Neighbour ringing our doorbell in the middle of the night

[applesauce1]

Our neighbour has just rung our doorbell at 11:15 at night. It is the third time he has done this.

Back story: We have a motion activated flood light outside our house and a steep drive. He has previously complained that when it comes on, it shines into his bedroom window (despite it being pointed as far down as it goes and definitely not in the direction of his windows). In the summer, the light is always turned off as a neighbourly courtesy. Now it is darker earlier, I’ve turned it back on so I can get our baby safely down our steep drive in the dark when I get home from work. I turn the light off at the fuse box when I get in.
On three occasions (twice last winter and now tonight), I’ve forgotten to turn it off and he has come round to ring our bell. Once he rang the doorbell at 2am. Each time he has done it, he has woken our baby.

Tonight I actually went to the door and was extremely upset with him. I told him that I am trying my very best to remember to turn the light off at night but that he absolutely should not ring our doorbell at night as we have a baby trying to sleep. He started to shout at me about it shining through his window and that he would speak to his solicitor. I said I would call the police and that he should get some proper blinds or curtains.

He does have curtains but they are very raggedy and coming down in places.

I called 111 who offered to come out now as he is being a nuisance neighbour, but I asked if they would be able to come tomorrow instead as it would just further disturb my son.

Am I in the wrong? Should I have just apologised for forgetting to turn our light off? I’m still breastfeeding and up twice a night at least with our baby, so I know how it feels to be sleep deprived and I don’t want to be the cause of that for someone else.

Oh my God don't give him flowers. All you have done is have a security light on at night. It's just a light. If he had blackout blinds he wouldn't know about it.

I'm on Team Neighbour. He's only disturbing you because something preventable you're doing is disturbing him. Use a head torch for navigating the path if you can't remember to switch the thing off. Your precious child's sleep is not more important than his. My neighbour a few doors down and around the corner had a motion activated light that used to disturb my sleep - luckily for me the closer neighbours told him (and had the resulting unpleasantness) and I didn't have to. I absolutely did feel like going and disturbing him every time I was disturbed because a cat or hedgehog walked across his path, and good on your neighbour for having the guts to do so

I said I would call the police and that he should get some proper blinds or curtains

Who the hell do you think you are telling people to get proper blinds or curtains? I feel sorry for this man and hope he continues to bother you as long as you are keeping him from enjoying his home.

YAB a bit U. We are affected by this from a nearby house and it’s awful.

Our neighbour has one, their house ends 5m after ours and it’s on the back of it. It’s so bright we don’t need and outdoor light. Ever. (Both king gardens) it’s like Blackpool illuminations out there.

Get the timer 😊

Sorry OP but you are being unreasonable. You don’t need a handyman to put a timer on your light, just buy a plug in timer and hopefully problem solved.
I also think you are a bit rude to make a comment about his curtains and certainly OTT ringing the police about your neighbour. Remember that any disputes with neighbours have to be declared if you sell your property.

Normal service resumes on mumsnet, 111 called over something that's doesn't warrant it. You really called the Police over this?

If you have an Alexa put a reminder on there to switch off at a certain time. If not, put the reminder on your phone. You can make the reminder recurring, sorted.

Your title presented this as meaning he is a weirdo. Whereas you are just selfish. He is making it plain he is bothered by the light. Do you think he wants to get up at 2am?! Just get a different light or move it.

Good response OP

I second the suggestion of solar lights along the drive. They’re dim but give enough light to see a path.

Aibu - yes

Op - ok I see that I will sort bulb out and apologise.

Not a post you see often .

Hope you and neighbour all got some sleep

Artificial light at night is linked to breast cancer.

RTFT PEOPLE! OP HAS ACKNOWLEDGED SHE IS BU!

She might have done but her thread title pissed me off THAT much.

My neighbour had a security light in the back garden, god knows why when there was no exit from the garden. I hated it,; no matter what we used, the light penetrated. Drove me nuts. Thankfully it was a short term rental. I think yabu.

YABU to have a floodlight shining. No idea what a baby has to do with any of it? It's not relevant - he's unable to sleep. I can't believe you called 111.

You don’t need a handyman to do a time switch!
www.amazon.co.uk/Defender-Segment-Timer-Switch-Plug/dp/B01CP44AU4/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?psc=1&crid=1EFNY0BV7DJSP&keywords=timer+plug+socket&sprefix=timer+%2Caps%2C151&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFCUTZaRTMzODZaVFkmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2NzQyOTkyTTlNWTZLVDAxQ0M1JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1OTUxMzczRDZEUTZOQzhQWTgzJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1574319167&sr=8-4-spons

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow no, it's not 'she might have done', she did.

To posters still saying YABU:

Posting withoit RTFT (at least just OP's posts) is so fucking rude. No one gives a shit about your too-late YABUs.

@Havaina - well I still think OP WBU

Everyone on MN must live rurally. I have a street light brighter than sun directly outside my bedroom window so I got a blackout blind, problem sorted.
'take him flowers'

I cannot believe you called the police over something which is essentially your fault.

@Aridane it's ok, so does OP

YABU

She called the police about the guy! Befure she posted here.
I honestly shake my head in despair at times at how some people’s minds work. If she hadn’t posted here she would have gone to the police again.