To break into my new neighbours house *THREAD 3: The Final Conundrum*

[Catsos]

I’m really not trying to drag this out 😩 but I seriously need some advice following on from my posts this weekend where my cat (who has a reputation for breaking cat-flaps in the neighbourhood) broke into my new neighbours vacant house while it is being renovated.

Here is the original post if anyone needs more context:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4881905-to-break-into-new-neighbours-house-serious-question-not-trolling

After not being able to get back out the cat-flap he was stuck in there for 48 hours over the bank holiday weekend and then finally released by the builder after various rescue attempts by me.

During that period however some damage occurred to my new neighbours property. I had hoped they would take it all in good spirits as fellow cat owners and we’d laugh about it and be new cat bessie mates but they we’re absolutely seething!!

They have proposed that I pay £1,600!!! for the following:

£800 to replace the rug my cat wee’d on

£400 to replace an area of laminate flooring as apparently the wee has gone into the underlay

I offered to pay £100 for professional rug cleaning, but the wife (who seems very neurotic) says her cats will still be able to smell my cats urine and they don’t want that to stress their cats out when they move them into the new home

£150 for repainting areas of muddy foot prints on the walls where my cat scratched to get out
(again I offered to just wipe them off but the wife insists it is repainted)

£50 to repaint window sils where the crabsticks & icecubes I dropped through the window has damaged the paint

£200 for a new bathroom window vent as I pushed thinly slice honey roasted ham through it

AIBU to think they are being very over the top? I could personally clean/repaint all of these things myself. Should I refuse to pay this amount? I don’t even have this amount available anyway, I would need to get an overdraft.

She went back over and admitted it all, offered to pay up to £400 which is more than plenty.
she could of easily not said anything once the builder let the cat out and pretended ignorance. Even when they came knocking.
The OP did not get the cat stranded inside the house to make the damage. The blame (in my opinion) is partly on the owners for not securing the property.

Kindness? what kindness?

I read that bit too and was too open-mouthed to know how to respond.

£1800 is a lot of money if you don't have insurance.
Is it worth contacting CAB or a local lawyer for 30m free advice.
Maybe you have to pay for the things you did (ham, icecubes) etc but not for the things your cat did (the expensive rug)?

Hardly think the neighbours are being idiots because they want damage rectified properly. They are obviously putting a lot of effort and money into renovating their new home. Crab sticks are probably one of the worst things OP could have put through the window and not all vents are a simple clean.

All the people saying the home owners are being ridiculous must be willing to fork out their hard earned money for damage caused to their property/belongings and be happy for the person responsible to not actually take much responsibility🤷🏼‍♀️

OP needs to take some responsibility here and stop shrugging this off. She’s openly said this isn’t the first time for her cat!!

This

Ugh, this thread.

I think they are being a little unrealistic on what they expect off you in terms of money, but if I was them, bought a new house and having it done up I would be absolutely fuming at the damage too.

Neither of you sound open to compromise, and are just pissing each other off more and more. Posting some snippet off google is just going to make them hit the roof even more IMO.

Your biggest mistakes was confessing to them about it all and writing many details on MN about it. As soon as your cat was out you should have pretended to not know anything about it.

How does that work when the builder let the cat out for the OP?!

I've reported this unpleasant post

I don't think they should have to claim on their insurance as it will likely mean an increase the following year for them so under the circumstances, I think it's only right that you should pay up. I would however question replacing the rug for a professional clean that should eliminate any existing smells.

(just a thought) could of said you saw a stray cat stuck in the house and know that nobody is living there, did the moral thing of try and get it out.

I hope especially for the grammatical infractions. In fact, that should be an option when you report. “Post is rude and contains grammatical errors.”

How did I know you'd say your cat was not insured?

Are you going to refuse to pay anything now someone has told you you're not liable?

Glad you've kept us updated even if it is 3 threads I'm fully invested (and would read a 4th if needed). I think £400 is fare, if they left a window open and got robbed they would be reliable/to blame they left cat flap open same principle ish (bar crab and ham lol)

If she's ordered a new rug then she can always get a refund. Your new neighbour is being unreasonable. Not a good start if they're just about to move in. You would've thought she'd be more understanding as a cat owner herself.
I'd still put the info that the other poster mentioned and maybe offer some money as a goodwill gesture and tell them its goodwill. Explain that you don't want to fall out over this. Its crap trying to avoid neighbours and much easier to get on.

If I’d spent a large amount of money on renovations only for a neighbour to tell me that they’d judged it a good idea to insert various stinky food stuffs into my house, there is absolutely no way on earth I’d trust them to be competent enough to remove, clean and re fit a vent (which the OP acknowledges she wouldn’t be able to do properly anyway), clean mud off fresh paint or re paint. All the OP is missing is a beret, a raincoat and a pair of roller skates and the whole thing could be an episode of ‘Some Mothers Do Ave Em’. Who in their right mind would let Frank Spencer in to try & get things back to the same standard that their decorators did?

OP, have you got household insurance? If so, I suggest you see whether you’re covered for legal advice. In their position, I’d absolutely be wanting things put back to the same standard that they were before your uninsured cat with a history of breaking & entering decided to pay them a visit.

The wife claims to have already ordered a new rug from John Lewis so she says it’s past the point of me paying for a clean. I don’t really feel like that’s fair though, it was her decision to order a new one without even letting me try and fix the problem with a professional clean :(

She can cancel her order or return it if necessary. What proof do you have her original rug cost £800 in the first place? Don't forget if it wasn't brand new to take into account wear and tear.

I’m amazed anyone ever did.

m sure OP will be on a date with the builder by Friday, can’t wait for that instalment. 😁

It's not as simple as saying cat owners are not responsible for any damage done by the cat. Cats do have the right to roam but cat owners have a duty of care to take reasonable steps to prevent their cat causing harm to others or damage to property. The neighbours could argue that OP has not done that given she knows the cat is able to break through cat flaps and has done so several times.

wtf £800 for a rug! 🤦‍♀️

I wouldn’t give them the money , I’d ask to see quotes for the work from their workmen and then you also get quotes for the work from your own searches incase they and the builders agree to add on money for themselves !

I also would be paying the workman directly myself by bank transfer to a business account with a vat registered company x

I wouldn’t give her a penny, cats get into cat flaps if they’re unlocked (and sometimes even if they are) it’s a risk they’ve taken and it’s bitten them on the arse.

I would not pay that! It’s a joke. Offer to have the rug cleaned and leave it at that. The other things are easily remedied. Glad they are not gonna be my neighbours

i thought cat insurance was medical insurance? I’m sure it doesn’t pay out for replacing rugs that the cat has pissed on 🤷‍♀️

This, been following too and thought the same!
Push ham through the air vents, drop crab sticks through the window, have your cat make a mess of your nice new decorated house, I'd be well pissed off, not finding it funny like a lot of people seemed to!
Crab sticks I mean come on lol, just why?!
Might as well have gone all out and shoved a kipper through as well 😁

I'd still put the info that the other poster mentioned and maybe offer some money as a goodwill gesture and tell them its goodwill. Explain that you don't want to fall out over this. Its crap trying to avoid neighbours and much easier to get on.

I think phrasing it that way is even worse than just saying that you're not legally liable and refusing to pay a penny.

I most certainly wouldn't feel inclined to get on well with somebody whose choices/inaction directly cost me a lot of money and then they offered to bung me a small percentage of the damages but patronisingly framed it as a 'goodwill' payment.

I highly doubt there will ever be good neighbourly relations between them now.