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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Neighbour putting bins against our fence

232 replies

LouRidley · 31/01/2021 16:54

Hi MN,

First time house owner here and first neighbourly feud! (Lighthearted)

We moved into this house that has a shared path where neighbours all put their bins against their fence along the path. Except for our neighbour it seems who likes to put his bins against our fence, along with some other items such as bikes, old ironing boards, etc. I discovered the issue when our dog was digging in our garden persistently at this one spot and when I looked on the other side of the fence, some bin bags were just on the floor against our fence.
So I moved the bins across the path against his fence but realised earlier he moved them back against ours!
I went to knock on his door and while he was not that unfriendly, he basically explained to me in a very patronising way (repeating “do you understand?”all along) that he owned the path. I checked our title deeds after that and he definitely doesn’t, it’s unregistered land.
I therefore wrote a courteous letter and posted it at his door, saying that he got me curious about the ownership of the path and that actually, no one owned it, so that I kindly asked him to put his bins against his own fence.
Bit of a suspense what’s going to happen but my hunch is that he is going to do nothing and that his bins and rubbish will keep leaning on our fence.
Any clever plan of action you can advise here?
We all love a bit of lockdown drama!
Thanks
YABU- leave his bins against your fence
YANBU- and in this case what can I do not going OTT

OP posts:

happinessischocolate · 31/01/2021 23:21

In a previous house my neighbour used to load her bin bags outside my house against my fence and across my path, I tried putting my bin bags outside hers but I didn't have as many bags and it didn't stop her, so one day I put all her bags back inside her pathway and they didn't get collected. She made sure they were in the correct place after that.

I'd look for free kids bikes on eBay and dump them outside his house with all his other crap, maybe acquire a bike a week and gradually add to his pile, but I'm a stubborn mare

TinaTurnoff · 31/01/2021 23:33

Going by his principles, it’s okay for you to lean sacks of dirty nappies against his fence, when the baby is born, right? I’d approach him again with that (veiled) threat and tell him to keep his shit on his side, and you’ll do the same. What a dick.

maddening · 01/02/2021 00:02

Well the neighbour certainly understands the ops POV as he seems so very keen to not have his shit in his garden /yard or against his own fence. He is more uptight about it than anyone since he immediately went out and moved it all back.

Tbh, bins are kept there but all the other shit should either be taken to the tip or in his garden, not shoved in the alley.

NoGoodPunsLeft · 01/02/2021 07:14

@category12

Except it is, as the OPs dog was repeatedly digging in her garden to get to the rubbish outside, which means it does smell or have unsavoury stuff in it that is just as likely to attract other animals.

Oh come off it, OP says all the neighbours have their bins along this pathway. If he moves it like a yard away against his fence, it would still attract rats to the area, like everyone else's bins along the pathway do.

the dog isn't bothered by the bin per se, it's digging at the fence due to the open bags of rubbish it can smell. If it was only the OP's bins there wouldn't be anything to sme!l.

Plus the other crap he's leaning against her fence which depending on weight/how.much ends up there can break the fence (as happened in my old house)

VettiyaIruken · 01/02/2021 07:35

Is it like this?

I agree that using his fence is best. If he complains, go full on confused. But you are using my section, surely it's ok for me to use yours...

Petty? Fuck yes. It always makes me laugh when people think doing nothing in order to keep the peace is best. Piss takers don't understand 'letting it go' or 'being the better person'. They see doormats. They think they've won some sort of victory. And then they go for victory 2, then 3.

I've 'let it go' more than once and always lived to regret it. I've out-pettied too. It works. 😁

Neighbour putting bins against our fence

SoupDragon · 01/02/2021 08:57

This is completely irrelevant to the thread but when you say "flip flops" do you mean "sliders"? Because apparently wearing socks with those is completely acceptable (although I have had many a frank exchange of views with my 22 year old DS about this supposed "fact"). I even saw some Youth in Sainsbury's with them.

Wartigen · 01/02/2021 09:32

I wondered about the sliders vs flip flops. Socks and actual toe-bar flip flops shows some commitment.

