To think my neighbour is being unreasonable?! Or am I being petty?

[Bruianance]

Three houses in a cul de sac. One shared bit of lawn with hedge and shrubbery. One neighbour has suggested we get a gardener to deal with this area and we split the cost - that idea was fine and made sense.

However…We have a gardener fortnightly to do our lawn. We pay him 25 pounds every two weeks for this. He has agreed to do the shared bit of lawn in this cost. He can’t do anymore due to time.

Neighbour has got another gardener for the communal bit and wants to ask them to mow every two weeks at a cost of 25 pounds a time and also do once a month shrubbery and hedges. Total 75 a month divided by the three houses is 25 each. This is going to make our personal cost for gardening 75 a month when we have a gardener we are paying already to do the lawns and who will do the communal lawn included. We suggested we just have the new gardener to do only shrubbery and hedges and split that cost (so 8 pounds each a month). They are saying they want new bloke to do it all. AIBU to say no to this?

What does the other neighbour say?

Sounds a bloody pain in the backside tbh, and a reason why I avoid anything ‘shared’!

@stolenlullabies I think they would agree it’s silly not to use our gardener. But this woman has been contacting me directly as she has been organising it and I haven’t wanted to then go to the other neighbour effectively behind her back

@JadeyGreen its been fine up until now… but I don’t think I would do shared again!!!

Did you mention to your neighbor that you would ask your guy first and see if he could do it?
Perhaps the hedges guy will only do both? But not be worth his time and money to just come out for hedges only.
Communication is key.

just say it doesn't work fo you

I’d just say that I don’t want to pay for two gardeners, especially when your gardener can do the communal bit for less than the other person. It doesn’t make sense to pay more money for something when you already have a person who is reliable and has quoted less. Does it really need to be done every two weeks?

If she’s contacted you on the quiet she’s done the same to your neighbour. She knows she’s asking for something that makes no sense so she’s going with a divide and conquer strategy. You need to get in touch with your neighbour.

Can’t you say you will pay your existing to do all the grass including the communal bit for what you are already paying him, and the other two houses can pay for the hedges. Surely once or twice a year is fine for hedges anyway?

@Miloarmadillo2 thats what I said and she said she didn’t want that

I think I would just say I'm not willing to pay that much, I can go up to a tenner a month for my share. Let me know when you need my share, or if you want me to arrange it for that price.

Why do hedges need doing every 2 weeks? You aren't supposed to prune them in nesting season anyway.

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She's quite happy to tell you what she doesn't want. Don't be afraid to say no sorry, that doesn't work for me.

^ This.

The hedges probably only need tidying up a couple of times a year unless they're very fast growing.

I'd stick to your counter offer of adding the mowing on to your existing contract as your contribution, and let her sort out someone to do just the hedges as a one-off a couple of times a yr to split with the other neighbour.

It’s too much . Twice a year is fine plus extra cut if a member of Royal family is visiting your cul de sac.