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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

For neighbours to complain about me already?

75 replies

roseunicorn45 · 03/01/2020 15:05

Just moved into a new place around 6 weeks ago. It’s in a smaller village and the bin men come once every two weeks. I’m expecting a baby and have had lots of new furniture/decor delivered and of course it’s just been Christmas so there’s been more rubbish. There’s a few bin bags next to my backdoor step in my back garden, away in a corner and there is a large fence between us so the only way they would see is by looking over into my garden. They have contacted my estate agents to complain about it and I’ve had an email. I haven’t even met my neighbours yet and now feel awkward. I was waiting to put them out for the bin man on Tuesday. What do I do here? Do I go apologise or?

OP posts:

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 03/01/2020 17:10

Your neighbours were out of order to complain about you like that OP, BUT check the rules re rubbish in your area. Our standard rubbish is collectedly fortnightly and they will ONLY take one small wheely bin of rubbish. Any extra bags wouldn’t be collected. Perhaps they are worried about the bags not being taken away?

Rosere · 03/01/2020 17:12

Your neighbour owns the property most likely. Or there's been a history of rats as PP have mentioned. Send a pic to estate agents anyway just to clarify situation

bettybattenburg · 03/01/2020 17:14

If the OP doesn't have a car or doesn't drive then the onus is on her to take the rubbish to the tip by some other means - either asking a friend or relative or paying somebody to do it.

Why should her neighbours have to put up with rubbish in the garden which could attract rats (they don't know what is in the bin bags any more than we do) ? It's not their problem if the OP doesn't have transport.

Our neighbour has a lot of rubbish to get rid of so they hired a skip, alternatively the OP can hire one of many 'man with a van' service to get rid of the rubbish.

JosefKeller · 03/01/2020 17:21

Your neighbour owns the property most likely.

this is a bit unfair, these comments make it sound like you can't have standards if you are renting and you are happy to put up with anything. That's just not true. You can rent a property and still wish to live in a decent neighbourhood and complain when others are starting to pile up rubbish and make a mess.

When said rubbish are apparently completely hidden at the back, it's a bit weird to have even noticed, but maybe the bags are not as out of sight as the OP thinks.

BaolFan · 03/01/2020 17:25

I'd sellotape a large sign to the bags saying MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.

I'd also email the EA and point out that bin collections have been disrupted due to Christmas, hence why the bags of rubbish are in the garden until collection day on Tuesday. That you trust this brings an end to the matter and that you can be left to the quiet enjoyment of your property as per the lease.

katewhinesalot · 03/01/2020 17:27

Really betty !

It's xmas and she's just moved in. If it had been there weeks, you might have a point.

EL8888 · 03/01/2020 17:29

No one likes a grass! Surely they should know the bin days are all out of kilter because of bank holidays? Plus if they can barely see it, then why are they fussing?

I have lived in properties where everyone else own theirs and l have rented, with them looking down their nose at me. Maybe that’s it? Whatever the reason is, they need to get a life!

BlouseAndSkirt · 03/01/2020 17:30

I would knock on their door and say "Hello, HNY, I am your new neighbour. I just wanted to ask - am I right in thinking that the bins get emptied on Tuesday? I am a bit worried because someone seems to have complained about my packaging from moving in. If it was you, have I inconvenienced you in any way?"

Make them SQUIRM whilst not starting a feud.

Somanysocks · 03/01/2020 17:32

@TARSCOUT there are loads of places in the uk that don't have wheely bins

JosefKeller · 03/01/2020 17:47

No one likes a grass!

no one likes to be pushed to make complaints, but why should people put up with anything?

I know many posters have a massive chip on their shoulder about renting, but it's not true that everybody is being looked down when they are tenant. Never been my own experience for a start.

Moreisnnogedag · 03/01/2020 17:51

Jeez, she’s got some bin bags out there, its not the end of the world. I certainly know people who seem to be overly invested in what their neighbours are or are not doing.

Honestly, I wouldn’t pay anyone. It’ll just make them feel justified in their ridiculous complaint. You will only be making a rod for your own back.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 03/01/2020 17:52

reported me to environmental health (who told her she was batshit and to back the fuck off).

I'd like to think this was a direct quote from the letter they sent her. people.

