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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour watering my fence

172 replies

crappytimes · 12/06/2021 00:14

Have lived in current house 15 yrs and always had a good, not close, relationship with neighbours. We very recently agreed to go halves on a fence between our back gardens as the previous one was rotten and about to collapse and had loads of ivy coming over from their side to ours. The team did a great job, took our a few trees and v larger ivy roots. The other day I noticed neighbour had a hose/sprinkler pointed at fence right by my back door so they're not really watering flowers (think he grows sunflowers there) but watering the entire 6ft fence and water seeping all the way through and also my plants and paving (and me if I walk out the door). I texted owner's son (also living there and my contact for them) and he said he'd ask his dad's to stop but gave a shirty reply about "sorry if he's not watering correctly". I said it's not about watering correctly just don't want new fence to go rotten like old one. Anyhow 2 days go by and no more watering of fence (something I admit he's done the last 15 yrs which has always bugged me). I've gone outside just now and it's midnight and he's watering the fence again- presumably assuming i wouldn't be out this late. I really am pissed off as I know it will ruin new fence and is really pointless. He's only got concrete breeze blocks with weeds and a few sunflowers. I don't want to seem rude- parents are elderly and have always been nice but given I've just paid for the fence I feel I should stand firm. AIBU?

OP posts:
DumplingsAndStew · 12/06/2021 08:20

@HildegardeCrowe

In my area everyone’s been switched to a water meter whether they like it or not *@Suzi888*. Thought it was standard practice across the country but obvs not.
Did the OP even say which country they are from??

@crappytimes Just ask him why he is watering his plants so much. They don't need that much water.

GingerScallop · 12/06/2021 08:21

An just wondering how he waters the fence and all night and plants don't rot? Did you mean to say he did that for 15 years with the last fence?
Seems your neighbour annoys you with this. But you each paid for the fence so equally he can do what he wants to it. And if he did it for 15 years he is unlikely to change. Looks like your options are to grin and bear it or to move.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 12/06/2021 08:23

@Melitza

Is he on a water meter? I would ring the water company and say ndn is leaving a hose on overnight. Not sure if they'll do anything though. It's a shocking waste of water.
New level of reporting.
SmokeyDevil · 12/06/2021 08:30

You must be exaggerating the hours part of it. You'd be living in a bloody swamp by now if he's been doing this for hours at a time, several times a week for 15 years. Confused

He's clearly not right in the head. Leave him to it, no point arguing with him, it won't stop it.

roguetomato · 12/06/2021 08:33

@SchrodingersImmigrant, but what she says is true though. Fresh water supply is limited. I'm sure you lived long enough to experience water shortage in UK. Just because we are not experiencing it now, doesn't mean it's ok to waste it.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 12/06/2021 08:36

[quote roguetomato]@SchrodingersImmigrant, but what she says is true though. Fresh water supply is limited. I'm sure you lived long enough to experience water shortage in UK. Just because we are not experiencing it now, doesn't mean it's ok to waste it.[/quote]
I am not disagreeing that it's a waste of water, but "reporting it" to the water company is frankly ridiculous.

roguetomato · 12/06/2021 08:53

I don't agree with reporting everything either, but in this case, I really can't find other options. If the water company think wasting water is something people shouldn't do, maybe they would act in some way, like maybe talk to the person and tell them not to waste water. If they think it's silly then they will ignore.
I wouldn't personally report but would talk to the neighbour and find out why they are doing it. But I don't think it's silly thing to do, for this instance. So many people in rich countries takes things for granted without thinking.

category12 · 12/06/2021 08:56

Make sure you keep the fence well-treated and it'll be fine. It's really not worth getting het up about, cos you know, rain.

mag2305 · 12/06/2021 08:57

Not sure what part of the country you're in but with the heat/sun many of us have had this week and due to have, it's going to dry right out.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 12/06/2021 09:00

@vodkaredbullgirl

Hmm fences get wet when it rains.
We always take our fence indoors at the first hint of rain.

I thought everybody did that? Confused

category12 · 12/06/2021 09:02

We always take our fence indoors at the first hint of rain.

I thought everybody did that?