StarsonaString · 01/02/2021 09:39

He is a twat and this is plenty reason enough to go to war.

angieloumc · 01/02/2021 10:04

It's very irritating when neighbours do this. My neighbour leave her bin out instead of taking it in her garden so when the bin collectors come they invariably leave it outside my house. And there it stays, she comes out and walks round to outside my house to put her rubbish in. I've started moving it up every single time.

BewareTheBeardedDragon · 01/02/2021 10:54

I think the Japanese make special socks with a gap between big and first toe for wearing with flip flops - maybe he's a japanophile (?)

Ifonly86 · 01/02/2021 11:05

Another vote for a flower box and bin shed so he can’t physically fit his crap in your space. The bird feeder idea is good too. If it becomes a tit for tat situation it almost always ends badly. My neighbour put her bins outside my gate every bin collection date and left them there. It meant we had to climb over our (3ft) fence, move her bins and then get out of the gate for buggy, shopping etc. She didn’t see an issue with it despite it taking away space for our bins when she has 10ft of space to put her bins. We no longer speak and it makes an awkward atmosphere if we cross paths. If you can keep it amicable then try but I don’t blame you for being annoyed, he is taking the p.

solicitoring · 01/02/2021 11:26

You do know that unregistered land doesn't mean it's not owned by anyone don't you? It just means it's not registered at the land registry. He could well own it.

Murinae · 01/02/2021 11:29

I would report him to the council for fly tipping. Around here people take photos and put it up on the Facebook community page and the local councillor gets the council to come and clear it and fine them if their are any stuff with an address on in the bags.

solicitoring · 01/02/2021 11:32

But if his bin is outside your fence I would put your rubbish in it. Repeatedly. Particularly nappies.

BewareTheBeardedDragon · 01/02/2021 13:16

The likelihood of him actually owning the whole alley, and thus choosing to store his bins against OPs fence is very low. We had neighbours when growing up who used to regularly block the one lane road we lived off parking outside their front door, who swore blind they owned the road. They didn't, they were just selfish arseholes.

Regardless - even if he does by some crazy chance own the alley he is still not legally allowed to lean stuff against OPs fence.

NoGoodPunsLeft · 01/02/2021 16:36

@Wartigen

I wondered about the sliders vs flip flops. Socks and actual toe-bar flip flops shows some commitment.

It is very common in Brazil to wear normal for bar flip flops with socks, they just push the toe post as far in as they can

CharityDingle · 01/02/2021 17:01

@cabingirl

Is it like this OP?

For those who don't see a problem with this - would you be okay with someone crossing a pathway to stack all their old rubbish plus their bin against your backgarden fence instead of using their own like everyone else on the two streets of houses.

Thanks for the diagram @cabingirl, I couldn't picture the set up.

OP, that would definitely annoy me.

Slub · 01/02/2021 17:31

Just placing my bin here for any update

2pinkginsplease · 01/02/2021 20:07

This would annoy me, he has his own bloody fence to sit his bins at!

I’d chain my bins along my fence spaced out so that his bins wouldn’t fit there!

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 01/02/2021 22:31

I would check my deeds and check with the council about ownership etc.
I would then most definitely put flower boxes on my fence with space only for my bins.

MsMiaWallace · 02/02/2021 20:33

OP you must update us upon bin day!!

Wanderbust · 02/02/2021 22:41

Sorry if this has already been suggested. Could you drill holes in your fence then sit next to it and squirt him with a water pistol when you see him putting things next to the fence? Might be time consuming but maternity leave should help

StoneofDestiny · 02/02/2021 23:34

Hope you win this one OP 👍

Original poster

LouRidley · 02/02/2021 23:34

@MsMiaWallace today was bin day but he doesn’t seem to be here as his bins are not out. Will update next week!

OP posts:

Original poster

LouRidley · 02/02/2021 23:35

@Wanderbust this is hilarious I wish I could do that it would brighten up lockdown

OP posts:

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