Please don't spoil it fr me by saying it's a paraphrase .

knickerthief1 · 03/01/2020 17:52

Please ignore her OP. Sadly there are people like this everywhere. We had some new neighbours moved in recently and on their second day they had a call from the estate agents that they'd had an anonymous letter about them from someone concerned about 'their type' moving in!!! Poor lady was really upset - but we knew straight away it was from a nightmare couple up the street who have form for this. I bet you'll find out in time this is the case. Best way is to ignore them - otherwise they never stop with stupid demands. I'd also consider a camera to warn them off your property - just in case they've been in your garden nosying!

MelroseHigginbottom · 03/01/2020 17:53

Sorry OP your neighbours are obviously of the nosey Parker variety. I would keep doing what you're doing and ignore them because they need to learn to mind their own business.

Moreisnnogedag · 03/01/2020 17:53

@JosefKeller But what exactly are they “putting up with”? By the sounds of it, they’ve had to peer over the fence to see the bags, there’s no smell, no rats, its not obstructing their path or right of way. Literally they are annoyed by the idea of the bags being there. That’s just ridiculous.

bettybattenburg · 03/01/2020 17:53

It's xmas and she's just moved in. If it had been there weeks, you might have a point.

Six weeks IS weeks

MelroseHigginbottom · 03/01/2020 17:57

We had a similar experience when we moved in. A neighbour came and screamed at my DH because of where our wheelie bins were. They were literally right where they had been since we moved in - the place the landlord told us they go (against our fence, alongside the track that leads to more houses). Some people are just unreasonable beeps. I wish I was outside at the time because I would certainly not have been apologising like my Dh was!!

MsJaneAusten · 03/01/2020 17:57

I would have to address this head on.

Go round. Knock. “Morning. I’ve hear you’ve contacted the estate agent about the bags. I was just storing them until bin day. If you’ve got concerns in future, please feel free to knock on. I’m normal, really”

If I was feeling really generous (or passive aggressive), I’d take left over Christmas chocolates around too

Gardai · 03/01/2020 17:57

Nosy bastards. - just ignore them.
One of my neighbours called the litter warden after I left (a John Lewis box no less) collapsed and flat against the wall in an alleyway beside my house they didn’t have rights to even, for a few hours whilst I was moving in.
Litter warden contacted me and apologised and said he had to follow through and the box was discussed at length. We ended up laughing at the idiocy of it all. I’m unsure if landlord was contacted but he must have ignored it. Some people have too much time on their hands. I was livid and I may have shouted ‘wankers’ loudly in the alleyway as I moved the box into my car.
It is incredibly stressful moving tbh without that shit. Ignore.

MonaLisaDoesntSmile · 03/01/2020 17:59

@bettybattenburg The rubbish have not been there for 6 weeks, they recently piled up because of Christmas, and the last collection was 2 weeks ago, this is clearly explained in the original post.

JosefKeller · 03/01/2020 18:14

they had a call from the estate agents that they'd had an anonymous letter about them from someone concerned about 'their type' moving in!!!

why on earth would the EA tell them about that?!?

JosefKeller · 03/01/2020 18:17

But what exactly are they “putting up with”
they are worried about rubbish piling up. Without photo, it's really impossible to judge. If it's a couple of black bags well hidden, you can wonder how they even saw them in the first place.

No one uses bags here, everything is in a bin. They are not collected otherwise anyway, and foxes would go through bags and send rubbish flying everywhere. So who knows.

WhenOneDoorClosesAnotherOpens · 03/01/2020 18:19

I don’t know how they even managed to see it without actually climbing up to look over their fence

This is what mine was doing and when I put in a taller fence they got a ladder and started climbing up to look over. With regards to the rubbish I ended up having to lock mine in my garage to stop my neighbour going through it. Not sure if that is an option for you OP?

Ask your estate agent where you are meant to keep your rubbish until bin collection day. I wouldn't start bending to the neighbour's whims OP or they will never stop. Start as you mean to continue.

At least you're renting so you can move if it gets too bad. I bought my house and now feel stuck.

JosefKeller · 03/01/2020 18:21

With regards to the rubbish I ended up having to lock mine in my garage to stop my neighbour going through it.

if my neighbour was trespassing and going through my rubbish, i would call the cops.

MissMoogle · 03/01/2020 18:29

I have neighbours like this. They have complained in the past about how we had bags of rubbish in our garden, which were there for a couple of days until a family member could hire a van to take to the tip.

However these very same neighbours, (council tenants - we are a different landlord to them) have had corrugated iron, broken corrugated plastic and 2 broken bicycles that were their children's outside their backdoor for some 20 years.

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