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??

[ChathamDockyard]

OP, are you sure no one is playing a joke on you as this does not sound the least bit believable to me.

It's a boring explanation but the only one that seems possible.

[2kids2dogsnosense]

^Get a preservation order on the tree, just in case.

And a violin.^

No. Bagpipes.

[RockyBird]

Get a tambourine and dance under the tree playing along to their piano playing. Every single time you hear them.

[Buscake]

Lollylou has the right idea. Don't engage, clear factual and unemotional response to direct to council. Let's hope they understand pretty quickly!

[FlabulousChic]

I'm sure you can get confirmation the birds are protected and there is nothing you can do about it. They do in fact sound like idiots

[WhereYouLeftIt]

Perhaps suggest they double-glaze this window to eliminate external noise? (Win-win - you won't hear their racket either ...)

They are beyond batshit.

[Chippednailvarnishing]

You need to build one of these and pay various neighbourhood children to visit.
.

All day, every day.

[2kids2dogsnosense]

^UPDATE!!

We hadn't responded and have just had this through the front door!!^

I am waiting for the note that says "Andy is on antibiotics" (sideways reference to another thread about entitlement)

Anyway "Drive on, Liiliana" (another ref to same thread)

[chocolateworshipper]

You could tell them that the birds in your garden are willing to meet with them to negotiate a peace settlement. Or you could say that the birds in your garden have complained that they are being bullied by the birds in their garden and they will be contacting a solicitor.

[rememberthetime]

I suspect the piano is a ruse. they want rid of your tree and are using their new piano as an opportunity to request its removal.

They might have had more luck had they pointed out how it blocks light, drops leaves into their garden or is giving their home subsidence.

There are all manner of things they could have come up with - but piano playing??

In any case - the problem is not yours. let them talk tot he council or get a tree removal order if it really is causing issues. I suspect they won't have a leg to stand on.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Hang bird feeders from the tree. Maybe some nest boxes. And birdseed on the roof of their car

[CiaoVerona]

Absolute nut jobs.

[CaveMum]

This might be useful: planningguidance.communities.gov.uk/blog/guidance/tree-preservation-orders/annex-a-flowcharts/flowchart-1-making-and-confirming-a-tree-preservation-order/#paragraph_172

[MagikarpetRide]

I thought our old neighbour was batty when weeks before the people the other side of her were due to move she demanded they removed a tree and paid them £200 to do so. They checked with the owners who were about to purchase who were planning to extend the property anyway so felt it was doing them a favour.

Two days after they moved in she offered them £200 to plant a tree because she liked privacy.

However your neighbours are a different level of crackers.

I would so buy Letters from my mad neighbours though.

[LeninaCrowne]

Oh Danny boy with nightingale

Do they not realise the fantastic creative opportunity having birds listening to their playing gives them?!!
They should be inspired by Beatrice Hamilton who was famously recorded playing her cello with a nightingale accompanying her!

Just tell them they could have an crow singing along with "Wind beneath my wings"

[conkercola]

Wow, they are totally insane.

[ScrambledSmegs]

Sometimes you do get very self-interested people who honestly don't understand why you don't want to comply with their insanse requests.

My parents have a large tree next to their house with a permanent TPO. New neighbours were in the process of knocking down the beautiful old house (with planning permission ) to build a new house that was more than double the size. They sent a man round one day to shin up the tree wth climbing gear to cut off a large healthy branch that meant they couldn't dig their huge cellar/gym/home cinema up to the boundary . Luckily my dad was home and politely sent him packing. Neighbour then came over, absolutely mystified that dad didn't want to take advantage of this fabulous opportunity to have his tree mutilated.

Bonkers.

[Memoires]

Definitely preservation order (or tell them it has one anyway). They can't do anything either way. It's your tree.

[StStrattersOfMN]

Do you have a Wildlife officer at your council, or some such? I'd be having a wee chat with him, and sorting out a TPO on that lovely tree.

And please, don't forget our little feathered friends need extra food in the coming winter months. A LOT of extra food. And bitdboxes would be nice.

[pinkyredrose]

Ideal you'd like them gone. They know how passionate you are about wildlife. Why not suggest they clingfilm their house?

[honeyroar]

Make a load of cardboard cutouts of birds with their wings/fingers in their ears looking like they can hear something awful, then pin them along all the branches.

Say thank you for the note, and tell them it's entertaining hundreds of people on the Internet and you're going to make a fortune with a book deal if they keep sending them.

[Pickled0nions]

I LOVE that everyone is suggesting what I was thinking too... Definitely send a note back. Draw a thumbs up on it. PLEEEEEEEASE

[PlumsGalore]

A simple line rough their note with NO across it. They are nuts.

[needanewjob]

Oh that's so funny! Tell them that nesting birds are protected so actually the noise and disturbance caused by their piano may actually be illegal (it's not but you aren't allowed to move nesting birds at certain times in the year so there's a seed of truth in there)