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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to think this was Neighbours fault? (diagram included)

166 replies

HiyaMummy · 26/12/2017 15:46

I live on the top floor of a block flats. 2 flats per floor. Rented from a Housing Association. Diagram not to scale

The squares in the corner of the flats are our front doors. Next to our front doors we each get a space, probably the size of an understairs cupboard. The HAs contract with us says this space is for the storage of pushchairs (which I do for DD) and non perishable food and drink items. The alcoves don't have doors on so you can see into each others alcoves and easily access them. We're not allowed to add doors or even poles for curtains/screens - I've asked before, but the HA say the block is secure so anything that gets stolen should be easily found.

Over Christmas I stored some of DDs Christmas Presents and some alcohol there. I left some of the chocolate out there along with some bottles of beer.

Neighbour has a dog. On Christmas Day after coming back from family his dog was off lead and while neighbour unlocked the door, the dog got into my alcove, where he promptly knocked over a crate of beer bottles licked that up and ate some of the chocolate.

This morning neighbour knocks on my door and asks me and DH to pay for the vets bill he's now got as his dog has become very ill from eating and drinking the contents of my alcove.

While I sympathise because it's awful when your pets ill I have a cat and I hate it when she's ill I feel it's the neighbours fault for allowing his dog to be off lead in the communal areas where he may have access to stuff he shouldn't be having such as chocolate.

Neighbour is coming back later to discuss it and I want to know if I'm UR to refuse (we can't really afford vets bills, we have pet insurance for the cat for this very scenario)?

AIBU to think this was Neighbours fault? (diagram included)
OP posts:
endofthelinefinally · 27/12/2017 04:36

You really should put chocolate into a sealed plastic container if you dont want to attract mice.
That would have stopped the dog getting it too.

differentnameforthis · 27/12/2017 06:36

That would have stopped the dog getting it too. So would have the owner keeping it on a lead. Op has done nothing wrong.

endofthelinefinally · 27/12/2017 11:23

I am not saying she has done anything wrong. Just making a suggestion, given how chocolate attracts mice.

UnsuspectedItem · 27/12/2017 11:39

Red setters are gorgeous. But BONKERS. They are really quite big too, there's no way I'd let one loose in a building unsupervised, and I love dogs. It's entirely feasible for a setter to knock an adult over in their excitement, it could well have accidentally pushed a child down the stairs etc. This could have been way way worse an incident (though the idea of a dog being poisoned is pretty horrible).
Neighbour sounds like he shouldnt be allowed a dog he clearly cannot afford nor control.

AIBU to think this was Neighbours fault? (diagram included)
DeStijl · 27/12/2017 15:09

That would have stopped the dog getting it too.
Grin um... no. In fact my dog would eat the container too. She's eaten plastic buckets, watering cans.. basically anything we're stupid enough to leave in the garden.
The neighbour's dog shouldn't have been loose in the hallways.

Weezol · 27/12/2017 15:30

I would do as Zen suggests. Just log it as soon as the HA reopens. I say this as a HA tenant of 18 years.
Last year I 'logged' a neighbour slamming his front door in the early hours. He's an lovely chap, so I said to the HA I was working on the assumption he had never lived in a flat before and didn't know how the noise would carry through the building. They called round on a 'new tenant' premise and mentioned it, asked me to let them know if it happened again. It hasn't.
Housing Officers are very good at sorting things out. You may not be the only person unhappy with his lack of dog handling.

Original poster
HiyaMummy · 27/12/2017 17:33

Sorry I haven't been back, been working.

Yes we are low income, both of us work but DD was massively unplanned we wanted to have children in about 5 years time so she came along 7 years early so my income has been massively affected and I can only work parttime at the moment. We get tax credits to top up our income but things are still tight most months.

Have spoken to HA, I clarified that I was allowed to store alcohol/chocolate in that area and and the housing officer said as long it wasn't perishable then he couldn't see a problem. I told him what happened with neighbour and dog and HO said if we have anymore problems with neighbour/dog to let him know and he'll pop over and have a word.

Neighbour walked past me on the stairs earlier but didn't speak to me. No love lost from me though.

OP posts:
user1485778793 · 27/12/2017 17:51

Defiantly don't pay it.

If one of my dogs got into my neighbours kitchen and ate their food it would be my fault entirely.

He's defiantly a cheeky fucker!

nutnerk · 27/12/2017 18:08

@user1485778793

I was going to ignore you spelling definitely as defiantly but as you did it twice... Definitely comes from the word definite / defiantly comes from the word defiant Wink

RaspberryOverload · 27/12/2017 18:16

@nutnerk my spellcheck corrects definitely to defiantly, and I don't always catch it.

