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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To spray varnish back all over my neighbours garden.

24 replies

aquababe · 12/06/2008 11:18

Ok so I know I might be being unreasonable here
but am so angry .
my neighbours have sprayed their side of the fence with varnish and in the process have sprayed everything on our side of the garden for about a metre.
this includes my vegetable patch(causing our lettuces and strawberries to be inedible), our trees, my little wall, our path way, brand new solar lights, patio and worst of all our white conservatory.

I've tried to clean it off but am just so angry. oh and our dark fence now has patchs of light brown trickled though where there were small gaps

It hasn't come off the conservatory but seems to come of the glass with a bit of scrubbing

To be fair they did come round and let us know as we had our washing on the line, but it wasn't a request to do it and they just said it went everywhere (but not will trash your garden)
I didn't realise what they meant.

oh for what it's worth we own the boundary

What is the reasonable response?

OP posts:

Sanctuary · 12/06/2008 11:25

YANBU
Could you not ask them to come round and see for themselves the damage the spraying has caused???
They could then pay for it to be all put right

Goober · 12/06/2008 11:26

You are right to be angry.
Go and tell them what they have damaged.
Remember this ONE rule though when engaging in a dispute/row/conversation:

Whatever happens, you will still have to be neighbours.

So hold back a little but at the same time don't let them fob you off. It's a tricky one.

Original poster

aquababe · 12/06/2008 11:28

not sure how they'd fix tree, veg and path ways. am kind of pissed off that we didn't see it coming through, but was at dd's bath time.
Up until the day before I'd left the protective coating on my solar lamps. how bloody annoying is that

OP posts:

2point4kids · 12/06/2008 11:31

I'd be furious!!!!

Goober is right though, gotta be diplomatic about it.

Can you say something like 'i understamd you didnt realise it would spray so far, but this, this and this have all been damaged irrepairably and we need to sort it out. what do you suggest?' or even perhaps 'i'm happy to do the cleaning side of things if you sort out reimbursing me for anything that needs professional cleaning (conservatory) or replacing'

MehgaLegs · 12/06/2008 11:31

Something simialr happened to my dad. His neighbours were painting their house and his black car was splattered in a fine mist of white paint.

They paid for the damage and they have remained on good terms.

Do the neighbours realise what has happened? If I was the neighbour I would be mortified and offer to pay/help clear up.

Love2bake · 12/06/2008 11:31

I would be fuming. I bet they don't even realise what they did though, will probably be really be mortified when they find out.

LyraSilvertongue · 12/06/2008 11:38

You definitely need to tell them what damage they have caused but try to do it in a friendly way so you can remain on good terms with them.

chopchopbusybusy · 12/06/2008 11:41

YANBU to be fuming about it. I don't think it makes any difference that you own the boundary as they still have the right to paint their side of it, but they need to be aware of the damage they have caused - you never know they might be planning a second coat . If they are reasonable people they will apologise and hopefully contribute something to make amends. As others have said though you do need to tread tactfully - neighbour disputes can be very nasty (voice of experience)

WendyWeber · 12/06/2008 11:47

They should not have sprayed, if the fence has gaps in it, they should have painted it on - you are entitled to have everything made good - no, you don't want to fall out with them, but they are responsible.

I don't know how long your fence is but they should have taken steps to block the gaps from your side as they went (even if it meant one of them in your garden holding a plank up for each bit)

Have you approached them yet, ab?

CarGirl · 12/06/2008 11:51

MehgaLegs, that wasn't dh work colleague was it? Same thing happened to them and they had to claim the cost on their house insurance - it was £k's of damage to their neighbours car.

mamablue · 12/06/2008 11:52

The exact same thing happened to me, in our old house. Worse still, I had all my bed linen on the line and they did not even bother to tell me!!! We got on really well with them and I did not want to ruin a good relationship but I did go round and and explain what had happened. They apologised but did not offer to pay for damages. Although I suppose they can spray what they like in their garden. I was really annoyed but as we were going to be living there for a while I had to let it go. I thought it was not worth falling out over. Very annoying though!

