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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Ginandvomits · 23/03/2023 08:30

Me too, some of these responses are very sad.

TaunterOfWomenInGeneralSaysSayonarastu · 23/03/2023 09:54

Walterwhiteswifey · 22/03/2023 19:27

It's a tricky one as he has saved you a job mowing the lawn. I'd maybe have given him £20 if he had explained the mistake and been kind. However if he was rude and challenging to you then forget it! He needs to learn some manners, and not then go on to write a note calling someone rude for HIS mistake.

On another note I saw a previous poster's comment of "fuck me pink" and that tickled me no end 😂I'm definitely going to use that one!

How is it tricky?

How on EARTH are you getting to "saved you a job"?

If I turned up at your property & started doing jobs you hadn't booked & didn;t even know I was doing, would you give me money? If yes, can I have your address? I only charge £40 an hour, I'll let you know how much of your money I decided to spend once I've finished. Cash only please.

TaunterOfWomenInGeneralSaysSayonarastu · 23/03/2023 10:00

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 doesn't know where his own mate lives, & accidentally did 2 gardens instead of 1?

Chinny reckon, cheeky fucker.

SofaSpuds · 23/03/2023 10:01

All these posters saying... ah poor young fella, he made a mistake! Just give him 40 / 50 / 100 quid...
Bollix to that!! He chanced his arm & hoped OP would just pay up. Sending the poor me being letter is even more evidence of that. He trying to play on her emotions. I wouldn't give him a penny & he might (but probably won't) learn a lesson not to con people in future.

TaunterOfWomenInGeneralSaysSayonarastu · 23/03/2023 10:01

Oh balls sorry post above makes no sense - neighbour is GRANDMA to CF's mate, not the mate himself!

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 23/03/2023 10:08

How on EARTH are you getting to "saved you a job"?

Yes, we regularly get chancers - claiming to be gardening professionals but oddly not understanding anything about pruning/growing/nesting seasons - wanting to butcher our carefully-cared-for (by us) native species hedge by assuming that it should be like a 'standard' evergreen hedge and cutting it into a uniform boxy shape. Of course, they say 'tidy up' and not 'butcher', but it amounts to the same thing.

If somebody did that without asking us - even if not seeking payment for it - we would be furious with them. They most definitely would not have 'saved us a job' any more than an arsonist burning your house down would have 'saved you the job' of tidying or decorating it.

Walterwhiteswifey · 23/03/2023 10:13

TaunterOfWomenInGeneralSaysSayonarastu · 23/03/2023 09:54

How is it tricky?

How on EARTH are you getting to "saved you a job"?

If I turned up at your property & started doing jobs you hadn't booked & didn;t even know I was doing, would you give me money? If yes, can I have your address? I only charge £40 an hour, I'll let you know how much of your money I decided to spend once I've finished. Cash only please.

Ok ok take your point! You also used Chinny reckon which I haven't heard in years and cracked me up 😂

TaunterOfWomenInGeneralSaysSayonarastu · 23/03/2023 10:17

Walterwhiteswifey · 23/03/2023 10:13

Ok ok take your point! You also used Chinny reckon which I haven't heard in years and cracked me up 😂

Thank you wifey, that IS a gracious response.

(pm'ing you my bank details, £40 for the laughs please)

Walterwhiteswifey · 23/03/2023 10:19

TaunterOfWomenInGeneralSaysSayonarastu · 23/03/2023 10:17

Thank you wifey, that IS a gracious response.

(pm'ing you my bank details, £40 for the laughs please)

Would be money well spent 😁

TeapotCollection · 23/03/2023 10:21

Veryxonfused · Yesterday 21:08 Whilst asking for the money you should have got a pen and paper, drew a little portrait of him and asked him to pay up for it since he saw you doing it and didn’t stop you. Don’t you deserve to be paid for your art work?

This is HILARIOUS 😂

MRex · 23/03/2023 10:25

Obviously you can't pay for work you didn't ask for, on principle. It's so so hard to get a gardener though.

