Next door neighbours using my wheelie bins

Brie

Maybe just have a light hearted chat "you know I could have sworn there were 2 bins originally!!  Have you had any problems with people nicking your bins while you've lived here? And someone does have cheek!  Not only am I down a bin but now someone's filled my remaining one!!  Mind if I pop some of my rubbish in yours this week?!"

must admit that initially I wondered if you lived near us....we're forever putting our excess waste/recycling in the neighbours' bins.  Granted the neighbours are all in their late 80s/early 90s and put the bins out mid afternoon so as not be be out after dark.  So when there's too much for ours we add it to whichever of theirs is least full.  And when we've been on hols (distant past now it seems....) we've asked our other not so elderly neighbours (full house and run 2 businesses from there) if they would mind parking in our drive and moving the bins about so our house doesn't look too empty.  They are always happy to oblige and sometimes there's still some bits in the bins which makes it clear they've got the memo!!

honeybee1234

AFF8879 said:

comeandgo said:

Could you not just speak to them rather than buy an£ fit padlocks?

Agree this should be the first step, unless you already know them to be particularly aggressive/unsavoury etc. Putting padlocks on the bin without speaking to them first might come across as passive aggressive, and even though they’re in the wrong here, for the sake of getting off on the right foot with your new neighbours a friendly conversation should definitely be the first port of call - if they keep on doing it even after that then by all means fit the padlocks. 

I don't know anything about them, though this is a notoriously rough area so that's in the back of my mind. I might have a quiet word if I catch them soon. 

wjr4

Put house numbers on the bins to start, that’s what I done when mine kept going walkabouts! 

[Deleted User]

You should foster some good relations. Invite them round for tea and cake.

Then when its dark lob lots of rubbish onto their patio.

p00hsticks

wjr4 said:

Put house numbers on the bins to start, that’s what I done when mine kept going walkabouts!

Yes , definitely recommend numbering your bins - if you don't want to splash out on the proper sticky numbers from poundland, you can just use brown duct tape, although some numbers are easier to create than others  (I'd say don't try to do curves. just use straight lines to create ''calculator' style numbers).

Not only does it deter people from nicking your bin, it also means you can ensure you get your own bin back after a collection - our bin men group around half a dozen bins together prior to the lorry arriving, and if we didn't have a number or we could end up with someone elses skanky bin rather than ours, whcih we keep very clean.

Norman_Castle

Its odd that your property had two bins, were the previous occupants a large family? As the neighbours now have two bins and the rubbish that was previously in their garden has gone hopefully they will no longer need to use your bin.

Definitely mark your remaining bin.

elsien

Neighbour’s nicked my bin so I went into their yard and retrieved it. 

Not a peep out of them about where it had gone - I’d have happily pointed out my fading house number if they’d asked. 
Now I put it out just before the bin lorry comes and bring it straight back in again,  after they tried to fill it a couple of hours after it had been emptied while it was still on the street.
I have no issues with people using my bin if it’s when it’s due to be emptied, it’s clear I don’t need the space and they do it properly. Can’t be doing with my bin filled with someone else’s manky unwrapped rubbish which means I than have to clean it. 

thegreenone

If you are happy to just have one, report to the Borough Council that your additional one has gone missing. You may otherwise be charged an additional yearly amount to have a second one.

Padlocks are great if you know what time the truck arrives.  Our collection is generally around 8am - last week it was 11am.   

Or a big note on your bin asking people not to put stuff in it, as it will be filmed by your Ring doorbell and will be removed.

Or take someone with you to next door and say "I think one of these bins is mine.  My inventory included two bins and now I have one, but you have two".  If they have bought another, the council should advise.

youth_leader

Just after I'd purchased this bungalow someone's garden waste bin was pinched.  I bought combined number and address stickers for each of my bins from Etsy, difficult to remove.  

honeybee1234

Norman_Castle said:

Its odd that your property had two bins, were the previous occupants a large family? As the neighbours now have two bins and the rubbish that was previously in their garden has gone hopefully they will no longer need to use your bin.

Definitely mark your remaining bin.

I'm guessing they were a large family. And the neighbours now have 3x bins and a recycling bin 🤔