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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

IANBU but CF builders

47 replies

ConfusedKoala · 13/09/2019 15:47

I'm not being unreasonable here... a little gobsmacked to be honest

My NDN is lovely and i never ever hear from him (which is perfect for me im very antisocial) and he needed an extension for a bedroom on ground floor level.

I'm not easily bothered by much and a few weeks of building commotion was fine by me. Didn't get off to a great start when they started dropping the entire existing concrete patio from 1st floor height (with a digger) at 7:30am on a sunday (to break it up and take it away)! Right outside autistic DS's bedroom... the whole house repeatedly shook like an earthquake we were terrified and had zero warning.

Lovely relative of lovely neighbour came over and profusely apologised after i complained to the builders and let the council know. Everything was great.

Builders then wanted to remove half of my fence and have the building there as a barrier instead. Fair enough i thought, worse things have happened and he's always been a good neighbour. So i asked "just please make sure my dog still has free roaming in the garden as he would normally and you can do that". Cue me letting the DDog out one morning to find he'd escaped onto the main road as they had left a huge hole (and broke some of the remaining fence) Angry

I go out next time i see them to ask politely that they just stick some wood there or something so i can still use my garden. "Yeah sure ok whatever" they say in the most "i cant be bothered with you go away" tone i've ever heard Hmm

But now I hope to god my photo uploads to this thread of what they have done. Not only have they taken up my garden way past my kitchen window with the scaffolding, but they've used MY DRAIN to build the scaffolding in.

Meaning my kitchen water (sink, washing machine, you name it) is all just soaking onto my concrete and grass. My drain pipe was already cracked when someone tried to break in but was still in place, now it's snapped off completely and the drain is full of concrete blocks. I put a bucket there to catch some of the water and they've moved the bucket and put scaffolding there too. They've moved my BBQ etc and other things out the way so they can put scaffolding further and further into my garden. (Luckily old items i'm not very precious about as they've put them where all the water is going).

Just can't believe it.... Here goes my photo attempts...

OP posts:
Original poster
ConfusedKoala · 13/09/2019 15:53

The scaffolding is supporting them while they're doing the roof of the extension, that new wall is the boundary where my fence was and everything else is my garden!

IANBU but CF builders
IANBU but CF builders
OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 13/09/2019 15:55

And that’s what happens when you are too accommodating.
Toughen up OP and show them you aren’t to be messed with

Knittedfairies · 13/09/2019 15:57

Time to speak to your neighbour; that's appalling.

simplekindoflife · 13/09/2019 15:59

Time to speak to the council, that is totally unacceptable!

Pinkypurple35 · 13/09/2019 16:00

Tell them and your neighbour that it needs removing and putting right immediately

Original poster
ConfusedKoala · 13/09/2019 16:02

Just so it's a bit clearer the drainpipe with the kitchen water is the broken white pipe in the bottom left of the second photo, nowhere near the drain (it used to run directly into the drain)

That metal fencing runs down my garden, (i can't get behind it without climbing through via next door) and is completely blocking my access to the drain so i can't just try and fix it

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 13/09/2019 16:02

Why on earth did you let them remove your fence and occupy your garden?!

HugoSpritz · 13/09/2019 16:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RhodaDendron · 13/09/2019 16:03

Are they completely stupid!? I’d go mad! Scaffolding needs to xome out of drain immediately, I would raise hell!

littlepaddypaws · 13/09/2019 16:04

speak to your neighbour and if he's still 'whatever, now fuck off' attitude speak to the council.

littlepaddypaws · 13/09/2019 16:06

sorry ,the builders are 'whatever' speak to neighbour in the first instance. his builders, his monkeys the cfers

Lulualla · 13/09/2019 16:08

Go and speak to your neighbour now. Remove anything they've put in your garden that's not bolted down and tell your neighbour that the rest has to go, and ask when he will be paying to put right the damage and replace your fence.
Don't be all soft and gentle. Be to the point and don't back down.

Original poster
ConfusedKoala · 13/09/2019 16:19

I think the bedroom is needed due to disability and that's why a relative came round and not him (older gent, lives alone). So i was trying to be as accommodating as possible. I didn't want to be a problem for him as he's never been a bother and my son has a lot of screaming meltdowns which he never complains about

The builders have been a nightmare, they've blocked my driveway a few times too and are generally rude

I'm going to say something to them directly as i don't want to upset NDN if he has some issues, but they've gone home early for the day and ive only just noticed. I think i'll have to ring the council too. Just gobsmacked they've took this much liberty

OP posts:
runoutofnamechanges · 13/09/2019 16:21

If the are building on the boundary (and digging up your property), you should have a party wall agreement: www.gov.uk/party-walls-building-works They will need to pay for any damage to your building/property. Ideally a survey/photos should have been taken before work started. I would ask them to stop work until an agreement has been made.

littlepaddypaws · 13/09/2019 16:21

they sound a bit cowboyish tbh

PrayingandHoping · 13/09/2019 16:25

These are cowboy builders for sure!

Definitely go around and have a word with the owner (id be worried about the awful job they are probably doing for him too!)

Toooldtocareanymore · 13/09/2019 16:26

id tell the builders they have 1 hour to remove any items they have on your property, including scaffolding that has passed over the boundary, and you immediately want the fence boundary restored to as good a condition as was before, then go talk to neighbour and let him know you will not be facilitating these builders any further, and his builders have blocked your drains, damaged your property and you want him to tell them to fix it immediately before even considering allowing them to proceed, builders can be like this they don't care about neighbour relations.

DameFanny · 13/09/2019 16:29

Holy shit OP - I'd be straight onto your insurance company - the builders have basically broken your house. You're insurers will be best placed to get proper builders in to reinstate your services - and go after the cowboys that have done this. Have you got photos of their company name/vehicles?

Lulualla · 13/09/2019 16:38

Don't speak to the builders. Honestly OP, you're dealing with this in a completely nonsensical way.

He hired them. They have nothing to do with you, they don't care what you say and they won't listen to you. If you're neighbour can't handle it then he can give you the phone number for his relative but you need to go and speak to him.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 13/09/2019 16:53

So if I've understood this correctly, the builders your neighbour hired are causing serious problems on your property and you're reluctant to do anything because he needs the extension, is elderly and you don't want to upset him?

You've got to be joking, OP - you can't possibly allow this to continue for those reasons. Do you imagine he'd be quite so understanding if it was his place being compromised, or that he'd willingly reimburse you for the damage they've caused?

Whoever's authorised the work needs to tell these cowboys to sort it out - like now - and if the neighbour needs his family's support to do that, so be it

Lulualla · 13/09/2019 16:54

*your neighbour not you're! Sorry about that!

TeaForDad · 13/09/2019 16:57

What's in the planning application?

Gamble66 · 13/09/2019 17:09

Erh are you that much of a pushover you will let sone randoms potentially flood your house ?

GreatBigNoise · 13/09/2019 17:12

Thats awful OP. I think you have to speak to your Neighbour and you need to stop being so accommodating.

GabriellaMontez · 13/09/2019 17:14

This is awful. Speak to whoever has employed the builders. Neighbour or relative. Get the scaffolding removed now.