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Neighbour has built massive outhouse in his garden

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At some point I'll need to replace my ramshackle shed with something better and bigger. It's currently right on the boundary and a replacement realistically has to go there. Whatever I do, I'd absolutely have a chat with my neighbour to make sure he's happy with the plans.


 
Posted : 30/03/2026 7:30 pm
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It seems like a power-play.

Have you tried beating the shit out of him every time you see him? I find that's usually very effective, and sometimes the only way some people learn.


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 2:08 am
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Meanwhile I've got this right pain of a neighbour who wants to dictate what I do do with MY land; the point I'm making is that whilst you fear there might be an impact on you, you are trying to do something that he has the right to do and a far bigger impact on him. Our neighbours built an extension up to the permitted development limits, our garden was slightly nicer before but it's their land so I can't complain about them enjoying it.

With covenants it depends who benefits from them. It used to be that only the builder benefited from them; they were so the builder could stop people doing stuff that would make an estate less attractive whilst they still had houses to sell. Now sometimes everyone on the estate can enforce them. If an estate has a maintenance company, they are likely to have benefit of the covenant. However, if it benefits the maintenance company, they will just be interested in collecting a fee for granting permission.


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 6:59 am
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I think you need some perspective. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/brum/s/WZ8ViHyxsk


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 7:26 am
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It's not 4m high 1m from the fence though.  Is it?

In scotland yes it can be, south of the border theres a lower limit when closer than 2m to the boundary but not in the Scottish regs - but the reality of that depends on the orientation of the shed - If the gable end is towards the fence then only the middle bit is 4m high. If the building is parallel to the fence then the bit that is 4m high isn't going to be near the fence. 

For the OP his concern for the impact is the shadow cast on his lawn - it thats the case his fence would already be casting a shadow on his lawn and a shed 1m back from the fence isn't going to cast much more of a shadow for much more of the day. The midday sun is about 60deg above the horizon and the shadow of a shed with 2.5m eves sited parallel to the fence, even if the top of the pitch is at 4m, will barely peep over 1.8m fence if its sited 1m back from the fence.

You could approach the whole thing with a different disposition maybe - planning issues tend to revolve around either the view from your property or your ability to enjoy your property in privacy. So permitted development regs relate to sheds and extensions in back gardens rather than at the front of properties as the view from the back is usually just the backs of other houses - and the backs of houses tend not to be their most attractive aspect -  and that view is mostly occluded by taller fences anyway. The requirement  that any permitted additions are single story is so that neighbours don't feel overlooked and loose the sense of privacy in their own gardens. You could take the view that having someone stick a big shed in their garden effectively gives you more privacy in yours - reduces the sight lines from other houses into your garden space and home, creates a barrier for noise to some extent (don't worry about the golf simulator - give it 3-4 months for them to get bored of that) . People put, and are allowed to put, taller fences in their back gardens than the front precisely because that privacy is valued more than having an open vista.


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 9:38 am
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the point I'm making is that whilst you fear there might be an impact on you, you are trying to do something that he has the right to do and a far bigger impact on him.

Yeah you are right. Him not having a huge golf simulator in his garden so he can improve his 36 handicap has far more of an impact than me potentially losing thousands on my home 🙄 

The general consensus amongst decent people is don't be a dick to your neighbours and show some consideration. If he had really wanted one he could have put it the other side of his garden and noone would care, but that would spoil the view outside of his own window.

Also..he doesn't have the 'right' to do it if it contravenes planning laws..Which it clearly does.

I'm not going to 'grass' him up for the sake of it though. If it looks too big when finished I'll report it and at the point the council can decide if its appropriate.


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 9:46 am
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I'd do it now (flag to council) so if it does need changed it can be done quicker...once it is up, I'm guessing there are more loopholes for the owner to use to delay any rework.


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 9:53 am
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Just be grateful you don't live here... There's a a joke in here somewhere that involves Crocodile Dundee...Nah mate, this is a massive outhouse....

 


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 9:58 am
kelvin reacted
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The local council (kirklees, bunch of muppets) told me that they will not enforce anyone to change anything in a build unless there is a risk to life. Once its up its up.

