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.

I would be livid - this is theft. Before you do anything - tell her that you will be going to the police in 24 hours unless she returns them. Also, she can’t unilaterally change the terms of the tenancy

Read the thread! Or at least OP's posts. Rule of thumb is if a thread is really long it's probably moved on since the first post...

@goodoldsussexbythesea wow that's great!

No, but the landlord can decide not to renew her tenancy. Which over a bird feeder does seem like a pretty stupid position to put yourself and your child in just for a principle.

Yeah, still doesn’t mean she has any obligation to renew your tenancy though when it comes up for renewal. Do come back and let us all know how that goes 😉

Tenancies are now indefinite since the start of May.

Someone hasn't caught up with recent legislation...

Check the renters rights bill...

This.
@goodoldsussexbythesea she’s absolutely out of order.

Hurrah!!

It's also quite unpleasant. "You had the audacity to challenge your landlady, I'll laugh if your family is made homeless".

Good result all round! 💐

That’s awesome! Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

She has to unless she has breached her contract. It has changed in the tenant's favour now.

Amazing news and ignore the negatives nellies of mumsnet, probably bitter landlords themselves!

Have I missed something? Why is it okay for the landlord to steal property under the threat of tenancy not being renewed? Is that what we're doing now? Allowing landlords to steal our items and bowing down to it? Have we truly returned to serfdom through voluntary sacrifice of rights? Is this weird to anyone but me?

For once! Someone has stood up for themselves, yay! 🥳 Well done op. Your local birds will be thrilled 🐦🐦🐦

Well that's nice then!

Every time their is a neighbour dispute on Mumsnet many posters advocate first speaking to the neighbour before taking things further. In some cases, where the neighbour had already been rude and aggressive, this may not be wise. However in this case this would have been my preferred option had the LL not capitulated..

Just a reminder to the posters whi have gone on about the LL not "renewing her lease" that under the new legislation ALL leases are now on a rolling basis and not for a set period.

It's done and dusted!

Congratulations!!! I saw your story on BoredPanda and have been hoping for this update! Your landlady was completely out of line, but often that doesn't deter people in power. So glad you got the feeders back!

A victory for you and the birds 🐦

Fabulous news!! Your poor birds will be very happy!