Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Helping out our neighbour

11 replies

Arschgeige · 25/11/2019 14:09

Our neighbours are moving away to another country for a number of years. They have now rented out their house, keeping a small apartment within the house for themselves as a base for when/if they come back to visit. They have screwed a letterbox on the outside wall of the house. My neighbour came over at the weekend with the key for the letterbox and asked me if I would empty it if I see it overflowing. She says she's given their forwarding address to the post office but sometimes the post office cocks it up and mail still gets posted to the old address and in this country (I don't live in the UK) we get a lot of unsolicited mail.

I took the key not really thinking much about it but my dh was not happy. He says if they were away for a few months and we just had to keep an eye on things for a short period of time it would be ok (we have actually done this in the past as well as watering plants inside and in the garden whenever they went away) but this time is different as they are actually moving away for a few years. He wants to return the key and says the neighbour should ask the new tenants to empty the letterbox. Is my neighbour being a CF (as my dh thinks) or is my dh being unreasonable. I feel like I'm stuck in the middle....

Thanks for your opinions!

OP posts:
user1494670108 · 25/11/2019 14:10

I think if you dont mind doing it then ignore him and do it, its not exactly going to take hours of your time

Finfintytint · 25/11/2019 14:12

I would empty it for them. Do they want you to forward the mail though?

Sweetpotatoaddict · 25/11/2019 14:12

Where does the mail go for the new tenants?

SallyWD · 25/11/2019 14:14

I'd be perfectly happy to do this especially as they've paid for the Royal Mail redirection service. It's really no big deal and is just a neighbourly thing to do. I'd happily do this for my neighbours and they'd do it for me.

antisupermum · 25/11/2019 14:15

I think it all depends on just how much unsolicited mail we are talking about here. For a mailbox to be overflowing where I am (Glasgow so not exactly outer Mongolia) it would likely take several months; in which case your neighbour is not being a CF in my opinion by simply asking you to dispose of some leaflets 2/3 times per year. However, if it will be overflowing every week or two, then it is indeed a CF request and you should return the key and say you don't feel you can keep up with the request.

If the neighbour has had their mail redirected then I reckon that by getting the mailbox attached they are effectively inviting unsolicited mail. I mean if there's no box to put it in, they wouldn't get it in the first place, would they?!

messolini9 · 25/11/2019 14:16

Blimey, DH likes to sweat the small stuff doesn't he!

If YOU want to do it to be helpful, do it.
Why is your decision to help out or not anything to do with him?
Would on earth would he make a bloody great "I'm not happy" deal out of it?
It will have absolutely zero impact on his life.

Does he like telling you what to do, or is he just a bit tight-arsed generally?

Arschgeige · 25/11/2019 14:44

I think his problem is that he sees her as giving me a job to do for the next 5 years and really the new tenants could do it. But as someone said perhaps he’s being small-minded

OP posts:
churchandstate · 25/11/2019 15:03

It’s you doing it, not him, though. And you can stop doing it any time you like. He’s maybe being a bit OTT?

HappyHammy · 25/11/2019 15:05

neither you or the new tenants are responsible for her mail, how long will this go on for?

Disfordarkchocolate · 25/11/2019 15:07

Well, it wouldn't bother me if they were friends, how often will it happen when they are still going to visit as they have kept an apartment.

Arschgeige · 25/11/2019 15:24

It will be for 5 years and they won’t be returning often, maybe once a year

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page