'My neighbour steals from my garden to maintain hers and it costs me a fortune'

'My neighbour steals from my garden to maintain hers and it costs me a fortune' A man is at his wit's end after discovering that his neighbour keeps stealing from his garden in order to keep her own outdoor space looking pristine - and it's costing him money Dealing with entitled neighbours can be a major headache. In an ideal world, we'd all get on with our neighbours, but this isn't always possible - especially if they make things difficult for us. Some neighbours might have hobbies that start at 6 am and keep waking us up, while others might constantly park their car in a way that blocks our driveway, despite being told multiple times to stop. But one man on social media has said his entitled neighbour is taking things to a whole new level, as her behaviour isn't just irritating - it's actually costing him money. The man said his neighbour is actively stealing from his garden, and there's a potential for it to be costing him a small fortune. In a post on Reddit, the man explained that his neighbours have their garden professionally landscaped, with gardeners coming out one or twice a month to maintain the pristine space. However, he has recently learned that in order to water the garden, his neighbours have been coming into his garden and attaching their hose to his spigot - meaning he's paying for it on his water bill. This would be irritating for any neighbour, but the man noted that he's particularly annoyed because, although the neighbour in question used to be "friends" with his parents when they lived in the house, he has "never liked her" and isn't okay with her using his water now that the house is his. He wrote: "They have landscaping services every month or even twice a month because they don't do upkeep themselves. Our houses have the water spigots facing each other, so our spigot is on the right side of our house, and their spigot is on their left side. "We have noticed sometimes that when the landscaping crew leaves, our hose is disconnected. I didn't know until today [when] my mum told me about it, and [I don't know] how anybody would react, but I am p***** [that] they're stealing our water, especially when I don’t even like them. "Today, I went out to look at the spigots, and she took the knob off her spigot, so I know she was doing it on purpose [so the landscapers don't] use her water." He added that he doesn't want to "take revenge" against his neighbour because he thinks that is "ridiculous", but he does want to "put a stop to her charade". He then asked commenters for advice on how to put a lock on his spigot or otherwise shut off the water so that other people can't steal his water supply. Many commenters noted that there should be a shut-off valve inside the house so that he can isolate the connection whenever he isn't using the water himself. Others pointed out that a valve can be installed if one doesn't already exist, or lockable boxes can be purchased that go over the spigot and prevent it from being accessed. One person said: "Is there a shut-off valve inside your house? That's the answer, just isolate that connection when you aren't using it." Another added: "You can buy faucet locks, which go over the handle. It's like baby proofing a doorknob; you can’t get a grip on the handle to turn it." Several other commenters told the man he wasn't alone, as they have had to deal with similar behaviour from entitled neighbours in the past. Someone wrote: "A neighbour of ours used to turn his sprinkler on using our tap and keep it going for eight hours straight so his kids could play on hot days. First time, I told him to stop; second time, we had a shut-off valve for that line installed by a buddy free of charge." In an update in the comments, the poster said he had bought a spigot lock and installed a camera to monitor it. He said he won't be taking legal action as he has no credible evidence yet, but may explore his options if the landscaping company or his neighbour tries to remove the lock by force. What to do if your neighbour is using your water supply If you believe your neighbour is causing your water bills to spike, there are steps you can take to secure the physical supply so that no one else can use your outdoor spigot. You can: - Install a lockable tap cover or heavy-duty padlock. - Shut off the internal isolation valve to your outdoor taps completely when not in use. According to Citizens' Advice, the first port of call should always be to talk to your neighbour where possible. Either speak to them in person and take a note of the date and time that you approached them, or write them a letter. However, you should not approach your neighbour if they have acted with threats, violence, or harassment, and should contact your local council or the police in these instances. Your local council can help to resolve some neighbour disputes, including anti-social behaviour, problems with noise, pollution, or pets, repair problems, and building work problems.