Neighbour being cheeky? Or AIBU?

[Motheringthrough]

We moved in a couple of years back and as I am a keen gardener, I arranged for our house to have a green bin collection (not sure if this is the case everywhere but it’s a service you pay extra for with our council)

About a month after moving in our next door neighbour asked if it would be alright if he put his grass clippings in our green bin. Trying to be friendly and neighbourly and all that, I said yes, thinking it would be a one off. They’ve never had a green bin and prior to us moving in next door, he used to take his garden waste to the tip.

Every time he has mown his lawn since (every 1-2 months I’d say) he asks me if he can put his grass cuttings in our green bin.

It is now starting to bother me that he doesn’t pay for his own green bin when he clearly would get a lot of use out of it. I just think to keep asking each time now is being cheeky and almost overstepping with the favour.

Am I being silly? I realise this is probably the most silly and middle England issue to post but I need to put my mind at rest!

@Motheringthrough I would play dumb. The next time he asks, say, “You know, I’m really pleased we’ve come to this agreement of sharing the green waste bins. I’m really pleased you’ll be purchasing the pass next year for us to share alternate years. This really takes the pressure off, you know, cost of living, and all that.” I’ll bet he never asks again…😈

Offer to go halves on the bin with him. We used to pay a neighbour to use their garden bin. It was kind of like them doing us a favour because we didn't need a whole one and this saved us money and/or a trip to the tip. Market it like you are doing them a favour!

Yeah, this to be fair.

Why should one neighbour pay for their grass clippings to be taken away and the next door neighbour gets it for free. A good neighbour would offer something in return, either a money contribution or bottle of wine etc.

We also pay for green bin collection. My neighbour doesn't. They asked about using mine. After a few asks and an event of their gardener doing his tri-annual tidy up leaving little room for my garden stuff , I told them absolutely fine to put things in it on the day I put it out for collection if there is room.

This works for us (well it works for me). I usually have some space left.

Is you bin accessible to your neighbour? Mine is in my back garden and neighbours can't access it.

Good idea if you have space in the bin.

Agree with PPs that say it’s good to have a favour in the bag, unless you need the room in the bin it’s no skin off your nose. Good relations with neighbours is priceless!

You say you always have space in the bin, do your bit for the environment and let him put grass in it (no need for even more plastic bins in the world)

I am a bin user too. Odd tiems I wouldn't mind to help out a neighbour but if its regular then I'd expect them to split the cost

I am usually on high alert for CF behaviour but I'd say that this doesn't quite cross over the line for me. Partly because it's not that often (and HOW is he only mowing his lawn once every few months? or is he taking it to the skip in bweteen and just asking you sometimes?) and partly because he does always ask which means if there was ever a genuine reason to say no - you've been doing the pruning and the bin is now completely full for example - you can.

Do you feel he would/could do you a favour if necessary? eg around here we (not really we. In reality it's the local men and I still don't know how we've got such a gender stereotype going on but I'm just embracing it) have a recipricol arrangement with various neighbours and there's always someone to take in/out someone else's bins when they're away/ill etc. The bin men always leave the bins in centralised spot and I notice a different man brings them back round to everyone every week (I assume they have some sort of informal roster? I have no idea). Ditto garden watering, post retrieval etc.

On which basis, that would be another reason I wouldn't mind someone using any excess space in my garden bin.

Yes, he's being cheeky. He's avoiding the cost of getting his own green bin and the hassle of taking his waste to the tip. I personally would be too embarrassed to use a neighbour's "paid for" bin without offering some kind of contribution. I think he should at least buy you an occasional bottle of wine or some flowers, that's just good manners and a recognition of your good nature.

Why would he drive to the tip? It's just grass like any other waste he can chuck it in his normal bin.

If it's not taking up space that you need then I see no issue and would happily do it in the interests of neighbourly relations.
As an aside, as a keen gardener - why are you not putting the grass clippings in your compost bin? They are perfect for getting the balance right in the green v brown ratio.

My old neighbour used to occasionally use our garden bin - we had one each but hers was typically full because she had a big garden and did more in it than me. I never minded because I had space and she was always nice about asking.

If it really bothers you, next time he asks just say sorry Kevin, I'm planning to do XYZ and need the space in the bin, so you'll have to go to the tip.

Yeah he's being cheeky. I'd maybe joke next time and tell him he owes you a bottle of wine a month to cover his half of the service charge.

If your bin wouldn't be full anyway, he's taking nothing from you and not costing you anything - you're paying £60 no matter how full the bin is. You're not paying anything extra for his waste to be in it.
If your bin would be full and he's stopping you putting stuff in it then just say no - sorry I'm planning on doing xyz later and don't think the cuttings will fit in with your grass too.

If he wasn't asking you, then to be honest he could just be putting them into the bin after you'd put it out but before it was collected and you'd be none the wiser.
Honestly, if you're not using the bin space, there's no reason to say no to this. You can also work it to your advance and ask to put stuff into their recycling or household waste when yours is full.

I don't think there is a right or wrong because everyone is different. In your case it clearly bothers you, but as others have posted they'd be absolutely fine with it. Where I work the chap next door pays for his bin to be emptied and often comes round to everybody in the other units encouraging us to all fill the bin as much as we can. He wants the bin as full as he can as he's paying for it to be taken away, but won't accept anything in return for us using the bin.

@Motheringthrough

bloody hell - seriously?!?!

it's a little more than £1 per week. Your bin is only 1/2 -3/4 full.

so your only problem is that you're paying for his grass clippings to be disposed of & saving him the effort of going to the tip?

really? You begrudge someone using up a bit of space in your bin?

I really don't get this miserable attitude to life.
thankfully.

Go to him at the end of the year, when the renewal is due. Suggest you take it year about to pay for the bin as you both use it, and it would save you each paying for a bin.

He's taking liberties though. Getting a paid-for service for free. Why cant he just stick his grass in his normal waste bin.

Any bottle of wine for £2.50 is not something I'd drink!

I'd let it go knowing that you could call in a favour at some point. You don't want it to get that he won't take in packages.

Off on a tangent but why don't you compost your garden waste (and his grass cuttings)?

@Blouson

garden waste should NOT be put in the normal waste.

so what if he's getting it removed for free. OP is paying £60 for a YEAR no matter how full it is, it's not costing her anymore than it would if he didn't!!

I would suggest splitting the cost. One of my neighbours - no idea who - puts their spent flower bouquets in my green bin. I'd rather they asked, of course, but it doesn't take up much space. However if they started leaving a lot of waste in my green bin, I'd expect a contribution. In my case, the bin goes out the day before collection and I can't see it from my house so it's hard to work out who the offender is.