 

Make decision, complain now or forever hold your piece 

 


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 10:32 am
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Posted by: tpbiker

potentially losing thousands on my home

That's just an assumption that the person buying your home will have the same view as you. They might not really want a garden and would prefer to erect a massive shed themselves. It is unlikely to make much difference to the value of your home. 


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 10:44 am
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If it’s up I can’t see a planning department bothering with a 5cm misplacement; complaining after it is up will only lead to neighbourly friction and not a resolution, so speak up now if at all.

Having lived through a neighbour putting up an extension which maximised the rules regarding distances and heights from the boundary (and then a subsequent occupier being allowed a parapet wall on top of a flat roof FFS) my reassurance to you is that the period of adjustment as to the view is remarkably swift and what jars to you now will hardly register with someone seeing the situation for the first time.  As for the state of the garden, again, the sun is likely going to be high enough in the sky in the period when you want to be out there.  And to take a positive from it, nothing a bit of trellis and a climbing shrub or two won’t cure.

Personally, I would be more concerned about the potential noise aspect of club on ball and I don’t think you will escape that wherever he places his hut.


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 10:57 am
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Posted by: robola

They might not really want a garden and would prefer to erect a massive shed

Possibly...but highly unlikely based on the fact the number of massive sheds in my estate totals 1...


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 11:04 am
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Posted by: mattyfez

It seems like a power-play.

Have you tried beating the shit out of him every time you see him? I find that's usually very effective, and sometimes the only way some people learn.

A good threat can be enough.

The one and only time I spoke to one of my next door neighbours was when I found his young Doberman on my driveway. At the time I was a bit sensitive as the youngest kid was only 18 months old. Previously another neighbour had been quite blasé about his dogs scaring the shit out of my wife and kids on our property. So I thought I’d put my foot down.

I chased the dog and ended up in the neighbours shed* which had an earthworks truck tractor unit inside being fixed. I said “I found your dog on my property.” He said “thanks for bringing it back.” So I looked him straight in the eye and said “If I ever see it on my drive again I’ll shoot it.” Then turned around and went back the way I came… hoping that was it.

Over ten years and I’ve never seen it or him again.

*don’t worry said shed is a couple of hundred metres away from my place.

 


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 12:26 pm
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Posted by: reeksy

A good threat can be enough.

Back in civilised society I'm not going to start threatening my neighbours over a xxxxing shed!

 


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 12:34 pm
Cletus and twistedpencil reacted
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Possibly...but highly unlikely based on the fact the number of massive sheds in my estate totals 1...

yeah, but you let one in....... 🙂

 

if the estates only 6 years old most people's finances won't really have recovered yet from the cost of purchase and move. To be honest this sort of adoption and adaption of the spaces around houses is part of the transition from 'new build estate' to 'estate' - as all the sharp edges are worn away and gardens grow, and trees and hedges mature and so on and the place starts to look like a group of homes and a less like a promotional brochure.

I met a guy once who was himself a house builder for a living (he was building my pal's house for him)  but supplemented his income as a sort of property developer. And he did that buy being one of the first to buy on new build estates, moving in, waiting until the rest of the houses and were built and occupied and then after a few years moving out and buying another off-plan house on another new estate. Didn't do anything to them other than allow time to pass and the estate around him to bed in, but consistently made excellent returns just by being the first house back on the market once all the plots were sold.

So don't worry about the value of the house - thats taking care of itself

 

I'm not going to start threatening my neighbours over a xxxxing shed!

Of they're doing that as well are they? - is it real xxxxing or simulated xxxxing? I suspect the novelty of that won't wear off as quick as the golf

 

WHACK-BOOMF


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 12:39 pm
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Posted by: convert

there was a covenant about no commercial vehicles being parked within the development by residents overnight for the first x number of years. They did....and I've no idea how anyone was meant to police that....or why you'd want to. I suppose it was to stop people taking the complete piss with a whole companies worth of vehicles and gear rather than their berlingo or even a normal sized transit on the drive.

It's because the builders don't want a bunch of plebby vans on driveways when they're trying to sell the houses. Can't have potential buyers thinking there are working class people living there! Once all the plots are sold the builders couldn't care less


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 12:51 pm
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Posted by: reeksy

So I looked him straight in the eye and said “If I ever see it on my drive again I’ll shoot it.”

