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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

My washing line annoying neighbour

407 replies

Afrodizzyak · 12/04/2022 16:21

We have a new neighbour who has complained to me about my laundry hanging on the line ruining her view. It's just run of the mill laundry, no crutchless knickers or bondage gear, so not offensive. At first I ignored her, but she later told me she had photographed it and would complain to council.
I'm not the only neighbour she has complained to, another about his whistling, which is piercing her ears, having sensitive hearing and she asked another neighbour to keep his windows and doors closed whilst cooking as it made her nauseous.
It's not just humans she intolerant of, if a bird is singing, she will start growling to scare it away.
Before she moved here, we all just dodged along fine.
Is there any law against hanging washing? I'm not tumble drying our family's wash when not necessary.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
MinnieGirl · 13/04/2022 19:09

@TheUnexpectedPickle

Wow. And I thought my neighbour was nuts for moaning about something I left on my driveway for a few days. And then for asking me to vacuum her car.

My nana always used a prop, its not that high!

Line dried washing is lovely. I'm very jealous, there's no space for a line in my garden. Its also a 100% normal sight in a British garden.

Just laugh in her face the next time she complains.

Didn’t she want to park on your drive too?

We need an update!

browneyes77 · 13/04/2022 19:13

She sounds absolutely batshit Grin

Queenbee77 · 13/04/2022 19:14

If the council gets in touch invite them around for tea and biscuits! So they can have a look at your washing line. Or perhaps she would prefer it if you hung it in her garden? She is bonkers but probably lonely....I had a neighbour like that once. I invited her in and she talked about her son who never came to visit....sad.....she died a couple of years later and I was glad I was nice to her.

sugarrosepetal · 13/04/2022 19:15

I'm being to unmumsnet here by not reading the full thread, however I got to then end of page six and couldn't read any more vile replies. "She's batshit...", "she's a nutter...", "she's demented.....", etc, etc.

From what you have described, the woman in question sounds Autistic. Yes she may be a major pain in the arse but we need to remember autistic children do become adults.

OP if she is unapproachable, ask the local council to speak to her about her behaviour and do a social work vulnerable adult welfare check. Ask them to educate her about your human right to privacy and a peaceful home. If she doesn't heed their warning after all the above and continues to invade your privacy/home life, report her for harassment.

Badhairdayagain · 13/04/2022 19:16

She has no right to complain. Either use it as an excuse to annoy her or completely ignore her. As I suspect your other neighbours do. What she is doing however is, imo, antisocial behaviour. You can raise a complaint against her if you choose

Boxowine · 13/04/2022 19:18

Well. She's batshit which is funny but she'll never change or stop complaining about you and everyone else. My mother is like this. True mental illness. She calls the police on everyone for everything, real and imagined. Don't engage, anything you do or say will be fodder for her rantings.

Ohchristmastreeohchristmastree · 13/04/2022 19:21

No one owns a view! Even with planning you can’t object to a planning application because it ruins your view. If a house would massively block your light then you could. But you can’t ask people to take down washing because she doesn’t like it.

AllotmentTime · 13/04/2022 19:22

Sydney Opera House, perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically...

Don’t be silly. I expect to be able to see the sea.

Grin
Nocutenamesleft · 13/04/2022 19:23

I would be buying super sexy hnderwear. Whips. Chains. Bondage and hanging them out!

Oh yes!

Sgarrett · 13/04/2022 19:31

She sounds a bit mentally ill. Carry on and ignore her the council will laugh at her I think they have more important stuff things to deal with

Ikeptgoing · 13/04/2022 19:32

OP please don't listen to the recent PP suggestion to do a a social work vulnerable adult welfare check ShockShockShock

Sheesh.... like we don't have phenomenal level of genuine emergencies for actual IRL vulnerable people already to deal without eye rolling atwhat @sugarrosepetal actually thinks social workers do?!

I forgot how I'm supposed to be sat at my desk twiddling my thumbs with enough time to go talk to a lady who might have knocked a few times to bizarrely complain about her NDNs washing line , has a partner, functions fairly highly (& she's not accompanied by live in carers) , ... then perhaps she isn't who social workers work with!!! Hmm

I've heard it all today...

I'm sure a 'welfare check' report (which btw is a request for an immediate safety visit done by police not social workers) of this magnitude will be given same level of response as the complaint (& photos!!) of 'drying washing on a line in someone's own back garden' will receive from local borough council team.

