Neighbour jumping around on top of our shed

JustAnotherSaver · 8 October 2017 at 5:46PM

Ok a bit cheeky as the thread title is more an attention grabber, no 'jumping' was involved but now that you're here

I'm not really sure what i should think about this, how i should feel so i wondered what other peoples viewpoints on this would be.

The house at the rear of ours & to the side one has a big bush at the rear of their garden. It spans in a way that maybe 2-3 metres worth ends up being the rear of our garden.

Anyway we were home & i just went in to the kitchen to make a coffee and saw this guy climbing all around the roof of our shed cutting this bush.

Turned out that it mustn't have been the owners of the house (i think) but someone they got in to do it. Whether that's a company or a relative/friend of the family i don't know.

The shed is a wooden DIY built thing, not by us. I personally had no idea how strong the roof was before this (it didn't collapse so can obviously take a guy walking around on top of it but i didn't know that beforehand).

I just wondered what other people would think of it had they been in my position. I guess there'll be a range from you can do anything to my garden so long as you don't physically hurt me all the way up to if you dare even look at me then i'm going to kill you.

I was a bit annoyed that they none of them had asked if it'd be ok. I wouldn't dream of doing that to someone else tbh. AND the guy didn't clean up all of his cuttings. I'm not talking about leaving a few tiny leaves behind either. The not asking was a bit annoying as was the fact i then thought if they'd caused any damage would they be as quick to pay for repair as they were to just go ahead & help themselves.

Yeah sure no damage was done, but i'm just saying - if it had been?

But then the other side of me thought well you don't want to really be an !!!! with people either & just start causing a scene (which i don't really like to do).

So just wondering, would the vast majority just not even bat an eyelid or what?

tacpot12 · 8 October 2017 at 5:59PM

Perhaps the guy subscribes to the notion that it is better to seek forgiveness, than to ask for permission!

My reaction would vary depending on how I was feeling; some days I would have not batted an eyelid, other days I would have walked out and said to him; "I don't know how strong the shed is; you're welcome to stand on it if you are happy to fall through the roof and repair any damage" AND "I assume you'll be picking up the clippings on my side as you are now over here..."

I think I'd probably pop to see the neighbour's, not to make a big thing of it, but just to let them know that there is no ogre at the bottom of their garden - if they had asked for permission you would have given it. I think I would mention that their workman didn't tidy up and wasn't polite enough to ask you before standing on your shed. Chances are they will be a bit embarrassed, but please if you let them know it's not a big problem.

JReacher1 · 8 October 2017 at 6:00PM

Why didn’t you go outside and ask him to explain what he was doing?

JustAnotherSaver · 8 October 2017 at 6:35PM

tacpot12 wrote: »

Perhaps the guy subscribes to the notion that it is better to seek forgiveness, than to ask for permission!

My reaction would vary depending on how I was feeling; some days I would have not batted an eyelid, other days I would have walked out and said to him; "I don't know how strong the shed is; you're welcome to stand on it if you are happy to fall through the roof and repair any damage" AND "I assume you'll be picking up the clippings on my side as you are now over here..."

I think I'd probably pop to see the neighbour's, not to make a big thing of it, but just to let them know that there is no ogre at the bottom of their garden - if they had asked for permission you would have given it. I think I would mention that their workman didn't tidy up and wasn't polite enough to ask you before standing on your shed. Chances are they will be a bit embarrassed, but please if you let them know it's not a big problem.

Yeah that;s the thing really. If they'd have asked then that's basically it - i'd have told them i don't know how sound the roof was, i may or may not have mentioned something about if it gets damaged & them paying for it (because that can spark a bit of confrontation i guess) but go ahead.

The guy at the immediate rear of us put up a new fence this year & he waited for us to be at the back before he shouted over to us & asked if it would be ok to hop over when he was doing it because it'd make it a lot easier for him.
The house to the side had workers in putting up a shed for our neighbour. They also grabbed us & asked if it'd be ok to hop over as it'd be easier to do the job if they could stand in our garden.

