Didn't have time to organise a recorded delivery letter. Neigbour knocked this morning saying son was there and acting nice as pie but of course started off saying that my tree was hanging over their garden and they'd be cutting it back. Absolutely fine says I, just put the branches over the fence and I'll deal with them.
I pointed out the concrete piled all over the base of my fence and showed them the gate post won't go back and where the patio needs trimming, so son said he'd fix it today. All seemed fine until neighbour started on about how difficult I was and how she just wants an easy life and how she's not noisy and I could have a far worse neighbour like the difficult one she's got blah blah...
So I made it clear the fence belongs to me, as do the posts, that it is on my side of the boundary and told her what the regulations are including the fact she shouldn't paint, lean things or attach things to my fence. I told her I felt she was a bully and that the regulations are there to protect me and perhaps if she read up on the regulations she'd understand my point of view. She said I was the bully and her son son started at me and swore, which I requested he not do again.
Anyhow she said she'd get him to cut the patio back and remove the concrete but it wouldn't be today. I said he needed to cut the patio back level all the way along, remove the excess concrete and that the gas pipe needed to be removed from my posts too. 'I'm not doing that she says, where else is my pipe meant to go?'. On your side is what I replied. It won't be today she repeats but her son steps in again and says he will cut it back at the gate today and remove the concrete while she carrys on telling me I'm so difficult.
We're all getting irrate now so I walked away with them shouting and her yelling that this was the last work that she was having done and I went indoors and shut the back door while replying 'excellent' to her as I went.
So the grinder starts up eventually and I assume he's fixing the overhang at least. Happy with that I picked up the phone to call the guy I had asked to fix the gate but it goes to answerphone just as neighbour knocks on door again.
She says can I check it as he's cut it back. Not entirely straight, but enough for the gate post to fit back in position when I put it in place, so I say that's fine. He's not done any of the other things as yet.
Son then gets his string out and says they've measured down the garden and my fence panels are bowed and on their side and if I'm going to be difficult about 40 mm they're going to do the same. So he shows me which panels are a problem, I suggested they simply push them back and put a brick or stake their side to stop them bowing. I pointed out that wood wasn't permanent and could be moved while the concrete patio couldn't be pushed back. I've cut it back now he says. Yes that's great says I, and pinted out that I had to wait for them to do it and couldn't fix the gate till they had. POinted out that they can push the panels back from their side, but I can't do it from my side.
You need to replace them they say. I reply I'm not replacing them now and if they don't want to push them back then tell me which panels they'd like me to remove and I'll do that. But you'll have to replace the removed ones they say. No I don't I reply.
So they went to the shed to find stakes to push them back saying the panels will break when they push them. He gave the weakest pannel (which was damaged when he removed it last year without my permission) an almighty shove but it didn't break, much as he'd like it to have I think.
I go back in doors and could then hear him chipping the concrete but he's started with the grinder now so I'm sure he figured out that removing the concrete isn't enough to lift the panels and it did need cutting back like I had asked.
Although I'm not happy about the gas pipe being attached to my posts I had previously decided it wasn't something I was going to argue over after discussions with a friend. However I did mention it this morning, partly to show them how they expected to do as they like and expected me to put up with it and also make it clear that I knew the regulations while they clearly were ignoring them.
So if they carry on being difficult about the bowing panels I will simply remove all my panels, suggest they put up their own fence and ask them to remove their gas pipe too.
I am fully expecting to find the tree hacked to pieces later, but it will grow back at least.
I wasn't going to insist before but if they want to be difficult and complain about the fence more I don't think I have anything to lose now about insisting they move the gas pipe. What do you reckon?