Obsessive neighbour losing the plot over leaves

[Sparkies2012]

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?

Surely leaving bin bags by your drive is fly tipping. They could get prosecuted for that. I’d point that out to them and tell them you have cctv of their illegal activities

That’s not a similar issue.

Leaves are organic matter, organic matter is good for the soil. If you think about it, the lovely soil in forests that is so fertile consists largely of leaves that have fallen down and gradually broken down. You can replicate this for your own garden. In parks in the Netherlands, they are now leaving the leaves on the ground for this reason.

As per a pp, you can put them in a chicken wire container if you're being tidy. But just putting them in plastic bags, with a few holes in them, damp, and putting them out of the way for a year means they make lovely stuff you can put on your flower beds on dig into the soil.

When I've been short of that stuff, I have been known to dig them into the soil as they are, without waiting a year. They are harder to handle that way, and can't be put on the surface as mulch, because they'll blow off, but they will break down in the soil and improve it. A bit of fertiliser will compensate for the little bit of nitrogen they will draw from the soil while breaking down.

But if you leave them for a year they will make lovely stuff like this:
https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/10/2018/07/2048x1365-How-to-make-a-leafmould-bin-LI3699153-609ab94.jpg?quality=45&resize=960,640
which is easier to handle.

Thaqt's hilarious. You click on these threads wondering if the neighbours will really be obsessed but in this instance, you've not let us down. This is so funny.
They have no life, no jobs, no hobbies, that's clear.

If they are retired surely they can sweep up leaves?

Great points about the pollinators.

Dear GF used to pay us to collect leaves for leaf mould. Cost him a fortune 😂

Sign in front garden by the bin bag saying bag of leaves for leaf mulch 25p, proceeds to Woodland Trust, with thanks to number 25 for all their hard work sweeping.

Personally,I would purchase a roll of black bin bags, go to nearby woodland, fill the bags with leaves and random attached slugs and then stealthily empty them over their drive and lawn In The Dead Of Night.

Probably shove a few through their letterbox, too.

If accused deny all knowledge and ask them if they are feeling OK.

I'm obviously missing something here. Is Sheffield the leaf capital or something?

For OP definitely sell the bags on Facebook. At least you'll make some money out of this batshittery. Be very obvious about people coming to collect the bags of leaves and handing over money. You gain a few quid with absolutely no costs to you. Your neighbour is even providing the bags as well as the labour. Win win.

It's in the posting rules. Someone's over 50 - get the boomer jibe in.

This just made me totally LOL!

Get a big box, empty the leaves into the box. Post it to them without enough postage on the box.

Start a local campaign, "Campaign for the free movement of leaves in <insert name of town or street> put fliers through their door and posters up on any street lamps.

Could you threaten to report them with harrasment?

An elderly man who lives near us does this. I came across him in a ditch early one morning with many bags of leaves- at first I thought he was disposing of a body and (I am ashamed to admit) was mildly disappointed to learn that he was only collecting leaves.

That's heinous.

I agree - it they aren't going to enforce the regulations, don't bother having them!

That would have pee'd me off no end.

Extend the olive branch and make them a custom Leaves KEEP OUT sign, so those pesky leaves will finally get the message

The sign could be made from a collage of leaves. Nailed to the olive branch.

"You're terrible, Muriel"

"See no Leavil . . . "

This.

Oh, please do this.

Asnd as you pour them out, hiss "My Precioussssssssssssss" . . .

Get a ringdoorbell and post their night time antics on your local Facebook page

No 50 is gen x which means you can sing the divine comedy song.

This. I’d also get one of those search light like security lights fitted.

Emotionalsupportviper · Today 07:59

Personally,I would purchase a roll of black bin bags, go to nearby woodland, fill the bags with leaves and random attached slugs and then stealthily empty them over their drive and lawn In The Dead Of Night.

I think that trumps the idea I had of watching for them going out and nailing a few bags of leaves to their front door.

Following just for the amusement

I know I’m in the minority, but I’d love it if someone would sweep leaves up for me, bag them, and put them in my drive. Leave them for a year or so, and they turn into beautiful leaf mould for the garden. In fact, I’d probably build myself a new leaf bin, and return the bags to them for re-use.