Right of way/Terrace garden issues. Dog mess 😡

[Chosennonesneakymincepie]

I live in a mid terrace. Row of 4. They are 2, we are 3. We have a small garden/yard at the back.
When we bought the house the vendors had to get easement insurance as there was nothing official on the deeds regarding easment. As it is a terrace of 4, just one set of neighbours used the 'presumed ROA' and we have wrought iron fencing and gates. We get on with the neighbours, quite elderley and keep themselves to themselves. It has been fine.

Fast forward a few years. Their yard has become progressively overgrown and cluttered and a bit of an eyesore. The main problem is their 3 dogs use it as a toilet they are struggling to take them out and have a number of health issues so I can sympathise.

However the view through our wrought iron gates is a literal shit tip. They do clean it once a day, but this can mean the crap is there all morning. Few hours clear then all evening. They feel once a day is enough. I have spoken to them politely and wrote an informal letter asking for consideration/neighbourliness on there behalf. They agree and 'do their best' But I can see I may need to ramp this up. Cant bare a mother hot summer with flies and waiting for the clean up whilst say I'm our pretty little courtyard.

Step 1. Do we attach some painted hardboard to our wrought iron fences to 'block's the dog mess.

Step 2. Take photos and ask Environmental Health for advice. We dont use their yard as a ROW but 'presume'we could.

Step 3. Erect a great big FO fence and see if they can prove they have a right of way. They have a gate through the neighbours on their other side, so not land locked.

Well you can't 'just ask' that it's cleared up more quickly!! Haven't you got the message yet? YOU ARE BEING UNREASONABLE. IT IS THEIR GARDEN. YOU HAVE NO SAY IN IT.

And of course it's still a bloody private garden!! You can't be that stupid. Do you think you all have shared ownership? It's just a right of way!

Ok
So adding hardboard, reed fencing round the iron gates it is then.

It's their garden. What they do with it is their own business and none of yours. Clearing up the poo once a day sounds perfectly adequate anyway.

I just can't imagine it's that bad it they're picking it up daily. Unless there's other stuff you aren't telling us, it really sounds as though they're being quite reasonable.

Dog shit - no matter how unpleasant it looks or smells - cannot be a ROW issue if it's cleared up once a day, because not even 3 big dogs can shit a mountain that would obstruct your access.

Fine, you don't like it. But it really can't be classed as anything other than a bit of a nuisance on a sunny day. Offer to clear it up for them is really your only option if it bothers you so much.

Go in and pick it up yourself. Which will be fucking hideous but come summer it’s going to stink.

If you are saying that the neighbours have health and/or mobility problems that make scooping poop difficult for them then YABU. Once a day under these circumstances seems a big enough effort.

If they were perfectly fit & able and just being lazy - well that’s a different matter.

Oh dear, I feel a bit bad for you OP as you have had your arse handed to you a bit 😅

Like others have said I think you're wasting your time with EH, especially at the moment.

It's not remotely ideal but as it appears to bother you a lot more than it bothers them, could you be neighbourly (as you state they suffer from ill health) and do a poo pick for them? I know it's not your responsibility and not a pleasant job but would it not be worth it? I shop for and walk my neighbour's dog, for free, just to be neighbourly. Might just be easier all round?

Yep. I certainly have.
But it shows what people will tolerate and maybe dog shit doesn't bother many people 🤷‍♀️

I have cleared up before, as in summer we could have a couple of people in the garden for a drink and I'm not sure guests would be neighbourly as many of you and sit downwind of dog pile happily.

Cleaning up once or twice a day in an enclosed space really is acceptable. I’d get a new fence or plant something along that border.

A dog pile? When its cleared daily?

What breed are the dogs?

How many dogs do they have! - I would say more of an issue is the rest of the rubbish in the yard

Can’t believe you want to dictate ground rules for your neighbours own private garden! They clean up after the dogs daily, stopping peering through the gate and mind your own business!

I think it's just one of those things you're going to have to put up with. It would be more considerate if they would pick up the poop after each dog had been out, but as they're doing it once a day I don't think EH would care. Unfortunately it's just the reality of living cheek by jowl with other people. Put your screening up and try and find as effective a solution as possible for the flies in the summer- I'd find that aspect really hard to cope with as well.

It's the dogs I feel sorry for, if their owners are struggling to pick up poo I doubt they're getting much in the way of proper exercise.

YANBU but I come from a non dog family so this would piss me off to no end. I have low tolerance for people who leave their dog shit even for an hour. It's disgusting. A dog for some people is like a child and you wouldn't leave your child's shit out and only clean once a day

peering through their gate

We have wrought iron fencing. It's all you can see from my back windows!
Believe me 3 big working dogs, produce a pile when they haven't got much space to go (see previous re clutter) They pribs have a turning circle of less than a metre (so they stand on each others).

I am am thankful they clean it once a day but twice would be better, or in a more private part of their garden, not right next to our shared boundary.

Step 1 only.

The other two suggestions are just batshit (pun intended).

Eh won't do anything if they are picking it up daily , I mean how many times a day do dogs go ? Or are they big new foundlands so like horse size shit

I would be concerned re: rubbish more so as well as may attract rodents etc

Why are you sitting 1 m from dog shit? Do you have an incredibly narrow garden and the neighbours dogs shit inches from the boundary?

It does sound like you're exaggerating somewhat. A couple of turds in their own garden which realistically is probably several metres away for a few hours isn't a massive problem. If it bothers you that much then erect a solid fence

OP, MN is batshit about dogshit. There was a thread the other day with people defending an owner’s right to let their dog shit in someone else’s garden, so of course the dog brigade are going to hound someone complaining over dogshit in their neighbour’s garden. It’s not even AIBU yet you’re being called unreasonable. Because dogs are king and their shit really is a treat, whether it’s wafting through your garden or hung from a tree in a little baggy.

It’s utterly grim, must be horrendous in hot weather, but not sure you can do anything about it other than: 6-foot solid-panel fence – gate it if you need to maintain access – and sell up and move. Sorry. Your neighbours are disgusting.

I think you should take note of the general consensus that YABU.

If the right of way has been there for over 20 years you can do nothing about it and if you put up a fence you will be the one dealing with legal issues not your neighbours. We have a row through our back garden, it’s kept clean and tidy by all of us as we all use it.

If you know they are nice and in poor health why are you moaning about them. Do you think that being in poor health and struggling to manage their garden is enough for them with out the neighbours complaining. Maybe step up and help them in stead of moaning.

Christ have some of you ever been in a Terrace back garden? Of course its narrow? It's around 6 metres wide and slightly less in length.
Yes their dogs are shitting next to the gate which is the boundary. If 4 people came round in summer and we wanted to socially distance, of course someone had to sit near the gate 🤷‍♀️
They have a similar sized yard but with shed, storage tubs, old furniture, log shed, old ladders, bins etc their is like a 'corridor' through the clutter. A little turning/pooing circle.
I'm sure lots of you would find it fine. The flies in summer? Delightful.
We are going to screen off the iron fencing, hold our noses and pray that the beer gardens are open this spring/summer 🤞

Also... I didn't post in AIBU 🤷‍♀️