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Original poster

Cheeky neighbours and their wet washing - Part 2.

165 replies

QueenofmyPrinces · 01/01/2019 12:57

I posted a few months ago about one of our neighbours using our adjoining garden fence (which is about 7ft high) to hang their wet washing on and how I was fed up of being faced with their wet clothes hanging over into our garden each day or picking up their pants and trousers when the wind blew them off the fence and onto our lawn.

We tried numerous strategies:

  • Repeatedly pushing the clothes back over their own side of the fence therefore them landing on their garden.
  • My son taking his water gun to the sides of the clothes that were hanging down over our side of the fence.
  • Keeping any of the clothes that blew off the fence and landed into our garden.

They seemed to get the hint and invested in a clothes line but rather than buy a rotary line they just bought a cord and tied one end to the fence post that belonged to their house, pulled it diagonally across their garden and then tied the other end to the final post of our adjoining fence. They then pegged all their clothes onto it including their wet towels which obviously were very weighty.

Unsurprisingly the repeated use of this clothes line with heavy items caused the adjoining fence post to buckle and separate from the other fence posts. Once this original weakness had occurred it obviously got worse and worse as they continued to hang up their wet washing.

As it stands now the end post of our garden fence is heavily leaning over into their garden and the weight of that is causing the end third of our fence to bend inwards over their garden too.

(A diagram can be provided if this doesn’t make sense) Grin

Anyway - yesterday, one of the neighbours had the bloody cheek to put a letter though our letterbox to complain about our fence impeding over into their garden and therefore could we please replace our fence!!!!!

My husband couldn’t believe it! I was at work thankfully because I would have hit the roof. My temper isn’t quite as calm as my DH’s.

I mean what the hell?!

We don’t quite know how to respond because all I want to do is to tell them to piss off and if anything they should be the ones to replace the fence!!!

I’m off out for lunch in an hour and I really hope I bump into one of them as I walk to my car so I can tell them what I think of their suggestion!!

OP posts:
sackrifice · 01/01/2019 13:37

Take a photo of the line tied to your fence post, then hit them with a solicitor's letter to make good the damage they caused.

HexagonalBattenburg · 01/01/2019 13:38

We have our washing line tied to a fence post - but we paid for the fucking fence, it's ours on the deeds, and we had to replace the last bastard one prematurely because of the neighbours ramming so much shit down the gap between their shed and their fence that it kept pushing it over... so if they want to whine about it they'll get told where to go pretty sharpish. Plus the builder who put the new fence in put so much blooming cement down the post holes that thing will probably survive an apocalypse this time around!

You're never going to win with persistently oblivious knobheads though.

NicoAndTheNiners · 01/01/2019 13:40

Cut it every single time they attach it.

They will soon give up.

If they go back to hanging washing on the actual fence then creosote/varnish the fence and any clothes which are on it at the time.

ChasedByBees · 01/01/2019 13:41

Who’s fence is it?

colditz · 01/01/2019 13:42

I'd go out and kick it over every time they tie their washing to it. I certainly wouldn't be fixiing it

animallikeyou · 01/01/2019 13:47

The landlord should be getting involved. THEIR tenants actions are damaging your property!

minionsrule · 01/01/2019 13:49

After you first noticed the post buckle did you point it out to them and tell them their washing was causing damage?
If not i think you have to suck it up but di what others suggest and put in writing that they are not to use washing line again and cc in landlord

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 01/01/2019 13:54

Cut the washing line again, stand the fence up but ensure there is nothing there for them to tie the line to again.
And if they do keep tying the line to it, then I suggest you contact the landlord again and say that they are causing damage to your property and you will expect financial compensation for the fence repair - if not from the tenants, then from the landlord.

It is ridiculous that they think they can get away with this sort of nonsense!

Original poster
QueenofmyPrinces · 01/01/2019 13:55

It is our fence and after we first noticed the buckling was when we first cut down their rope.

There are 6 adults in the house and between God knows how many wet bath towels and heavy men’s jeans and hoodies etc being crammed into the line all in one go the post just can’t take the weight.

It makes our garden look so crap with a half dropped fence.

Cosmetically I would love to replace it but they’d just damage the next one in the same way.

They are nightmares.

The last time they parked across my drive (whilst my car was on the drive) I left a strongly worded note under their windscreen wiper because I was so bloody sick of them doing it and thankfully they haven’t done that since. The term entitled just isn’t a strong enough word to describe how they are.

