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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Neighbour does not like the look of my garden - threatening to sue

566 replies

craxmum · 29/07/2018 10:03

A new neighbour has moved in last month (we are sharing a wall in a semi-detached property). She seems to have a major issue with the way my garden looks (just paid me a visit at 7am on Sunday to inform me that she hasn't slept properly since she had a party last night and her guests were apparently "aghast"). First thing she did after moving in was decking and astroturfing her back garden fence to fence (the bits that weren't already covered in concrete).

She did mention it a couple of times before, but I never thought it bothers her that much. Now she made a vague threat of suing me for damage to her assets, as apparently her house value and enjoyment of her property is impacted. I mean, she bought it a couple of weeks ago (at the normal market value as far as I can see from the open sources), surely she made the decision with full awareness of what my garden looks like? She added a couple of personal insults (about me being foreign etc) as well.

My garden is a bit informal allotment style. We grow berries, tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, beans, herbs - stuff like that, also have a couple of dwarf fruit trees. Sunflowers all over the place at the moment. I have two small children (3 and 5), they absolutely love it and they have their own little experimentation areas. There is a bit of lawn, but with two dogs it is not in great shape - trimmed, but with some bald patches. There is an occasional weed or two, or maybe ten. Plenty of butterflies and bees. A composter (of a posh type, fully closed and maintained, not leftovers rotting in a bin). There is a water butt and sometimes watering cans / other gardening equipment lying around. I mean, it is by no means perfect, and can sometimes be messy and looks quite rustic, but I absolutely cannot see what I can do to comfort her apart from ripping all vegetation out and paving over.
AIBU?

OP posts:
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rubyjude · 29/07/2018 10:46

Your garden sounds awesome! I'm jealous! I kill anything I try and grow.

OftenHangry · 29/07/2018 10:46
Wink
Neighbour does not like the look of my garden - threatening to sue
BlueBug45 · 29/07/2018 10:46

OP nothing wrong with your garden.

Please phone 101 now and log with the police her racist comments. Depending where you live the police may come out and have a quiet word with her before things escalate. Even if they don't every time she says something and you log it, if it eventually unfortunately escalates the police then CPS can use it against her.

Hygge · 29/07/2018 10:47

If she's made comments about you being foreign then (depending on what she said) it may be that you can make a complaint against her for racism.

If she keeps this up (you've said she's made previous comments about your garden) then it may be a complaint for harassment.

If she's done all this concreting and decking and astro turfing, has she done this in accordance to any regulations for drainage or covenants which may be on the properties? Is her garden likely to impact on yours in this regard?

She, and her astro turf, might have actually impacted on the value of your property and the drainage in your garden.

NutElla5x · 29/07/2018 10:47

Your garden suits your family and pets,is environmentally friendly and is productive to boot-it sounds great to me.If your thoroughly unpleasant , stuck up,racist neighbour doesn't like it she doesn't have to look at it does she.Tell her to fuck off and when she gets there to fuck off from there too,then to fuck off some more,then to keep fucking off until she gets back and then to fuck off again until she's so fucked off with fucking off that she fucks off out of your fucking business the fucker.Excuse my French.

LizTaylorsFabulousTurban · 29/07/2018 10:47

Do your neighbours look like this OP?

Neighbour does not like the look of my garden - threatening to sue
craxmum · 29/07/2018 10:47

She wasn't overtly racist (and I am same race as her), more along the lines "we don't do this in Britain in case if you did not know".

OP posts:
Ihaventgottimeforthis · 29/07/2018 10:47

Lovely garden.

I echo the scarecrow suggestions.

LizTaylorsFabulousTurban · 29/07/2018 10:48

(Oh and I think it looks great and would love to live next door to you).

Tara336 · 29/07/2018 10:48

Your garden looks great! We all have pet hates/different opionions on what looks good or doesn’t. Personally I love my AstroTurf we are busy and don’t want to spend our spare time mowing a lawn plus while every e else has brown dead grass we have a lovely green garden, I quite like my solar lights and decking too. But every other house in our street (including ours at moment) has bloody gravel with a few plants shoved in, i hate it! Everyone else obviously like it though! Only things I would say would really piss me off is those wooden wind chimes. Your neighbour sounds nuts tbh ignore her and enjoy your garden

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 29/07/2018 10:49

You have sunflowers. Envy

Ta1kinpeace · 29/07/2018 10:49

@Craxmum
Your garden is wonderful
Your neighbour is horrible.
Your children are lucky to have a lovely garden.
Plant tall things along her boundary line Smile

Petalflowers · 29/07/2018 10:49

I presume she viewed the property before buying it. She’s bonkers. I’d love a garden more like that.

RueDeWakening · 29/07/2018 10:50

YANBU. Ask her why her guests were spying on your garden, doesn't she think that's a bit rude?

If you put a tall fence up, would it shade your garden or hers? If hers, crack on...

Mellifera · 29/07/2018 10:50

Definitely get chickens, or eben better: honeybees.

You can tell her you have to make up for her plastic garden.

No seriously, she sounds unhinged and if she thinks it’s ok to knock at 7 in the morning on a Sunday without it being an emergency, I’d quickly respond with something, otherwise she won’t stop.

Do you have any legal friends, someone who could knock up a letter with a professional header warning her about harrassment and racism?

Your garden sounds lovely, and I’m envious of the veg you grow.

Frogscotch7 · 29/07/2018 10:50

I love your garden op it’s gorgeous. I’d love a neighbour bringing birds and bees and butterflies to the area. I hope your neighbour backs off. Also think you should make a big show of sharing your excess produce with other neighbours who might appreciate it. Happy gardening!

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 29/07/2018 10:50

She is going to sue you for growing stuff in your garden and being a bit forrin Confused

Seriously if she tries again I would call her out and tell you are keeping a diary of her racist harassment which is something the police WOULD care about.

InfiniteCurve · 29/07/2018 10:51

Though in fairness to Margo and Jerry they were excellent friends overall!

You garden looks beautiful ,OP - I am EnvyEnvy as this is howI would live my garden to look,but I never quite manage it.
Decking and AstroTurf on the other hand - meh.

Nagaram · 29/07/2018 10:51

Document everything. Times, dates. Ask around to see if anyone knows her. Then forget about her.

Hygge · 29/07/2018 10:51

The photo of your garden is lovely.

I'd still log the comment about not doing this in Britain (which is bollocks, we do, and we should do it more) as well as the fact she turned up at 7am on a Sunday to say it.

Ta1kinpeace · 29/07/2018 10:51

we don't do this in Britain in case if you did not know
We sodding well do ....
bobflowerdew.com/

PurpleCrazyHorse · 29/07/2018 10:51

I wouldn't want to live next door to you because your garden looks lovely and mine needs a load of work Grin

We have a climbing frame which possibly annoys our neighbour (I thought it was better than a squeaky trampoline) but she is gracious enough to remember what having kids is like.

YouTheCat · 29/07/2018 10:52

If she mentions it again just tell her you will not be changing any aspect of your garden to suit her. I'd let her crack on with trying to sue. Daft cow.

OopsPardonMrsArden · 29/07/2018 10:52

Is her name Margot Leadbetter? ! Your garden looks a garden should look, astroturf is gross

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 29/07/2018 10:54

Your garden sounds lovely! Child and wildlife friendly and fun! Your neighbours garden sounds awful, not attractive to wildlife and not somewhere I’d want to spend any time.