Original poster

aquababe · 12/06/2008 11:54

it seems that the worst part of the sprayed area came from the spray going up and over.
it wasn't particularly windy.
he'd have to be a bit dense not to have realised but he was probably focused on getting his side painted.

not gone around think it might be easier if i wait till everyones got there other halves as other wise kids may get a bit negected.

oh and to collect an array of opinions

OP posts:

mistlethrush · 12/06/2008 12:00

No, YANBU. They may have a right to paint their side, but they have no right to damage your property. Agree that a concilliatory 'did you know that your paint sprayed all over... I am going to get some advice on cleaning - can you find out how to go about claiming on your household insurance or something'. If you're spraying, of course you shouldn't do all the way to the top without screening - best to have painted the top bit - otherwise you are bound to get it going too high (not that the ads show this of course)

Good luck

love2sleep · 12/06/2008 12:07

We had this happen a few weeks ago but fortunately the damage was much less and we managed to clean it up without too much hassle. We decided not to mention it to the neighbours as I know they would be mortified and didn't want to make a big deal of it.

However in you case I would definitely:

Take lots of photos before you clean anything up
Phone your insurers
Politely ask your neighbours to come and look at the damage

poorbuthappy · 12/06/2008 13:17

Hubby sprayed next doors cat the 1 year whilst painting the front of the house...and the bloody thing survived...

poorbuthappy · 12/06/2008 13:19

Sorry, wasn't very supportive...

I would love to spray back, but probably not the best thing to do for good neighbourly relations...

You should go round, if only to stop it happening again...

VeniVidiVickiQV · 12/06/2008 13:20

bugger. ask them to come around and have a look and take photos because you'll be contacting their home insurers about it.........

philmassive · 12/06/2008 13:28

Feel embarrassed to admit that we did this by accident too but as soon as we knew we went round there and cleaned the lot up. The damage was not as much as you seem to have though.

Original poster

aquababe · 12/06/2008 13:31

have any of you who had it done got any advice on how to clean it off the conservatory?
The solar lights come off but seem to have stained a bit.

Going through insurers seems a bit strong.

Will go and take photos haven't managed to clean up that much.

OP posts:

poorbuthappy · 12/06/2008 16:16

Aquababe - that's gotta be your angle on this one:

go round and ask them to confirm what brand of paint they used so you can get advise on how to get if off your conversatory / lights / patio / paving.

Anyone with a conscience (sp?) will ask why and then you have the conversation...

manic · 12/06/2008 17:04

Is it true that you are entitled to paint your side of a boundary fence, even it it belongs to the neighbour? Our neighbours replaced their wooden fence about 5 years ago and they asked that we did not paint it as it was already treated. They have painted their side several times and now have shrubs covering it. Our side is looking decidedly drab and worn, looks particularly bad as we don't have any shrubs growing along that boundary as the sun doesn't hit that spot.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 12/06/2008 17:35

I'd be cross especially as they seemed to realise the probable consequences when they came round and told you "it goes everywhere!.

If it was someone with so little common sense (like myself) who hadn't realised it would go through the fence then I'd stil be cross but not hold it against them. Not that I've done this but its the sort of thing I could see myself doing without thinking.

Hopefully they won't spray varnish again when you tell them how bad it is.

Original poster

aquababe · 12/06/2008 18:53

poorbuthappy - thought that sounded like a good angle.
just tried to go round but there's no answer
the have sprayed the black posts, which were painted black to co-ordinate with our garden. which is infuriating. and we will have to brush up on our side. I have to say i hate the colour they choose too poo brown. my garden looks specked with poo!

OP posts:

mistlethrush · 13/06/2008 21:29

Manic - somethings will grow in those situations, and at least two of them would self-cling to a fence - ivy (not variagated as this needs more light) and climbing hydranga - which is lovely. Some clematis will also tolerate a north facing fence, but would need support.

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