Going rate is £20-30/hr in London, but we can never get anyone to turn up. Maybe they're all super busy doing neighbouring properties.

Opaljewel · 23/03/2023 11:10

ShagratandGorbag4ever · 22/03/2023 23:30

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

😂omg I've not had one of those emails for years. Hilarious.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 23/03/2023 11:16

You also used Chinny reckon which I haven't heard in years and cracked me up 😂

Would children have the faintest idea what that meant nowadays? Have they even heard of Jimmy Hill?! Grin

MumOf2workOptions · 23/03/2023 11:17

TeapotCollection · 23/03/2023 10:21

Veryxonfused · Yesterday 21:08 Whilst asking for the money you should have got a pen and paper, drew a little portrait of him and asked him to pay up for it since he saw you doing it and didn’t stop you. Don’t you deserve to be paid for your art work?

This is HILARIOUS 😂

Love this!!!

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 23/03/2023 12:38

Just an update to say that there has been no update.

Lad hasn't been back since the note and neighbour has said he can jog on if he asks her for payment.
I haven't been shamed on Facebook either or had any grass cuttings dumped on the garden.

DH isn't too happy with the state of the plants. FIL is going to come have a look at them over the weekend and try to save/fix what he can. On the plus side the garden does look neater.

OP posts:
ArmWrestlingWithChasNDave · 23/03/2023 15:22

moveoverye · 22/03/2023 19:47

Others may scoff bit I’d do the same. And I am not naïve and liable to fall for scams. Just a nice appreciative person who doesn’t shut the door in people’s faces.

You are very naive and very vulnerable to scams. Be careful.

jannier · 23/03/2023 15:27

It's a common scam

vivainsomnia · 23/03/2023 15:31

You are very naive and very vulnerable to scams. Be careful
But this wasn't a scam it was a genuine mistake. Scammers don't do to jobs in the hope to be paid unless they are very stupid ones!

Siepie · 23/03/2023 15:49

vivainsomnia · 23/03/2023 15:31

You are very naive and very vulnerable to scams. Be careful
But this wasn't a scam it was a genuine mistake. Scammers don't do to jobs in the hope to be paid unless they are very stupid ones!

Yes they do! Roofing scams, drain cleaning scams, etc. This is a well-known type of scam.

SofaSpuds · 23/03/2023 15:58

vivainsomnia · 23/03/2023 15:31

You are very naive and very vulnerable to scams. Be careful
But this wasn't a scam it was a genuine mistake. Scammers don't do to jobs in the hope to be paid unless they are very stupid ones!

If you believe that I've a lovely bridge over the Thames to sell you....

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 23/03/2023 16:14

vivainsomnia · 23/03/2023 15:31

You are very naive and very vulnerable to scams. Be careful
But this wasn't a scam it was a genuine mistake. Scammers don't do to jobs in the hope to be paid unless they are very stupid ones!

It was a scam.
He knew where she lived and lied

OP posts:
ReedRite · 23/03/2023 16:50

vivainsomnia · 23/03/2023 15:31

You are very naive and very vulnerable to scams. Be careful
But this wasn't a scam it was a genuine mistake. Scammers don't do to jobs in the hope to be paid unless they are very stupid ones!

Bloody hell, where have you been living?! It’s the oldest trick in the book!!

Bekstar · 23/03/2023 17:59

Tell him you didn't ask for it to be done. That you were treating the lawn and didn't want it cut at that moment in time as it had just been fed so he should be thankful he isn't been charged with criminal damage but as it was his mistake then he needed to realise you weren't about to pay for something you'd didn't want doing.

Coffeemummy123 · 23/03/2023 17:59

Straight to the cop shop. I like a wild garden so if that happened to mine I would sue. Who isn't embarrassed and apologetic when they're in the wrong? Sounds fishy!

dworky · 23/03/2023 18:00

"You mowed my lawn by mistake, how exactly is that my problem?"