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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:
Thread gallery
13
housethatbuiltme · 14/11/2023 08:58

Record them doing it and report them for fly tipping.

I hate people who think natural things should follow there rules... leaves can blow where ever they want, they're LEAVES.

KombuchaKalling · 14/11/2023 09:01

They are mental. Definitely don’t feed into it. Some people shouldn’t be allowed to retire, if it gives them the time and energy to hassle their neighbours with nonsense like this all the time

LaurieStrode · 14/11/2023 09:02

sashh · 14/11/2023 08:03

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.

I love this!

Fannyannie · 14/11/2023 09:10

Dashel · Yesterday 21:20

I think all mad neighbours should be forced into living in one area and then they can bother each other with their concerns and observations

that’s so nicely put - there’s some mad fuckers out there , I am related by law not blood to some !! 🤣

TwoShades1 · 14/11/2023 09:11

There was a similar thing going on my community Facebook page last year. They wanted the neighbour to cut down the offending trees. Everyone was kindly trying to point out that the neighbour didn’t need to cut their trees down and had no obligation to run around picking up every leaf that came off it. The person really didn’t get it and was outraged about the leaves on their driveway.

user14699084775 · 14/11/2023 09:11

But they’re leaves, from trees! Quite mad…
maybe a penthouse flat in a city centre would suit them better!

Popetthetreehugger · 14/11/2023 09:13

I would definitely say wow , thank you so much ! Have you any idea how good leave mulch is for the garden? I’m far too laid back to collect mine , so thank you again , can’t believe you’re giving these away ?!? … or nuke … either either 🤣

3luckystars · 14/11/2023 09:14

I’m looking forward to the update on this.

Birdsongtops · 14/11/2023 09:17

Check out ‘ Bushman ‘ San Francisco, ( could some one link ?

I volunteer to take a shift out side your house , can provide own shrubbery!

😂

rileynexttime · 14/11/2023 09:23

OP your neighbours are acting very badly but ... This
' 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.'
if delivered in the tone that it conveys here will have fuelled the fire rather than calmed the situation .
It's horrible to be at loggerheads with neighbours , if it were me I'd try and mend the situation. Maybe along the lines?
" I know the leaves are a real source of annoyance to you ... Insert but we're busy/can't sweep every day/ not ours etc... but this has got out of hand . Can we start again?"

TallulahBetty · 14/11/2023 09:32

This thread has me howling. Thank you all, I needed this

billybear · 14/11/2023 09:35

stick a note on the bag saying leaves niot from your tree,put back on there property repeat till they get the message

IvorTheEngineDriver · 14/11/2023 09:38

Frankly, I'd be spending a couple of quid getting a solicitor to write a nasty letter to them.

viques · 14/11/2023 09:41

I can understand elderly people being worried about fallen leaves, they can be very slippery and if you are a bit doddery then a fall is possible and it is a thing that most older people are anxious to avoid. So from that point of view they are not bat shit.

But they aren’t the OPs leaves, so from that point of view they have lost the plot.

LindyLou2020 · 14/11/2023 09:42

Jewelspun · 13/11/2023 20:57

Marbles

I much prefer "marvels".......

PixieLaLar · 14/11/2023 09:45

Unbeleafable but an entertaining read 🤣

CormorantStrikesBack · 14/11/2023 09:48

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

The council went mad and spent hundreds of thousands of £ cutting trees down in streets for no reason. So guess it’s the place to be if you hate leaves. Think the council got stopped eventually and have apologised.

twattydogshavetwattypeople · 14/11/2023 09:49

I vote for a big NO TRESPASSING sign and a sprinkler system.

ButterCrackers · 14/11/2023 09:55

It’s not your tree and not your problem. Contact the police to let them know about this harassment and littering. Tell these neighbours by registered letter and verbally that if they enter your proper and/or throw leaves and/or put their bin bags onto your property you will call the police. Tell them that you have contacted the police to notify them of the harassment and littering.

VelvetUndergrounds · 14/11/2023 10:07

TheCadoganArms · 13/11/2023 20:46

Nuke their house from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

Grin hahah!

Rosiem2808 · 14/11/2023 10:09

Take the bags and empty them on their doorstep. People like this never learn.

Conkersinautumn · 14/11/2023 10:31

Make sure their Christmas card has leaves on it (a wreath design maybe?)

ManateeFair · 14/11/2023 10:33

Your neighbours are mad.

HTH.

ButteredToast9 · 14/11/2023 10:43

@coldcallerbaiter This. This is the one.That's really made me giggle 😂

ClawedButler · 14/11/2023 10:44

SinnerBoy · 14/11/2023 08:31

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.

OK so I read that as Lawn of the Dead which, incidentally, would make an excellent title for the horror film re-telling of this very tale.

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