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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Neighbour’s ‘booby traps’ and MH

155 replies

scaredneighbour · 31/10/2019 10:22

Not an AIBU, posting here for traffic as I’ve posted briefly about it before in chat under my main name but it got no responses. I’ve never experienced anything like this and am incredibly concerned for my neighbour’s mental state and well-being. I need some advice on what to do next and who to contact. Enviromental health are already involved but I haven’t shown them the ‘booby trap’ yet.

They are an older couple who don’t work or rarely ever leave the house, roughly aged 60-70. I know that they are alcoholics from my neighbour the other side who mentioned they make their own wine and I have seen them stood out in the street with wine glasses, sat out on the front with beers etc during the day on weekdays. Their glass bin is always absolutely full to the brim of wine and beer bottles on collection day. How much they drink is none of my business but I’m just worried for them. They have been aggressive and hostile towards me on a few occasions. Banging on my door and slurring words about ridiculous complaints, e.g. asking me to move my car from outside my own house on a public road because it’s ‘obstructing their view’, about 3yo DD playing quietly in the back garden during day time etc. I’ve only smiled and said hello a few times in passing in the whole 3 years I’ve lived here so there’s nothing to incite their behaviour towards me. I try my best to avoid them as they do terrify me a bit and seem very unpredictable.

They are very paranoid and scared of something or someone. They never have any visitors (I work from home so am in most of the time) so don’t have support, even at Christmas I’ve never seen anyone come near their house. They have 3 cameras on the front of their house, 3 on the back and one pointing down the shared driveway down the back of the terrace. They have multiple security lights that could light a whole football pitch. We live in a nice quiet area and never get any trouble. Most recently though they have added as me and family can only describe as make shift booby traps. I was confused about the glass panels they’ve recently added but then I realised they’ve put them up to hide the main part of the booby trap from me and the council. They were in the front garden when EH turned up about their dog noise so they knew what was going on. They installed the glass panels the day after EH visited. I’ll let the photos explain as I really can’t! Do I contact the police or some sort of charity for older people? I’m currently 6 months pregnant and I do kind of fear for my own safety if they are so paranoid. DH mentioned that if they have all of that security and are that fixated then they could have weapons in the house, even maybe a gun. I honestly don’t know what to do! My house is rented so should I at the very least tell my landlord? The blurry pic shows the booby trap which is a block of wood extended out of the fence with nails sticking directly up outwards so if someone were to put their hand on it getting over the wall it would cut them. It’s shoddy quality as I’ve zoomed in to respect their privacy. As you can tell from the pics they’ve also put huge rocks on top of my wall for some reasonConfused

Neighbour’s ‘booby traps’ and MH
Neighbour’s ‘booby traps’ and MH
OP posts:
VanGoghsDog · 31/10/2019 11:37

What database anyway?

SurfnTerfFantasticmissfoxy · 31/10/2019 11:38

Reiterating what others have said but I'm baffled how any of what they are doing affects you one fucking iota. Get a hobby, maybe gardening as yours looks a bit unsightly to be honest.

SheeshazAZ09 · 31/10/2019 11:38

Yes agree that plenty of people do this to keep cats out. I guess an added bonus is that it might deter burglars. You are over-reacting in my view.

HowlsMovingBungalow · 31/10/2019 11:39

The 'odd' neighbour database! Grin

TheHodgeoftheHedge · 31/10/2019 11:39

Your serious level of overinvestment in this is genuinely quite concerning.
Nothing they have done is anything you need to be worried about and is frankly, non of your business and has no impact on you. They seem to have simply put up some cat deterrents like a significant proportion of the population do.

Please take a step back from this, for you sanity but also theirs. Your repeated invasions of their privacy is worrying.

easyandy101 · 31/10/2019 11:40

Whether they are for cats or burglars the nails aren't really legal anymore

The police advice on them is that you'd be liable for injury caused

FairyFelicity · 31/10/2019 11:41

Well yes, people who have committed heinous crimes tend to have a lot of security because they get abused and harassed by the media, victims family/friends, teenagers who know about it etc. It’s also common for drug dealers/cultivators to have a lot of security too. Are you sure wine isn’t the only thing they’re making or doing in that house? It’s not unheard of for people over the age of 50 to be involved in illegal activities. The glass panels would really concern me the most as it doesn’t look safe and they could shatter. Very irresponsible of them. 7 cameras on what appears to be small terraced house is extremely excessive

TatianaLarina · 31/10/2019 11:41

I can see they would pia as neighbours but nothing on the fence is concerning. I don’t think they are the only paranoid ones here.

flouncyfanny · 31/10/2019 11:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TricklBOO · 31/10/2019 11:42

Check the 'database'? I think you've been watching too much bad tv.

I wonder why no one visits them at Christmas!

They might not have any living relatives, or any in the area.

