Advice on dealing with my neighbour

[QuestionableMouse]

New woman moved into my small street just before Covid started. Noting suits her and I'm sick to death of her getting in my case. We're quite rural and the street has a bit of an unusual layout (will add a diagram!)

In that time we've had

-Multiple notes about the bins being left near her house. I knocked and explained that it's just where the bin men leave them and if I'm at work when they come, it has the stay there until I get home.

• A complaint to the council about another house's rubble sack (the big ones that get lifted like skips). She used my name and address to make the complaint and the neighbour was and still is very short with me. The rubble bags were still in use at the time.

-Multiple complaints about my dog making hers bark when I walk past. Due to the layout of the street, I have no other choice but to pass her house.

-Came over and had a go at me because I'd backed my car up to my garden gate to unload a washing machine. I was parked on the grass verge but I actually own it and it's listed in my house deeds.

Today's last straw was her coming over to complain about my new gazebo that I've got in the garden. My next door neighbour doesn't mind at all (I checked before I bought it) but she thinks it's unsightly and is planning to complain about it to the council.

This house has been in my family for 50+ years and we've never had this much trouble with a neighbour. I lost the plot this morning with her and told her to mind her own business.

Apart from ignoring her, is there anything else that I can do?

Bluesurfer has it. 👍

Tell her to do one; I wouldn't even entertain her nonsense

Sorry to hear this. Not one of her complaints has any merit - your dog making her dog bark???
People HATE to be ignored so don't look at her, speak to her or acknowledge her in any way.
By now the council will know all about her and be keeping her letters in a special box!

Don't open the door when she knocks, and completely blank her if she squawks at you outside.

She's probably doing it for the reaction.

You did the right thing telling her to back off.

It's none of her business unless it's happening on her land.

Is she going to use your name again for this complaint to the council?!
You should mention that to them if you haven't already.
Sounds like a nightmare - you have my sympathy.
I've got one lovely neighbour who is unfortunately moving and another who is a complete pain (loud arguments most nights)
I'm hoping I can move in a couple of years....

Have you not told the other neighbour that it wasn’t you that complained?

Ignore unhinged neighbour totally. Hopefully you shouting at her today will put a stop to her nonsense. She probably didn’t expect you to respond strongly. She sounds like a total bully. Don’t let her do this to you.

Why on earth have you entertained her at all?

Of course you should tell your neighbour she fraudulently used your name.

Of course you should contact the council.

Definitely report her for harassing you.

Tell her to get lost with a 🤚, and COMPLETELY refuse to engage with her on ANY subject.

Tell her that as an incomer she should be toeing the line, not calling the shots, and she can move if the place doesn't suit her.

Tell her that as an incomer she should be toeing the line

Don't tell her that, it's suggests she's moved into a clique or something. Just do as PP's suggest, report her to council, copy in your neighbour to the letter and tell her you consider her behaviour to be harassment and she needs to keep away from you and your property. Get CCTV or a Ring doorbell.

Sorry op. Makes you wonder why she left her last home.
Just keep a log of all then report her to coucil and see if you can get an order to stop her harassing you.
Sounds a right whinger.

Taps foot waiting for a diagram..

She sounds unhinged. I think you're going to have to completely ignore her and tell all the other neighbours why. If she persists, then take action.

But do not feel like you need to leave your lovely home.

@godmum56

be careful. I would certainly make clear to the council that you did not complain about the rubble sack BUT I know for a fact that complaints to the council are confidential and the complainant's ID is NOT revealed to the person complained about....so did the council screw up badly or did nasty neighbour tell rubble sack lady that you had complained? And how did you know she used your address? did the council contact you to respond to the complaint? and if they did, why did you not tell them then that it wasn't you? Confused.com!

If you are thinking you might ever move then be careful aboutdoing any formal complaining as you will have to declare when selling.
OH PS "doing people for harassment" is not as easy as it may sound.

They wrote to me about my complaint and I had absolutely no idea what it was about. Spoke to the neighbours and the house with the rubble sacks said they'd been having problems with crazy lady complaining.

Tell her to sod off and get a hobby. Other than that, ignore her.

@godmum56

be careful. I would certainly make clear to the council that you did not complain about the rubble sack BUT I know for a fact that complaints to the council are confidential and the complainant's ID is NOT revealed to the person complained about....so did the council screw up badly or did nasty neighbour tell rubble sack lady that you had complained? And how did you know she used your address? did the council contact you to respond to the complaint? and if they did, why did you not tell them then that it wasn't you? Confused.com!

If you are thinking you might ever move then be careful aboutdoing any formal complaining as you will have to declare when selling.
OH PS "doing people for harassment" is not as easy as it may sound.

^ this I work for a council. To be honest, I’d ignore her completely. She’s going to get nowhere with planning regarding a gazebo! I’d slip a note through the neighbours door and set the record straight. She could end up being labelled a vexatious litigant by the council if she carries on making stupid complaints.

She’s the neighbourhood bully.

So bully the fucker right back

Go round and tell her to ftfo, that you’re going to live as you please, but what you want, walk where you want and basically do whatever the fuck you want whenever you want and she won’t make any difference to you or the way you live.

We had neighbours who had ruled the roost for decades, completely bloody outrageous.

The only way to deal with bullies is to go for nuclear option at the first opportunity

You can try and reason, but they will only make them feel more contempt for you and make things worse

Go and speak to the neighbours with the rubble sack, take a bottle of wine or something and explain what happened.

People will know what she’s like.

You need to join forces with your other neighbour and decide how to deal with her bullying as a joint enterprise.

She will probably try to divide and conquer by telling lies about each of you to the other, so tell your neighbour anything the cow says and ask them to reciprocate, so you are both fully informed.

Finally, I'd just tell her to Fuck Off next time she approached me with her trivial crap.

BTW, what was her reaction when you told her to MHOB this morning? (and very well done)

She sounds batshit.

She used my name and address to make the complaint and the neighbour was and still is very short with me. The rubble bags were still in use at the time.

I eouod have gone apeshit at this. Did you tell the neighbour that it wasn’t you complained?

There's always one person who thinks the neighbourhood is their kingdom and they set the rules.

We have one in our building. She objects to any changes, even a blue recycling bin (small) put near the mail boxes for junk mail.

I would just nod and then ignnore.

People like your neighbour, and I mean the ones that complain, complain, complain, complain, I have nothing going on in their lives and thus, relish in any drama that comes their way. What really pisses people off like this is to just use the grey work technique with them, and smile and wave hello to them. The moment they know that whatever they do wouldn't faze you, they will soon give up.

I had an ex friend like this. Complain, complain, complain! Ah it was getting on my nerves.