MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Karl let the neighbours use his garden?

out_of_the_dark · 1 November 2009 at 3:02PM

No way! Even if they are really nice people, he has paid the premium for a garden, they shouldn't be so rude as to ask. The only reason it is a dilemma for Karl is because he is a considerate person which whilst it's nice to see, in my experience, people take the mic and unfortunately it's a sign of the times. I'm sure if they were nice they would understand. What if they decided without asking him that they were going to have mates around when we had some nice weather, every weekend? Where does it end? Maybe you excuse yourself by explaining you enjoy gardening in the nip - whatever the weather. That might put them off

CutTheJargon · 1 November 2009 at 7:34PM

Whilst I would like to be a good neighbour, I know from experience that people abuse it. My first concern would, as others have mentioned, be the legal aspect regarding them claiming use of the land over a period of time and secondly the insurance aspect. If they injured themselves on your land, they could sue you. Most of us are unlikely to sue somebody who has been helpful, but a growing number of people have a change of character when money is waved in front of them.

nymph_2 · 2 November 2009 at 7:11PM

Moot question. being nice is all well and good. If it was me, I'd be saying no, no thoughts or quandrary about it.

who wants someone elses laundry in their garden?
Besides the inconvenience potential allegations of theft, claims on your insurance in the event of loss damage or personal injury.
If you let it out, then your house insurance may be void. You may even need public indemnity insurance, landlord contracts etc.
The worst would be the claiming of rights of access or title. Spend that money and then someone else gets the rights to it? _pale_

GSXRCarlos · 3 November 2009 at 2:52PM

i think the worst part is that they carried on using it without his permission.

If someone had been sat in my garden when i came home from work i'd be ringing the police.

So as not to cause any future problems he should politely decline, and maybe even suggest that "if they had asked first, before just assuming, then i may have been more inclined"

Brasileiro_Brit · 30 September 2010 at 5:32PM

I would say No.

I can just imagine you moving in and the first thing your neighbors say is "Hi, we live upstairs, can we use your garden??? The last person let us....(puppy eyes)" Which translates as "We want something for nothing and don't really care about you but we are concerned we might lose our little perk."

If you were renting it might be a little different (although I think the principles remain), you pay a premium whether in rent or a house price to have a garden (I know it was something me and my partner aspired to get when we moved from a 1st floor flat, but didn't whilst renting due to the extra cost). If someone was using your garden all the time, what would be the point?? I can understand it if your neighbour' asked to use it once or twice a year to dry something so large they couldn't do it in their flat (maybe a hot air balloon?), but not regularly.

Some posters seem to think that if you do a good deed, people will reciprocate but after the first beer they buy you it will dry up. Either make a lease like a poster suggested including times of use and some maintenance (I like the discount for paying up front) or say no.

Also it's a bit of a security risk having other people coming and going in your garden. If you were broken into the first person you would blame would be the neighbour for not locking the gate etc etc etc....potentially very nasty.

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Karl let the neighbours use his garden?

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