- Are YOU in a neighbourly dispute? E-mail: Frankie.elliott@mailonline.co.uk
A mother has been threatened with legal action by furious neighbours over a toy unicorn she stores on the roof of her shed.
Anna Smith says she keeps the ride-on cuddly toy alongside a number of other items on top of the shed because she didn’t have anywhere else to put them in her garden.
But the decision has sparked a furious reaction from a neighbour near to her London home who claims the items are a major ‘eyesore and nuisance’.
In a letter written to Ms Smith, the neighbour said they were trying to re-let out the property and are ‘anxious to resolve the matter’, before warning they are instructing a lawyer.
In response, Ms Smith wrote about her ordeal on Facebook with comments suggesting the neighbour’s request was ‘utterly ridiculous’ and they needed to ‘get a grip.’
Anna Smith, who lives in London , had been storing her children’s’ ride-on cuddly toy in the open air as she didn’t have anywhere else it would fit in her home
The owner of a nearby house, whose home backs onto the garden (pictured), says the items are a major ‘eyesore and nuisance’ whilst they are trying to re-let the property
Ms Smith posted about her issue on a family Facebook group with 1.2million members
In a letter written to Ms Smith (pictured), the neighbour said they were trying to re-let out the property and are ‘anxious to resolve the matter’
Ms Smith’s Facebook post read: ‘I have some items on top of my shed in my garden that have been on there for over a year, a ladder, a ride on unicorn and a trike. My garden isn’t big enough to store anywhere else.
‘My neighbours across from us are reletting their property and are saying that the items are a major eyesore nuisance and saying they will take legal action.
‘Are my items actually legally an issue? Please see attached photo of my shed, the wall that the unicorn is resting on is mine, the house sticking out over the fence is the neighbour with the issue, the neighbour’s property looks down onto my garden and the letter they sent.
‘They sent a similar letter the other day and I just responded saying that my children use the items and they said they were discarded and that I have tidied them up as much as possible.’
She then posted a picture of a snarky letter from their neighbour, saying: ‘Dear neighbours.
‘We write further to our letter dated 5th September and your swift and, to our mind at the time of receipt, understanding note of reply of the same date.
‘As neighbours and a Christian community, we are anxious to resolve this matter amicably, but given our property is currently taking viewings on a re-let and this is a real concern of our agent, it has to be sorted out quickly.
Those who saw the post heavily criticised the neighbour’s actions
‘You’ll understand, therefore, that we have been obliged to run the matter past our lawyer informally at this stage….
‘He confirms that this is an actionable private law nuisance and that he will be able to act swiftly if all items on the shed roof are not now removed by Thursday of this week at 4pm.
‘We are also advised that such a failure, further to this final request from us directly, would make this ongoing nuisance clearly deliberate.’
An image posted by Anna shows a small green-painted shed with the items popped on top of it, with the cuddly unicorn leaning against a fence.
In the background are blocks of flats, but only part of the unicorn’s head can be seen over the wooden fence.
However a neighbouring house does appear to back onto the garden, with a view of the items.
Anna said she did cover the toys in winter – but even that wasn’t good enough for the people concerned.
She said she had now received two letters on the matter, with one saying they did not want any items touching their fence.
A number of people commented on Ms Smith’s post and heavily criticised the neighbour’s actions.
One poster said: ‘Does the unicorn face them? If it doesn’t I’d turn it around and paint its eyes with glow in the dark paint.’
‘I’d ask them to kindly stop looking in my garden as this was concerning me, due to my children playing there,’ another said.
Another added: ‘I would put more on the roof if it was me – maybe a giant cross seeing as they are Christians.’
‘Move the stuff so they think they have won,’ one replied.
‘Have a speaker set up in the garden. As soon as you see any potential tenants coming to view, just blast out Rick Astley – Never gonna give you up, on repeat until they leave.’
Others said the note was ridiculous.
‘There are so few properties to rent these days that absolutely no one is going to say ‘I love the house but I’m sorry I just can’t…the unicorn is bothering me.
‘They’re talking rubbish they just want top dollar rent that’s all and want everything to look perfect so they can get the ãã they sound like they’d make terrible landlords too.’
One person said they should add a middle finger salute to the top of the shed, while another suggested a blow-up figure staring their way or adding a devil-like mask to the unicorn.
‘Just reply with ‘love thy neighbour’ and leave it at that,’ a social media user mused.
‘I’d buy a bigger unicorn,’ another laughed.
One account said: ‘People are being bombed out of their homes, starving to death, and lord knows what other atrocities going on in parts of the world.
‘They are worried about a toy representation of a fictional magical creature? They need to get a grip!’
While another simply responded: ‘Ignore them. They’re being utterly ridiculous. It’s not a legal matter.
‘They can’t do anything legally. Not very ‘Christian’ either threatening you with legal action.
‘They wouldn’t have a leg to stand on love. If you want to, you can send them a polite note back saying I’ve tidied it up, as best as I am able.
‘But personally I’d just ignore them.’