WIBU to shout at neighbour rummaging through my skip?

[Bobthebobbin]

Moved to a new area and managed to fall out with a neighbor already.

I came home the other day to find an old man rummaging through my skip and a pile of "treasures" on the floor that he was helping himself to.

I asked him why he was on my property and what he was doing, he said he needed a few bits! He then proceeded to turn his back on me and carried on sorting through the skip. DP was at home but the man did not knock or ask to remove anything.

I said he can't just come on to my property and help himself to whatever he likes without asking. He said it's in the skip so fair game.

Things got a bit heated and I shouted at him to get off my driveway.

I am furious but also shaken up by an attempted burglary when we first moved in so perhaps that experience is colouring my view.

Genuinely cannot tell if IABU.

If you’ve chucked it out then why would you care who has it? I do think it’s unreasonable to walk onto your property and just take it without asking though. Really poor manners.

We had a skip for the first time when we had our kitchen re-fitted in October, so I had never come across the attraction of Skip-Rummaging!

We live at the end of a close with no passing traffic and the skip was at the top of our long drive, and yet word seemed to get round and we had allsorts of people nosying in it - I thought the postman was going to go head-first into it at one stage.

The scrap metal guy clearly heard about us, on the grapevine, but he politely knocked first to ask if it was OK to have a look and take some stuff...and I agreed.

I wouldn't mind anyone taking stuff, but they should really ask first.
PP's saying that OP could have been more neighbourly, but could that not have applied to the elderly gent too ....knock, ask, chat, be friendly rather than get someone's back up by coming on to their property and helping yourself!

YANBU, your property and they aren't allowed on it without your permission. certain level of entitlement thinking because it's a skip that people take it as permission to go on your land.

@74NewStreet for maximum effect "off" should be pronounced "orff"

poor old man

your a grumpy neighbour

He should have checked first.
To all of you saying its only rubbish - would you be happy if people came onto to your property to rummage through your waste bins every week in case there was something inside they fancied?

YABU. It's rubbish, if he was putting things in that's a different story. Poor old man just wanted some treasure!

I have no problem with dumpster diving per se, but I wouldn't be happy with someone going on my property without asking to do it.

Where I used to live people put 'likely' salvageables out on the kerb. If they aren't gone by trash day they then go in the skip. They're starting now with putting useable plant cuttings out these days. I'm not a gardener so I don't know exactly what you call them, but they're mostly the 'buds' from succulents as drought tolerant landscaping is very popular.

Well yes, he was rude and he could have asked first, but I wouldn't make it a point worth falling out with a neighbour over.

You’ve thrown it away, he’s given you more space in the skip. Win/win.

YABU

This is london right? So the driveway was likely a few damn feet from the pavement if that...it's not like he sauntered down some winding drive...

When we cleared out my dad's a few years ago, a chap knocked on the neighbour's door and asked if he could take some stuff (we didn't live there). She just said yes and the bloke took quite a bit, leaving us more room in the skip. We also had a note through the door with a phone number on asking if they could take items. I rang and said it was no problem. Saved us skip money.

I didn't mind because I wasn't living there so there was no real impact on me. I also get the impression that the OP in a bit concerned about the area and I admit, it would bother me if I had been at my home, in an unpleasant area.

In principle, I have no issue with skip diving and often leave items in my front garden with a note saying please take, but I would be pretty pissed off if some ignorant twat came onto my property and was rude when i challenged them.

He came on to your drive? Then he should have knocked and asked you if he could look in the skip. He was trespassing.

If it was on the road - then I guess it's fair game - but stil I think it would be polite to ask.

I once had a skip and a neighbour took a lot out - which was great as I could then keep on filling it up. He did ask me before rummaging through though.

Jesus Christ. He was doing you a favour making more room for your rubbish.
You owe that man an apology ffs

I don’t get why people are so arsey to others. It’s in a skip, you have thrown it away. The old man found some bits he can make use off. Maybe he could have knocked the door but maybe he’s of a generation where neighbours were neighbourly. I don’t think he needed shouting at.

What he did was illegal. I would also be upset. It’s still an invasion of your privacy even if it wasn’t as horrible as the burglary.

Oh slate South London

Why not go back to your "naice" SW corner then
Effected word that is way overused.

Mummyoflittledragon

I’d like to see the CPS press charges don’t be ridiculous. An invasion of privacy? It’s a load of shit dumped on the street that the OP didn’t want. Not her knicker drawer.

Oh do give over! Invasion of privacy, my arse! And, as for being illegal, try getting the police out for it and wait five minutes while the operator busts a gut laughing. What planet do you people live on?

I used to live somewhere this was an ongoing problem.

1. Bags get torn and then trash sticks to the inside of the bin which then needs cleaning
2. Those rummaging often leave a mess outside the bin
3. Sleeping hours lot always respected and the rummaging can be noisy

I dealt with it by putting anything of value outside the bin so it could just be taken. This was mostly cans. They could go in the recycling, but could also be sold as scrap metal so people would collect them.

I would tell a neighbor that if there are certain types of items he likes to scavenge, I would be happy to give them to him directly, but digging through the bin is not ok.

I feel sorry for the “old man” you bellowed at.

Agree with "Going onto someone's property and going through their rubbish is absolutely bizarre and I'd have told them to get lost too."

YWDNBU!! The skip was on your property!!! And I can completely imagine his attitude to you. So you were definitely not being unreasonable! Not at all!! I can't believe anyone here thinks this was at all reasonable!!! He was on your property and he was exceptionally rude to you!!! Not okay!

I would have said take what you like it gives you more room in your skip! You were being a bit precious over junk and it could have been reused saving on landfill. I really don't get the problem apart from him not asking.