It's a NDN CF one....

[hopefullyhelpfully]

5 months ago we had some work done on our house which created dust. We told our NDN that we would pay to have their back windows and conservatory cleaned- asked them to book someone at their convenience and we'd pay.

They didn't do anything and after reminding them twice and volunteering our window cleaner we forgot about it.
They then started doing lots of work on their house which has created huge amounts of mess and dust- lots more than our work did, and which has left all their windows filthy. Our garden and windows are also now mucky with detritus from their work, but we didn't bother saying anything as we're about to start work on the garden and there didn't seem to be any point.

Anyway, they have just posted an invoice for £65 through our door for getting their windows cleaned! To add insult to injury the invoice indicates that it was more expensive due to the terrible state of the windows, caused by THEIR building work.

I'm fairly certain no one will tell me IABU to call them rude, BUT AIBU to still pay? I know it's wrong, but I don't want neighbour issues and CBA to start a row over £65. My mum (who is much much feistier than DH and me) is outraged with us (the word pushovers was used!) but we did tell them we'd pay and set no timescale or conditions....

Post an invoice for window cleaning through their door for £65 and suggest you call it quits?

Yeah, I'd just pay....and inwardly note what they're like for future reference.

Caramelandbiscuit are you my mum? 😃

Did you put anything in writing?

Post your own invoice through their letterbox! CFs!

Kockicoo trust me. I'll be passively aggressively moving their recycling bin into their half of the drive on bin day....

Nothing in writing- we were being neighbourly! That'll teach us.

We will pay but I am cross.

I’d go and have a conversation with them. You will fall out though unless you pay, guaranteed.

I would just not.

I’d have to send a note back like a coward saying “Hi CFneighbour, the thing is - now our windows are covered in your building dust so shall we call it even? Thanks, totallyreasonableneighbour”.

Omg don't pay. Too cheeky

Pay to keep the peace but remember this and don’t volunteer anything in future. The are CF but good neighbourly relations are worth £65 if you can afford it.

Thing is, they know we're about to start work on the garden which means there's no point in getting it cleaned so we'd just look petty and I don't think it's worth it.

DM is wondering out loud where she went wrong in growing me a backbone. I think she's joking......

Why the fuck would you pay??
Yes. Get a backbone.

Er no. I’d pop a note through their door stating that as they’ve had so much work done you would be using the money to have your own windows cleaned. Cheeky fuckers.

Offer to pay half the bill as an initial move, maybe? They didnt take you up on your offer, so they helped to create the problem they have. If they're still arsey about it, and you want to keep the peace, then chalk it up to experience and give them a wide berth from now on.

Send your mother in. Sounds like she is up for a good row

You know they're being CF so why let them be CF!

Offer to pay half.

Good neighbourly relations isn't a euphemism for rolling over and being a doormat.

Don't pay, or you will be forever paying up for other stuff they think up.

Have a chat and point out the offer stood for the results of your building work and not for cleaning up after their work. And that if they insist you pay, you will also be getting specialist cleaning done at their expense as a result of their work.

Alternatively, send your mum round.

It's also in their interests to be good neighbours too.

gamer is right too, really. It would pain me to pay and I’d be keen to tell them to piss off - but good relations between neighbours are the difference between abject misery on a daily basis, and indifference. I think avoiding issues, as unfair as it is, might be worth £65. So scrap my last bit of advice

I'd pop over with the invoice and say something like "oh dear I think we've got our wires crossed! We'd offered to pay to have your windows etc cleaned after the work we had done, not the work you've had done. We'd assumed that as you didn't take us up on the offer at the time you didn't want to have the cleaning done. I think given the state of our windows now after your work it's best we call it evens don't you think?" With a big smile and hand the invoice back.

Total CFs...is that even a reasonable amount for window cleaning where you are? We pay £8 for all our windows plus conservatory! But that said, I’d be like you and moan about it privately but just pay it to keep the peace...

What Treguna says above...

If you pay that bill then you’ve cemented your neighbourly relations as they can do what they want because next door are walkovers.

Don’t be a mug OP they didn’t take you up because they knew they would have to get them cleaned again once they had heir work done. Just go round and say sorry but as you’ve now had building work done, which caused worse dust than ours did, you can pay for your own windows and we will pay for our own.