LL came into my garden and removed my bird feeders

[goodoldsussexbythesea]

My landlady lives locally and often drives past my house. Early this morning, I was in my front garden, filling my bird feeders, and she pulled over and said that the advice from the RSPB is not to feed birds from feeders any more.

I told her that actually, the advice is not to feed them seeds and peanuts between May-October this year and I'm planning on following the advice so I was just using up the last of my seed now as it's not May yet.

She got really defensive and said "well, I just think it's important to follow the advice so I'd rather you didn't do it, please take the feeders down!!" which really annoyed me so I said, well it's not May yet so no, and anyway the advice is that you can feed them (small amounts of) mealworm and suet balls after May so I will be doing that, and she didn't say anything else, just drove off.

This really wound me up and I was annoyed for the rest of the day, took the kids out to a farm park and I arrived home an hour ago, and my feeders have gone out of my garden!!!

I checked my ring doorbell and she's bloody come into the garden, armed with a plastic carrier bag, removed my feeders and taken them away!!

I rang her three times back to back and she wouldn't pick up, so I whatsapped her and it immediately went to two blue ticks. I said - "Please return my bird feeders immediately, they are my property and you had no right to take them. I am following the advice but even if I was not, you still have no right to take my things."

After half an hour she replied "I am not currently allowing tenants to use bird feeders at my properties and have asked that they all be removed. I was passing so I removed yours for you, they are in safe keeping and will be returned in October"

My AIBU is not about who was in the right because I bloody well know I am, but whether or not I should call the police. I spoke to my neighbour about it and she said I shouldn't and that I should just replace them and remove the cost from the rent. She says she's obviously nuts and I shouldn't risk falling out with her

YABU - Don't call police, replace and charge her or do something else
YANBU - Call the police, report her for theft, and give them the doorbell footage.

"IT'S NOT MAY"

Not if the LL's nicked her feeders she can't!

Whatever else you do, do not withhold rent. That way lies eviction and she would have the law completely on her side.
This is a completely separate issue from rent. You can get advice from CAB or the council how to handle it. Unless you are very lucky the police no longer follow up small theft even when you have absolute proof of who did it and where your property now is.

Do people need to constantly be told to let things go? The OP bought these and said she can't afford to replace them. So we just normalise someone taking stuff that isn't theirs because they are a landlord?

What?

RTFT😏

Evicting a tenant over a bird feeder is mental. Please tell me you’re not a landlord?

OP I feel your pain. Please don’t withhold rent, start with a formal letter referencing your rights and any breaches of the tenancy law she has made.

It’s not theft if she’s told you that you can have them back in autumn

Yes it is.

Is it not. So if I walked into someone's house and stole a grand it's not theft if I say they can have it back in 6 months?

To be fair, you wouldn’t know if you had a rat problem as they would be unlikely to feed during daylight hours, if you do see them during the day, you have a massive problem because they will be the juveniles.

Antagonising your LL could result in you losing your beautiful garden that you are so proud of as well as your home.

I think you need to let this one go

101. Report the thieving cunt.

My tenants are all good at the moment. Most tenants are good just like most landlords are good. Thanks for your concern. 😂

Most landlords are good is complete nonsense.

Looks like a landlord has entered the chat ... Clearly is theft.

Or they think the landlord has some sort of position of authority where they can "confiscate" property like OP is a naughty schoolchild.

LOL.

Using terms (larceny) that were abolished in English law in the 1960s.

In hindsight maybe you should have humoured the silly woman and taken the feeders down in her view. Later then sent her the actual RSPB directive.

It surely wasn’t worth the upset was it, even though she was in the wrong. It’s only a few days and birds don’t have calendars. I actually took my down after returning from my holiday on Monday because they needed a good clean from a pooping pigeon.

It is sad, but look forward to October and add to the challenge with another feeder!

Cool word though, you have to agree.

What about the actual text and message in the post? Anything to say on that?

I have. The OP was already aware of the guidance.

People saying it’s not theft, because she’s getting them back in October. Does that mean people can take without asking say garden furniture then return in October?
No one believes that it’s ridiculous.

OK I'll respond.

I don't think the fact that there's a war on in the middle east, or world poverty, has any relevance at all to whether a person reports a theft.

Put some up in the back garden? Out of sight?

You need to gen up on the renters reform bill requirements for landlords. Chances are the bat shi t bi tch will not be compliant and you can land her with some massive costs