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.

Keep the footage for safekeeping in case you do need it. It is theft at the very least and I’m sure the police would be able to give you advice. In the meantime is there an estate or housing agent you can talk to?

If not, try and ring the local council (housing) for landlord advice too on what she’s legally allowed to do and what she isn’t. They might be able to signpost you in your situation as it stands at the moment. If she were to illegally or unfairly evict you too, they would get involved.

CAB are also worth a shot, but it might take a while to hear from them.

Try and speak to someone official for advice and to find out your rights and how to proceed. It’s not ok what she’s done - normal healthy people don’t do it - and she may get worse. Good luck OP.

Are they dried mealworms? They're not suitable for baby birds as they don't contain the right moisture and nutrients that live insects would. Baby birds have to get all their water from their food so being constantly fed dried meal worms wouldn't be good.

Apart from the birds (who can generally fend for themselves when there's no snow and ice), they're an absolute magnet for rats. Especially after dark. Just saying 🐀 🐀 🐀

Irrelevant.

I agree with this
YANBU!!!

I would get some extra bolts fitted to the gates so she can't just stroll in.

OK so can you suggest anything that the OP can do and that you can say with absolute certainty will not lead to her eviction/homelessness.

So unless its in your lease you cant have them then she cant demand you dont. Additionally even if you cant have them its theft.

But I would caution you against calling police and escalating or you will potentially make your living situation so much worse

I haven't read the thread so am in danger of posting a cancel the cheque, but...
I'm sure I recently heard advice from RSPB not to put out seed feeders as there is some bird illness wreaking havoc from infected birds mouthing seeds and passing on the infection.

I watched three rats climbing my neighbours bird feeders and eating the contents. The house behind them ripped out a hedge that ran from front to back seemingly making the rats homeless so they spread out. They bought rat traps and caught eight they said.

My friend had a plastic birdfeeder attached to the kitchen window. She got a hell of a shock when she looked up and saw a big rat happily munching away.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2lwvz1pl1no

That's exactly my point. How humiliating having to accept a landlord committing trespass and theft because you have the threat of homelessness if you dont.

From 1st May onwards

I once thought I saw a squirrel's face emerge from the hedge reaching towards the bird feeder. It was a rat.
I don't hate rats but don't want them near the house.

Yeah….read the thread!

I mean you could have at least finished reading the original post where she literally addresses that.

And it's advice, it's not a law.

If a landlady would evict someone over something like this. I personally would rather live elsewhere. I don't think it's helpful to be going on about eviction/homelessness - the OP ending up in temporary accommodation. She suffers from mental health issues. She was asking for advice on what to do - not comments about her ending up in temporary accommodation

Make me.

It's the 26th of April. "IT'S NOT MAY 1ST!" 🙄

To be clear I'm not talking about anything like that happening because of the events of today and a minor disagreement about bird feeders- I'm talking about if events escalate with attempts to involve the police for theft/ the Council for trespass/ buying huge new feeders etc etc. Then that absolutely becomes a possibility that the OP (and people encouraging her to escalate the situation) need to be aware of.

On a Sunday?

All that they do to protect us - well hopefully police in your area are better than police in mine. They couldn't care less when I was being stalked, repeatedly sent me away and when someone turned up at my house and threatened me (a complete stranger) they took it seriously. Said they were going to speak to neighbours (my neighbours daughter who I didn't know made the threat) and then closed the case without even giving me a phone call or an update. World poverty has what to do with UK police?

The OP is quite clearly already aware of the guidance, if you read her post

Look, I'm no fan of Landlords but I thought we were all more aware after the pandemic.
Let it go, OP.
Follow the advice and you can still feed the birds.