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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Someone has cut my grass and now wants money

384 replies

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 22/03/2023 14:07

I'm working from home today today and heard the noise of a lawn mower out the front. I didn't really give it much thought and just moved into one of the back rooms.

I've just had a young bloke knock on the door and he explained that he's accidentally 'done my garden' instead of my neighbours. We live in a semi and it's the neighbour we are attached to. Our front gardens are separated by a knee high wall. Neighbour is out (car is gone and they aren't answering their door so I assume they're out) but the lad wants paying for cutting my grass. Since neighbour pre-paid him and they're aren't in, he's now saying that I owe him money because he has provided me with a service.

Neighbours garden is just grass surrounded by the wall. My garden is a bit more wild with plant boarders all around and a couple of small trees and bushes. The lad has cut my grass, trimmed the edges, tidied some of the bushes etc. It's obviously a bigger job than what he was hired for.

I don't want to pay because I didn't ask him to do this. Nor am I too happy with the job he's done anyways. He's saying that his time needs compensating and if our houses were clearly marked then the mistake wouldn't have happened. He's also saying that since I'm home and could hear the lawn mower, I should have said something instead of 'letting' him carry on 'doing my garden'.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Justalittlebitduckling · 22/03/2023 22:01

Frustrating for him, but you don’t owe him anything. Otherwise where would it end? People would just show up, paint your house, chop down your trees, wash your car and demand money constantly.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 22/03/2023 22:16

I don't have £30-£50 to spare! Hence why I don't hire gardeners

I think this is it, really. Whether he's a scammer or just really dopey, he's assuming that he - sob story and all - can't do without the money, but also that other random strangers can do without it.

Why would he expect you to have to go without paying an essential bill, just because he stupidly put in a couple of hours in mowing your lawn and wrecking your bushes for the year?

The first two basic laws of selling people services (even more so than goods, most of which can always be taken back) are that you make sure they have the money to pay you and that they are willing to pay it to you in exchange for the service you are offering.

Raineth · 22/03/2023 22:19

Therenis a known scam where people do work on your property then demand you pay for it. 👀 He sounds either a scammer of incredibly thick.

I’ve hired the occasional gardener in the past for lawns etc. They have NEVER just started work without first ringing bell and checking that it’s ok to do so.

Tell him that you didn’t want any work done and to leave you alone or you’ll report him to the police as a scammer.

Sophie89j · 22/03/2023 22:24

If he gets prepaid he obviously knows which how he should have been doing! Full of shit! I’d tell him to bugger off.

JackiePlace · 22/03/2023 22:28

Tell him he's getting nowt and to get off your land.
Cheeky bugger!

Tourmalines · 22/03/2023 22:39

It’s a lesson learnt by him . Check the right address . You should not feel obligated to pay , that’s ridiculous. He can put this out as a freebie which he can probably afford . He should see it like a workout at the gym, without the gym fees .

BadLad · 22/03/2023 22:42

Don’t pay him. Hell him learn the essential skill of making sure he’s got the right fucking house before he starts meddling with it. You’re lucky he doesn’t work in the demolition industry.

Blondeshavemorefun · 22/03/2023 22:44

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 22/03/2023 18:21

So a note came through the door from him basically saying I was rude followed by a sob story and saying that he didn't realise the garden was ours, thought it was hers.

DH has taken it next door (I was in the middle of cooking tea) and spoken with neighbour. Turns out the lad is a mate of her Grandson who's going through a rough time. She had sent him £50 to mow the lawn and a couple odd jobs on her house.

She's quite shocked he did our garden as well. So far she hasn't heard anything from grandson or his mate.

So he was laid by friends granny. Did your garden then wanted paying again

For his mistake

Erm. No

Blondeshavemorefun · 22/03/2023 22:45

Ffs paid. Not laid

Hopefully friends granny didn't pay his friend for sex 🙀😂

LuluLehman · 22/03/2023 22:48

Siepie · 22/03/2023 19:31

I'm almost certain he will make the same 'mistake' in the future if he learns he can get £100 out of it!

