Builders working next door - AIBU?

[Zaina89]

So the house next door to us is having work done, they’ve bought it as an investment and will sell on. My husband is a builder so has got to know the owner and some on the workers.
we’ve tried to get along, they came once asking to use our outside electricity sockets for half an hour as an emergency because they had no electricity, first time husband told them yes. This was at 8am in the morning and was only supposed to be for 30 minutes and it got to 3pm and I switched it off because they’d used our electricity for the entire day.
they then came round over the next week asking another 3/4 times to use our electricity to which we said no because we felt as if it was getting taken advantage of at this point, they’d been told no yet still kept coming knocking and asking.
there’s been a few issues them working past 4pm on a Saturday when your only allowed to work till 1 or 2 on a Saturday so my husband has said, they’ve built a fence ( non see through too) so high around the house that also affects us as it’s a busy round and we can’t see the traffic coming from the right side so in the morning ( there’s also 3 schools around the next couple of roads) so quite dangerous with the traffic and not being able to see people approaching. We expressed our concerns and asked them to lower the wall or make it see through which they said they’d do and they haven’t.

this morning 8.20 was leaving to take my kids to school and there was scaffolding people blocking my drive way and I couldn’t get out. I asked them nicely not to park over and block our driveway and I needed to get out, they moved but I could see they was waiting for me to move so they could re block it. I wouldn’t mind if it was half an hour or so as I understand they need to get deliveries but when I got home at 11am they was still blocked over my driveway. I asked them please move and not to block my driveway and this was the second time today. He told me he needed access and it’s not every day. I said I’m aware it’s not “everyday” and on a usual day I wouldn’t mind if they had asked me considering they are here all day but no one asked me, I said today I need constant access to my driveway as I’m in and out and he started being weird saying “ shall I just go and block someone else’s driveway then” as if it’s ok to block mine all day. I said please can you just not block my driveway thank you and he eventually walked away in a huff saying “ I’ll go block someone else’s drive way then”

aibu to be really angry about this? I just asked him not to block my driveway and I feel it should have been enough and he didn’t need to keep saying “ it’s not everyday” and “shall I go block someone else’s driveway then” as if it’s ok to do it to mine because they know I’m at home most days.

Sounds like you've been pretty decent about the work, but how could you not get pissed off with all that?

Sympathies OP

Have you mentioned the issues to the actual owner of the property? Surely the workmen should be getting a generator or getting the electrics fixed if they are asking to use yours for days on end?

We've just finished 2yrs of major renovations on a derelict property so I'm aware how disruptive it can be for everyone. We lived onsite and tried to notify neighbours of any loud noise/early deliveries etc etc.

Could you get a large, planter on wheels to move across your driveway or one of those bollard things?

With regards to the fence I believe that if the fence is adjacent to a public highway, the height limit is 1 metre. I suggest you check with the your council.

It’s about 7 foot. I’m 5 foot 6 and it’s way over me and it’s a wood boundary I’ve asked them how long it will be up and they’ve said another 8 weeks and it needs to be up because the property is “open” but my husband did this property last year and he never had a massive boundary up like this. My concern is I’ve had a few near misses even pulling out very slowly. When their work vans are parked there there is absolutely no visibility whatsoever then and it’s a game of chance pulling out onto the road and praying a car isn’t coming round the side of them because you can’t see absolutely anything. Like I said I’m also concerned for the school children walking by as you cannot see anyone walking until they’re in front of your car so it’s pretty dangerous.
me and my husband has both spoken to the owner on separate occasions, said he would sort it but this was 3 weeks ago and it’s the same and he’s done nothing. I’ve reported to the council twice after I took a game of chance and hoped I wouldn’t be hit by a car because I’d had enough, still not heard back anything and don’t know who to call as I’ve just emailed. Will try to post a picture ( featuring the work van they’ve since moved backwards after I told them to move it)

Yes, my husband is also a builder and the owner took his number of my husbands van. We’ve both spoke to him separately about issues. It’s the owner himself who’s turned up twice asking to use our electrics. The other two times he sent his workmen around to ask ( must’ve told them we’d let them!!) they are all smiles when they want something and then when they hear something they don’t like they turn and get angry.
I think most of it is because they know my husbands a builder he must “ get it” and let them get away with stuff and do favors. My husband does help them out where he can but certain things are becoming a bit to much.

I’ll definitely look into that

We had a similar issue with our NDN. They moved out during the work, so when their builders kept turning up at 7 am or working late or whatever, they weren't here. I did nearly punch him when he said to me that yes, they'd moved out to avoid the noise and the dirt.

I lost it completely one Sunday. Builders had been here until gone 6 every evening, including that Saturday. He then came over himself to do some of the work at 8am one Sunday morning - and was outside, below our bedroom window, using some kind of electric sanding machine.

In his defense, he stopped. Wine and chocolate were dlivered and it did get a bit better.

I think people just think, "it's just a few extra minutes" or "it's just this one time" and they don't think about the endless repetition.

We had the same when I had a 3 week old baby. They were working from 7am to 10pm (various trades). Put scaffolding on our property that blocked our back door, removed roof and damaged gutter, caused leaks. The only communication we had from the owner was that they were replacing windows and redecorating. It took 7 months. We contacted the council, who wrote to the owners via their solicitor. The builders were better about working hours, but no more considerate. The entire time the owners lived there relations were strained. They abandoned it during covid and their smoke alarm next to my bedroom was chirping for 4 months. I entirely sympathise. Best advice I can give is speak to the council and see what they can do.