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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WIBU to call the skip hire place?

268 replies

Etherel · 01/05/2021 17:11

So, long story short:

Next door asked whether my car parking space (advertised for as "allocated parking" when I moved in) could be used for a skip for a few weeks and they'd give me their parking space instead. This is an area with very little parking space. Skip was filled within a day and stood there, filled and not touched, for a good few weeks.

Almost every day I came home neighbour was parked in their space despite the promise after skip arrived and after a few times of knocking and asking to park up I felt silly and started to give up, but asked when the skip would go - I was told the Easter weekend. In the meantime, I was left to either park my car on the pavement or across a dropped kerb behind the skip.

Nothing happened for two more weeks, so I approached the couple again and got told they don't know when it was to be removed; they thought it would have gone by now. I was fine with it and asked them to keep me updated. Another week, another "it should have gone by now". Then I saw the partner out in the garden, asked again and we ended up having a coversation where I asked them to phone the company and take it away as I know some will deliberately leave the skip to save on storage space. At no point was it mentioned that the thing was still needed and he seemed to be okay with ringing them up.

More time passed and the neighbours had by now fully taken ownership of their space back while the skip was still in my space. So, having had these conversations 3 times now and always having been told they thought it would have been collected by now I decided to take matters in my own hand and phone the company. I made it clear that I was a neighbour, NOT the couple themselves.

A day later the skip was gone.

Forward another 1.5 weeks and I am having a frothing neibour standing at my door threatening me with just about everything because they now need to hire a new skip as the builders hadn't finished. They want their money back from me.

AIBU to have stood my ground? Yes, I shouldn't have phoned without another confirmation with them, but a) they were taking the absolute piss and b) they kept telling me it should have been collected, not to mention c) the company took the skip back without confirming with them as well.

OP posts:
Youdontknowwhatyoureonabout · 01/05/2021 17:14

Why, when they initially asked, didn’t you just tell them to use their own parking space for the skip?

If they hassle you again ask them how would they like to pay you for renting your space for so long, bank transfer or cash?

Total CF

roses2 · 01/05/2021 17:15

YABU but I have no advice on how to deal with angry neighbour!

user1471517900 · 01/05/2021 17:16

Of course you were fine. If they're annoyed, just point out how long you've been without a space. Simples

Sugarplumfairy65 · 01/05/2021 17:16

Tell them to jog on. They can use their own parking space for the next skip.

user1471517900 · 01/05/2021 17:17

Also if the skip was full, surely they'd have needed to pay for another one anyway

44PumpLane · 01/05/2021 17:17

Your first mistake was letting them use your parking space for the skip when they have their own space the skip couod go on.

Make sure if another skip lands on your parking spot you akk the company immediately to tell them to shift it, don't engage with your CF neighbour!!

CatFaceCats · 01/05/2021 17:19

I don’t understand why the skip couldn’t have gone on their own space to start with? I wouldn’t have allowed it in the first place if they had their own place to put it.

TheJackieWeaver · 01/05/2021 17:20

YANBU, but Why on earth did you allow them to use the space?

lanthanum · 01/05/2021 17:20

If it had been on the road, maybe you'd have been overstepping the mark, but as it was in your allocated space, entirely reasonable. It's not like the neighbours had asked if it could stay longer than originally planned.

They might have a gripe wth the company, if they didn't confirm with them, but quite possibly there are legalities the company was worried about if their skip was on your land without permission.

I wonder if the skip was actually hired by the builders rather than the neighbours directly? That might explain why the neighbours thought it would be gone by now, and then discovered the builders still wanted it.

SquashMinusIsShit · 01/05/2021 17:20

You were well within your rights to call the skip company.

The phrase 'no good deed goes unpunished' springs to mind

HedgePutty · 01/05/2021 17:20

Well they said it should age fine by now implying they had finished using it.
Of course they were cheeky fuckers and any future skip goes in their own space. The fact they stopped you using their space means they don’t give a shit about inconveniencing you one bit.

Deux · 01/05/2021 17:20

What’s their reasoning for not using their own space?

