To think my neighbour is outright rude

[3pteepee]

We bought our house a year back and have never spoken or seen our neighbours on one side. Today we had some guests over and we were chatting on our patio furniture from about 7-9pm as it was too hot indoors. We have a detached house but neighbour was in her garden too and suddenly around 9pm started yelling about us being so loud and always shouting, never talking and being very annoying. When she said it we immediately said we apologise if you’re getting disturbed we’ll move inside in few minutes. She went on shouting and sprayed water with hose on our guests and my elderly parents. We were shocked and embarrassed in front of our guests. We never have guests outdoors except few summer weekends and are usually quite during the day, may have a noisy few hours daily before the 5year olds bedtime. We don’t drink or party in the garden/barbecue or play loud music ever. I’m so scarred by this crazy rude behaviour that I feel like moving far away from the lady. Am I being unreasonable in thinking I need to complain about her to local services?

It is common assault but by calling the police, you’ll need to declare a neighbour dispute if you do sell.

I would try to speak to her son, probably pointless talking to her. Spraying you is absolutely outrageous. You are perfectly entitled to use your garden in the evening.

Exactly. This didn't come out of the blue, you've been annoying her for a long time and she couldn't take it any more. She snapped.

Pull the other one. A family of three, who work long hours, with ONE five year old. In a detached house.

She "snapped" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

God Alive. There are clearly other issues ( to do with your neighbour ) at play here.

It's not you it's her, OP.

I'd go and have a chat with the son OP and make good. I bet you he's really apologetic. I'd say that there are problems there to do something so extreme.

If you think you're going to move, then any official complaint against your neighbour would have to be revealed to buyers. A troublesome neighbour is a big deterrent to many.

You do have noisy periods daily so perhaps A) you don't know how much your kids noise carries and B) her annoyance and resentment has been building daily for a long time. If it's a single person with no kids then your "normal" voice levels may be very different from hers.

Whether or not you have ever had a loud party, it seems you are loud people. Some people do seem to have no dimmer volume on their voices, and a noisy few hours daily with loud voices and a 5 year old is probably the real problem, and the loud conversation in the yard was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Lol at posters justifying you being sprayed.

And the loud "conversation " that 'broke' your neighbour.

Because it's preferable to believe someone who can't regulate their emotions and not the OP in the small family with one 5 year old.

It would be sensible to log this via 101 just in case she has 'previous', or acts disproportionately again.

Your neighbour is mad as a lorry and spraying water on you is entering the realms of assault.

Even if you are ‘loud talkers’ you are still entitled to have a conversation with friends in your own garden before 9pm. It is also reasonable for a child to be playing in the garden before bedtime. People absolutely cannot expect not to hear their neighbours in an adjoining garden. Late nights, loud music, parties, power tools at 6am - those things are unreasonable in a garden. Chatting with friends or playing with children are not unreasonable. If neighbours are annoyed by it, that’s very much their problem. Nobody can expect to live next door to other people and not hear their voices outdoors.

This!
My neighbour's daughter (who was about 70 and didn't live there) went out of her way be horrible. At one point she left the garage door open for no reason (her mum had died by now so she was in the process of selling it. The door was left at head height for my children, it was evening and dark, the way our houses are laid out we'd come out if our doorway down the path and cross in front of her garage, my kids used to run ahead (all ok our own driveway so very safe ) so I can only assume it was purposefully done to cause damage to our children.
I phoned their estate agent and read them the riot act that she has done this on purpose and ring her and tell her she has 10 minutes to get herself here and close the door or I am calling the police and pressing charges (if possible) - the police had approximately 20-30 calls logged from us where she abused us at our home, swearing in front of kids and guests, parking on our driveway, parking across our driveway, (all to hassle us and always had swearing and shouting involved.... don't let it go, get the incidents officially recorded and if they're willing ask the police if someone can talk ti her about the fact she's abused your guests and you talking in the garden at 9pm isn't disturbing or unacceptable - batty old bag

Yep, that is totally crossing the line, your poor parents and guests. I would definitely report to the police so hopefully they can intervene and nip it in the bud early, it sounds like this would just escalate into one of those threads where you try to be reasonable and they keep doing more and more batshit things until you have to report her anyway.

If the neighbours dont want to hear people doing normal social things like talking and kids being kids, they should live somewhere with no neighbours.

It would be different if you had constant loud music blaring and parties into the night but even then you cant spray people with water, thats assault!

Would that be "the OP in the small family with one 5 year old" who described her family as having "a noisy few hours daily"?

Would that be "the OP in the small family with one 5 year old" who described her family as having "a noisy few hours daily"?

Yep 👍🏻

We all know it's relative. And that's compared to the rest of the day.

It's ONE five year old 🤣

Report to social services? That sounds malicious.

I'd talk to her son, sounds to me like dementia #beenthere

Do you live in my street?! They've also just got a new dog and I have never heard people who can make as much noise as they do getting into a car- doors banging 10 times whilst they get in and out. If it wasn't so annoying it'd be comical.

Agree @stayathomegardener

I'd probably have reported that to the police. That's appalling behaviour.

If it was me I'd spray her every single time she left her house till she apologised; it would escalate and I'd end up on one of those channel5 programmes 🤦🏻‍♀️

Yes, burt @lemmein, you wouldn’t would you. Everyone is proper hard on here when never opening a door without a prior written appointment.

@Puffalicious - I may well do, takes them about half an hour to leave the house, front door slammed, car door slammed, then shouting, then front door opens and repeat. The silence when they’ve gone is deafening. The saying goodbye to guests at 11pm is my favourite, IT’S BEEN SOOO LOVELY starts half hour conversation at full volume.

'Proper hard' 🤣🤣🤣

God- it's awful isn't it? Ours have about another 10 kids over EVERY DAY as I think she's looking after half of the extended family's kids over the school holidays (started 3 weeks ago here) as well as her own 3. They're often still on the trampoline at 10pm 😵‍💫 and they're as LOUD as the parents!

PS I have 3 kids- 2 teens and a 10yo. All inside by 9pm - 10yo in bed, teens inside with friends/ us. Thank God the 10yo sleeps through noise.

Laughing at everyone asking if you're loud but unaware - who gives a shit? It was 9pm, not midnight - and even so, a polite 'could you keep it down please?' would've been enough. Outrageous that she sprayed you all!

totally agree
her age is no excuse for assaulting you all.
she is clearly unhinged

Yes call the police, I'm sure they will send an officer over immediately