Official channels to address nuisance neighbour
Discussion
We’ve got this issue, on my deeds it shows a shared access road that serves other 3 properties, I dont even get to use it.
The neighbours of these big expensive houses want me to pay a considerable % of maintaining the road I can’t even use.
They seem to think it’s my responsibility to clear their drive of leaves, they put the leaves in my flower beds and have even filled my own bins without permission, they’ve thrown large branches from the driveway in to my flowerbeds.
It’s been going on a couple of years, it’s like they expect me to thank them, or offer to pay, for the cleaning the driveway that I don’t use and is really for their sole benefit.
The problem was made worse when the single property using it broke up its plot and built 2 further houses that now also use the lane, it’s even worse now with Amazon and home food shopping deliveries all the time.
I’m a poor pensioner, why should I clear or fund somebody to clear what’s essentially their driveway? One of the households is particularly unpleasant.
[Sounds like it simply needs the 3 houses who benefit from it to employ a gardener for those months when the leaves drop and split maintenance equally. Perhaps no #4 gets told the dates and asked if she wants to rake out leaves from adjacent beds in advance to be disposed of, or if she’d like to contribute a bit to have the gardener do that also. Might just need to leave it to get worse before other houses take any interest.]
The neighbours of these big expensive houses want me to pay a considerable % of maintaining the road I can’t even use.
They seem to think it’s my responsibility to clear their drive of leaves, they put the leaves in my flower beds and have even filled my own bins without permission, they’ve thrown large branches from the driveway in to my flowerbeds.
It’s been going on a couple of years, it’s like they expect me to thank them, or offer to pay, for the cleaning the driveway that I don’t use and is really for their sole benefit.
The problem was made worse when the single property using it broke up its plot and built 2 further houses that now also use the lane, it’s even worse now with Amazon and home food shopping deliveries all the time.
I’m a poor pensioner, why should I clear or fund somebody to clear what’s essentially their driveway? One of the households is particularly unpleasant.
[Sounds like it simply needs the 3 houses who benefit from it to employ a gardener for those months when the leaves drop and split maintenance equally. Perhaps no #4 gets told the dates and asked if she wants to rake out leaves from adjacent beds in advance to be disposed of, or if she’d like to contribute a bit to have the gardener do that also. Might just need to leave it to get worse before other houses take any interest.]
Have you considered that - not to put too fine a point on it - that your neighbour has a level of mental instability?
Possibly talk to Social services (or whatever they are called) about it, see what they say.
Meanwhile, pick up the leaves, put them in your bin and get them taken away.
There is no point trying to apply everyday logic and common sense to this situation.
Possibly talk to Social services (or whatever they are called) about it, see what they say.
Meanwhile, pick up the leaves, put them in your bin and get them taken away.
There is no point trying to apply everyday logic and common sense to this situation.
StuTheGrouch said:
Buy a very noisy leaf blower.....
Or, as others have suggested, get yourself a leaf vacuum and suck those up every now and again. Takes very little time, your approach to the house will be more pleasant and no risk of escalation (you will have sucked up anything she can dump).
She sounds like an irrational nutter. To paraphrase the 'never argue with an idiot' quote, you can't reason with people like this. They see you as the problem and not themselves. I live next to a family like this and just go about my life ignoring them.
Got a leaf blower and that's what I have been using. I have converted the drive from a dirty mess into something you could eat your dinner off. It's how I gathered everything into her bin as I had done on previous occasions. Difference being that neighbour at #3 got approval from woman for me to do it first. I always cleared up when she was on holiday to avoid interference and confrontation. Now...I think I will leave the drive to just get mucky. Or, as others have suggested, get yourself a leaf vacuum and suck those up every now and again. Takes very little time, your approach to the house will be more pleasant and no risk of escalation (you will have sucked up anything she can dump).
She sounds like an irrational nutter. To paraphrase the 'never argue with an idiot' quote, you can't reason with people like this. They see you as the problem and not themselves. I live next to a family like this and just go about my life ignoring them.
bennno said:
We’ve got this issue, on my deeds it shows a shared access road that serves other 3 properties, I dont even get to use it.
The neighbours of these big expensive houses want me to pay a considerable % of maintaining the road I can’t even use.
predecessors before us plus other neighbours wanted to resurface at their own expense, woman refused. In 2021 it got so bad vehicles were getting damaged, something had to be done .
They seem to think it’s my responsibility to clear their drive of leaves, they put the leaves in my flower beds and have even filled my own bins without permission, they’ve thrown large branches from the driveway in to my flowerbeds.