OP posts:
Rudgie47 · 01/01/2019 13:57

I'd just go straight to the landlord again and say they have damaged your fence post. I wouldn't engage with them at all. You will never get anywhere with idiots.

Santaisfastasleepatlast · 01/01/2019 13:57

You are legally entitled to enter their garden to maintain your fence.
Paint the whole fence with anti climb paint. They won't be able to hang washing anywhere near it.

Shadowboy · 01/01/2019 13:58

I think if it was me I would replace it, then send a letter with a photocopy of the bill and post it to them stating that any more use of your fence in such a manner that causes any movement will be billed to them via your solicitor and you formally request them to stop attaching anything at all to your boundary.

Doman · 01/01/2019 13:59

I agree re. the anti-climb paint. And definitely copy the landlord and letting agent on all communication.

DailyMailFuckRightOff · 01/01/2019 14:04

‘Thanks for your note. Happy to replace the fence post as it’s technically our responsibility. As soon as you have a more suitable arrangement for drying your washing (which caused the fence to buckle) I’ll get it sorted. Please don’t attach your laundry in any way to the fence again as I can’t afford to replace it repeatedly. I suggest a rotary dryer’.
Draw a couple of diagrams.
Thanks again!

LMDC · 01/01/2019 14:06

"‘Thanks for your note. Happy to replace the fence post as it’s technically our responsibility. As soon as you have a more suitable arrangement for drying your washing (which caused the fence to buckle) I’ll get it sorted. Please don’t attach your laundry in any way to the fence again as I can’t afford to replace it repeatedly. I suggest a rotary dryer’."

I second the above

BrightYellowDaffodil · 01/01/2019 14:08

If you can prove that you’ve told them about the damage they were causing, and you’ve got photos of the washing line, heavy washing etc, then I’d be asking them to pay now followed up by a small claims court claim if they refused.

If not, then I’d repair the fence and send a formal letter to the neighbours, the landlord and the letting agent stating that the damage has been repaired by you on this occasion but the neighbour must not attach anything to it in future. Any further damage caused by them attaching anything will be charge to them at full cost, and any refusal to pay will be pursued through the small claims court.

I’d also be reporting all loud parties, parking issues to the landlord/letting agent as the poor behaviour of their tenant IS their problem.

Yabbers · 01/01/2019 14:10

If they have damaged your fence, their landlord is responsible for fixing it. If it is a shared fence, their landlord stumps up half the repair. Your landlord can absolutely do something about their anti social behaviour. I suggest you complain to him each and every time they piss you off. LL will soon become pissed off and do something about it.

Yabbers · 01/01/2019 14:10

their landlord.

crazycatgal · 01/01/2019 14:10

In response I'd contact their LL and ask the LL to replace your fence post since their tenant has damaged it t.

eggsandwich · 01/01/2019 14:15

Have you got an Argos book about, flick to the page that has pictures of rotary lines on them tear it out the book highlight, and send it with a note saying I’m not surprised that the fence is buckling under the weight of your daily washing as fence posts are not designed for that use, I have therefore attached details of the relevant items that are specifically designed to take the weight of your washing.
A bill will shortly follow to you for the cost of replacing the fence post.

Happy New Year.

Maelstrop · 01/01/2019 14:29

I don't think the ll has to do anything, tbh. I tried to help out my tenant with a seriously crazy situation and was told neighbour disputes are nothing to do with me and the tenant must deal (County council)

PoisonousSmurf · 01/01/2019 14:31

Repair the fence, then paint the top bit with 'anti vandal' paint. It stays tacky and will ruin their clothes!
But put up a warning first. If they ignore it, then they can't complain!

BMW6 · 01/01/2019 14:44

I'd just keep cutting the rope tied to your fencepost every single time they reattach it.

Berthatydfil · 01/01/2019 14:45

Reply and copy ll.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Our (no xx street) fence has been damaged as a result of your (xx street) continued use of it as a support for your washing line. As you are aware we have repeatedly asked you to cease this activity.
The fence is now damaged directly as a result of your actions and is now impeding your use of the garden of no xx street hence your letter.
Please advise me how you intend to rectify this damage and compensate me.

AmericanEskimoDoge · 01/01/2019 14:49

They sound like the type that, if you did use anti-climbing paint, they'd then send you a bill for cleaning/new clothes. Grin

Seriously, though, if the landlord is useless (and honestly, I don't know what he's legally required to do), I'd go with something like the note to the effect that you'll replace the fence post, but they are no longer allowed to hang a line from any part of your fence or use it as a clothesline. (And keep a record of all further communications, in case you need it later on.)