New neighbours have built a new extension to their kitchen, pretty light-blocking and I’ve had to raise the fence to avoid being stared at from a window a few feet from the fence. I’ve ignored the annoyance, but background to me already not feeling warm to them is this, the mess they made of the shared alley during it and the constant requests for this like access getting annoying. They have made demands I’ve refused like huge metal gates to the alley way to ‘secure it’, when I was totally cool with the high wooden gates we had (in the end I allowed it to be drilled into my wall, but said I wouldn’t pay as I didn’t want it). They always had something to ask or want.
They have apparently on a few occasions seen rats in their kitchen and are obsessed with the idea it’s from our side. I’ve lived here decades and never seen a rat or rat droppings, nothing more than the rare field mouse when the weather drops- and that’s every few years. No signs of any pests, no pets here. It’s a bare and tidy garden, no decking etc- small patio then grass in a small garden.
They keep dropping off quotes for shared work to eliminate that they are booking for ‘our rat problem’ and have told us tunnels have been found leading to our property so they come from there. My garden is very bare with patio. I lifted a few slabs on my patio to one bit they pointed at, I did find a dead-end tunnel from the fence a few feet long but it went nowhere. I’m pretty confident there’s no tunnel maze under us leading to them.
They keep writing long emails about how distressed the wife is and how fearful they are etc. I’ve been sending calm replies I have never seen a rat, and I have even looked around the house for any signs. It’s guilt tripping and pretty expensive. Aibu to tell them to go away far more firmly? They are really doing my head it.
Key background: their extension was built over a drain, or nearly on top, that is the end point of drains for mulitple terrace houses. I’ve seen it being unblocked before with the old neighbours and moved panels for the water board to access it better as my gate is wider. It comes from the other direction to mine, and my water water drains away from them down an incline. To me that disturbance surely seems the possible cause.