She had asked ME to clean up drive in the past as I have a leafblower. I did this on same day every request was made. I think I even took away the debris. She focused on me and I was good enough to do it. She does not maintain her garden allowing branches to fall from a huge tree with a TPO on it but takes no responsibility for it when it blocks the driveway. She wants to make it my job. She then puts leaves and branches onto the drivewayon purpose..
It’s been going on a couple of years, it’s like they expect me to thank them, or offer to pay, for the cleaning the driveway that I don’t use and is really for their sole benefit.
she wanted to get in a gardener and pass on his charges of 2 to 3 hours to us for a 45 minute job.
The problem was made worse when the single property using it broke up its plot and built 2 further houses that now also use the lane, it’s even worse now with Amazon and home food shopping deliveries all the time.
before my time, 20+ years ago. Her house was the last, most recent. She bought her house with clear covenants .
I’m a poor pensioner, why should I clear or fund somebody to clear what’s essentially their driveway? One of the households is particularly unpleasant.
she assaulted my wife requiring Police involvement .
[Sounds like it simply needs the 3 houses who benefit from it to employ a gardener for those months when the leaves drop and split maintenance equally. Perhaps no #4 gets told the dates and asked if she wants to rake out leaves from adjacent beds in advance to be disposed of, or if she’d like to contribute a bit to have the gardener do that also. Might just need to leave it to get worse before other houses take any interest.]
That sounds loosely like our situation but with different facts and history. I see where you are coming from but it's not quite correct.The neighbours of these big expensive houses want me to pay a considerable % of maintaining the road I can’t even use.
predecessors before us plus other neighbours wanted to resurface at their own expense, woman refused. In 2021 it got so bad vehicles were getting damaged, something had to be done .
They seem to think it’s my responsibility to clear their drive of leaves, they put the leaves in my flower beds and have even filled my own bins without permission, they’ve thrown large branches from the driveway in to my flowerbeds.
She had asked ME to clean up drive in the past as I have a leafblower. I did this on same day every request was made. I think I even took away the debris. She focused on me and I was good enough to do it. She does not maintain her garden allowing branches to fall from a huge tree with a TPO on it but takes no responsibility for it when it blocks the driveway. She wants to make it my job. She then puts leaves and branches onto the drivewayon purpose..
It’s been going on a couple of years, it’s like they expect me to thank them, or offer to pay, for the cleaning the driveway that I don’t use and is really for their sole benefit.
she wanted to get in a gardener and pass on his charges of 2 to 3 hours to us for a 45 minute job.
The problem was made worse when the single property using it broke up its plot and built 2 further houses that now also use the lane, it’s even worse now with Amazon and home food shopping deliveries all the time.
before my time, 20+ years ago. Her house was the last, most recent. She bought her house with clear covenants .
I’m a poor pensioner, why should I clear or fund somebody to clear what’s essentially their driveway? One of the households is particularly unpleasant.
she assaulted my wife requiring Police involvement .
[Sounds like it simply needs the 3 houses who benefit from it to employ a gardener for those months when the leaves drop and split maintenance equally. Perhaps no #4 gets told the dates and asked if she wants to rake out leaves from adjacent beds in advance to be disposed of, or if she’d like to contribute a bit to have the gardener do that also. Might just need to leave it to get worse before other houses take any interest.]
Edited by TUS373 on Tuesday 23 April 07:41
Edited by TUS373 on Tuesday 23 April 07:44
TUS373 said:
This is an example of what we are up against. This material placed on the drive then carefully raked out from the edge leaving a clear, even strip. The big dollop is the contents of wheelie bin emptied back on! 
I was going to drive frozen sausages in....but we have a very active and hungry fox around us.
A car would easily drive over some leaves, even a slight gust of wind would move them. Why bother picking them up?I was going to drive frozen sausages in....but we have a very active and hungry fox around us.
Edited by TUS373 on Monday 22 April 17:54
TUS373 said:
bennno said:
We’ve got this issue, on my deeds it shows a shared access road that serves other 3 properties, I dont even get to use it.
The neighbours of these big expensive houses want me to pay a considerable % of maintaining the road I can’t even use.
They seem to think it’s my responsibility to clear their drive of leaves, they put the leaves in my flower beds and have even filled my own bins without permission, they’ve thrown large branches from the driveway in to my flowerbeds.
It’s been going on a couple of years, it’s like they expect me to thank them, or offer to pay, for the cleaning the driveway that I don’t use and is really for their sole benefit.
The problem was made worse when the single property using it broke up its plot and built 2 further houses that now also use the lane, it’s even worse now with Amazon and home food shopping deliveries all the time.
I’m a poor pensioner, why should I clear or fund somebody to clear what’s essentially their driveway? One of the households is particularly unpleasant.