To both i said no problem, go ahead. I'm not a horrible unreasonable person.

It's just the fact that this guy didn't ask.

JReacher1 wrote: »

Why didn’t you go outside and ask him to explain what he was doing?

Because i actually don't like confrontation & i thought at the time - if i go out there & say something...
1) I know it's going to come across in a tone close to what the hell do you think you're playing at
and
2) am i being unreasonable? I don't want to make something out of nothing, but is this nothing? Would most people go out there & say something or would the majority just pay it no mind & say it's not the end of the world, just leave it.

I don't like the piddle being taken out of me so i will say something if i really have to & most certainly if i'm the one being confronted, but i don't generally like taking it to other people tbh.

Also the fact that you don't know what other people are like. Would he be instantly oh sorry about that i should've asked or would he be the type of person like those who walk in front of you when you're driving & walk purposely slow to hold you up & then when you beep or say anything they're there with the fingers shouting abuse at you because they have an i'll do what i want when i want & F anyone who gets in my way attitude.

IAmWales · 8 October 2017 at 7:06PM

If it's a neighbour (or someone working for them) that's usually ok I'd let it go. I've been known to climb over my neighbour's fence via her bench and she doesn't mind because we give and take.

If he'd damaged it then I'd be staying calm but would expect payment for the repair.

I'd only ever create a scene or bad feeling with a neighbour if I was really pushed. You might be living there for the next twenty years, that's a long time to have an enemy on your doorstep.

I think you did the right thing OP.

stuartJo1989 · 8 October 2017 at 8:18PM

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Because i actually don't like confrontation

Not a lot of people do tbh.... but sometimes needs must!

1) I know it's going to come across in a tone close to what the hell do you think you're playing at
and

Actually a perfectly fair response.

Another fair response would be to shout: "What the F are you doing on my roof? Get down at once or I'll call the police" - a bit cranky, but otherwise fair.

2) am i being unreasonable? I don't want to make something out of nothing, but is this nothing? Would most people go out there & say something or would the majority just pay it no mind & say it's not the end of the world, just leave it.

Depends on my mood and the risk levels tbh...

If there was a possibility of damage (and a fair number of people would leg it if they caused damage) then I'd say something.

If there was little to no possibility then I'd probably just ignore it.

But if I'm having a bad day I might make an exception.

Also the fact that you don't know what other people are like. Would he be instantly oh sorry about that i should've asked or would he be the type of person like those who walk in front of you when you're driving & walk purposely slow to hold you up & then when you beep or say anything they're there with the fingers shouting abuse at you because they have an i'll do what i want when i want & F anyone who gets in my way attitude.

9 times out of 10 if you are nice and polite about it, they will be polite back.

Only the real horrible people give you any sort of lip/funny stuff. You can usually escalate by calling the police if they are trespassing and not being reasonable.

Sooler · 9 October 2017 at 12:10AM

I'd have gone out and set fire to the shed.

Tom99 · 9 October 2017 at 3:15AM

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I would knock on their door and explain you are not happy with them climbing on your shed without permission. Explain that you do not know how sturdy the shed roof is and the damage it might cause. [/FONT]

pollypenny · 9 October 2017 at 8:32AM

I'd have gone out and warned him that the roof might not hold. If the guy fell through the roof there's every chance that he could have done himself real damage by falling onto to garden equipment.

missile · 9 October 2017 at 9:26AM

I would have spoken with the man and/or neighbour. There seems little point in raising the issue after the event and I would let it go.
I would put the cuttings in my bin. If they are too large, I would advise neighbour before moving them to neighbour's garden.

philatio · 9 October 2017 at 11:36AM

- Saw through a few beams in the shed roof.
- Half fill the shed with sand, then plant a lot of knifes, garden shears & pointed sticks.. point upwards.. in the sand.
- Wait for him to do it again.

Neighbour jumping around on top of our shed

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