Have just sent neighbour’s builder away

[Allthecoolusernamesaregone]

Our neighbour said she was having work done and we agreed access and to have scaffolding in our garden. We knew it would be inconvenient, but the work was only due to take a few days.

We made sure paths etc were clear and the scaffolding was put up about 10 days before the work was due to start.

It makes access through our normal route very tight, and blocks the majority of light to the kitchen, but is about what we thought.

It’s worse at the moment due to a pre existing agreement to look after my friend’s rabbits, as their run takes up a lot of space, and I have to navigate a ‘squirrel style assault course’ to reach my washing line.

The building work didn’t start as planned, and we have now had the scaffolding up for one month. The Tesco delivery man can’t get his trolley through, so we meet in the garden ( yes, I know ‘first world’ problems!).

We didn’t know work would be starting today, but mid morning my dog
barked ( fortunately he was safely in the house). I saw that my back gate had been wedged open, and men were bringing things into the garden.

They knocked on the door to complain that there were some things stored close to one of the access areas. ( the access itself was clear). I have a postage stamp sized garden and with the scaffolding and the rabbit run I don’t really have anywhere else to move things. The one who was doing all the talking said something like ‘it’s on you if it gets ruined then’.

I asked him to make sure the gate was shut when they were not working in my garden due to my dog ( I will have to take him into the open plan front garden on a lead whilst they are working). He told me they weren’t going to be opening and shutting gates all the time.

I asked when they would be working and he said they would be here when they are here and it might be a day this week and then when they had time over a few weeks. He was almost aggressively vague.

I wasn’t happy, the scaffolding is already a pain, and over a period of a few weeks, with no prior notice, I can’t guarantee that no one will accidentally let the dog out not knowing they are there or have left the gate open.

The final straw came when he again banged on my door and demanded I move the rabbit run, which is about 18” away from the path, and not especially in the way. My husband is away and I couldn’t move it on my own even if I had space.

He said it was my garden and my responsibility to move stuff to give him access. He wanted to set up a cement mixer in that space, and plug it in in my garage. (The garage is normally kept locked.) He was very unpleasant.

I admit I lost my temper there. I told him I was pleased he realised it was my garden and as such I wanted him to remove himself and all of his stuff from it.

I have seen the mess sometimes left by mixing cement and if he had been reasonable I would probably have put up with it, but he was not, and he is not running it on my electricity.

He started ranting that he had a right to be there to get to next door’s job.

I told him that access had been granted with my permission and I was now withdrawing it, and he needed to leave.

He then said he was wasting his time dealing with a woman and wanted to speak to my husband.

At that stage I told him to Fuck off, and left saying I would be phoning the police.

I was on hold for 101 but was quite surprised to see him packing up his stuff and going!

My neighbour is at work and unaware of the confrontation. I have no idea how she will react.

He certainly deserved that.

He'll probably do another vanishing job and not even tell the neighbour. But I'd probably put a note through and ask her to ring you.

I’d be asking neighbour for scaffolding removing by x date as you have had it a weeks and enough is enough. Scaffolding company details should be on it if neighbour drags feet. I’m be straight with neighbour you were told 2 days it’s been weeks. It’s been very inconvenient. The cowboy builder was rude and expected access way above what was agreed eg power, cement mixing. You don’t want him on your property. I’d be wary of agreeing to keep scaffolding while they find a nice builder could be months.

Unbelievably rude and unpleasant bully. What a horrible experience. You did the right thing, OP.

I would now ask for scaffolding to come down immediately as you do not want those people back on your property - your neighbour is unlikely to change builders. Please don't feel bad - you have done them a HUGE favour already and enough is enough.

With the current difficulty getting good tradespeople to do a good job for a reasonable price i am expecting your neighbour to be caught between a rock and a hard place.

On the one hand they hopefully will understand what happened. On the other hand there is a good chance they have already paid out. 1 months scaffolding isnt cheap and i expect the guy wouldnt have been so cocky if he didnt have a bit of cash handed over already.

Stand your ground but understand your neighbour might be in a difficult position. How they respond would affect how much i would stand my ground on this.

Tradesman is a complete knob and well done for seeing him off

What a cowboy. You never had to grant them access. You did it to be nice.

Well done for standing up for yourself and telling him where to go. If I was you I would tell your neighbour that the builders can't have access to your garden anymore. Tell her what happened.