AllOfUsAreDead · 13/04/2022 19:34

She finds a squeaky door annoying enough to stop her sleeping? And she wants children? Is she planning on gagging then from birth? Confused

Get some windchimes like someone else said and let her complain to her hearts content. Maybe she'll eventually piss off to live somewhere else.

mumsterplus1 · 13/04/2022 19:44

At the end of the day if it is land that you own, there is absolutely no problem, you can do what you want as not intimidating or offensive, or breaks planning laws. I do know that many privately owned , yet leasehold flats near me have covenants whereby hanging laundry on. Aconies is prohibited, but if you have a freehold property you are quite within your rights to do as you please ( within the law)

CountryGirl17 · 13/04/2022 19:49

I used to be a leaseholder of an apartment. There was in the lease agreement that contractually residence could not hang their laundry out on balconies or the terraces or essentially in view. It was strict, but the overall estate looks lovely and uncluttered.

If you are allowed to hand out your washing and there’s no contractual limitations then it’s fine. I’m my new home, I hang washing outside. If there was a lovely view and any washing in my back garden ruined it, then I’d make a personal judgment to not hang washing outside.

But, overall your neighbour sounds crazy! Report her to the police or council.

amitoooldforthisshit · 13/04/2022 19:52

if it laundry on a line with no offensive images or words written on it then the council will do nothing, running a tumble dryer in this economy is batshit crazy, just ignore

Juliemom1 · 13/04/2022 19:54

Honestly there’s nothing like lovely line dried washing
It shows the weather is good enough to put your washing out and it doesn’t cost you to dry with the cost of electric going up

poulicey · 13/04/2022 19:57

@Brightrainbow that's quite a list, how did you manage to stay sane with this level of batshittery thrown at you?! Good luck, hope they move soon. Some people....

PriamFarrl · 13/04/2022 19:58

In Dorset in an estate called Poundbury. They have a covenant saying they aren’t allowed to dry washing as it looks unsightly.

But there are a couple of houses that were there before the estate was built, and they have no such covenant. They have washing drying all the time.

mamabear715 · 13/04/2022 20:00

Sorry for hijacking, just reminded me of my sis who has a family across the (narrow estate) road with a teen who likes to chalk FUCK BORIS and other stuff on their fence - written for the outside world, the family don't see it from their sitting room.
The Mother seems very proud.. :-0
My sis & neighbours aren't too amused with having young children around. Is this illegal or not, does anyone know? Thanks!

ArtVandalay · 13/04/2022 20:01

We have a small holiday place in the US. It’s in one of those gated communities where all the houses are built around lakes. Very Stepford.

There are very strict rules - one of which is strictly no laundry hanging out. Now I’m very much a ‘whack everything in the dryer’ sort of person, but it seems a draconian rule when the weather there is hot all year round.

LakieLady · 13/04/2022 20:10

@TrashyPanda

It must be a cultural thing because I grew up in Australia where everyone dries their clothes outside. Tumble dryers are terrible for clothes and the environment. And too expensive to use frequently

I don’t think it is a cultural thing.

It’s just daft not to take advantage of a good drying day. I wouldn’t be without my heated airer, but if I can hang out a washing, I do. Never had a tumble dryer as I can’t stand wasting power and money.

I'm the same. And I love the smell of laundry that's been dried outdoors, it smells like fresh air, only better.

My NDN had a bit of a thing about people hanging out laundry on a Sunday, but I think she's got over it now.

Frazzled2207 · 13/04/2022 20:12

Blimey she actually is batshit

The good news is that she is a tenant so a. Will not be there for ever and b. Can be complained about to the letting agent.

Tell her to let you know what the council say.

riceuten · 13/04/2022 20:13

It's difficult enough to get the council to take real nuisances seriously, so I think you can rest safe in your beds. Sounds like early onset Alzheimer's to me

Brightrainbow · 13/04/2022 20:13

[quote poulicey]@Brightrainbow that's quite a list, how did you manage to stay sane with this level of batshittery thrown at you?! Good luck, hope they move soon. Some people....[/quote]
We moved in the end
I think she had mental health and alcohol problems-I was told she got worse after we left and caused endless problems for everyone
Her husband and son where lovely but her dd didn’t fall far from her mother

emmetgirl · 13/04/2022 20:17

That's bloody hilarious! Tell her to write that complaint now!