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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Our scaffolding blocking neighbours sky dish

195 replies

WaxyBean · 29/03/2017 19:15

We had scaffolding put up in front of our house today ahead of building works starting Friday and likely lasting 6-8 weeks.

Unfortunately this has blocked the neighbours sky signal - not something we had anticipated happening. I became aware of this late this afternoon after the neighbour insisted that our nanny call me at work to sort this.

Since then I have have had the scaffolders back out to see if anything can be moved to improve the signal - it can't. And I have arranged for her dish to be moved onto our scaffolding for the duration of the works - this will be done late Friday/early Saturday as this is the earliest the recommended engineer can be available.

Neighbour says this is unacceptable and her sky needs to be back by tomorrow. Whilst I sympathise I feel have done everything I can to solve this. Her lack of sky is not my biggest priority and I have spent a considerable amount of time today trying to solve this.

So MNers - who is being unreasonable here?

OP posts:
ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 29/03/2017 19:47

Her lack of sky is not my biggest priority

Hmm

And your scaffolding isn't hers either.
YABU.

placemarking · 29/03/2017 19:47

YABU

olderthanyouthink · 29/03/2017 19:51

YANBU

If she was a nice neighbour you wanted to keep on side I'd say pay for a couple months Netflix or similar or buy them a chromecast or similar so they can watch stuff from a PC on their TV

SingingSilver · 29/03/2017 19:55

I was going to say that you could find out what she would usually watch and buy her a short Netflix subscription or Now TV sub - but if she is usually the pain in your arse, then it's karma. She'll have to cope with freeview for two days!

SlinkyTink · 29/03/2017 19:56

YABU. If it was my scaffolding and my TV that was blocked I would get it fixed as a matter of urgency. I.e. tomorrow morning.

The sky go option sounds a possibility too.

LagunaBubbles · 29/03/2017 19:56

Playmobile I wouldn't want a day without my TV especially if it wasn't my fault, I enjoy relaxing watching certain programmes after a long hard day at work.

Allthebestnamesareused · 29/03/2017 19:58

YABU

In law you are causing nuisance to your neighbour and therefore it is for you to stop causing the nuisance. Either your builder can relocate her dish or an aerials man. There must be one that can come out on an emergency basis.

Awfulatmaths · 29/03/2017 19:58

I think this is really common and Sky usually come out quickly to move the dish. This is realistically the only solution since you're hardly going to take down your scaffolding. A couple of days without telly should make her more amenable to moving the dish. You should pay the call out fee but no more.

ZackyVengeance · 29/03/2017 20:00

Yabu

Original poster
WaxyBean · 29/03/2017 20:04

I have arranged and am paying for the relocation of her dish - just that the earliest this can happen is Friday/Saturday. My preference is to use someone recommended in case there are any issues.

WIBU to say that if she wants this done sooner then she can find someone to do this and we will pay?

OP posts:
Lucked · 29/03/2017 20:04

I don't think you deserve any sort of sympathy or recognition for the time spent sorting this out, it does need sorting asap.

All you can do is phone again tomorrow and ask to be considered for cancellations, it is tricky when it is someone else you are inconveniencing. i also think you should take round some flowers after this is all sorted though, you do have to live next to her.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 29/03/2017 20:05

If I have understood correctly and the scaffolding is nowhere near her dish, I think YANBU, and in fact seem to be bending over backwards to help her?

Lucked · 29/03/2017 20:05

Missed your update but that is not unreasonable.

BoomBoomsCousin · 29/03/2017 20:06

It's not your responsibility to ensure her reception. Assuming you have all the permissions you need for the building work to go ahead, it is unfortunate that when her Sky dish was installed it was put in a place that was not guaranteed good reception regardless of your legitimate use of your own property. I've never had Sky, but if it's on a contract it's possible they are responsible for her reception, not you. So you could suggest to her she contacts them (of course this is no practical use to her even if they are responsible as I doubt they'd do anything in time).

However, a goodwill gesture could smooth things along. Especially if you may need cooperation from her for other aspects of the building works or are likely to need cooperation in the future.

I would suggest though, that if you are going to move her dish for her temporarily, you make sure that you are entitled to do so - i.e. it is owned by her or she is allowed to move it as she pleases - and that she sign something outlining exactly what you will and won't be held to account for, should, for instance, her reception seem less good to her when the dish is returned after the building works. She sounds a bit querulous, so I would be cautious about doing anything that could lead to liability and would actually be slightly inclined to renege on the promise to move it unless it can be shown you are actually responsible for her reception.

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 29/03/2017 20:07

The thing is though, she will complain about every little thing during your works and will make your life hell, you do realise that?

AllFurCoatNoKnickera · 29/03/2017 20:08

YABU.
We've just had 6 weeks of our sky messing up because of next doors scaffold.
They paid for our dish to be placed on their scaffold during the works. Then tarpaulin got caught on it so no sky again.
Sky said it'd be 5 days before they could do it so I found an independent who was at my house the next morning.
If sky can't do it sooner, why not ask if she can find an independent person to do it sooner and offer to pay for it, in fact our neighbours scaffold firm paid for the removal, it's a pretty standard thing.
Just don't make the mistake that they made and rebook the engineer to remove it from the scaffold and then works overrun by 3 weeks.....
It's not so much the inconvenience, sky costs a fortune. When there were issues we couldn't watch on demand and our terrestrial channels ran through our sky so no tv.
If she can't find someone sooner, is it worth offering to cover the cost of the lost days?

Andrewofgg · 29/03/2017 20:11

She IBU. Two or three days without Sky or even all television for a couple of days is not such a hardship. I was in your position OP and we sent the neighbour some chocolate: and forgot about it.

Renaissance2017 · 29/03/2017 20:11

Buy her a couple of books. She watches to much TV anyway.

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 29/03/2017 20:12

Buy her a couple of books. She watches to much TV anyway.

How do you know that? Judgy much?

chastenedButStillSmiling · 29/03/2017 20:13

Having read your update, I think you've done enough.

I was going to suggest you could record things for her to watch at yours, but bugger that!

jmh740 · 29/03/2017 20:13

I don't think you are being unreasonable. The same happened to us last summer next door were fab about it and nothing on their TV would work but they said they had a few box sets on dvd to get through and that's what they did.
Sounds to me like you are going out of your way to solve the problem

YellowDinosaur · 29/03/2017 20:16

In light of your updates where she has been extremely difficult in the party I would probably have told her to fuck off tbh.

You have done your best to sort it, I'd tell her about sky go and leave it to sky to sort out as already agreed. Normally is take over wine / flowers etc but in this situation with the back story no chance!

JaneEyre70 · 29/03/2017 20:16

Sky isn't cheap and if they haven't got a freeview aerial (we haven't) then they are probably completely stuck, especially if they have kids. Could you offer to buy them a digital aerial so they could at least get freeview in between getting the dish fixed?

Hateloggingin · 29/03/2017 20:17

Yabu, we don't get out much - young dc, no babysitting. Watching stuff together after long days at work is how we relax. I'd be v annoyed if something you did wrecked my sky. Sky is also v expensive, mines about £150 a month.

YellowDinosaur · 29/03/2017 20:18

Past not party thanks autocorrect....