[Sounds like it simply needs the 3 houses who benefit from it to employ a gardener for those months when the leaves drop and split maintenance equally. Perhaps no #4 gets told the dates and asked if she wants to rake out leaves from adjacent beds in advance to be disposed of, or if she’d like to contribute a bit to have the gardener do that also. Might just need to leave it to get worse before other houses take any interest.]
That sounds loosely like our situation but with different facts and history. I see where you are coming from but it's not quite correct.The neighbours of these big expensive houses want me to pay a considerable % of maintaining the road I can’t even use.
They seem to think it’s my responsibility to clear their drive of leaves, they put the leaves in my flower beds and have even filled my own bins without permission, they’ve thrown large branches from the driveway in to my flowerbeds.
It’s been going on a couple of years, it’s like they expect me to thank them, or offer to pay, for the cleaning the driveway that I don’t use and is really for their sole benefit.
The problem was made worse when the single property using it broke up its plot and built 2 further houses that now also use the lane, it’s even worse now with Amazon and home food shopping deliveries all the time.
I’m a poor pensioner, why should I clear or fund somebody to clear what’s essentially their driveway? One of the households is particularly unpleasant.
[Sounds like it simply needs the 3 houses who benefit from it to employ a gardener for those months when the leaves drop and split maintenance equally. Perhaps no #4 gets told the dates and asked if she wants to rake out leaves from adjacent beds in advance to be disposed of, or if she’d like to contribute a bit to have the gardener do that also. Might just need to leave it to get worse before other houses take any interest.]
head, but you could just clear up and dispose of the waste yourself if you want a clear driveway. Be the better person.Yes. My problem in short though is....I clear up because she wants me to too, then she deliberately messes it up again. It is like she is making me responsible for the driveway _and_ her garden, doing it to spite us.
I honestly think I will just not bother. I will let the drive get covered. Anything big and obstructive, I will send back to whence it came as per council advice. No point in me doing any kind of service. Not bothered that it is not appreciated. Am bothered that it is abused.
If it escalates, I can say why. If it gets nasty, I will call the Police.
I honestly think I will just not bother. I will let the drive get covered. Anything big and obstructive, I will send back to whence it came as per council advice. No point in me doing any kind of service. Not bothered that it is not appreciated. Am bothered that it is abused.
If it escalates, I can say why. If it gets nasty, I will call the Police.
Mr Rusty's post is very helpful. #4 doesn't have to do anything to the driveway. So it's pointless hoping or expecting her to do anything.
And if you want a clear driveway, then you are entitled to clear it yourself.
The fact that she empties her leaves onto the driveway is, in the whole scheme of things, not a big issue. For the same of keeping the peace and not having a run-in with a loony neighbour, just pick them up with the rest that were already there and put them in your own bin.
Maybe get together with #2 and #3 (because the driveway is the responsibility of the three of you) and employ a garden service of sorts.
Don't start getting all legal. As people mention, you will then have to declare it if you ever want to sell up and that will knock a big chunk off your selling price.
And if you want a clear driveway, then you are entitled to clear it yourself.
The fact that she empties her leaves onto the driveway is, in the whole scheme of things, not a big issue. For the same of keeping the peace and not having a run-in with a loony neighbour, just pick them up with the rest that were already there and put them in your own bin.
Maybe get together with #2 and #3 (because the driveway is the responsibility of the three of you) and employ a garden service of sorts.
Don't start getting all legal. As people mention, you will then have to declare it if you ever want to sell up and that will knock a big chunk off your selling price.
TUS373 said:
Yes. My problem in short though is....I clear up because she wants me to too, then she deliberately messes it up again. It is like she is making me responsible for the driveway _and_ her garden, doing it to spite us.
I honestly think I will just not bother. I will let the drive get covered. Anything big and obstructive, I will send back to whence it came as per council advice. No point in me doing any kind of service. Not bothered that it is not appreciated. Am bothered that it is abused.
If it escalates, I can say why. If it gets nasty, I will call the Police.
Your options are only to:I honestly think I will just not bother. I will let the drive get covered. Anything big and obstructive, I will send back to whence it came as per council advice. No point in me doing any kind of service. Not bothered that it is not appreciated. Am bothered that it is abused.
If it escalates, I can say why. If it gets nasty, I will call the Police.
Clear the drive and accept that your work will not be appreciated/sabotaged.
Or let the drive get cluttered/untidy
Or move.
Muzzer79 said:
Your options are only to:
Clear the drive and accept that your work will not be appreciated/sabotaged.
Or let the drive get cluttered/untidy
Or move.
Clear the drive and dispose of the clearings in your own bin, then the loon can't chuck it back over what you've just cleared.Clear the drive and accept that your work will not be appreciated/sabotaged.
Or let the drive get cluttered/untidy
Or move.
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