The workmen next door...

pimento

It's some mud.

Welshwoofs

victory wrote: »

He tells me to F off, that I am a stupid love, that I am being ridiculous when I ask for his boss he says he is self employed, when I say I am very upset my plants are covered in mud and cables and bent he says oh get a life love, etc etc

Rang OH and he says he can't get home

No offence, but why do you need your husband to come home and deal with that? You're more than capable of dealing with it yourself and *not* by hiding away in your house crying. The way to deal with bullies is to show them that you're not prey, but in fact a bigger and nastier predator than they are.

So take a breath, grow a backbone, get up, get out there and do this:

1. Pick up the cables and throw them off your borders
2. Locate the idiot and say: "Oi knobhead. Keep your stuff OFF my property or you'll be coming back from lunchbreak to find your van tyres considerably lower. Now pi$$ off and don't get me any angrier than I already am."

It may sound uncouth but my experience of these situations is that men who are like that soon back down if they are met with equal or superior aggression.

Alias_Omega

Your speaking to the workers at the coalface here, they just want to get the job done and to go home. They dont want outside interference.

It sounds like you may not have spoken with your neighbours about the work, what you expect etc. I would go out and move the car away, upon returning ask the workmen to make things good.

You may have to prune the broken plants/trees yourself, though i would expect them to make good the mud section with a spade, and hose the driveway on your side.

At this moment and time, your an problem neighbour and they will look to wind you up even more.

(Ex Domestic Electrician)

WestonDave

If they've moved the cable and cleared the mud I'd leave them to it - they've had their card marked that straying over the boundary isn't going to be tolerated, but if you keep on watching them and bothering about it, you risk them finding ways to be more annoying. Most blokes don't like being caught out clearly in the wrong and whilst their reaction was rather coarse, it was a fairly typical defensive "I don't want to admit I'm wrong" response.

Phoning the number might pose a problem if in fact it goes through (either directly or by transfer) to the oaf's mobile!

As I said, leave it now and check once they've finished for any real damage (most plants will recover from mud or weight - think snow lying on them) and if its really worth it bring it up with the neighbours rather than the hired help.

lemontart

why the op needs her oh to come home appears to be down to the patronising tone used by workman.

Some Neanderthals such as this workman appears to be react more positively to a man than a woman making any requests.

But saying that I am a mardy mare so would get short shrift from me have been known to show a man the door for suggesting I speak to my husband before making a decision - told to get his facts straight and not be a arrogant pig who just lost himself a sale. Then took his bags and put them outside the property whilst asking him to leave (was not married at the time and it was my house no one elses) Red rag to a bull such an attitude with me.

Welshwoofs

Alias_Omega wrote: »

At this moment and time, your an problem neighbour and they will look to wind you up even more.

(Ex Domestic Electrician)

...and that is where the householder has the upper hand because the trade is trying to get his work done and get out ASAP. Time is money. A peed off neighbour can hinder proceedings considerably, for instance:

1. Accidentally parking one's car so it blocks their vans in
2. Deciding to hose the mud off the plants on the dividing border with a high-powered hose....but not being a very good aim

The fact is that the workmen should not be dumping digger buckets on the neighbouring driveways and trailing their equipment across other people's property without asking permission from the householder first. It's totally unprofessional.

victory

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newcook

I can appreciate the fact they they are being kn0bheads and rude and inconsiderate but you are sat crying? Really?
As for the plants, first of all it’s a bit of mud, 2nd of all its winter so they wouldn’t be lasting much longer with the cold, ice, snow and frost you expect to come with winter.

To be honest, if the most you have to get upset over is a few plants then think yourself very lucky!

Blackpool_Saver

I would have been furious, how dare they, I would have probably called the cops myself, soon as I felt threatened on my own property. Don't engage them, they will be enjoying it.

balletshoes

victory wrote: »

Thank you yes the mud and cable done, I got therest of the mud off my plants and put it into the next door garden whilst they watched and sid there was no mud and no damage and I was stupid love an to F off and get a life...

There is no mud or cables now,the number does not get answered, no one picks up, thank you for your advice

have you calmed down at all now victory? I get that this was all done "real time" and you were crying because of the way you were spoken to. I would have been upset (but angry upset) too initially.

But look, you've spoken to the workmen, they've done what you asked them to do in the first place (with a bit of swearing thrown in). Surely you've achieved what you wanted to when you went out to speak to them?

Go make yourself a cuppa (or something stronger) and try to calm down. Go into a room where that doesn't overlook the mess next door for a while.

Sadly I do agree with Alias Omega - the workmen can speak to you how they like really, you're not their customer. Doesn't mean its nice to hear, and I know its upsetting to be spoken to like that, but really there is nothing you can do about it.