CF garden related

[yolofish]

For background, we have a huge garden, part of which is actually a field, where we keep our chickens (no, the chickens are nothing to do with it).

The far corner, where I planted a shrubbery 20 years ago, got very overgrown, full of brambles etc. It was the corner behind the chicken run so difficult to access. Neighbour installed a gate into the field from her garden, we asked her not to use it.

Now, we've moved the chicken run and I'm clearing the area - hacking down brambles etc. Neighbour has continued to use her gate to dump all her garden rubbish in this previously unseen corner.

Having used a machete to get there, I asked her to get it moved, and advised that technically she was trespassing and please not to do it again.

She then decided she'd like to get some of our trees lopped, she was happy to pay for it, while getting her rubbish cleared.

Fine I said, and as a gesture of kindness, said her workmen could put the debris on our bonfire, thus saving them trailing it through her house.

Now, the workmen have gone, job not finished - maybe they are coming back? - bonfire is massive and they failed to light it and get the pile down as asked, and they havent cleared the rubbish.

And she's saying £150 is a bit steep in a not particularly subtle hint that she'd like a contribution.

Who is the CF here?

(sorry, long!)

What you are all saying is what DH and I have been saying tonight. She is a CF.

I am thinking of saying this:

I am not happy to speak to your contractor, the issue is between you and him, as you booked him and paid him.

I need your rubbish removed from my property by Feb 15. If this means that your contractor comes and lights and maintains the bonfire then that is fine by us; however we will accept no liability for any damage, potential or otherwise.

If your contractor does not wish to do that, then he can park his trailer on our drive (NOT on the grass) and remove your rubbish that way.

As you have said, I have done you a favour, but it seems to involve far more work for me than I ever imagined and am not prepared to get involved with.

What do you think?

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

I think it is fine.
However, I would seriously consider writing to her formally with a recorded delivery, requesting her to remove the gate, reminding her she has no right of access to your land. Plus all of the stuff regarding her contractor removing the debris by 15th Feb.
Wit her degreeof CF-ness I might even get a solicitor to do it.

Perfect message. No way should you have to be involved.

Be very careful she does actually comply re new fence sans gate. For how many years has it been there?

Thank you, I will send her that msg tonight and get onto solicitor letter on Monday.

I hope it works, because if she bows out and the contractors deal with you directly, I suspect they will also come to you directly for money. Don't engage with the contractors, whatever happens!

And, yes, she is a CF. I've dealt with random people drive-by-dumping on my land before as I'm not too far outside a village - usually small bits or a bag or two and not bloody mountains of rubbish! - but thankfully I've not had to deal with somebody building a gate directly onto my property... AND using it to dump their rubbish regularly! That's absolute madness!

Don't touch her gate but put up a 4 or 5 strand barbed wire fence along her boundary with your field so the gate becomes purely ornamental. After all she's agreed not to use it. Burn the rubbish and be done with it. Once the slate is clean I'd suggest any more stuff that comes over is thrown straight back. Also, if you keep it tidy and looking cared for rather than letting it get overgrown its less likely to be dumped on.

I rent a field for my horses which has a load of houses backing onto it. My landlord made a point of stressing to me when I took it on that if anything from the houses was thrown into the field I was under his orders to throw it back and to let him know if it persisted. Most of them are fine, but I take great pleasure in flinging the dog shit back as hard and as far as I can. The houses all have their boundary fences and we have a barbed wire fence running along that boundary as well. Some have high fences, others low so they can enjoy looking over into the field. I live up the road so these people are my local neighbours and I don't want to fall out with them if I can avoid it, but equally I'm not going to put up with rampant piss taking on their part and have no hesitation in telling him when I don't like something they're doing.

Your neighbour is a CF. Unanimous support for that, and best wishes in dealing with her and the chaos she has caused.

On the subject of hedgehogs though - it needn't take long for them or other wildlife to take shelter in an attractive pile of prunings and branches. Best practice is to build on the day.

The best option is to build your bonfire on the day you’re going to light it and not before. This will prevent your garden wildlife from bedding down in the pile and save you the hassle of trying to light a potentially sodden bonfire due to last night’s rain. Remember it’s not only hedgehogs that may have sought shelter in your bonfire pile, but also amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts too.

community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/rspb-england/posts/remember-remember-to-check-your-bonfire-for-hedgehogs-this-november

She is a CF and I agree with you pursuing the legal route. If only to protect yourself.