 

*swoon*


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 1:23 pm
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Posted by: reeksy

Over ten years and I’ve never seen it or him again.

 

I can't imagine not speaking to my neighbours. We've even got keys to each others houses so we can look after each others dogs.

And why judge your new neighbour based on your experience of the old ones? You can make your feelings known without being rude, especially for a 'first offence' with this new neighbour.


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 1:33 pm
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So I looked him straight in the eye and said “If I ever see it on my drive again I’ll shoot it.”

 

 

 

*swoon*

We used to live in a flat in Glasgow and one night while I was away one of our neighbours decided to stay up all night playing music - not playing records but having a bit of an old jam session. Mid week until about 3 in the morning.

My partner was pretty livid about it - important work to do the next day. So she decided to go and wake him up when she was on her way to work at 6 - see how he fancied it having his sleep interrupted 

So she was already pretty angry - but as she stepped out the front door discovered it had been pretty cold overnight as she slipped on the ice and fell down the stone steps. Really hurt herself but non the less went to the neighbouring block and started ringing their buzzer. Took quite a long time for him to get the the door - during which time she'd gone from annoyed to absolutely blazing furious - amplified by adrenaline and pain.

He answered the door and she flew off the the handle at him before he could even open his mouth - he unwisely tried to defend his actions by saying he's a film composer and therefore has to play music for his job (at the time I was working with high explosives for my job but didn't feel the need to do that in my bedroom in the middle of the night).

This tipped her over the edge and she inexplicable founder herself bellowing "If it happens again I will xxxxing shoot you" 

The only thing we've got you could shoot something with is a camera 🙂

She certainly seemed to say it with sufficient conviction as she got home that evening to a lovely card, some flowers and a long apologetic note and we never heard a peep out of them again. 🙂


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 1:52 pm
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Posted by: tpbiker

Back in civilised society I'm not going to start threatening my neighbours over a xxxxing shed!

 

Well that escalated quickly, I thought he was just playing golf in it.


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 3:32 pm
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I’m not sure why the sweat filter is censoring “xxxxing”

lots of people have xxxxing setups in their sheds nowadays 

the guys just waggling his joystick to Daly Thompson’s Decathon


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 3:57 pm
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Posted by: maccruiskeen

We used to live in a flat in Glasgow and one night while I was away one of our neighbours decided to stay up all night playing music - not playing records but having a bit of an old jam session. Mid week until about 3 in the morning.

My wife lived in a flat in an apartment block and the tenant opposite her was pissed off because he thought the owners were harassing him, so him put Ill Communication on at full volume and on repeat and left for the weekend. neighbours can be shit 

 

 


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 3:59 pm
 a11y
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I guess there's worse massive erections your neighbour could have in their garden... Be thankful for that xxxxing shed for him to whack off in - I'm not a golfer, am I getting my terminology correct?

 


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 4:10 pm
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Posted by: maccruiskeen

I’m not sure why the sweat filter is censoring “xxxxing”

 

They've probably enabled Prince Andrew mode by accident.


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 5:02 pm
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95cm from the fence could be 1m from the boundary, or more. I wouldn't trust the original house builder to have put the fence on the right line. 

So he could ask you to move the fence away from his property...


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 5:51 pm
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Posted by: nickfrog

So he could ask you to move the fence away from his property...

Or move his fence away from my property.  I'll take my chances on that one.


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 7:19 pm
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So he could ask you to move the fence away from his property...

first house I lived in as a kid - pre-war semi detached house - from the moment my folks have moved in there the neighbour had a weird constant beef with them over the boundary between our houses being in the wrong place. Nothing had been moved - he was of the opinion that the boundary had been in the wrong place since the houses were built - but somehow that was still our fault. It didn't make sense really becuase the fence line gave us space for a single gate and path up the side of our house and he had room to drive a car up his side - if the fence was any further towards our house there'd be no access to the garden at all. But he was furiously adamant - anything my folks planted in a 3ft strip of the garden beside the fence he'd come round and dig it all out.

On the day we moved out he called the police because the removal truck was casting a shadow on his property.

