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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

The F###ing scaffolding is back!

273 replies

Allthecoolusernamesaregone · 11/07/2022 17:33

Post 3

Briefly Post 1, Had had neighbour (1)’s scaffolding up in my garden for a month and then had argument with her misogynistic builder.

Post 2, Building work completed. Overjoyed that scaffolding finally removed Saturday morning - until I found out this was not by the company which owned it.

Today neighbour(2) said ‘I see your scaffolding has gone. Lucky you. Mine should have gone Saturday morning’

Long story short her scaffolding company thought they had collected and couldn’t understand why she was complaining, until she told them they had gone to the wrong address.

I asked her to make it clear that whatever they did with the scaffolding, I didn’t want it back. She agreed completely. She is fed up with hers, and that was for work on her own house.

I came home to find it in my front garden. It is no longer erected, doesn’t block light or access, but it takes up more space as all of the boards and poles are on the ground.

I understand to a degree why neighbour(2)’s company returned the items to where they found them.

I asked DH to phone the owning company to sort out collection, I desperately wanted someone to treat this seriously and thought he would stand a better chance.

Anyway he didn’t have any luck either. They can’t (won’t) collect until 29/7/22 - which is actually later than the date they have already given neighbour (1).

I will have no lawn left by then, there’s not enough space to use my table and chairs and I can’t easily get to my greenhouse.

We thought that after they presumably thought it had been stolen before they would want to collect urgently now it’s back.

What is my AIBU?

Have just been telling neighbour (3) about the saga. He queried why they hadn’t seen that the stencilled markings on the equipment weren’t theirs. His eyes lit up a bit when I said there were none.

He has always been fine with us, but he ‘knows’ lots of people and some of them are not averse to ‘catching’ things which ‘fall’ from lorries, etc.

He pointedly said it wasn’t a good idea for them to leave it lying in my garden, that dismantling it was noisy and time consuming, but just picking it up wasn’t, and it could easily just go missing when I was out.

I do want it gone. The man DH spoke to was rude and arrogant.

We are actually going out for several hours this evening.

WIBU to let that slip to neighbour (3)?

(I suspect it is unreasonable and that my desire to get rid of this inconvenience is clouding my normally very honest judgement.)

OP posts:
supertedlasso · 11/07/2022 17:35

I knew just from the title it was you! Not unreasonable at all!

Maireas · 11/07/2022 17:36

Well. This is some saga.

FrankLampardsBrokenHand · 11/07/2022 17:37

Christ no, it's not your responsibility at all. I'd move it to your neighbour's drive (the one who's actually having the work done) and tell her to sort it out.

You've far more patience than I have!

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 11/07/2022 17:37

Not unreasonable- you were just having a neighbourly chat!!

I think I would have posted it as free on Facebook !!!

DDivaStar · 11/07/2022 17:37

I would just put it in the garden of the neighbours who had the work done.....

UrsulaPandress · 11/07/2022 17:37

Let them take it.

Tossers.

janesmithsdog · 11/07/2022 17:38

I’d pile it all in the road.

Stevienickssnickers · 11/07/2022 17:38

That would be gone in hours round here, our old radiator disappeared before the plumber had even fitted the new one.

I'd be telling them clearly that you're not responsible for their property and they need to get it before someone else does.

Ilikewinter · 11/07/2022 17:39

Oh no ..... yeah also read the title and knew it was going to be from you!!!

What a nightmare, well if its mentioned in a neighbourly chat that youre going out theres nothing wrong in that.

007DoubleOSeven · 11/07/2022 17:40

Report them for fly tipping.

SnowdropsInSpring · 11/07/2022 17:40

Move it it to the pavement/ road and call them to tell them that they need to sort it?

crowsfeet57 · 11/07/2022 17:41

Scaffolding companies are notorious for leaving the scaffolding at customers' premises until they need it for a new job. give them a deadline, say 48 hours after which time you will dispose of it.

SnowdropsInSpring · 11/07/2022 17:41

007DoubleOSeven · 11/07/2022 17:40

Report them for fly tipping.

Yes - this is a good one.

It's going to damage your garden. It needs to be moved.

UrsulaPandress · 11/07/2022 17:41

Those saying move it? Any idea how heavy it is 🙄

SamphirethePogoingStickerist · 11/07/2022 17:41

You start by asking your local council, to alert trading standards.

Contact the scaffolder and point out that it is no longer insured, no H+S cover for 3rd party injuries or damage and it's in your garden, not that of his customer and you will be seeking legal redress. He has 24 hours to take it away. Put that in writing, an email will do, and have at him.

And you practice your patient but pissed off glare for your neighbours.

supertedlasso · 11/07/2022 17:41

Do you get scrap men? It would be gone very fast here too.

chilledbubble · 11/07/2022 17:43

Saga indeed!! I'd tell neighbour 1 it was there and you aren't responsible for keeping it safe. Then yes, they might need a bit more notice, but yes sure if you see him on your way out say oooh we're just off out for the evening.

MargotMoon · 11/07/2022 17:44

Flog it to neighbour 3's dodgy mates.

forrestgreen · 11/07/2022 17:44

I'd ring them back, say you're going on holiday on Friday. And that you've already had dodgy people knocking on your door enquiring....

ThreeLittleDots · 11/07/2022 17:46

Absolute fuckers. Wash your hands of it and hope it's nicked.

IdiotCreatures · 11/07/2022 17:47

That's some lovely scaffolding lying on your front garden, wouldn't it be a shame if it went wandering.
I'd tip my neighbor the wink in your shoes.

Poppyseed14 · 11/07/2022 17:47

Good heavens OP you really couldn't make this up!

Snowpatrolling · 11/07/2022 17:47

I’m sure the neighbours would love to know your going out for a few hours!
I bloody would!

Lemonyfuckit · 11/07/2022 17:48

You've got far far more patience than I have Op! I would tell scaffolding company that if they don't collect it tomorrow you will dispose of it. Then see if there's anyone who wants free scaffolding - agree re seeing if there are any scrap merchants etc around who would come and collect it. Totally get the sentiment re just dumping it in your neighbour's garden (this really isn't your problem any more) but presume it would actually be a ballache for you to physically move it yourselves? Not sure how much of it there is. Otherwise yes another vote for putting in your neighbour's garden, this really needs to be her problem not yours but make crystal clear to the scaffolding company that if it's not gone by end of tomorrow you'll get rid of it, in hope they pull their finger out and come and get it tomorrow.

Do keep please keep us updated, am sure we all have the rage on your behalf!

Allthecoolusernamesaregone · 11/07/2022 17:48

Actually I like the lack of insurance angle, and telling them I have had people knocking on the door.
I don’t understand why they don’t want to come and get it straight away after it went missing once.

OP posts: