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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Obsessive neighbour losing the plot over leaves

578 replies

Sparkies2012 · 13/11/2023 20:40

Our neighbours are a relatively elderly couple and since they moved in have had a bee in their bonnet over leaves that blow onto their driveway. The gate to our driveway is opposite to their open driveway, separated by a narrow road. Our next door neighbour has a massive old tree in their garden that produces a lot of leaves, most of which fall into our driveway. We don’t really bother collecting the leaves, as it is an endless task at this time of the year, but the elderly couple is constantly on at us because the leaves blow across the road into their driveway and the odd one gets in their front door. Now we have told them we don’t produce the leaves, and they don’t bother us, so if they are bothered by the leaves either pick them up or take it up with our neighbour who owns the tree. But now they have even started collecting them in black bags and, under the cover of darkness, leaving them in front of our driveway gate, or throwing them over our fence. I’m tempted next time they do this to open the bag and dump it over their driveway again. AIBU by not picking up the leaves in our garden?

OP posts:
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13
Ballsbaill · 13/11/2023 22:34

She should move to my road. Its just left. They'll disintegrate soon. Its nature.

Obsessive neighbour losing the plot over leaves
EsmeSusanOgg · 13/11/2023 22:35

Sparkies2012 · 13/11/2023 21:17

Actually, bugger it, the nuke is the only sensible solution.

Too true. Keenly awaiting updates with popcorn.

Renamed · 13/11/2023 22:35

Tell em to move to Sheffield

Motnight · 13/11/2023 22:38

Love this thread!

coldcallerbaiter · 13/11/2023 22:39

Post them a letter in the red letterbox without a stamp, they will need to pay a charge to collect it, when they open it, it shall contain a leaf.

TheUsualChaos · 13/11/2023 22:40

Wow and I thought my neighbour was petty!

If it's not even your tree, why are they targeting you? And not the owner of the tree? Just keep taking the bags back every time.

Ecclescakesfortea · 13/11/2023 22:40

A retired couple moved next door to us a couple of years ago, they are obsessed by leaves and go out in all weathers to brush them away when they are on their lawn. They don't ever use their garden other than to do that and when they come back from holiday they are doing it before they have had time to unpack. They have made it abundantly clear they would like us to get rid of our trees which we have no intention of doing (they have tree preservation orders on them anyway). I would ignore it completely, it works for me

itsalongwaybackfromsorry · 13/11/2023 22:40

Camera, cctv or ring camera.

Return the bin bags to them telling them you'll be reporting them to the police for fly tipping if they ever dump leaves or rubbish on your property again and that you have them on camera.

JanglingJack · 13/11/2023 22:41

Mouth very carefully

NOT MY TREE NOT MY LEAVES.

Tell em you're getting the council on to them. That will give her something to phone Mabel about.

Leaves are horrible and slippery, but if they can collect them up and dump them back, then I've no sympathy.

ThePoshUns · 13/11/2023 22:41

I would empty the bag of leaves over them

BeReet · 13/11/2023 22:41

coldcallerbaiter · 13/11/2023 22:39

Post them a letter in the red letterbox without a stamp, they will need to pay a charge to collect it, when they open it, it shall contain a leaf.

🤣🤣🤣 I love this plan

MonsteraMama · 13/11/2023 22:42

Buy more leaves. Increase quantity every time they moan about it. Slowly bury them in leaves.

Aliceinunderland · 13/11/2023 22:45

Buy giant statues like these and leave them in your garden facing the neighbours...they might get the message then!

Obsessive neighbour losing the plot over leaves
DontListenToWhatYouveConsumed · 13/11/2023 22:48

Can you make a collage of their faces in leaves? And stick them in your window?
Watching themselves from over the road?

Thighdentitycrisis · 13/11/2023 22:50

@Jewelspun my first proper lol for ages, thanks!

Snazzysausage · 13/11/2023 22:51

I really want to know what explanation the neighbours came up with when you pointed out that they're not even your leaves?! Surely they gave a reason as to why you were to be the gatekeeper of all leaves but the owner of the offending tree was not the chosen one? 🤔

LouLou198 · 13/11/2023 22:53

Good for you for returning the bag!
Definitely go with the fly tipping approach of it happens again.

SlightlygrumpyBettyswaitress · 13/11/2023 22:59

Oh lordy we had similar batshittery with neighbours.
We shared a bit of front garden. On it were 2 trees. Not interesting or special but produced a bazillion leaves in the autumn.
We were not fans of these trees but next door neighbours said they wanted to keep them and to be fair paid for a tree surgeon every couple of years.
Every year they dropped said leaves. Every year we waited for the big wind to blow them from our garden onto theirs. Which was followed by performance hurrumphing and donning of leaf clearing gear, wheelbarrows and brooms and them telling Every passing person how they were clearing up our leaves and we waited for them to blow onto their garden.

friskybivalves · 13/11/2023 23:01

Do all the above - particularly the draping of leafy bunting - while playing that Kate Bush song with the chorus that goes

Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Unbe-leave-able!

On a loop at full volume.

DeireadhFomhair · 13/11/2023 23:04

A batshit leafy neighbour thread is almost as good as a parking thread 🍃 🍂 😁

Homewardbound2022 · 13/11/2023 23:04

Neighbour: fuck off and leaf me alone. You are barking up the wrong tree.

Totaly · 13/11/2023 23:05

Has nobody mentioned glitter? Oh the joys!!

NovemberName · 13/11/2023 23:08

DeireadhFomhair · 13/11/2023 23:04

A batshit leafy neighbour thread is almost as good as a parking thread 🍃 🍂 😁

Absolutely!!

Makes me so grateful for my diamonds of neighbours!!

PumpkinFence · 13/11/2023 23:08

Here to see where the bag is in the morning!

TokyoSushi · 13/11/2023 23:08

Why are people so weird?! I've quite enjoyed watching the leaves blow about today!

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