He had a frickin massive shed in his garden. 

 

EDIT - blimey - just looked at the old place on google earth (nearly 50 years since we lived there) - the boundary has been moved about 3ft into mr nasty's old garden, if not more - it seems to favour our old house 🙂 Feel strangely vindicated.


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 7:36 pm
Cletus reacted
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My wife lived in a flat in an apartment block and the tenant opposite her was pissed off because he thought the owners were harassing him, so him put Ill Communication on at full volume and on repeat and left for the weekend. neighbours can be shit 

I knew someone who lived in the flat below D'Ream and he'd just leave a drum machine on when he was out


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 7:40 pm
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Posted by: maccruiskeen

I knew someone who lived in the flat below D'Ream and he'd just leave a drum machine on when he was out

Let's just hope that things can only get better for the OP.

Ba dum tish.


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 8:26 pm
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Posted by: tpbiker

Posted by: reeksy

A good threat can be enough.

Back in civilised society I'm not going to start threatening my neighbours over a xxxxing shed!

 

i wasn’t suggesting you did. But aside from undertaking clandestine measurements and whinging on the internet about losing a bit of sunshine you don’t seem to be doing much… or have you started an anonymous rant on a Facebook page too?

 


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 9:32 pm
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Posted by: maccruiskeen

first house I lived in as a kid - pre-war semi detached house - from the moment my folks have moved in there the neighbour had a weird constant beef with them over the boundary between our houses being in the wrong place. Nothing had been moved - he was of the opinion that the boundary had been in the wrong place since the houses were built - but somehow that was still our fault. It didn't make sense really becuase the fence line gave us space for a single gate and path up the side of our house and he had room to drive a car up his side - if the fence was any further towards our house there'd be no access to the garden at all. But he was furiously adamant - anything my folks planted in a 3ft strip of the garden beside the fence he'd come round and dig it all out.

 

On title deeds of that era, the ink used to draw the boundary line probably translated to something at least two foot across.


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 9:45 pm
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Posted by: reeksy

i wasn’t suggesting you did. But aside from undertaking clandestine measurements and whinging on the internet about losing a bit of sunshine you don’t seem to be doing much… or have you started an anonymous rant on a Facebook page too?

Ah sorry..I assumed you were given you regaled us with your mighty feat of manliness earlier 

Apologies for the misunderstanding..any other suggestions given I now can't threaten him with a beating?

 

 


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 10:08 pm
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You misread the tone, or I didn’t explain properly. The point was that another neighbour didn’t give a **** about his dog’s dangerous behaviour and I didn’t stand up to him, so with the other neighbour I put my foot down. It worked.

You had the opportunity to intervene when he was in the process of building the monstrosity… but you didn’t take it and are now hand wringing and whinging to a bunch of strangers.

My advice would be to deal with it. Maybe get someone to hold your hand while you do it?


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 10:33 pm
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Posted by: reeksy

You had the opportunity to intervene when he was in the process of building the monstrosity… but you didn’t take it and are now hand wringing and whinging to a bunch of strangers.

Except he's in the process of building it at the moment..the wall only went up at the weekend, at which point I realised it was huge, hence posted on here looking for advice...a key detail you seem to have overlooked in your rush to regale us with your courageous (and completely irrelevant) tale

Posted by: reeksy

Maybe get someone to hold your hand while you do it?

Would you do it you big brave man..😉

 


 
Posted : 31/03/2026 11:49 pm
Cletus and leegee reacted
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Posted by: tpbiker

Posted by: reeksy

You had the opportunity to intervene when he was in the process of building the monstrosity… but you didn’t take it and are now hand wringing and whinging to a bunch of strangers.

Except he's in the process of building it at the moment..the wall only went up at the weekend, at which point I realised it was huge, hence posted on here looking for advice...a key detail you seem to have overlooked in your rush to regale us with your courageous (and completely irrelevant) tale

Posted by: reeksy

Maybe get someone to hold your hand while you do it?

Would you do it you big brave man..😉

 

only

if you wash your hands first… you appear to spend a fair amount of time with your fingers up your arse 😉 

 


 
Posted : 01/04/2026 3:16 am
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Posted by: reeksy

You misread the tone, or I didn’t explain properly.

