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.

Please don’t forget waste time reporting this to the Police, just imagine that while they are having to write this up there are actual victims of crime needing help

Not this, as stated earlier on. No intention to permanently deprive

Property has been taken from her garden without her permission- that seems like a crime to me.

Quite possibly the police won’t do anything, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a petty crime

My neighbour put out loads of bird feeders and it attracted lots of rats.

We live in a rural area and it’s 4 big houses and gardens with a kind of courtyard and a shared grassy area (hard to explain) and he put the feeders in his garden but also in the shared area.

Our landlord requested they be moved and he would for a few weeks but then go and buy more. I’m absolutely terrified of rats and so is another neighbour so it was making our lives hell.

We ended up with an updated contract saying the feeders were no longer allowed which was a relief. I also got a cat who is a savage little bastard and saw off any rats that were hanging around or ate them.

It’s not pleasant to attract rats to residential areas and they are so destructive, I imagine that’s why your landlady removed them.

It depends on how much you want to stay in your house OP but it might end up on your updated contract you can’t keep them.
Even with the new renters rights I think attracting vermin that can be really destructive to the property and an environmental health issue might be a good reason for eviction.
I’m just guessing though as I have been sent the updated information from my rental agency but not read through it yet. I’ve lived in my home for 15 years and never encountered a single issue except over these feeders!

I’m not sure where the line about permanently deprive is drawn, but the LL intends to keep that property for several months without permission

The landlady has destroyed the professional relationship - not the OP! She illegally trespassed when entering the tenant's garden. She seems to have forgotten that she can only enter with the tenant's permission. She then stole the OP's property.

Landlords cannot make changes to a tenancy when they feel like it. Their rights and obligations are laid out in the lease document and she cannot go beyond that. It's the law. I state this as a former landlord myself.

The LL's behaviour is illegal and quite outrageous. The OP has the legal power to make this woman understand what she's done wrong and get it rectified. I hope she uses it.

You can’t do that.

I wouldn’t want birdfeeders in my property. I can completely see her point of view whatever the guidance, the place will be covered in bird shit.
One of our neighbours insists on feeding the birds and all we’ve got is rats everywhere as a result of them getting the food as well

Just to add your landlady shouldn’t have just taken them and that was out of order, she should have gone through the proper channels to have had them removed if she felt they were causing any issues.
I wouldn’t bother with the police as they likely won’t get involved but maybe request them back in writing?

Wow, she’s clearly batshit and overstepping massively.

She’s trespassed and removed an item of property without your consent.

You’ve got the evidence of theft on camera. I’d tell her I’m going to report her to the police unless she returns them by this evening.

If you don't want bird feeders on a property you own, don't rent a property out to other people!

Your landlady is a highhanded, arrogant lady of the manor with a superiority complex. How dare she police your hobbies and confiscate your feeders!
Does she think we still live in feudal times?
I would be furious too.

However, I would advise you not to jeopardise your tenancy for your childrens' sake. I think I would kill her with kindness and flattery. Write her a polite letter saying you appreciate the fact that she, like you, is a bird lover and aware of RSPB best practice. Suggest that there has been a misunderstanding and explain how you are following the RSPB guidelines exactly and that you would like the feeders back.

She can still end her tenancy.

Can I save myself the cost of garden furniture by hoisting my neighbour’s stuff over the fence on the first sunny day, provided I intend to return it at the end of summer so there’s no permanent intent to deprive?

The rspb info is only ‘Advice’.
And 1 guy from rspb said on radio4 the other morning that the birds will still require protein foods…. “including fat balls”…. I’d like to know what actual research they’ve gone into about this.

My wild birds come & take my chicken feed so rspb will have to think again, i won’t stop feeding my hens whatever our landlord says…(but he wouldn’t😉).

You can "imagine" and "guess" all you like but vermin has nothing to do with why my LL removed my feeders. I clearly explained her stated reasons. We don't have a vermin problem here and I don't know why people keep bringing it up.

I don't have any clause in my contract that says I can't have feeders. They were in good repair and doing no harm at all. She was completely wrong to take them.

I do not need any advice or the rights and wrongs of her taking them, but would and do appreciate sound advice over what to do about what she has done.

i agree with this
except dont waste police time

No, I’ve already said that the LL shouldn’t have done that. In the landlords position, I’d start the process to get the OP out as the relationship has broken down. This won’t end well for the OP if she doesn’t let this go. If she wants to be moving house soon, she should carry on.

Literally wait until Friday - after that no section 21 (I find it mad that there are people on this thread purporting to me landlords who seem unaware of what rights tenants have).

It’s one of those things you never imagine Needs stating but going forward noted. That’ll be going in the tenancy agreements going forward 🤢

I would be very careful, there’s still 4 days left for landlords to issue section 21s so don’t do anything till the 1st May.

I'd say it was a silly spat about not much. Thd guidance was not to have bird feeders in the garden from May and it is nearly May. Maybe she was high handed but a bit of an over reaction to call the police.

My garden is NOT covered in birdshit or rats. It is my pride and joy and is clean and well cared for. It's my happy place and I've gone to a lot of effort to make it beautiful on a tiny shoestring budget.

If you don't want birdfeeders on your property, I suggest you don't put them there, and don't rent it out.

Plenty of feeders here. No rats and no bird mess.

While the feeders would upset me, I'd be far more upset by the principal of the matter. How dare she make up rules (clearly misinterpreting the RSPB advice), and enforce them by entering the property which is your home.
What's next?