To be furious that my neighbour ‘borrowed’ my garden furniture for her BBQ?

[2coolec]

Went away for the weekend, came back Monday afternoon to find our patio table, four chairs, and parasol in next door’s garden.

Turns out she’d had a BBQ on Sunday and “thought we wouldn’t mind” if she borrowed them. Was “going to return it”. Only I found out because by Monday evening it was still all sat there and I saw her teenage son and his mates hanging out on my furniture.

No note. No text. Just helped herself. I wouldn’t even have known if I hadn’t looked over the fence.

I’m honestly livid. It’s not a small thing to borrow and she didn’t even ask. What if it had got damaged? Or gone missing?

AIBU to think this is beyond cheeky and actually borderline theft?

Our neighbours borrowed our actual patio after we moved out and the house was empty...They'd obviously had a party: cigarette ends and beer cans were everywhere.

You do get some CFs in this world.

Are you quite alright?

Our old neighbours did something similar several years ago. Had a big bbq whilst we were away, they lifted the fence panels out so that all the kids could use our garden toys- I'm a childminder- and didn't even tidy them up. Sand everywhere from the sandpit..
They " thought we wouldn't mind because I look after children anyway"!!

Sounds like an episode from One foot in the grave! Imagine Victor ‘s expression “ I don’t believe it…!”

No point in this really-if you mind, you mind. I wouldn’t mind! People are different.

Theft and trespass

Do you would do it?

The weirdest part is that they didn't put it back after needing extra seats for an occasion. Not that it's justified to take yours as spare without asking, but I might see how they could think you might have been willing to lend it if you were there (or invited?) and it would do no harm . But to keep it!

Ask her to bring it back and not trespass.

Doesn't sound like you're close? But yeah I wouldn't like that.

@2coolec omg what is wrong with just throwing a blanket on the grass for people to sit on???

These days? There have always been CF

Unbelievably brazen. I bet she's also the type that's going to pull a 'Is there a problem?' type response and guilt trip you into believing that you are being totally unreasonable..

I had a flatmate like this who would just help herself to my clothes without asking, and then would berate me for being too 'clothes and appearance obsessed and materialistic.' Irony wasn't one of her strengths.

Has the op been back? Was it returned ok?

"WHAT A FAKIN LIBERTY"

catherine Tate

Yeah, I thought of Catherine Tate too, it was a liberty ! A big one

Given how livid you are, I’m making an educated guess that you’re not besties in which case this is S tier CFuckery! You’ll have to get those iron cast ones that are utterly immovable!

I’d never think of doing this in a month of Sundays!
Makes you wonder what else they have got up to.

Genuinely if this happened it wouldn’t bother me at all, but I get on with all my neighbours, so it wouldn’t be a big deal really. I think if you have a difficult relationship then I appreciate someone not feeling that way.

Livid? It’s garden furniture not your best jewellery. I wouldn’t mind at all. Unless we hated each other and were in some sort of a feud!

Well she's just stolen your garden furniture hasn't she, I'd report her to the police tbh 🤷♀️

Shocking! Presumably very lightweight to be able to haul over? Looking at my kettler garden furniture and I think we’d need a rugby team to move it next door!

It wouldn't matter how friendly and generous my neighbours were there is no way I would ever do this.

I'd take photos of the furniture in their garden and tell them they have ten minutes to put it back, undamaged, where they found it or you are calling the police.

Weapons grade cheeky fuckers.

Dh has some chairs in the shed which are pretty light , but you’d still struggle to get them over a fence of any height! It must have taken a few of them to get it over to their garden.

I am now. I don’t know why it amused me so much but it did!
Shame the OP hasn’t returned with an update

It is a shame that you discovered what she did before reporting the theft of your missing garden furniture to the police.