 

You misread the tone, or we didnt explain properly. You regaled us with a tall tale about how you used the threat of violence to attempt to solve your problems and are being roundly mocked for it.


 
Posted : 01/04/2026 6:04 am
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There’s nothing tall about it. I set a boundary in the heat of the moment to hopefully ensure a dangerous dog wasn’t a threat to infants. It worked. The problem was solved. I’m glad I did it and I’d do it again. It was a response to the previous post (and its jocular tone) about killing people not a realistic suggestion for dealing with a serial golfist’s unsightly suburban erection.

Mock away, I’m not here to seek advice on what is a simple matter and why several people have already said just needs a conversation. It’s hardly as if he needs legal advice.


 
Posted : 01/04/2026 7:03 am
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I set a boundary in the heat of the moment to hopefully ensure a dangerous dog wasn’t a threat to infants. It worked.

Is a dog stood on your drive make it a dangerous dog? Or did you miss out an important piece of information about any dangerous behaviour and, if so, why didn't you report it, rather than make threats that could have ended with you getting a visit from the police?


 
Posted : 01/04/2026 9:32 am
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As odd as it may seem, yes. We live on a relatively isolated property with a conservation covenant that excludes domestic animals in favour of vulnerable species. The dog was +200m up our driveway out of view of anyone else. I was angry because two dogs had scared my wife not long before when they tore up the drive chasing a wallaby almost knocking her or the 18 month old or 3 year old kids down. When I spoke in a reasonable tone to the owner of those dogs he’d fobbed me off so I guess I went with a different approach.

Making a formal complaint would have been pointless and I was furious and sensitive to protecting my family. 

The neighbour is an earthworks contractor with a heap of trucks and equipment around and a +30 acre woodland property; I’d probably have ended up in a dam sooner than have the police called!

Anyway, wrong context for this thread. Lesson learned… back to the original tribulation.


 
Posted : 01/04/2026 10:11 am
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So a dog chasing another animal makes it a dangerous dog? I can see why you we're "fobbed off" and thought that making a formal complaint would be pointless though. 


 
Posted : 01/04/2026 10:19 am
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Any dog away from its owner with its blood up around a tiny child is dangerous in my opinion yes. And my wife felt so too. Both of us grew up with dogs.


 
Posted : 01/04/2026 10:31 am
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Posted by: reeksy

The dog was +200m up our driveway out of view of anyone else. I was angry because two dogs had scared my wife not long before when they tore up the drive chasing a wallaby almost knocking her or the 18 month old or 3 year old kids down.

Now - you see - most of us imagine a quiet UK cul-de-sac or new build estate when we think of neighbours. Not some outback property with a 200m+ driveway! 

Not speaking to neighbours who live a few metres away is a different ball-game not seeing/speaking to those who live hundreds of metres away.


 
Posted : 01/04/2026 10:44 am
 kcal
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Also be aware that if you come to sell, you have to declare any (ongoing, I think) disputes.


 
Posted : 01/04/2026 11:07 am
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Any dog away from its owner with its blood up around a tiny child is dangerous in my opinion yes. And my wife felt so too. Both of us grew up with dogs.

Yet you chose to threaten to shoot it, rather than report what you believed was a dog behaving dangerously? Okay.


 
Posted : 01/04/2026 11:20 am
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On title deeds of that era, the ink used to draw the boundary line probably translated to something at least two foot across.

Don't most land registry documents say something along the lines of their being indicative only and the real boundary is whatever is physically there.  i.e. in this case the boundary is the fence, not the presumably straighter line the architects probably intended?

 

 

A good threat can be enough.

The one and only time I spoke to one of my next door neighbours..................... Previously another neighbour ................. So I thought I’d put my foot down.

............ So I looked him straight in the eye and said “.............I’ll shoot it.” Then turned around and went back the way I came… hoping that was it.

Over ten years and I’ve never seen it or him again.

So in summary, you fell out with one person, threatened violence with firearms on another, and then contemplated that there might ever be any other outcome other than they completely avoid ever seeing you again?


 
Posted : 01/04/2026 11:29 am
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