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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To keep my neighbour's flowers?!

22 replies

EnidSpyton · 21/06/2025 14:53

I had a delivery on Wednesday night, and the driver was quite stressed. He'd been waiting around to try and deliver a bouquet of flowers to my neighbour but no one in her part of the block was answering their doors and he couldn't access the building to leave the flowers outside her door. He told me he was on the clock and had to go, and could I please do him a favour and take in the flowers.

I didn't want to as I knew it would be tricky for me to deliver them to her - we live in a block of flats that's divided into three sections, and our key fobs only give you access to the section of the block you live in. Her flat is in a separate block to mine, so I can't just pop up and leave them outside her door. She or someone in her block has to be at home to let me in. However, the delivery driver was so desperate and he said if he took the flowers back to the depot they would just die, so I felt guilted into it.

I got home late on Thursday after work and tried her bell to deliver the flowers - no answer. No one else in the block answered either (there's only 3 flats in each block). I was out at work from 8am yesterday, then out with friends, so I didn't get home until 1am. I had left the flowers outside my flat as the delivery driver told me my neighbour would get a notification that they were with me, and could come and collect them - my downstairs neighbours are often in during the day so they could have buzzed her into the building. The flowers were still there when I got in last night so I took them out of the box and put them in some water to keep them alive.

This morning I have tried again to go and deliver them, but still she isn't answering and neither was anyone else in the block.

I'm out tonight and all day tomorrow, so I'm not here to keep popping over and seeing if she's in. I don't know her and have no means of contacting her - we don't have post boxes or anything like that, so I can't even leave her a note. We're in central London on a busy street, and our flats front straight onto the pavement, so there's nowhere safe for me to leave them outside the front door to her block for her to see when she comes home.

The flowers are now looking pretty worse for wear. Would it be unreasonable for me to just keep them? By the time I manage to deliver them to her, at this rate, they'll be dead! I feel terrible but I feel like there's not much else I can do!

OP posts:
MissMoneyFairy · 21/06/2025 15:01

Keep them, was there a card inside to say what florist they are from

Jojimoji · 21/06/2025 15:06

Your intentions were good on taking in the flowers and you've done your best to deliver them. Like you say, there's not much more you can do.

Do they have an exterior mail box that you could pop a note into? Edit. Just reread and seen that you don't.

Just enjoy the flowers.

growinganotherhead · 21/06/2025 15:10

Why not leave a note letting her know you have them?

DancingNotDrowning · 21/06/2025 15:14

How on earth can there be no post boxes? What does the postman do?!

EnidSpyton · 21/06/2025 15:16

growinganotherhead · 21/06/2025 15:10

Why not leave a note letting her know you have them?

We don't have postboxes!

OP posts:
growinganotherhead · 21/06/2025 15:18

How do you get your mail?
And you could have put a note on her door (sellotape/blutack)

EnidSpyton · 21/06/2025 15:20

The postman has a master key fob that lets them into the block. It's called a 'fireman's key' or something like that. The emergency services have them too. It allows them to enter buildings without needing to be buzzed in. I have no idea how it works but I asked the postman before and he explained this to me!

The postmen just leave stuff outside our front doors if we're not in, once they're inside.

OP posts:
HidingBehindIt · 21/06/2025 15:45

Stick a note to the door of her section of the building?

Winter2020 · 21/06/2025 15:53

Can you post her a letter just to let her know. It will cost a bit as stamps are dear but it is a kind thing to do so that she knows that someone sent her these. - perhaps include the message on the card if it is not in an envelope.

Edit to say enclosed the little card in your note.

Saysayonara · 21/06/2025 16:00

You've tried your best, not sure what else you can do if she is not contactable. As you say, the flowers are getting past their best anyway.

Tulipssndturkeys · 21/06/2025 17:52

put them on her doorstep. Slip a note under the door.

If someone takes them she’s no worse off - she hasn’t got them now .

TwinklySquid · 22/06/2025 23:14

Sellotape a note to her door? I do that when I want to communicate with delivery drivers.

GAJLY · 22/06/2025 23:36

Next time don't take them.

Welshmonster · 22/06/2025 23:55

If this happens again for fresh stuff then let driver take them back

TakethePillLil25 · 23/06/2025 00:56

Definitely this 👆 - Someone sent them to her, so it’s only right that they should be “delivered” to her & left outside her door for when she’s able to take them in. They’re not your responsibility but you also shouldn’t keep them. I’m assuming you don’t have her phone number…?

Reallyneedsaholiday · 23/06/2025 01:34

I don’t think you should have agreed to take them, knowing that you would struggle to get them to her. I understand that you were trying to help, but the company had the responsibility to deliver them, in good condition.

geekygardener · 23/06/2025 01:40

I really wonder if people just don’t read threads and comment based on what others have said. Why are pp making suggestions that op has clearly answered in her op.

she can’t stick a note to her door as she can’t get in the neighbours building. She can’t put a note under her door or leave them on the doorstep. She could put a note on the building door but that would be out onto the street so not really ideal. It would probably blow away or get soggy with rain.
Op said she doesn’t know this person or have anyway to contact her, so why ask if op has her phone number. Sorry but come on people if you’re going to comment at least read the thread.

BooneyBeautiful · 23/06/2025 01:43

Reallyneedsaholiday · 23/06/2025 01:34

I don’t think you should have agreed to take them, knowing that you would struggle to get them to her. I understand that you were trying to help, but the company had the responsibility to deliver them, in good condition.

I assume OP thought that at some point someone in her neighbour's block would be at home to let her in.

Codlingmoths · 23/06/2025 02:22

geekygardener · 23/06/2025 01:40

I really wonder if people just don’t read threads and comment based on what others have said. Why are pp making suggestions that op has clearly answered in her op.

she can’t stick a note to her door as she can’t get in the neighbours building. She can’t put a note under her door or leave them on the doorstep. She could put a note on the building door but that would be out onto the street so not really ideal. It would probably blow away or get soggy with rain.
Op said she doesn’t know this person or have anyway to contact her, so why ask if op has her phone number. Sorry but come on people if you’re going to comment at least read the thread.

I would tape a note to the external door tbh. And keep the flowers- what else can you
do??!

Northernladdette · 23/06/2025 12:39

Surely the delivery guy has a responsibility to let her know where he’s left them? Just enjoy them 😉

Northernladdette · 23/06/2025 12:41

Just read she would have been informed, I just wouldn’t worry about it 🙂

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 23/06/2025 12:44

I agree you’ll have to tape a note to the external door - what else can you do?

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