GrinGrinGrin

vodkaredbullgirl · 12/06/2021 09:03
Grin
category12 · 12/06/2021 09:03

I know what you're saying tho, OP - water from a hose is just wetter.

2Rebecca · 12/06/2021 09:04

I think people talking about rain aren't reading about him leaving a hose aimed at the fence on all night. No sunflowers need that much water and prolonged soaking makes wood rot our fences are shared in Scotland

noshiforever · 12/06/2021 09:05

It rains for 9 months of the year. For weeks on end it can be relentless and my fence is sodden, never given the chance to dry out. YABVU and sound a bit mad to be honest, given the all year round heavy rain situation here?

SchrodingersImmigrant · 12/06/2021 09:09

@roguetomato

I don't agree with reporting everything either, but in this case, I really can't find other options. If the water company think wasting water is something people shouldn't do, maybe they would act in some way, like maybe talk to the person and tell them not to waste water. If they think it's silly then they will ignore. I wouldn't personally report but would talk to the neighbour and find out why they are doing it. But I don't think it's silly thing to do, for this instance. So many people in rich countries takes things for granted without thinking.
The company will do the exact nothing they should tbh. Imagine if you got water company suddenly having a chat with you because neighbour feels you are wasting water. He is making mud plain, others on this side are washing towels after 1 use. Imho same waste. No one ever talks about reporting the latter though.

Or leccy. "Ms, you shouldn't have light in a bathroom on all night. Making electricity uses valuable resources and we all should be more careful."
Or gas in a winter. Report neigbours who heat more than 20 degrees? Because gas isn't an infinite resource either.
Dvla for people who drive too much? No, actually that should be the petrol company?

You see what I mean? ,(Not aggressive btw, just want to make sure tone doesn't convey wrongly😁)
Tbh if he has hose on every night all night, his property must have been checked for leaks by the water company at least once.

justanotherneighinparadise · 12/06/2021 09:11

YANBU OP, it sounds fucking annoying but you’re not going to able to stop him. I don’t think fence panels are really that expensive to replace, Its having the whole thing replaced with concrete fences etc that’s costly.

So if it were me I’d just mentally let it go and say to myself if in X years time the fence panel is rotten it can just be replaced. I’m assuming his not watering 6 fence panels, just the one.

For everyone laughing and taking the piss i assume you’re all happy with the water wastage of having a hose/sprinkler system on constantly watering fuck all? So many of you claim to be concerned about the environment and wasting the Earth’s resources. All that wonderfully clean drinking water being thrown at a fence.

AbsolutelyPatsy · 12/06/2021 09:11

you need to talk to him not his son op

category12 · 12/06/2021 09:13

Of course it's wasteful, but we don't get to police what our neighbours do.

Lottie4 · 12/06/2021 09:14

Seems a bit weird. Hate to say it, but do you own the fence? If so, and he's paid half, then I guess he thinks he can do what he wants on his side and there's not much you can do to stop him.

category12 · 12/06/2021 09:17

Yep, he paid for half, so he can water at least half of it. If there are 6 panels and he's only watering one, he needs to up his game.

justanotherneighinparadise · 12/06/2021 09:17

@category12

Of course it's wasteful, but we don't get to police what our neighbours do.
🤣🤣🤣

My neighbours do not agree with that statement.

LakieLady · 12/06/2021 09:17

No they’re not confused. You pay one standard amount to use as much as you like

It may well depend where you live.

A few years ago, our water company installed meters at every house in our street that didn't have one, so the whole street is now metered.

I believe they have a programme of metering the entire area they supply eventually.

roguetomato · 12/06/2021 09:18

SchrodingersImmigrant, I think you are still missing my point. Someone wasting electricity and gas is not same level as someone wasting water, which is limited supply in a different degree.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 12/06/2021 09:21

@roguetomato

SchrodingersImmigrant, I think you are still missing my point. Someone wasting electricity and gas is not same level as someone wasting water, which is limited supply in a different degree.
I am not missing the point. I agree that water wasting is not ok (including excessive washing). I do, however, think that reporting someone to water company is ridiculous. (And why is no one ever reporting the excessive washers?)