My neighbour ‘borrows’ our garden every time we go on holiday – she even wants to host her son’s BIRTHDAY party there
NOW that the kids have broken up for Summer holidays, parents will be looking forward to taking their kids away for a well deserved break.
And most homeowners would often rely on their neighbour to look out for the safety of their house whilst they are away.
But one mum has revealed how she simply cannot.
The parent decided to take to online forum Mumsnet to share her disappointment as she believed her neighbour had been secretly using her garden without her permission.
It all started back in Summer 2022 where the homeowner, who goes by the name of grandmabrown, suspected that someone had been using their garden whilst they were out.
She says: “Things began to move and on occasions the hot tub appeared.
“We didn’t think too much of it to be honest, with teenage children (who denied using it) things do often move and we were busy so didn’t give it too much thought.
“Looking back now though that is when things started happening.”
But earlier this year, the family went away and upon their return a friend mentioned to her that they heard noises coming from their back garden.
She said having knocked on the door, and nobody answering she decided to go through the side gate instead assuming that they were in due to the noise.
Grandmabrown continued: “They were greeted by a family, using our hot tub and garden, who told her we had gone to X location and would be back on X date (both details correct), they were watching the house for us.
“When we got back we were baffled, asked around, nobody knew anything. We are part of a neighbourhood watch Whatsapp group.
“We all keep an eye on each other’s cars and houses when away and update one another if we see anyone acting strange hanging round or any crime.
“We asked this group and nobody had seen anything but one of the group members helped my husband to install security cameras and a ring doorbell and nothing has happened since.”
Fast forward to now, the homeowner has revealed that she has since noticed one of her neighbour’s attitudes change towards her.
She says: “My street-neighbour, lets call her Helen (as this is her name), and I have always been on a smile and wave basis.
“I only know her family’s names from the Christmas cards we send/receive.
“Recently Helen has been acting off towards me and I appear to be annoying her by existing. “She will sigh if she sees me and I have caught her on more than one occasion glaring across at me and pointing at my house while talking.
“I have become sick of this and asked another neighbour, who I am friendly with, what was going on.
“Neutral neighbour seemed very awkward and said she didn’t want to stir the pot or tell tales.
What are your rights if someone trespasses on your land?
According to the Metropolitan Police website they said:
“Trespassing is not classed as a criminal offence. In most cases, this is not a matter for the police.
We’d recommend the first thing to do would be to talk to the people occupying your land and ask them to leave, if you feel safe to do that.
If they refuse to leave or you feel unsure, contact your local council for advice.
You could find yourself guilty of several criminal offences if you forcibly attempt to remove them or their property.
The best and safest course of action may be to get a court order to evict them. If the court order is breached, it could become a criminal matter.
If you’re aware of something that might be a crime or antisocial behaviour, then report it to us.”
“Eventually she said Helen was annoyed at me as I had promised her use of my garden and hot tub for her son’s birthday/end of term party but had revoked it and ‘caused a scene’ about intruders, which she knew was aimed at her, on the neighbourhood Whatsapp.
“Apparently the party was due to be when we are on holiday and I had said if she kept an eye on the house they could have full run of the garden but changed my mind, leaving her son with nowhere to host and all his friends thinking the party is going ahead.
“Helen said we have had this arrangement before and she does not understand why I am changing it now. This is not true. At all.
“I have never had a conversation with her, let alone offered to host a party for her. I checked with DH & DC and nobody has spoken to them or said they can use our property to host.
“I have a million questions for her but don’t know where to start.
“Obviously I now believe they were the family using our garden and it explains how she knew locations and return dates of our holidays.”
Now, the Mumsnet user doesn’t know how to approach the situation.
She says: “Surely they will deny it. But the outright lie she has told our neighbour is harder to deny. What do I do?
“There is no way they are using my garden but now I am also worried that, when we go away, our garden may be used.
“The cameras will alert us on our phones and we can ring the police but I would really rather not cause a neighbour dispute and end up down that route.
“I am absolutely baffled by the audacity that someone would do this and then be mad about it, without ever even having a conversation with me.”
The post has attracted lots of attention with many rushing to the comments section to share their thoughts.
One wrote: “Lock your garden gate, unplug and drain the hot tub when you go away and don’t give it another thought.”
Another confused Mumsnet user said: “Could Helen’s husband/partner/whoever have told her that you had given permission and so Helen believed they were using your hot tub with your knowledge and agreement the whole time?
“And then she thought your WhatsApp messages were a passive aggressive way to revoke that permission?
“It’s so weird for her to have made up a narrative and to be angry with you if she is fully aware that you never agreed to let them use it!”
A third suggested: “I’d update on the street what app with a jolly message that says – ‘Hi All, I heard a really funny rumour the other day- apparently I ‘rent out’ or ‘let’ people use my garden and hot pool.
“Just to clarify, this is not, never has been or ever will be the case. It’s our garden, not Thorpe Park! LOL.”