WIBU - Neighbour and Bins

[Bingate6]

DH and I live on a lane with house set back from the driveway. We have 4 bins and most of the time we pull them in down our driveway and to the back of our house. Very occasionally, perhaps once a month, we forget to bring the bins back in the same day they are put out. This especially happens with the recycling/garden bins as we don’t use them as often (we have 2 for recycling and usually only 1 is full).

Important to note they always stay on our land/driveway space and don’t block road or pavement access for anyone!

Neighbour opposite has been round to complain that it’s unsightly when we leave the bins out. Her only complaint is that it spoils her view it’s not an access issue. She’s asked if we can make sure they’re moved the day they are put out. Apparently she had this ‘agreement’ with the last owners (we’ve lived here 3 years).

Neighbour is retired, spends a lot of the day gardening etc, DH and I work full time, are doing house renovations and I’m very pregnant. We don’t always have the headspace to think about the bins!

WIBU?

You really should put them away that day yes. She’s OTT though.

I think the neighbour doesn't need to get involved, but remembering to pull the bin back once per week doesn't seem that big a deal, so I think you or DH should be able to do that. It's not a huge task

I don't see the issue keeping bibs out the front though I would build a bin store

Around here, the council will send a letter if you regularly leave the bins out on public land.

Presumably you said thanks for popping round....we have heard your request.....bye.
She can ask but it's a tad daft. You don't even do it every time.
Don't give it any head space.

I’m petty I’d make the driveway where the bins are stored and I’d not create a ‘bin store’ the mask them from view.
You're doing nothing wrong.

Neighbour is a meddling micro manager. I’d tell her that while in theory I agree with her, in practice it won’t always happen due to the reasons you have already stated. And that if it bothers her that much, you have absolutely no problems with her promptly returning them to their usual place herself. Job done.

I wouldn’t be happy if my neighbour left their bin out. They are filthy and unsightly.
I include my own bins in this which is why we always make sure they are wheeled back in. Being pregnant is irrelevant. It’s just part of being a responsible home owner.

@WarshipRocinante the OP says the bins are on her land

It’s entirely up to you where on your driveway you keep your bins

My bins live in my front garden. So I'm afraid the neighbour would be told politely to 'do one'

Up to you what you do with the bins on your land, as long as they aren’t obstructing any rights of access etc

I don’t think I’d agree to anything that might make the neighbour believe they can dictate what I do on my own property

Ignore. People with so much time on their hands they notice this and complain need to get a hobby. Sometimes ours are back in the same day sometimes not as we travel a lot for work so we simply aren't there to bring them in. (Always on our own land though, there is no pavement for them to block.)

Over Christmas there was a snotty post on the village Facebook group querying why bins were out on the normal day when it was CLEARLY a bank holiday and so the days had changed and people should take responsibility for checking the website for changes (it was literally 24 hrs difference). And the village looked UNSIGHTLY.

I put my bins out a day early for changed collections now.

Neighbour is being completely unreasonable as the bins are on your land. You have every right to leave them at the front permanently if you wish to!

They are on your land. Depending on how annoying this neighbour is I’d probably leave them there for a while !

If she comes around again I would be tempted to tell her that you have decided to try keeping the bins there, it is all your land afterall.

Yanbu. She would blow her mind if she lived in my estate. None of my scummy neighbours ever bring their bins in. They have been on the pavements for over five years. They all have front and back gardens.

The council and waste team are too scared to do anything. I've moaned and got nowhere.

In the OP it says nit public land. It's their drive

Get one of these tacky vinyl wraps it will be invisible to the naked eye

My neighbour puts the bin out the day before collection (they have to be put before 6am on the day of collection so accept it needs to be the day before). Our two houses are on an offshoot of the main estate road so I have to look at this bin from my lounge from 15:00 ish when they put it out. They have to put it here as it won't get collected but really would appreciate it if they put it out later than they do. We put ours out 21:00 ish or later as we're not that organised. At least they move it promptly unlike our last neighbour. They also drive into this little side road extremely quickly - another reason why we want to move

My bins are currently out on the path waiting for their collection tomorrow. My front door is locked for the night, we're all in our slob clothes and will probably be in bed with a brew by half 7. It is also normally there until dp gets in around 5ish tomorrow afternoon. I wouldn't be changing my bin put out time because my neighbour might have to look out of their window and see it!!

We have a small front garden it's literally 10 feet from our window.

You want to move partly because looking at bins for part of an afternoon once a week offends you??? So look out of a different window, or in another direction. Or close your curtains for a few hours.

LOL!

This reminds me of a previous poster who had a neighbour complaining about her drying her laundry on a line in her own back garden as it was "obscuring her view".

If a neighbour wants to be in full control of their view then they need to pay for said view.

If I were you I'd reply very firmly that you are aware of the bin regulations and with the bin being on your property you are not contravening them. You will move your bin at your own convenience.

Seriously - do not give people like this an inch as they very quickly become demanding and overbearing. Set your boundaries firmly now or you will live to regret it.

Why do you have to look at the bin from 1500 ish? Do you sit in the window all day looking out?

There are also those who would consider the noise of dragging a wheely bin out at 2100 ish rude and anti social.

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