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??

As funny as this is, Andy is now taking the piss. Time to make a stand against him I think!

If you like the tree try and get it made the subject of a Tree Preservation Order so it would be an offence if your mad neighbour took a saw to it.

Are you sure it was a hedge trimmer? Check your tree op! I would keep a record of everything that happens now as it sounds as if he is going to try intimidation/bullying/harassment to get what he wants.

if it is an oak tree you can only trim it you cant cut it down just send a polite note asking to keep the noise down lol

I haven't read the whole thread (but more than had before my previous post), but this is evidently a nightmare neighbour scenario. Always keep your cool, don't do some of the silly fun stuff others have suggested, try and keep a diary of his antics, and keep any messages he sends. Never send him anything in writing unless bland bland bland. At some point this could end up in court and a weary district judge will have the unenviable task of deciding which neighbour is worst (as you will be badmouthed too).

Having a contemporaneous record will help in that worst case situation. You shouldn't instigate any row with him, because of problems which could arise on selling if there is a row with him. (Apart from possibly queering a sale, the courts have awarded damages against sellers who misrepresented neighbourly rows which caused financial loss.)

In more relaxed moments you may find leafing through the diary quite amusing ...

Wow, what a story!

Op this really is (through no fault of yours) starting to spiral down a slippery slope to harassment. I really do think as others have suggested that you need to keep any correspondence you receive from them and note any other actions which create a nuisance, in case this comes back to bite you, whilst maintaining a completely reasonable attitude and behaviour yourself.

However, be wary of creating a more difficult situation than absolutely necessary as if you ever sold your house while Mad Andy is still your neighbour, you would have to declare it on the sales documents.

Andy is looking more and more unhinged by the day.

Hedge trimming at 6:30am?

Time to contact your council's environmental health. Keep a log of the early morning/late night piano playing/hedge trimming.

I take back that somethings wrong with him. He's just a passive aggressive entitled shit suffering from delusions of grandeur.

I thought this was funny at first but the hedge trimming is bang out of order and liable to get worse I would think. Definitely start keeping a log of noise pollution/harrassment.

Are you friendly with the neighbours on the other side of Andy and his wife? Might be worth seeing if they have the same issues. Even if they don't the 6.30am hedge trimming will be annoying them too so you'll have an ally in making official complaints.

That's not a bad idea from cavemum. It took us a couple of years of nutty behaviour from our neighbour before we dared do that. DH went round, ready to give some talk about not sure whether we need to be worried for her or if it was possibly something we are doing but can't figure it out (our neighbour's the other side had no issues with us which confused the hell out of us).

DH got as far as awkwardly saying that it was an odd question but had they had any issue because, when they interrupted him and said they'd been thinking of coming to us too and ushered him into their house for a very long chat where we realised mad neighbour was completely batshit.

Hedge trimming in the dark??

So he was out in the garden last night trying to upset you and your DH with PA comments AND he was cutting his hedge at 6.30am? that seems very PA too- I.e he wants to cut down the tree too whisky he's at it.

It was funny to start off with but this seems to be getting more and more

Keep records of everything and I think it's time for a note (keep a copy) clearly stating he is NOT to touch your tree.

He's either quite funny and harmless or a bit sinister and worrying- hoping it's the former!

Whisky?!? Meant whilst!

Also please PLEASE do some Halloween decor along these lines before you get the TPO in place-

Andy is a dick.

Time to invest in those wind chimes OP.

Liilianna
"they are jealous Jane, that's why they are being difficult, they can't have the lovely things we have"

Gosh! How you must envy Jane her husband!!!

I think that you should invest in a couple of peacocks. They make a -terrifying, horrific charming, tuneful racket-- melody.

(Explain to other neighbours that they are a temporary feature, otherwise you may have an angry mob at your door with pitchforks and flaming torches . . . )

Your last update made me giggle OP!

Jealous?! How does keeping your tree translate into jealousy?? He sounds bloody awful.

And as for hedge trimming - I'm sure there are some by- laws or something that prevent loud noise between certain times???

Get on to the council about DIY noise at unsociable hours.

I would definitely do something op

It's not fair that they are trying to intimidate you with noise like this

www.environmentlaw.org.uk/rte.asp?id=70 noise law

Being serious for a minute, I agree with the other posters that you need to start keeping a proper log of what is going on. Using noisy gardening equipment at 6.30am is anti-social and a noise nuisence.

Keep the letters and log when they were received.
Log the noisy gardening this morning.
If the piano playing becomes intrusive log that noise too.

You then have the option of reporting to the council noise team.

I've joined MN just to join in this thread. Long time lurker.

My DP has been howling at some of the suggestions on here, and has volunteered to bring his very loud motorbike to sit in your garden at the required times. :-)

In all seriousness though, time to hero a good diary which contains the original letters of you still have them all. Email the local police and council ASB team, because this has the symptoms of something that may go very badly very quickly. I'm an ex police officer, and had to deal with neighbours like yours all the time. These kinds of people can't see their behaviour is bizarre and unreasonable, and will blame others for all sorts of apparent infringements that only they experience. Wheelie bins became the bane of my life.

I absolutely support the idea of speaking to other neighbours. Avoid engaging with these people where you can, and try not to pander to their whims. The fat balls around the garden, for example - to what end would you be doing that? Why would deliberately feeding the birds help you or them? If you want to feed the birds, do it on your own terms. If you are seen to acquiesce to their demands, they'll expect more and more from you.

The dementia question is a good one.

Good luck!