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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:
Nanny0gg · 22/03/2023 18:58

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 22/03/2023 16:35

I've never employed a gardener in my life so have no idea if that really is the going rate.

Show quote history

£20 ph here

Original poster
SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 22/03/2023 19:00

Dee00 · 22/03/2023 18:51

It’s his fault and you certainly don’t have to pay him a penny but honestly, I would have. Maybe I’m a soft touch, but at the end of the day he has tidied up your garden. I wouldn’t dream of paying him £100 for work I didn’t want but I would happily slip him around £30-£50 as a goodwill.

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

OP posts:
CosyFanTucci · 22/03/2023 19:03

Your butler didn't deal with the scamp?

Rosscameasdoody · 22/03/2023 19:05

I would explain to him that in real life it’s on him to check that he has the right house before he does the work - he clearly knew you were at home so if there was any doubt he should have knocked and checked before starting. If you’re WFH you would have been too busy to notice, and that’s no excuse anyway. If he still insists, tell him to fuck off and if he doesn’t, threaten to call the police. This sounds like a scam - if you pay him, you’re perpetuating it. There is no law in this land that would uphold you paying someone for a service you didn’t request and didn’t want.

Bored86 · 22/03/2023 19:05

Please tell me you couldn’t have just worked this out for yourself. The lad would have been given 10 seconds to remove himself from my property before the police were called. Sounds like your typical “tarmac your drive” con artist. Use your brain before feeling the need to come online.

Pythonesque · 22/03/2023 19:09

The correct way for him to have approached you would have been along the lines of, awfully sorry, did your garden by mistake. Are you interested in having a regular lawn-mowing service in the future, if so here's my details etc.

And then you might have said yes to paying in the future, if you were a) interested b) could afford it and c) liked what he'd done this time. Since none of those sound to be true you would have still said no and it would have been fine.

KateAusten · 22/03/2023 19:11

We don't answer the door to people we don't know

Original poster
SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 22/03/2023 19:14

Bored86 · 22/03/2023 19:05

Please tell me you couldn’t have just worked this out for yourself. The lad would have been given 10 seconds to remove himself from my property before the police were called. Sounds like your typical “tarmac your drive” con artist. Use your brain before feeling the need to come online.

Wow you are bored aren't you.

OP posts:
Rosscameasdoody · 22/03/2023 19:20

TaunterOfWomenInGeneralSaysSayonarastu · 22/03/2023 16:23

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.
"Your working relationship with my neighbour is nothing to do with me."

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.
It's not your problem that he was hired for somebody else's job, & decided to randomly do a job that you didn't ask for & knew nothing about.

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.
"Come off it, I'm not responsible for YOUR mistake."

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'.
"I didn't know you were cutting MY lawn, had I known I would have stopped you."

How did he get the neighbour's job without knowing which house was theirs?
It's unusual for a gardener to quote without seeing the garden first!

I also don’t understand how he came to do both gardens and didn’t know they were two separate houses, given that there’s a knee high wall in between !!

Veryxonfused · 22/03/2023 19:24

Some people on here are absolute mugs, wow

Original poster
SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 22/03/2023 19:26

Rosscameasdoody · 22/03/2023 19:20

I also don’t understand how he came to do both gardens and didn’t know they were two separate houses, given that there’s a knee high wall in between !!

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I think it's bollocks tbh. It's clearly 2 different gardens. Every garden on the street is separated by the same sort of wall

OP posts:
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!

Zonder · 22/03/2023 19:29

I don't know why people are surprised the OP didn't know he was cutting her lawn. We don't all live in the same kind of house. I work at my desk at the back of the house and I wouldn't have a clue if someone was mowing my front lawn.

Siepie · 22/03/2023 19:31

LuluLehman · 22/03/2023 18:39

Ah, it's a young lad finding a way to get himself out of a difficult situation. This is to be commended in this day and age. He made a mistake, and I'm sure that you have no obligation to pay him, but if it was me and if I had the money, I would pay him the same as the neighbours have. After all, the garden is now done, saving you a lot of trouble. He won't make the same mistake in the future.

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

Xenia · 22/03/2023 19:39

I would have been outside quickly to remove the trespasser but you had no legal duty to do that and arguably he owes compensation for damaging/changing your property (even if he thinks he has done a good job). It is technically criminal damage in my view so he certainly can whistle for his money

moveoverye · 22/03/2023 19:47

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.

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.

Pixiedust1234 · 22/03/2023 19:47

So let me get this straight. He wants paying because

You didn't number your house properly.
His time needs compensating .
You should have heard the mower or seen him.
Its your fault for not stopping him.

Now he's resorted to putting notes through your door demanding payment?

Fuck that and fuck his manipulative twattery. I wonder if his hard times involve a SO or DW who kicked him out for cohersive control because nothing is ever his fault?

Since you are not happy with his standard of work ask him to put it back to how it was and call it quits. I would refuse to pay him on the grounds its all your fault, not his and never will be his.

mellicauli · 22/03/2023 19:53

Tell him you were going to feed your goat on that grass and you will sue him for the additional cost of providing it with feed.

MelchiorsMistress · 22/03/2023 19:56

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.

Show quote history

You must also be in a fortunate position to have spare money floating around that enables you to be ‘nice and appreciative’ when a stranger expects your money out of nowhere.

CoffeeLover90 · 22/03/2023 20:03

You mentioned a geordie accent, I'm quite close to the land of why aye and it's a very common scam here. Different excuses each time, such as your address was in the book by mistake. When neighbours already paid for a grass cut that doesn't excuse him also working on the borders and plants, he would have cut the grass only as that's what he was paid to do. He then conveniently realised after finishing your garden and done next doors too. I also work in my back bedroom, without headphones, and I couldn't tell you if someone was working in my front garden.

Original poster
SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 22/03/2023 20:05

CoffeeLover90 · 22/03/2023 20:03

You mentioned a geordie accent, I'm quite close to the land of why aye and it's a very common scam here. Different excuses each time, such as your address was in the book by mistake. When neighbours already paid for a grass cut that doesn't excuse him also working on the borders and plants, he would have cut the grass only as that's what he was paid to do. He then conveniently realised after finishing your garden and done next doors too. I also work in my back bedroom, without headphones, and I couldn't tell you if someone was working in my front garden.

Literally never come across this sort of thing in my life. My mam thinks it's hilarious

OP posts:
CoffeeLover90 · 22/03/2023 20:05

Just to add, a mate of next doors grandson and paid in advance so surely has seen the garden beforehand? Otherwise he's taken £50 with a possibility of showing up to an acre of land. I recon he's done yous as could use the wrong garden excuse.

determinedtomakethiswork · 22/03/2023 20:07

He should be paying you for having destroyed your lawn!

MadMax22323 · 22/03/2023 20:08

You CERTAINLY don't have to pay, BUT, it may be the best thing to do - as selling as the job is decent and it's an okay price. Ask your Neighbour do they know him, doubt it they do though. Does he have an Irish accent by any chance ?

tracylamont13 · 22/03/2023 20:10

I'm a professional gardener and would never ask for money under those circumstances (I've never actually cut the wrong grass but it does happen!). It's his mistake, not yours.