Home owner demanding money to repair/fix a fence.

Grizebeck

Do as other have suggested and find the local community policing team
If it is indicated she is vulnerable (age etc) and harassment is taking place then they will act. You need to get past the gatekeepers first though.

NameUnavailable

Tell her not to answer the door or if she does answer the door to tell them to FO!

Boohoo

NameUnavailable said:

Tell her not to answer the door or if she does answer the door to tell them to FO!

This made me chuckle.

I have told her not to answer the door to him.

In the 20 odd years i have known her me and my partner have never heard her swear so telling him to FO will never happen.

ThisIsWeird

Can you see your front door from your house? If she were to call you up if the guy came to her door, would you be able to observe and hear what's being said?

It will help her to have a witness to any exchange.

If you - or your partner - are up for it, perhaps you could even come out and ask the fellow, "Can we help you?" and, "If you can tell us what the issue is, I can let her know when I next see her..."

If he mentions the fence, then perhaps, "Oh, I pretty certain that the fence is not at all her responsibility, so I wouldn't bother trying to disturb her again over this!" And see what his reaction and manner is.

If you can have your phone set surreptitiously to record, all the better.

Any hint of a belligerent or remotely threatening manner - if he makes it clear he's going to 'keep coming back until it's sorted' type stuff - then it's a 101 jobbie, making it clear you are concerned about the emotional welfare of your elderly neighbour. And show the Bobby the vid.

I'm not sure that just suggesting your neighbour doesn't answer her door is the answer - it certainly ain't the solution to this person's behaviour. No-one should feel they have to avoid answering their door because they feel intimidated. That's unacceptable. To avoid Watchtower, yes, but hey... So suggest to your neighbour that they shouldn't feel concerned, but just to make it clear that 'the fence is not her responsibility, and to not contact her again about it'. Simple statements that are clear and unambiguous. If he keeps on trying, then Bobby time.

Best if you can also make your presence known - he'll know it's being witnessed.

Boohoo

Last week my partner was at home when our neighbour called her to say a builder/fencing person was at her door talking about the broken fence and she went to see him.

The person was going to replace/repair the fences but was told by the homeowner to put up the new fence about 2 feet inside my neighbours garden as she said that would be ok as it would not dammage his decking if the posts have to be removed and new hols dug out.

The bloke wanted to know if this was ok as he thought it was odd. She told him no that was not ok and while we were in the garden the neighbour came out and asked why the builder was in NDN garden talking to her.

The builder squared upto him and a few words were exchanged and the homeowner went off. 3 of us were chatting for about 5 mins when 6 people turned up in the homeowners garden and started having a go at the builder so he called his 2 mates that were in a van waiting to start the job and 3 against 7 squared up to eachother and after a few words the 6 "mates" left with their tails between their legs.

Homerowner went inside and the builder and his mates removed the broken posts/panel and put them in his garden and they left.

2 days later the builder knocked and my NDB house and asked if she was ok and was there any trouble, which there was none and he also knocked on our door to check in with us. I t turned out that builder was asked to do the same with other garden where the fences had come down so he was afet some land on both sides.

Somebody was putting up a new fence over the weekend in the same place so hopefully that will be the end of it.

iza_belle1

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear the builder stood up to him.