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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To want to knock nails back through to neighbour's garden

87 replies

FindingTheBalance · 29/05/2025 18:31

We have obnoxious neighbours that we've had disputes with since they moved in. I made the mistake of asking them to turn music down so my baby could sleep and after two polite requests they said if we ever spoke to them again they'd report us for harrassment. Since then we've had issue after issue with them with them shouting abuse at us, spreading lies about us around our kids school and generally a-hole behaviour like encouraging their dogs to jump up at the fence and bark when we come in the garden.

Anyway, my husband just came in with a gash down his arm. Turns out they keep attaching items to their fence, but use crazily long nails to do so. We were already aware of a new set down one third of the fence so have blocked those off from the kids. But we've now discovered another set of them just behind our children's den that we're dismantling to build a bigger one. It's a blessing our kids haven't been stabbed by them as they climb around there all the time.

Would aibu to just hammer the nails back through? Or cut them flush with the panel? If they were reasonable neighbours I'd talk to them first but that's sadly not the case.

OP posts:
DonutsWin · 31/05/2025 19:02

Dremel them off. It will take minutes.
A junior hacksaw will take hours.

mathanxiety · 31/05/2025 19:41

OCDmama · 31/05/2025 16:18

I don't want understand why you're taking such a softly-softly approach to this, or why people are advising you to.

You're lucky it was your husband that got scratched and not one of the kids, and it was only a scratch.

At the very least I would be cutting the ends of these screws off. Why the fuck do you care if their crap falls down? They could have had your kid's eye out FFS.

You're worried about them accusing you of harassment? Mate, someone left a trap like this for my children harassment would be the least of their worries.

Edited

YYY to this.

JohnofWessex · 31/05/2025 20:40

MissMoneyFairy · 31/05/2025 18:27

This can cause serious injury and infection, you'd need a tetanus shot too, I'd get a copy of dh medical report, they need cutting off and I agree with ppl about a brick wall

Its not just the nails that need cutting off by the sound of it

OhcantthInkofaname · 31/05/2025 21:08

I think the champagne/ wine corks a great idea. Paint them and make the most of the idiots.

TisILeClair · 31/05/2025 21:40

That picture is horrific to be honest. If you want a quiet life then cut them back with bolt cutters but leave a few mm and put either a cork or a bit of wood onto each screw end to make it safe(r).

MissMoneyFairy · 01/06/2025 07:47

JohnofWessex · 31/05/2025 20:40

Its not just the nails that need cutting off by the sound of it

Bullies have no balls

wombat1a · 01/06/2025 08:01

That is beyond dangerous, I would start a personal injury claim against them, regardless of if the point of the screw is within their border there is a responsiblity to 3rd parties to not leave things in a state where they can cause injury. Look up making a health and safety claim against a neighbour.

jeaux90 · 01/06/2025 08:06

Ridiculously dangerous and protruding on your property. Dremel them off.

MissMoneyFairy · 01/06/2025 08:08

You can also report to the council as they are an ongoing danger to the public, anyone could injure themselves if they put their hands out or fall

JohnofWessex · 01/06/2025 09:30

Dangerous building team at the local authority

looselegs · 01/06/2025 18:29

Our neighbour piled soil up against our fence. Our path was covered in muddy water whenever it rained, and it eventually caused the fence panel to bow.
Was quite satisfying when we changed the fence, lifted the old one out ( it's our fence not their's) and half their plants cane with it!

Childrenare4life · 01/06/2025 19:10

Not sure if this has been mentioned already but if you have legal cover with your home insurance then I'd contact them. It's what legal cover is designed for.

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