Go round and speak to your on neighbour when home . Explain you have permission but need forwarning or it doesn’t happen

This is why I just refused all access and wouldn't agree to scaffolding for next door's extension.

Fuck that!! You did the right thing, no doubt at all.
Put a bolt on your gate & tell your neighbour exactly what this idiot said to you. You really don't want him on your land at all. They'll have to find a new builder so prob best they get the scaffolding down too as you don't want that up for weeks.
Well done you!

Having read your update, I'm even more angry on your behalf.

Whether or not you have a rabbit hutch or a hot tub in your garden is of no concern to your neighbour. You were asked by them if you would give permission to have scaffolding erected in your garden and you did that.

By the sounds of things nothing was ever said about giving the builders access to your garden let alone use your electricity so that your neighbour could get whatever building work they need done actually done.

I wouldn't be giving this particular neighbour my phone number, nor would I be taking theirs.

I also 100% agree with @NumberTheory if you decide to carry on allowing them use your land for the scaffolding.

I wonder if the neighbour is pissed off with them by now as they sound pretty unreliable and uncommitted in terms of getting the work done. You've been more than cooperative and patient.

Well done. He’s disgusting and your neighbour is taking the piss.

I'd speak to the neighbour tonight and tell them what happened, then tell them they've got until the end of the week to remove the scaffolding and the builders no longer have permission to come into your garden other than taking down the scaffolding

Not your problem if neighbour is unhappy. Scaffolding has already been there too long even without all this.

I'm out of words. I am wondering if your neighbours realise who they hired....

No, give the neighbour a chance to sort this out. She's stuck between a rock and a hard place. It's desperately difficult to find builders at the moment and unfortunately because of shortages of materials it can be impossible for them to work through a job efficiently. She also has no idea of how unreasonably he behaved.

OP, I'd suggest you talk to your neighbour this evening, tell her how he talked to you and how he refused to commit to shutting the garden gate etc, and particularly his expectation that he could use your electricity and garage. If I was her I'd be horrified by his behaviour. If the two of you (you and your neighbour) can present a united front it will be easier for you both. Is there anyone else who can take the rabbits? They sound like a problem too far to me!

I'd allow some scaffolding in my garden and I'd probably allow some things to be stored (as I have the room) but no way would I be allowing a messy cement mixer on my property nor letting anyone leave my garden unsecured either.

And like you I'd also tell the misogynistic prick to get fucked if he told me he wanted to speak to my husband instead.My husband is not my keeper.

God knows what the builders wife has to put up;sounds as though she has to be a good little woman who does as she told.

FMD

theres NOTHING about that situation that was ok.

Your neighbour had better be nothing but polite & apologetic.

You didn't have to agree to it, you've already been massively inconvenienced having their scaffolding up for a month.

pretty much everything out of that man's mouth today was completely unacceptable
he's lucky he left as an intact male.

id report him & his intimidating behaviour to the police.

neighbour will have to find another solution & get someone (else) to remove the scaffolding ASAP

JESUS.

Well done OP. You were doing your neighbours a huge favour as Nd they hired the scum of builders to do the job. I would be asking for scaffolding to be removed now too.

Definitely not in the wrong op. Access is that only access. Not mixing shit. Not moving your stuff. Infant surely they should only be on the scaffolding not in your garden at all? And bugger letting them use the electric.

Tell the neighbour not that builder and you expect the scaffolding gone within 2 weeks as you only agreed for one week and it’s already been a month.

The update should be interesting.

What an absolute arse that man was!! You were more tolerant than I would have been - I would’ve told him to sling his hook at his first cheeky comment! My blood is boiling for you!

Well done for standing up to the knob. It’s one thing allowing access for scaffolding (although I would’ve baulked at that), but it’s another to allow your garden to become an extension of the building site! Give your neighbour short shrift and say the scaffolding needs to be taken down within five working days.

Good for you OP. I had my neighbours builder knocking a few weeks ago and after going through the plans to me, he asked to speak with my husband as 'he would understand better'! I was fuming and told him he's a wanker.

We had builders in recently and the cement mixer cost a fortune to run! No way I'd be allowing that!!!!
Grant access for scaffolding, but not access to my garden or anything else for that matter, I'd have told him F off too. Cheeky git

Yes, it sounds as though the neighbour has been really messed around by this guy, and I really don't understand why people are advocating that OP take action that makes things even harder for them.

I bet he didn't tell them he was coming today. If he had I imagine that one of them would have been home to at least when he arrived, and they'd certainly have made sure he had access.