Neighbour keeps moving my bins

[Zodibatcat]

AIBU - I moved into a new house and everyone puts the bins out the front, next to front door. There is enough space on each side for me and my neighbour to place our bins next to our doors without going over the boundary into each others space. However my neighbour had their bins significantly over onto my side, meaning my bins overlap my front door on the key side. So thinking that it must have been a temporary situation while the place was empty I moved their bins back onto their side and moved my bins so that I could access my front door properly.
They were also using my bins while the place was empty meaning when I moved in I had very little space left for bin day. Not the best when you’re moving as you end up with a lot of rubbish. I didn’t want to be petty so didn’t say anything but I thought their behaviour was a bit cheeky/inconsiderate.
Then on bin day the male neighbour brought my bin back in and left it askew under my front window not by the front door where it was and moved his bins back even further into my side than they were before.
I didn’t ask him to bring my bin in.
Perhaps I’m being over sensitive but I really feel that his behaviour was a bit of a message. As if he’s trying to tell me where I should put my bins. This has happened more than once. The boundary of the two houses is very clear (a drainpipe and different colours of rough cast) and he has enough space on his own side for his bins but seems to want to insist that he should be allowed more space at my expense. I don’t feel I can approach him as I feel that hes being quite passive aggressive. I don’t want bad feeling as they seem otherwise nice and say hello, but I don’t want taken advantage of either.

I’m thinking of putting up a trellis between us (making sure it is attached to my side only) which would just block him from even being able to do this with the bins, but don’t want any trouble.

Trellis up on your side sounds like a great idea.

Very obvious demarcation and if asked you can simply state you felt it would give you both a little more privacy when coming in and out of your front doors- nothing unpleasant about that.

This would really annoy me. It's my house and my bin so keep off mate. Stick a trellis up.

Do you have space for a tall plant pot on your your side to use as a boundary? Your neighbour’s behaviour would piss me off!

I would just ask him why he is putting his bins on your side, in a jokey friendly way and hope he gets the message. If not would go with trellis/plant pot idea

There's no point being passive aggressive rather than having a simple conversation - putting a trellis up is going to create more bad feeling than speaking to him.

I don’t feel I can approach him as I feel that hes being quite passive aggressive. I don’t want bad feeling as they seem otherwise nice and say hello, but I don’t want taken advantage of either.

Passive aggressive is honestly best dealt with head-on.

‘Hey, neighbour, hope you don’t mind me keep moving your bins over a bit but they block my front door when they’re too far this way.’

Say it with a cheerful tone of voice and then follow up with something innocuous about the neighbourhood that you might plausibly not know (‘Where do you get green bags for garden Easter?’ or ‘Do you know a window cleaner?’ or something) so there’s a different question to answer and the bin chat is moved on from.

Trellis is a great idea.

You could approach him without it being a drama too by thanking him for bringing your bins in when you next see him but go on to say you’d rather do it yourself so he doesn’t need to bother himself. Say it with big smiles, very overly cheery.

Oh, I'd just say something. Like, hey, not sure what's the deal with the bins, but yours need to be on your land. And no need to bring mine in, I've got them.

Get bin store for your bin? Does t look petty and you can say you wanted to hide your bin since they set out the front.

Put his bins in front of HIS door. Insufferable, entitled twunt.

Why can't you just say "I had to move your bins slightly as they were causing mine to block my front door".
There will be 2 things that could happen.
1 you end up on one of those Nightmare Neighbours tv programmes or
2 neighbour says "Oh sorry I didnt realise, thanks for telling me".
I expect it would be 2.
Most people are just normal and not petty or passive aggressive about things.

I'd go with a simple bin store too.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166103042640?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=VLidndFjROi&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=tPa1zQcgSc2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Fix it to the wall so it can't be moved up and block your doorway.
It's probably something he's always done without thinking. But up to your boundary is yours not his.

I'd get a bin store.

Oh, I'd just say something. Like, hey, not sure what's the deal with the bins, but yours need to be on your land. And no need to bring mine in, I've got them.
This is sensible. I always deal with issues directly and find I get on better with my neighbours for it. If you carry on playing games with the neighbour about where the bins should be, then it becomes an issue. The next thing you know they will face their Alexa against your parting wall playing Abba's Mama Mia on repeat on full volume each time they go out. (There is, as always, a backstory to this!)

Wow, this sounds like a kind of residential man-spreading! Careful he doesn't piss on your drainpipe.
He's a CF. I don't think passive aggression will work here. I feel the best option is to address it face on. Don't be aggressive and give him an 'out' but just ask 'Why do you keep putting your bin in my garden?'...he'll probably make up some nonsense about the previous arrangement with former householder, but just say 'Well it makes sense to me if you keep yours on your property and I keep mine on my side....unless of course there's a reason you want to swap.

Good luck

Spot on - clever bit of de-esculation there!

Oooh… zip tie his bins to his side of the drainpipe and yours to your side.

"Someone put your bins back on the wrong side of the boundary so I moved them back over to your side." and if it happens again "Someone keeps putting your bind back on the wrong side..." Makes them have to explain why they think they should get to keep their bins on your property, if they think they should.

Thanks to all that replied. I know I should probably just try and have a conversation as suggested but I find dealing with passive aggression like this very difficult. I’m always polite but I’m not good at being assertive and usually end up being apologetic even when it’s not me that’s at fault.
I do feel he knows exactly what he’s doing rather than being unaware though, as after I move my bins back he moves my bins back again. It would be hard not to notice the bin is overhanging my front door as he actually put it there. This has happened a few times now.
As one poster brilliantly put it, it feels more like a case of residential man spreading. Perhaps a bit of we were here first mentality? Who knows? Regardless his bins don’t belong in my space, so I thought the trellis might bring a swift end to this ridiculous bin moving tit for tat. I’m genuinely not trying to be passive aggressive back by moving my bins back, it’s blocking my front door access so I have no choice but to move my bins and his back. The trellis would also give me some privacy. I’m not anti social but must admit I like to keep myself to myself and find the occasions where I’m coming out the door at the same time as a neighbour a bit awkward. I like to just say hello and that’s it, although if someone needed help I’d always oblige. No doubt I’ll have to have a conversation with him sooner rather than later. It’s bin day next Tuesday so will see if it happens again, if it does I’ll need to have a polite conversation wether I want to or not. I thought perhaps, something along the lines of ‘thanks for bringing in the bins but I can manage them myself. Talking of bins, I’ll be putting up a trellis next to them on our side, sorry in advance about the noise, but it won’t take long. Big smile…
Thanks to everyone for all the support, and good advice on how to handle the conversation.

You are not being unreasonable

Knock and tell them to stop it or you will report the matter.