Is it unreasonable to ask my neighbour to stop mowing at 8am on Sundays?
The complainant says
I work shifts, including late Saturday nights, and Sunday morning is my one lie-in. My neighbour mows his lawn at 8am every Sunday in spring and summer. It's a petrol mower and it's loud. His garden is small enough that it takes about twenty minutes.
I knocked and asked politely if he could do it after 10am on Sundays. He said 8am is a perfectly reasonable time, he's been mowing at that time for years, and it's too hot later in the day.
The other side says the neighbour, as the complainant tells it
He says it's the only time the garden is in shade and he's not breaking any rules. He's been doing it for years before I moved in and doesn't see why he should change his routine for one person.
Jury discussion (5 comments)
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8am on a Sunday with a petrol mower is antisocial, whatever the rules say.
Suggest 9am as a compromise. One hour matters.
And offer to lend him a battery mower. Much quieter.
'Been doing it for years before you moved in' is the neighbour equivalent of 'we've always done it this way'.
8am isn't that early for most people. Earplugs and a fan might be the answer.