Help! Neighbours

giveitawhirl

Hi, I am after some advice on how to approach my neighbours. Over a month ago one of my neighbours a few doors away had a new fence. The old fence has been 'dumped' on the path at the end of an alleyway near my front door and it looks as though unless I do something about it, it won't be moving anytime soon.

The people that have the new fence are very elderly and infirm and in no way do I want to distress them about it. I don't even think they know that the fence is there, due to the layout of the houses they would not be able to see the old fence. I am guessing a contractor or possibly their landlord left it there when the new one was put up ( I don't know if they have a landlord or if they own the house).


I have never spoken to these neighbours and they rarely go out.

I have tried contacting the council and highways to get the rubbish removed but they say it is on private land and nothing to do with them. It looks an eyesore and is starting to annoy me. It is a big fence and too big for me to put in my car and take to the tip ( as well as the fact I have a baby and it would be impossible for me to do).


Does anyone have any idea how I could approach the neighbours about getting it removed without upsetting them? I really am concerned about contacting them at all as I don't think they are in good health and don't want to worry them.

Edwardia

Can you not get some friends round to break up the old fence and take to tip ?

Morglin

Get together with some other neighbours and see if they will assist with dumping it.

Lin

aileth

+1 to Edwardia. Is there no one who can give you a hand? For maybe an hour's work it'll solve the problem with no stirring up possible neighbourly tensions or causing them distress.

Also, you say you contacted the Council, but I thought you can pay for the Council to remove such things? I may be wrong, and it may not cover fences of course.

giveitawhirl

I don't really want to pay to dispose of someone else's rubbish.

KxMx

If you don't want to worry them by informing them, and don't want to do it yourself, what in your mind are the options left?

I think there are a couple of options here, and only you can decide what you are happy with.

Tell the couple what's happened and ask them to sort it.

Tell the couple what's happened and offer to take care of it for petrol money

Do nothing

tea_lover

Maybe try putting it on freecycle or a free local fb group as firewood - free to a collector?

ska_lover

I agree with tea lover, people love a free bit of wood, stove burners and fire pits in gardens - get it on a facebook site or gumtree

ska_lover

Forgot to say, that is how we got rid of our old fence , we must have had 200 people contact us asking for it

tea_lover

I should have said, if you do this, check with the neighbours first as it's still their property. You could tell them you're happy to sort out the listing and deal with callers etc - that way you're not making any work for them but getting it off your land.

giveitawhirl

Brilliant idea Tea lover- I have just put it on now. I knew someone would have the perfect answer.