New neighbours (of no specified age) complaining before we've even unpacked!

[Elfblossom]

Revised ...

Moved into our new home yesterday and the new neighbours on one side have already complained - twice, to me yesterday as the removal people were unloading the van and today to the builders working on my patio - about the hedge needing a trim!

Thank you to all the people who wished us well in our new home on my previous post. Sadly it was reported and deleted before I could even read half the 95 comments.

I think it's fairly ironic that it was deleted purely because I specified the age group of the complainers - and I only did that because I felt it was relevant.

For the record, I have some wonderful ex neighbours and friends of a similar age to my new neighbours, who are kind, friendly, welcoming to all and good humoured.

I think the age is relevant because people of working age are - well, working, and have less time to get upset about overgrown hedges!

I’d be telling them the builders on the patio are ready.

And that your last name is Jordache.

I felt it relevant because I was raised to respect people of an unspecified age and whilst I'm no spring chicken myself ... I don't want to give them the opportunity to complain about me being disrespectful but I also don't want to set a precedent of me being a pushover.

Really? You genuinely don't think there are certain age groups more likely to complain more? Have you ever worked in any kind of customer facing role? Or are you just nitpicking?

Appropriate responses
"Oh, okay"
"Happy to so so once nesting season is over"

Obviously if the hedge is causing access issues then trimming it back sooner rather than later would be a practical approach.

We are growing a hedge at one side of our property and have just trimmed the top (it's currently a collection of straggly close-planted shrubs and trees). There is a hedge between us and our neighbour on the other side. They get it trimmed every so often but their gardener cannot reach the top.
Next time we do any work, and have a ladder we may ask of they'd like us to sort the bits the gardener missed. I'm not bothered if not as the birds like it.

Sorry that was in reply to ^

You poor thing ... do you need adopting? I've got room for another ❤️

Where is this hedge in relation to the neighbours ?

agree!

Sorry FightMe, I don't think I dare reveal the age group of the neighbours ... but, I do believe that unhappy children often grow up to be unhappy adults unless they get some support & self awareness.

In addition to the trampoline, which @TwoLeftSocksWithHoles mentioned, you could also let them know that the beehives, chickens, complete with cockerel, goats and pigs will be arriving next week à la Tom & Barbara Good

To the side of their house and there's no windows in the side either so not a view or light blocker.

Well ... now youve suggested it ... there is room 😉

I would say "yes I noticed the hedge, i'll add it to the list!" That way you are acknowledging their concern without jumping to their commands or being dismissive. It does help.

It also saves room under the patio for more deserving cases. Actally the patio jokes might be why it got deleted, not the age 🤔

It could be worse, @Elfblossom.
While I was still married, we moved to a house which had fields at the back almost as far as the eye could see (in the Fens, and needless to say, one of the attractions of the place).
The next day, the neighbours came round in their best bib and tucker, to inform us that they would be applying to build a housing estate on the fields behind our house. (They owned them.)
They did apply and there was a public meeting. Suffice to say, I stood up and said my piece and sat down to a round of applause. The application ground to a halt.
You could say relations were a tad frosty after that...

I expected that to be the reason but, no it specified that it was unfair to that age group 💁

Not to forget the basketball hoop.

😂🤣🤣😂😆

We had neighbours like this but he was at least more polite about it! On the day after we moved in he came across the road to say hello, made some small talk and then gestured towards the wildly overgrown hedge and said very pointedly that he had a hedge trimmer we could borrow. Yeah sorry pal but we have 3ft grass round the back to deal with first, the hedge will just have to wait.

My replies aren't working. I was just suggesting adding a basketball hoop to the list

Are they expecting you to trim their side as well I wonder ?
It's your hedge but are you responsible for the growth over the border Not sure how these things are usually done .

To the people who think I was being ageist - should I treat them exactly the same as I would any other person who made bigoted comments and gossiped about the whole street?

Didn't you know you're not allowed to use the o word here?

I feel very lucky, when we moved in we had a very overgrown holly hedge that wasn't bothering anyone apart from us - it was between our house's front garden and our driveway. No neighbours on either side, just woodland.

A neighbour came over and trimmed it for us, and even tidied up the many many clippings (it is about 20m long) just because he's a kind man and we had a lot of other more important jobs (house had been empty 8 years).

Those are the kind of neighbours you want to be good neighbours to in return ❤️

This place has been empty for 3 years prior and has already had a lot of work done before we actually moved in yesterday.

My children (teens & early 20's) are a bit disappointed as they were hoping for neighbours they could help with shopping and chat to about the past (of a non specific era) as we don't have anyone of the kind of age group I'm not allowed to specify living and they've always felt envious of friends who have ...