Have you actually told them you phoned the skip company? If not, feign ignorance. Also mock-up an invoice for your parking space that you rented to them, X days at £Y per day.

Voomster953 · 01/05/2021 17:21

You were far too mild in the first place. They were lying twats. It’s time to stand your ground and tell them to fuck off, they’ve destroyed a good neighbourly relationship by being total pisstakers.

If they come back to shout again, just calmly asked them why they lied to you again and again.

FortunesFave · 01/05/2021 17:22

I can't believe you just let them have your space! I'd have phoned the skip company a week after it had been left there!

SantiagoSky · 01/05/2021 17:22

They might try this again. Call the skip company and tell them that no further skips can't be placed in your spot. Don't open the door to neighbor.

AlmostSummer21 · 01/05/2021 17:22

YANBU they both had ample time to say the builder still needed it, they didn't, they expressed surprise it had been removed already.

They didn't keep up their 'sweetener' of leaving their space clear for your use.

You did them a favour and allowed them to use your carpark space, free of charge, gor weeks on end and now they expect you to pay for another skip for them 🙄🙄

They're fucking nuts!!!

Laiste · 01/05/2021 17:24

Don't get into a doorstep argument.

What has happened now? Are they banging on the door?

Calmly tell them

  1. you told [neighbour] on x day that you were going to ring skip company and he didn't say not to.
  2. you've given up your parking space for x weeks and have asked for no compensation.
  3. next time they get a skip put it in their own fucking parking space.

Maybe without the ''fucking''.

If it were me i'd be having the doorstep row actually Grin

Good luck OP and don't listen to their tripe.

Laiste · 01/05/2021 17:25

@SantiagoSky

They might try this again. Call the skip company and tell them that no further skips can't be placed in your spot. Don't open the door to neighbor.
And this. Immediately.
Whosaidcake · 01/05/2021 17:26

I work for a skip hire company and speak to a lot of other skip hire companies and know that most places have been super busy the last few months and the quicker we can get skips back in for a quick turnaround, the better.

I doubt they called the company for a collection.

Also, if the skip was level loaded, the skip was ready to go as most companies won't pick up an over loaded skip meaning if they had more rubbish, they would have needed an exchange anyway.

Don't agree to another skip on your drive. Let them get a council licence and put the skip on the road because if there is any damage to the pavement or your drive when the skip is being delivered/collected, it will be on you.

Original poster
Etherel · 01/05/2021 17:27

My parking space is in a more convenient spot for skip loading. Their parking space is to the side of their house, while mine is at the front, and they are extending the front of the house.

As far as I was concerned, the company could have stayed there forever, IF I had actually had access to their parking space as promised (neighbour now called it a "courtesy"), but as I occasionally work nights they obviously thought that by 6pm I didn't need the space and parked up, regardless.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who would have reacted that way. I'm renting and due a new contract soon, so very worried this may get me cast out of the house (they are threatening to call the agency and landlord).

OP posts:
Laiste · 01/05/2021 17:34

You're renting?

I could be wrong but i don't think you can/should have given permission to put a skip on the property without landlords consent.

LakieLady · 01/05/2021 17:36

Your neighbours are complete twats, OP!

At no time did they tell you that they wanted the skip a while longer, as the work wasn't finished, and now they're moaning that they'll have to pay for a second one. If they'd been honest, they wouldn't be in that position.

Cheeky fuckers and stupid with it.

l2b2 · 01/05/2021 17:47

I'd be onto your landlord and tell them what has happened. Let the LL deal with them.
They are extremely rude and ignorant and haven't got a leg to stand on. I'd be having a blazing row back.

LovelyLovelyWarmCoffee · 01/05/2021 17:51

Just told them that if they had left their parking spot free for you as agreed you wouldn’t have done anything but as they went back on the agreement you obviously needed your own spot back.
Do not let then you your space again now of course, that would be really silly of you.

JellyBabiesFan · 01/05/2021 17:57

No you were not unreasonable. They probably saw you as a soft touch so took the piss in both asking for your space, not following the agreement that you could use their space AND not getting the skip moved in time.

Tell them to jog on.