Show quote history

The neighbours paid him £50 didn't they?

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 22/03/2023 22:54

If he gets prepaid he obviously knows which how he should have been doing!

To give him the benefit of the very big doubt, OP said that the neighbours had SENT him the money, so could have pinged it to him via online banking and then given the address.

Some people really are just so thick, though; some even seem to find it difficult to understand the concept of non-detached houses belonging to different people. Delivery folk often confuse our semi-detached house with the one attached to it, even though they are different colours, clearly differently styled, have two separate satellite dishes and, erm, two different front doors with different numbers on them!

ReadersD1gest · 22/03/2023 22:55

Would you really pay in advance of your grass being cut, though? To some random?

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 22/03/2023 23:03

OP said it was their grandson's mate, so not a complete unvouched-for stranger.

cherish123 · 22/03/2023 23:12

No way should you pay him! It was his mistake.

ShagratandGorbag4ever · 22/03/2023 23:30

vivainsomnia · 22/03/2023 14:25

I can't believe the responses. What a nasty nasty world we live in. Here's a young lad who is cutting grass for a bit of pocket money, who made an understandable mistake that ultimately benefited you.

Are you that heartless that you can't give him at least something? I wouldn't have thought twice just because it's a nice thing to do to a young hard working lad.

Yes, but you would be getting your Nigerian prince to foot the bill.

Lydiahateswashing · 22/03/2023 23:30

YANBU.

He is an absolute chancer.

Mamanyt · 22/03/2023 23:34

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 22/03/2023 14:39

Now if he'd accidentally folded and put my washing away I'd be divorcing DH and marrying this man....

Show quote history

If he'd done that, I might fight you for him!

maddy68 · 22/03/2023 23:43

Agree you don't need to pay.

This is his mistake But. He has worked hard and is now going pay free. .... Offer his something If a) you can afford it b) you like the job.

DancyNancy · 23/03/2023 06:57

Plus for my work I spend quite a bit of time editing promo videos so have headphones on. I don't pay any attention to background noise.

@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea while I was reading this I initially thought you very casually slipped in that you spend a lot of time editing porno videos 😂

dexterslockedintheshedagain · 23/03/2023 07:18

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 22/03/2023 23:03

OP said it was their grandson's mate, so not a complete unvouched-for stranger.

It is a mate of the neighbours grandson, not the OP. So he IS a random.

ShippingForecastMeditator · 23/03/2023 07:36

I'm a gardener (self-employed now thank god). Last year I was working for a horribly disorganised company where this could easily have happened. (Unqualified) staff turnover was high and we weren't given a proper description of the gardens we were going to, or what was required by the client. Many houses don't display numbers. I had nightmares about this exact scenario. If I had messed up there's no way I'd have charged though!

whateverwillbewillbewontit · 23/03/2023 07:48

Oh bless his heart. Nice try but, no! 😂

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 23/03/2023 07:56

It is a mate of the neighbours grandson, not the OP. So he IS a random.

Yes, but I was replying to (and directly after - seemed silly to quote it immediately again) the post that asked:

Would you really pay in advance of your grass being cut, though? To some random?

To the people who paid in advance, he wasn't a complete random - he was their grandson's friend.

He IS indeed a complete random to OP - but OP hadn't paid him in advance of their grass being cut, as OP was obviously not expecting, wanting or requesting to use the man's services.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 23/03/2023 08:03

Many houses don't display numbers. I had nightmares about this exact scenario. If I had messed up there's no way I'd have charged though!

Surely, in that scenario, you would either knock on the door or call the contact number that you took when you accepted the booking?

What would somebody do if they'd been booked and/or paid to paint a house, put up scaffolding, instal a pond, tarmac a drive or something else that wouldn't be 'undone' by nature anyway within a few weeks/months, in case of a mistake?

OoooohMatron · 23/03/2023 08:26

Err. That's not how it works mate!