My washing line annoying neighbour

[Afrodizzyak]

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.

I once had the neighbour have a go at me for having loud sex on a Thursday
No other day mattered-just this one Thursday which
A,I wasn’t at home-we where on holiday
B,I was heavily pregnant and not up for sex,loud or not
C,I was single and not shagging anyone

She also whinged that my dog was keeping her awake with its barking
We didn’t own a dog (she owned two and bred them endlessly) but it may have been our hamster,they are known for their barking at 3am I guess

I opened and shut my front door at half 8 every weekday morning
Maybe I should have got the kids to climb out of the window instead to go to school

My tv was too loud
I didn’t own one at this point-I couldn’t afford it
She’d seen my mother come round with a freeview box containing sweets for the kids (I’m not sure why she’d put them in this box) and put two and two together coming up with the fact my non existent tv was too loud

She once saw my children,walking with me down the street and eating fairy cakes
She moaned as she couldn’t eat fairy cakes for whatever reason

My brother once came round to drop off a wardrobe
He’s built like a brick shite house but is a pansy in real life
She whinged that by him knocking on my door,she was scared for her life-she rang the police on him for that one

She once saw my dad in his motorbike leathers come round and an hour later,having got changed and back in his normal clothes,he came back round to drop some money off
He was in my house for no longer than 30 seconds each time but she reported me for running a brothel

Her dd lobbed her ball over into my garden,so I flung it back and she went potty and slung mud at my clean washing which was on the line drying away
When it happened again,I didn’t sling her dd’s ball back and she came round screaming abuse at me

She got her dd to have a go at me in the street for all the noise I was making all day everyday with my screaming and loud music
I worked full time so we went out at half 8 and didn’t didn’t get in until half 5 and we where out most weekends

When all this failed to get me evicted,she went round the houses slagging me off to everyone but most of the neighbours know my family and hated her as she’d get pissed up every night and cause endless problems-she would have been locked up if she didn’t have such an important husband (he did a posh,high up job but I can’t remember what)

Some people are just batshit-I’d ignore her

@YouHaveYourFathersBreasts

Assuming you’re not spelling ‘fuck off neighbour’ with your pants or something, then it’s perfectly acceptable to hang out your laundry on your washing line.

She won’t be taken seriously at all. By anyone.

But please do this then post a picture on here 🤣

Does she not have a washing line herself. I would be tempted to speak to her, to try and find out why she has all these little issues with everything. especially her issues with the little happy birds chirping, they are not a load of geese honking away.

What kind of weirdo photographs someone else’s washing? Make it worth her while by following some of the suggestions mentioned already.

You might own your property but that doesn't mean there aren't any covenants governing what you do and don't do (and should have been made aware of during conveyancing)

I've just had to ask permission to replace my septic tank (with something that is going to function better and therefore better for environment) from Canal and Rivers Trust because it was their land 20 years ago. That's actually batsh*t.....

But I'd say keep hanging the washing up. Whistle. Play birdsong. ETC

So where does she hang her own washing? Or does she never do any because the washing machine annoys her?!

@bloodywhitecat

You need to do this on the next sunny day

That is fabulous 🤣🤣🤣

She's early thirties at a guess so no dementia and has a partner .
Our jaws are still on the floor, so haven't been able to give any witty comebacks.
Our fence is 6 feet high and solid but admit to propping the washing up high as it dries better.

Have a look at the Rowan Atkinson sketch 'Constable Savage : Racist Police' on YouTube (I can't fathom how to embed the link) there's a number of 'offences' your neighbour might like to pickup on. E. G. Looking at me in a funny kind of way, walking in a built-up area in a loud shirt,

Just tell her you do roughly 10 loads a week so there will probably be washing there most weeks.

@bloodywhitecat

You need to do this on the next sunny day

This picture was what came to mind as soon I read the opening post...

Snowypetals
I can only see her garden from upstairs window. She has a small airer with clothes chucked haphazardly over.

Tell her you are thinking about giving up washing... and using your spare time to learn the bagpipes?

I had a nightmare interfering neighbour. The best response is "Yes, you let the council know all about my washing" or whatever. Just agree and say "yes, tell them everything" then at some point when she isn't being a twat say "I just want to check that you are aware that any neighbour complaints have to be disclosed if you ever want to sell the house". That'll shut her up, it did ours.

Say a flat out no to any of her demands.
If you try even once to placate her sort then she will just get worse and worse.

Just say you are looking forward to the council visit.

There are no laws regarding washing lines that I’m aware of.

There certainly are laws around harassment.

Might be worth pointing out with a sweet smile. You wouldn’t want her in trouble. 👀

what a weirdo, I wouldn't give it any more head space OP, let her complain

We have a 🦇 bat shit crazy woman who lives a STREET away.
She drove a family out with her bat 🦇 shittery.
These people are barking mad.
Ignore.
Don’t get drawn in to the madness.

What I find disturbing is her photographing my washing and sending to council for all to see. Or maybe even a video of it all flapping.

It's best not to engage with these types of neighbours. Essentially there is nothing you can do.

Embrace your inner Twain: “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”

I had one who kept a "noise diary" about my household. Our noise crimes involved:

• using our stairs
• opening and closing our front door
• a pizza delivery driver knocking our door

They were "building up a case to take to environmental health" so that they could get the recording equipment in. That was 4 years ago now - and the recording equipment has yet to appear! (I know for sure as environmental health have to officially notify you that they are doing so).

I like to think that once they submitted the diary that the Environmental Health officers would have had a good snigger at how utterly ridiculous their complaints were!

@IncompleteSenten

Say a flat out no to any of her demands. If you try even once to placate her sort then she will just get worse and worse.

This. Absolutely do not engage in any way.

She sounds a total pain in the neck. There is no legal right to a view apparently. Ignore.

@Afrodizzyak

What I find disturbing is her photographing my washing and sending to council for all to see. Or maybe even a video of it all flapping.

Our bat shit neighbour CCTV s Everyone. Council may even know if of her.. She may have previous craziness.

Definitely batshit. That said, a flat I rented just after uni did have a rental agreement stipulating that we weren't allowed to dry laundry outdoors. I never questioned it or bothered to find out why (wasn't exactly on top of my list as a 22yo) but would imagine it's something to do with covenants as pp have suggested? Good luck either way, sounds like a nightmare!