarding the noise.

In compensation for the inconvenience I am willing to offer you a homemade blackberry crumble.

Best regards

I'd watch them very carefully, they seem bonkers enough to cut the tree down in the middle of the night or become such a PITA to the local authority that you're then forced to cut the tree down.

The tree was there long before their bloomin' piano.... end of.