To think I've got the most batshit neighbours?

[MrsGaryLightbody]

I'm gobsmacked...

History of next door is one letter through my door a month or so ago to ask if I would trim my rose bush in back garden as it's grown 8.5 inches above the fence and they can now see it. It's a five foot fence. but I did new ( me) neighbourly thing and trimmed it.

This morning there's a note through door again from them , letting me know that they are going to contact the RSPSA and dog warden ( is there such a thing) and report me . A list of complaints were then listed .
These include, letting puppy howl all night, leaving pup alone all day to howl. Letting pup wee against same place on fence , which apparently seeps through and is damaging their vegetables. They are fed up with me shouting at puppy. They don't like the name I've chosen.
They then go on to say they apologise for not stopping to give me a lift ( rural bus service) but they saw I had pup in my bag and didn't want it in their car. But they will be writing a stern letter to the bus company to complain that people shouldn't be allowed on buses with dogs as it's a health hazard.

I'm not sure whether to reply by writing ... or just shout through the letter box that I don't have a ducking dog!! I never have and I don't have any pets. The neighbours either side of me and them have cats. They have cats.

Just what I need ! Should I ignore?

That sounds stressful OP.

For now I would try and speak to nice neighbour, at least you know there are other people you can talk to Close by.

Pity you left the note, can’t remember if you said you’d shown it to nice neighbour?

If dog hearing neighbour was elderly, the start of dementia would seem more plausible but you state they are younger than you, in their 40’s? Doesn’t make sense.

She sounds paranoid and could really believe you have a dog. I would not go round there on your own. I think a call to 101 for advice would help. It's not really funny if she has m.h.issues and batshit isn't really a very kind phrase.

She sounds totally loopy. I think I'd have to get a huge dog now, just for protection.

Have you actually ever seen the husband?
I’d perhaps go back to normal neighbour and try to get abut more info- she seems to already have experience of your neighbour. Can she tell you whether it is both husband and wife behaving weirdly or just the wife?

I think calling SS and/speaking to human Gerald is a good idea.

The lady clearly has MH issues and needs some help

Before being widowed (by an enabler wanting a quiet life) and suffering the additional physical health issues that came with advanced age, my relative would write angry notes to people in 'response' to the nasty things that she believed she heard them saying to her and sellotape them face-down to her TV screen. She believed that there was a spy network using her TV and they were all in it together, colluding to upset and hurt her and steal from her bank account.

She thought that the little spinning black and white symbol in the top corner of the screen on ITV, used to cue up the adverts a few seconds before a break, was a camera that was filming and listening to her. Ironically, although her ideas were outrageous at the time, it sounds like there may have been a tiny grain of potential future reality (smart devices, Alexa etc) in among all of the swathes of absurdity.

Yes, it's hard not to instinctively laugh at it all, but I couldn't bring myself to the point where I enjoyed treating somebody's lifelong mental prison of fear and paranoia as an excuse for a bit of a giggle and cruel amusement in my own life.

knock,present with annoying roses. explain that you are concerned someone is causing trouble and that you have to make them aware of..the letters..with the non factual facts.list them.see what happens

I feel bad about my ^ pp now.

 My dad had Parkinson's and also Lewi Body Dementia.  He was seeing animals and all kinds of other things.  He explained them to me and told me how it was so very real to him.  He confessed he had even scanned through the local paper to see if the events he witnesses actually happened.  He watched imaginary airshows with vintage WW2 planes, carnivals, a sled dog race, even a Canada goose walking on the lawn.  "Come look at the goose Ann, its landed on the lawn!  Oh dear, you can't see it can you"?

 He believed the NDN were stealing things from his garden.  He wanted to 'have a word' with them about it and it was very stressful for my mother.  One day he 'saw' the NDN in the garden and went out for a rather polite word.  The NDN sneaking around the garden was just another one of his illusions.  My dad came back in rather cross and told me the man just walked off when he was talking to him.  

 My mum should have explained to all the neighbors about my dad's Lewi Body Dementia but she wouldn't and I was worried he'd offend someone and they would shout at him or worse yet, hit him.

Can you try to talk to the husband alone? Show him the note, and ask him can he hear all the noises described, because you don't have a dog. If he can, the noise must be traveling from somewhere else or there's some sort of random explanation, and you're getting the blame (and a cat, fox or even the husband is peeing on the veg).

More likely he'll have never seen or heard any evidence of "your dog" himself, and she's mentally ill. He might not be aware of how bad it is (or that she's leaving the neighbours mad notes, stating that she's hearing things).

Just had an odd thought, maybe he knows she's imagining things, but blames "the other Gerald" on a whole variety of his own misdemeanours, from peeing outside, excessive banging about, to even having another woman in the garden shed calling his name (as suggested by pp).

There’s another thread about a neighbour hiding a dog. Are you next-door-neighbours?!

I’d that letter back. Just say you will want to adhere to her suggestions or whatever.

OP on a serious note, if you have just left an abusive relationship you need to be kind to yourself and look after your own mental health. Don’t let them upset you

I have a relative with dementia & their delusions are so real to them it's scary.

They are as fixed as real memories.

No amount of "proof" would shake them.

*Have they got a shed? Maybe Gerald is dtd in the shed and ow is calling his name?

Lol, now there's a thought... It doesn't explain the wet fence though ...*

Maybe Gerald lives in the shed and it’s him weeping against the fence?!

Who would call a dog Gerald?

--Missed the point

@MamaOfBothTeams
I know dogs called Colin, John and Sarah 🤣 I’m sure there’s a Gerald out there 🐶

I'm half tempted to buy a dog and call it Gerald although it's my grandads name so he might not approve

Flip me that’s a shocker

This does sound stressful and unpleasant for you OP, now you know the neighbour is delusional rather than making a mistake. It is horrible to feel uncomfortable in your home, particularly if you’ve just left an abusive relationship. I’d advise like PPs that you keep a record of interactions, including with your other neighbours so you can get them to corroborate your account if necessary. I would try to talk to the husband, possibly with a friend if you are uncomfortable approaching him alone? I don’t think there’d be any harm asking the non emergency police line for advice, but equally you could find it’s a one off. Whichever makes sense to you. Hope you’re ok.

Sending you a hug as it must have shaken you up. Hopefully you'll get some light she's on it x

She sounds unwell to me

Talk to her husband if you can as the note may help him to get her some help from the GP if she isn't already, or maybe she has medication but not taking it

I’m so sorry, clearly she isn’t well. Have you ever spoken to Mr Batshit? Could he be normal?

are you north op? im so wanting to come around with my dog....he is a 7.5 stone long haired german shepherd - you can take him around with you to prove he doesnt fit in a bag and they can call him "sir" ...

iv e just read update

im police - i work with a lovely mental health nurse. i think you probably need to chat with someone - she needs a referral op. chances are she is known to mental health services anyway but id make sure.

101 would be a good idea now.

Hey folks - we've had a number of reports in about some of the terminology used here. Of course, we've no evidence that the OP's neighbour has a mental or neurological illness, but can we ask that you bear in mind the sensitivities involved when discussing this story in relation to that?

Thanks all.