I think it's the same for a lot of phones, it's a common correction.

thegreylady · 27/12/2017 18:17

We had a Labrador which chewed through a wooden door when we were out. She did this to get at the chocolates, wrapped for Christmas, which were behind the door. She ate the chocolate, the wrapping and even the ribbon. She died at the vets.
Your neighbour was irresponsible not you.

headinhands · 27/12/2017 18:29

He has the same contract so should know there could be food stuffs and drinks in your alcove. He shouldn't have assumed there wasn't. It was his fault.

Lweji · 27/12/2017 18:40

You should have asked him to pay for your beer and chocolate.
His dog destroyed them. His fault.

SoupDragon · 27/12/2017 18:54

his dog was off lead and while neighbour unlocked the door, the dog got into my alcove, where he promptly knocked over a crate of beer bottles licked that up and ate some of the chocolate.

From my experiences with a spaniel, there is no way this happened in the time it took to open the front door. Especially as the dog appears to have done it silently.

You were right to refuse to pay towards the vet bills.

FaveNumberIs2 · 27/12/2017 19:01

Chocolate is perishable, why did you store it there?

I do sympathise because I hate my pets being ill, but there’s a reason why your contract states non perishable foodstuffs.

If I were you, I’d offer to go halfs as the neighbour should have had the dog on a leash.

SoupDragon · 27/12/2017 19:04

Chocolate isn't perishable and the HA said it was fine.

Loreleigh · 27/12/2017 19:14

I'm with those that say this neighbour is a piss-taking cheeky fucker who should learn to keep their dog under control, prevent it nosing about other people's belongings, stop it eating when it scoffs chocolates or other doggie no-no items, and pay their own damned vet bills when they screw up. Neighbour should also cough for the items and give you an apology for the inconvenience and original loss of items, breakages, mess etc. Hopefully the vet, along with a big fat Xmas bill, gave the neighbour a lecture on dog control and allowing it to eat the wrong things etc. Hope the dog threw up all over neighbour's flat - not that I'm vindictive or anything ;)

MinorRSole · 27/12/2017 19:38

If I were you, I’d offer to go halfs as the neighbour should have had the dog on a leash.*

Ridiculous. Not op's responsibility to provide care for someone else's pet. By law dogs must be under control and any damage caused by the pet is the owners responsibility. Op is being very generous in not kicking up fuss over the mess or insisting on being reimbursed - no way should she subsidise his bill too.

manicmij · 27/12/2017 19:40

Your neighbour needs to get real. His dog actually destroyed your property. You should have been at his door asking for reimbursement. He has permission to have a dog? HA flats usually have restrictions on owning such pets. If his dog had eaten something harmful in the street who would he be asking to pay for treatment.

Taylor22 · 27/12/2017 19:42

Why should OP pay a penny @FaveNumberIs2

vinceb · 27/12/2017 19:51

You are being unreasonable... In fact you should buy your neighbour a new dog...and some chocolates and some beers as a sorry. Also pay the current dog's bills, not just the vets but credit cards and utilities.. Also take out private healthcare for your neighbour as an extra sorry.. In addition to this do not under any circumstances suggest that if he is hard up for money there are websites called ebay and preloved where her could sell some stuff if he is short of money to pay for the vets bills..

labazs · 27/12/2017 20:31

shouldnt keep dog under control and have more respect for other peoples property imagine if you had a pushchair in there and the darn thing cocked his leg all over it i know our dog would he would pee on you if you stood still long enough think you are a tree

niccyb · 27/12/2017 20:42

Your neighbour is totally in the wrong. Even if you are wrong about storing perishable goods in there, at the end of the day your neighbour is responsible for the dog. He ate the stuff and should have been stopped from doing so by the owner

altiara · 27/12/2017 21:06

Neighbour is massive cheeky fucker!

  1. he left that dog long enough to do that damage and blamed you! I get either break a bottle or pinch a bit of chocolate, but if dog is off lead then dog should be WITH you in this kind of scenario.
  2. definitely should have cleaned up the mess especially seeing your pushchair was there - this made me really annoyed leaving a stick floor covered in broken glass! Not even leaving a note!
  3. should have replaced your stuff
  4. should have taken dog to vets immediately so they could have the injection to be sick not left dog to rack up massive vet bills
  5. trying to guilt trip you when HE was not being responsible in looking after dog or having insurance and saying your DD could’ve done the same!
CraftyNestUK · 27/12/2017 21:34

I thought your post was going to be about asking for neighbour to reimburse you for the items his dog ruined/ate. Most definitely vet bills not your concern ashis dog should be controlled. Additionally, I am a dog owner, they can’t get into chocolate packages (assuming this was wrapped and/or boxed chocolate) and eat that much very quickly so the dog had to have been left unattenddd for some while.

I would suggest you purchase some plastic storage bins with lids to keep your items in your alcove for future. Protects them from this type of scenario, prying eyes too.