She has msgd me but I havent opened it (just seen it flash up, not actually opened). Contractor would like to come this afternoon or tomorrow to sort stuff - nah, it'll be dark in about half an hour, and tomorrow we are predicted Storm Ciara. I'm going to leave it for now and get back to her on Monday.

How stupid - what on earth could the contractor hope to achieve in teh near darkness? A crap job with lots left behind!!

Latest msg from CF:

I've heard back from contractor that he can come now or maybe tomorrow depending on whether this storm comes to remove the branches and take away but he wants paying extra for removing them as the quote for £150 was for putting on the bonfire.. To take away rubbish will be an extra charge of £60 or wait till the wood is no longer green and light the bonfire . I am unable to afford further costs for this as Im only on a government pension. Please let me know what you prefer to have them do, thank you

I am inclined to think: CF didnt get her quote right, but also that we'll just burn the sodding stuff ourselves and never ever to let anyone do any work on our land ever again unless they use someone we specify!

"I'm afraid payment is your issue CF, this is YOUR rubbish that you have flytipped onto MY land, and we have been more than accomadating to this point. You have until x date to arrange for removal/burning or we will be forced to take this further"

Time to toughen up OP, or this pisstaker will continue to take advantage of you!!

@Dubb

Exactly.👍

If money is an issue....tell her to sell her gate🙄

Make sure you check for hedgehogs and wildlife before lighting the fire.

In your position I would seethe but just accept the inevitability of having to sort it out myself because the contractors sound useless. I wouldn't agree to any future access and I'd be blocking the gate.

If she's just on a pension money will be a worry to her so I wouldn't want to push her into further expense however much of a nut job she is.

'Thank you for organising the work to be finished.

We are not in a position to contribute to additional costs for work that you commissioned, as this is not our situation to fix.'

And then quote about rebuilding the bonfire and having it lit the same day.

Being a pensioner doesn't mean that you should be able to do what you like and have others pick up after you!

I would message back:

You asked if you could cut my trees and I agreed on the proviso you were responsible for the costs - including clearance of the debris. I am not going to pay the costs of work you wanted done for your own benefit. Had I known that you were going to ask this, I would never have given permission for my trees to be cut.

I will burn the wood myself as quite frankly, I don't trust your contractors to have access to my land given how they have behaved to date.

To clarify my legal position in relation to access to my land, you will shortly be receiving a solicitor's letter which states that you do not have permission to use the gate in your fence, neither do you have permission to deposit any items or waste including garden debris, on my land.

I am extremely annoyed and disappointed at how you have behaved and I would prefer that you do not contact me again.

Now baolfan I like that! thank you so much

A good idea to wait until the wood is less green. I'll drag it through the handy gate and leave it in your garden for you.

She won't want that

@FraglesRock

I think baelfan's message is probably the best idea, but I'd be bloody fuming. I'd want to just say that you don't intend to contribute to the costs of correcting her actions in flytipping on your land, that this was absolutely not not what was agreed!

In fact, my stubborn rage might make me go to the effort of moving the debris to her garden rather than burning it out of pure spite!

If she didn't have the money to do it properly she shouldn't have done it at all. She doesn't give a shit - not her land, not her trees, not her bonfire. But she got what she wanted ie. your trees cut and she doesn't want to pay to do the job properly. Ie. pay to make sure she hasn't left her neighbours garden in a mess. Plus she's playing the on a fixed income / lowly government pension card. How unreasonable you are!

I like BaolFan's message, I probably wouldn't go so far as to say don't contact me again. Do you see her on a regular basis? Are you close enough for a strained relationship to impact on your enjoyment of your garden?

I think Baolfan’s message is also your best bet. As galling as it is to have to clear up her mess, this to-ing and fro-ing could go on for ages with the cheeky bitch pulling the ‘poor pensioner’ card time and again. She got her way but I would make sure that the solicitors letter is written in the strongest possible terms and to threaten her with court action for trespass, fly-tipping etc if she ever tries it on again.

A pp further up (sorry - cannot recall who) mentioned also contacting the estate agents in a similar scenario when the house went on the market to let them know in no uncertain terms that there was no access to your land. Highly recommend that in the future.

She’s a total CF. I wouldn’t entertain her anymore and would block all access. Her age has nothing to do with it at all