Would it be petty to refuse new neighbour’s request?

[isthispetty]

I live in a cul de sac - the houses are in a semi circle and my house is on the one of the ends.

A few years ago, our next door neighbours knocked down their detached house and replaced it with two semi-detached houses. They live in one of the houses and sold the other.

Consequently, they live in number 9, the other house is 9A and my house is number 10.

The people in 9A have recently moved, and we have some new next door neighbours.

This morning, the woman from 9A came round and asked if we would be willing to change our house number to 11, so they could be number 10. She says that loads of their post and deliveries keep getting sent to number 9, and she just thinks it would be easier.

Would it be unreasonable to say no? I’m used to living at ‘number 10’ - we’ve lived here for years! And I’d have to go through the effort of changing our address, and contacting everyone we know and getting it changed officially and legally.

Or should I just be neighbourly and agree?

I wouldn't agree to that.

It's not as easy as just changing your number though. If I remember rightly, it has to be done via the post office. Also, is there no 11 or are you the last house in the road?

The other issue, is your post may end up going to the new number 10 even with a mail direct (which will also cost you money) so just, I think, transfers the confusion issue from them to you.

It would be a huge pain in the arse, I’d imagine.

I lived at number 5A once and it was no problem at all (the owners had converted their basement into a flat). I’m in the midst of buying number 1A at the moment, and don’t anticipate any issues.

Your neighbour just needs to get a bigger number sign.

Just say you've looked into it and it's too much hassle and money involved

I don't think you would be u to refuse to change your address. I try to be a good neighbour but I wouldn't change my house number for them just for the convenience of their post. It would be a lot of time and effort to change legally and on all your accounts/documents as well as letting everyone know.

Surely they can't really expect you to?

No way!! They can’t seriously expect you to do all that! I’m sure number 9 doesn’t think anything of putting the “odd” letter through the door in the rare occasion this happens...Can’t they call theirs a name instead with 9A in brackets eg

The Smith Family
The New House (9A)
Street

Easier for her maybe, but not for you. Not petty by saying no, at all!

I don’t think it’s as easy as that - each house will have a property reference number within Council tax and references for your untilities.
You can’t just change it.

Can’t they just be no 11? The postie will soon get used to the fact that the numbers are muddled so long as they clearly mark their door with 11. Won’t it mean you having to go to the trouble of changing all your details with all your providers when they could do it?

No, don’t do that. Imagine the confusion! Wouldn’t you have to get permission from the local council??

She should be talking to the person who sold the house to her and ask them to be 9A instead.

I think I would just say you would rather not do it because of all the paperwork. I think it costs money to change driving license for example. Is it really that easy anyway? Can people just decide to change their number like that?

I wouldn't agree to that, it's not that easy to do and why should you.

That is unreasonable of her. Could she give her house a name such as The red door house and paint her door red so that people can quickly identify her house

Errr, no.
It’s not that inconvenient to go next door to pick up misdirected post once in a while if someone has missed the ‘A’ off whereas it would be very inconvenient to change your door number. Would you need to change the deeds held at the land registry? Would there be a cost? It all sounds too complicated for you just to make their life a teeny bit easier,

I wouldn’t agree either, this will actually be a lot of hassle for you to have to change absolutely everything! Many people live in an A or B, I do! Yes sometimes things do go to the other neighbour, she’s A, I’m B, but we just hand it over to each other. No hassle involved. She’s not asking you for a cup of sugar, she’s asking something that will be very inconvenient and time consuming for you.

I wouldn’t agree to changing your number at all. If you do change you will be the one not getting your post and deliveries as databases everywhere will have no11 listed. I would also worry it would screw up council tax, title deeds etc I would never wish to change from 10 to 11 anyway. 10 is a much nicer number. Your neighbour could give her house a name, put up a name plaque and that should help so they are not going by number alone.

I wouldn’t do it.

Why don’t they get their property registered with a house name at the post office and use that?

Not a chance would I do that. Just tell her that she'd then get all of your post!

Tell them it’s feng Sui and you have to live at an even number.

In my borough all requests to change house names, etc, have to be made by applying to the council street naming and numbering department and they charge a fee for it.

Why don't They be 11? Many houses don't have numbers that follow on from each other if you see what I mean. No way would I go through the hassle if I were you

Also wouldn't it be a pain in the bum changing all your mortgage documents, house deeds etc ? I think i would say no.

No way, what a CF!

Foxtrot Oscar would suffice as an answer to that stupid request.

You’d have to change everything.

Your new neighbours are being vu. Actually cf territory.