HowlsMovingBungalow · 31/10/2019 11:44

Yeah, it is probably a crack den - what with all the visitors (none) and wine making shanigans.

bookwormsforever · 31/10/2019 11:45

I'd contact the council with photos and see what they say.

I think it's illegal though because (1) it's a boundary wall, (2) they have put no warning signs up, (3) passers-by could hurt themsleves: see www.ultrasecuritycentre.co.uk/blog/anti-climb-fence-spikes-how-to-use-them-and-stay-on-the-right-side-of-the-law/

Adogwithabone · 31/10/2019 11:45

Your neighbors are bonkers, OP!

BlueJava · 31/10/2019 11:45

I think you are a bit unreasonable - they have used spikes to stop cats or people, they drink (perhaps heavily), they don't have many visitors. Provided they aren't on your property or doing really anti-social things (e.g. chucking stuff into your garden, banging around at 3am) then I don't think it's your business. It seems to be the spikes you are most concerned about but plenty of people use them (especially companies who don't want intruders).

WillLokireturn · 31/10/2019 11:45

The nail spikes hidden behind glass with no warning notices aren't legal. You report it to local borough council, try environmental health! It sounds like they alresdy know them. I'd also be worried about the sticking out glass lanes improperly secured falling into your garden in windy weather. The EH council officer can look at it and order that it's taken down if unsuitable/ unsafe.

www.ultrasecuritycentre.co.uk/blog/anti-climb-fence-spikes-how-to-use-them-and-stay-on-the-right-side-of-the-law/

hallohallohallo · 31/10/2019 11:45

The best thing to do is ignore them. As long as they're doing whatever it is they're doing on their property and within their boundaries I wouldn't get involved tbh.

FairyFelicity · 31/10/2019 11:46

I can assure you I’m not OP! I can post a photo of my own back garden if you’d like? I’m sure MN would know as I’d be on the same IP or whatever it is. Just because I agree with OP doesn’t mean I am them.

People have lives they can’t just post on MN constantly. Plus I don’t think there’s much else she can say do you? It’s probably quite stressful living next to unhinged people who make your garden look like a fecking Travis Perkins depot with random contraptions. You can barely see the grass to say it’s unsightly just clutching at straws to be mean to the OPWink

Bumfuzzled · 31/10/2019 11:48

If a cat was injured by their nails on the wooden block then wouldn’t they be liable to pay the vet bills

Have you got a cat OP?

MinTheMinx · 31/10/2019 11:54

Maybe they've been burgled before and it's made them extra cautious? I'd say the bird feeders are a pretty strong clue that the spikes are there to keep out cats or foxes though?

Ultimately it's none of your business of course so why don't you just put up some screening on your side and leave them alone? Do you really think it's wise to go to the council with this and risk alienating them further? It sounds like you know too much about them already tbh so I wouldn't be at all surprised if your behaviour is fuelling their paranoia (if that's what it is) even further.

The gun thing is just silly. They're as likely to have one as anyone else is on your street.

ToelessPobble · 31/10/2019 11:57

Maybe they put them there to stop the cats making their dogs bark as there have been complaints about that and I presume you are not planning to climb their wall? 😂

It does feel like you have a real dislike against them and that anything they do will irritate you, but you may have a reason for this not shown here. I would try and live and let live if you can.

HUZZAH212 · 31/10/2019 11:59

Definitely call 101 and report them. "My retired neighbours are trying to keep cats out of their garden, making their own wine, and don't have any visitors. I think they've got a gun because they have CCTV! Please send armed response immediately". 🙄

NormaBean · 31/10/2019 12:00

OP what do you think they’re trying to protect themselves from?

I can’t work out much from the pictures. Is it just the sight of it that’s bothering you? Or are you worried about something else?

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 31/10/2019 12:01

I think the OP is getting a hard time.
This is what would concern me more.
"""They have been aggressive and hostile towards me on a few occasions. Banging on my door and slurring words about ridiculous complaints, e.g. asking me to move my car from outside my own house on a public road because it’s ‘obstructing their view’, about 3yo DD playing quietly in the back garden during day time etc. """
so in light of that balancing panes of glass on the wall, which could as pps pointed out smash into her garden would be worrying.

Its natural to worry when you are pregnant, if you are next door to agressive people.
All I can think OP is don't engage with them.
Maybe put up some trellis so you cant see all the spikes and they can't see into your garden where your children are playing and if you are still worried have a quiet word with community police who will probably be able to reassure you.

Raphael34 · 31/10/2019 12:02

Every single house has this in my neighbourhood. My house has razor wire round one side and glass on the other (was like that when we moved in). The simply solution would be just to not climb over their fence

HUZZAH212 · 31/10/2019 12:12

Also if environmental health are involved already about the dog noise, and you haven't shown them the 'booby traps yet". Did you report them OP? Are they now a bit pissed off and that's why they've knocked on your door with their own set of complaints?

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