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Original poster

Neighbours washing..

162 replies

washingfiasco · 17/09/2021 14:01

A weird one but i need some light shed please wise people of mumsnet.
I live in a row of houses/flats on a roundabout, right neighbour is a house, left neighbour is a block of flats. Recently i've come home and there is a washing maiden that you'd sort of hang up on a radiator hanging off my fence. This fence is the one that is next to the flats, the flats have no gardens so i'm assuming its one of theirs.
I ignored it the first, second and third time but today i've come back with an ill child and had to get through 2 hanging off my fence and one right in front of my gate with a sleeping 2 year old who's ill and it's just annoyed me.
Would i be unreasonable to tell them to not hang stuff of the fence? I understand they want it to dry but it's frustrated me today!!!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
SirChenjins · 17/09/2021 18:51

The washing is hanging on the fence on its car park side - the OP can’t see it as such, but she has to squeeze past it when she’s going through the gate into her garden and will be able to see the hooks hanging over her fence.
I wonder if they just think it’s a council owned fence?

Howshouldibehave · 17/09/2021 18:52

How talk is the fence?

If the airer accidentally fell down off the fence into your garden and the clothes all got muddy, would the owner have to come and knock on your fence to ask for it back or could they reach over and get it? @washingfiasco

Howshouldibehave · 17/09/2021 18:53

How tall is the fence, obviously Grin?

Original poster
washingfiasco · 17/09/2021 19:04

@Howshouldibehave

How tall is the fence, obviously Grin?
Fence is about 6ft! After dealing with DD and on the phone to 111 i've just gone out to take her to hospital and the washing has mysteriously moved.... should have left a note on it!
OP posts:
Violinist64 · 17/09/2021 19:22

@BlackberryMuncher

It would bother me.

I'd leave a nice note asking them politely to desist. The first time...next time I'd put it in a plastic bag with the racks on the top.

I think this is the best way.
WitchBaby · 17/09/2021 19:33

Is your DD ok, OP?
I'm sure the washing is the least of your problems at the moment Thanks

BoredZelda · 17/09/2021 19:38

I think this is the best way.

Agreed, polite note the first time. All this pulling it down and stomping it is unnecessarily aggressive.

OP, now it has gone, stick a note up asking people not to hang things on your fence.

MLMbotsno · 17/09/2021 22:45

@FleasInMyKnees

If you own the fence then they cannot hang anything on it without your permission. You could Google the block and see if there is a resident group or management company, or you go round and knock on doors and tell them to remove it.
There will be a resident's WhatsApp group, people on that will be ready and willing to assist
Ikeptgoing · 18/09/2021 06:56

Hope your DD is ok OP

It's impeding your access to your garden gate. It's impeding shared access along back of your property.

And they are hanging it off your fence which will damage it

It is also really entitled CF behaviour

I wouldn't hesitate to remove it all including all items off my fence and put alm of them in the floor in the 2m alleyway part by the flats. They'll stop doing it immediately.

I recently replaced some fencing panels. They are really expensive and it costs to have them fitted.

CF flat neighbour seems quite happy to cause £50-hundreds of pounds of damage to your property, to inconvenience you, your DD and anyone else using alleyway, rather than pay £30 for a clothes horse which they put up in their flat or in their flat grounds . Or to go to local laundrymat or pay for a laundry service.

Hell no.

Ikeptgoing · 18/09/2021 06:57

They'll be using your garden next...

tenredthings · 18/09/2021 07:21

I would leave a note explaining that it's your fence and please could they hang it further away from the gate. Air drying is better for climate change than tumble drying, see it as a gesture of good will to a fellow human and the planet !

Original poster
washingfiasco · 18/09/2021 07:58

DD is okay, just precautionary as she was being sick a lot and refusing liquids, typically she was her normal self as soon as she got there!
I have left a note on my fence this morning, off to work now so will see what happens when i get homeSmile

OP posts:
Seesawmummadaw · 18/09/2021 08:01

You need a sprinkler Wink

Howshouldibehave · 18/09/2021 08:29

@washingfiasco

DD is okay, just precautionary as she was being sick a lot and refusing liquids, typically she was her normal self as soon as she got there! I have left a note on my fence this morning, off to work now so will see what happens when i get homeSmile
What did it say?!
Ikeptgoing · 18/09/2021 10:22

@tenredthings

I would leave a note explaining that it's your fence and please could they hang it further away from the gate. Air drying is better for climate change than tumble drying, see it as a gesture of good will to a fellow human and the planet !
Well. OP has left a note on her fence. However it's not rocket science that it is someone else's (OP's) fence and that they ought not hang their washing in a shared access alley directly from OPs fence that's not even theirs!!! It's obvious that it's not ok to do.

I wouldn't have bothered with the note. I'd go straight out and move it all (if no fence up there then onto pavement) in the flats part of alleyway.

WitchBaby · 18/09/2021 13:50

Glad your DD is ok.
Where did you leave the note, pinned to your fence?

Original poster
washingfiasco · 18/09/2021 16:08

@WitchBaby

Glad your DD is ok. Where did you leave the note, pinned to your fence?
Note left pinned to the fence by the gate. Said something along the lines of 'please stop using my fence to dry your washing', still in work so no other updates! Other than DD throwing up over my MIL.. that woman needs a medal!
OP posts:
Scottishmarigold · 18/09/2021 18:05

I think that I would just put up with it. It’s good for the environment that they are making the effort to air dry their washing. And I guess it will stop as the weather becomes wet and cold.
It can be hard living in a flat with no outdoor space. They might be struggling with space with WFH as well. Maybe just give them some leeway?

godmum56 · 18/09/2021 18:11

@Scottishmarigold

I think that I would just put up with it. It’s good for the environment that they are making the effort to air dry their washing. And I guess it will stop as the weather becomes wet and cold. It can be hard living in a flat with no outdoor space. They might be struggling with space with WFH as well. Maybe just give them some leeway?
struggling with what?
Scottishmarigold · 18/09/2021 18:58

Godmum56 - I meant struggling with space for drying racks as well as space to WFH. If you are a couple working from home, it usually means one person working on the kitchen table and the other getting a small table to squeeze in the bedroom, living room or hallway.

WFH definitely has challenges if you live in a small space. Maybe working in there around the drying racks was sending them over the edge!!

Vinomummyinlockdown · 18/09/2021 19:26

Where does it end? Imagine everyone in the flats did this!! OP take it off your fence!

Willow19C · 18/09/2021 21:04

@Scottishmarigold

Godmum56 - I meant struggling with space for drying racks as well as space to WFH. If you are a couple working from home, it usually means one person working on the kitchen table and the other getting a small table to squeeze in the bedroom, living room or hallway. WFH definitely has challenges if you live in a small space. Maybe working in there around the drying racks was sending them over the edge!!
This isn't really OPs responsibility to sort out though, is it?
Toomuchtrouble4me · 18/09/2021 21:23

You have to walk past other peoples flapping undies to get in your gate?
I wouldn’t be happy with that. Is the laundry hanging thing hooked over your side of fence? I’d push it off.

Cavementality · 18/09/2021 22:27

This is so sad. Why does it bother you? Please allow this less fortunate person to dry their clothes. Let it be your good deed for the day.x

WeAreTheHeroes · 18/09/2021 22:38

Give over! Less fortunate because they do not have a fence or because they live in a flat?