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Troublesome neighbours
tangoflash
Posts: 10,783
Long (and boring) post/rant.
After some advice as how best to deal with a neighbour situation. We've been living here since 2016 (they moved in a couple of years earlier). All was okay up until 5 years ago when we had a ground floor extension built on the side of our property. 2 yrs previously they spoke about doing the same thing, but never got around to it. When the builder was doing our extension, he spoke to them, asking if it was okay to be on their garden when putting in the foundations and putting up the external wall, promising that in the end he would ensure that their garden was put back to the standard as before (which was just wild ratty grass). They said it was okay, then within a week they started kicking off about the state of their garden. The builder not only reminded them that they will relay a new lawn, but ended up saying he will also give them £250 for their "trouble". This seemed to be okay........for a week, before they started kicking off again. It all got a bit nasty and although the builder put the garden right at the end, he laughed at them when they asked for their £250, as he ended up having to build the outer wall and pointing from our side. Once the builder had finished and left, they came round, banging on my door, demanding I give them the money I owed them. I told them that I hadn't made any such deal with them and I wouldn't be giving them anything. The builder told me he's seen this many times and it's just purely down to jealousy.
Needless to say, since then we just ignore each other.
However, any excuse to moan, they are at the door. Between the extension and the out-buildings, there was a fence that was falling down. I wanted to garden to be secure (for my dogs), so I built a 3ft wall there and added a 3 foot fence on top. Naturally, they kicked off, saying it was over the boundary, as it stuck out further than our extension. I pointed out that not only was it clearly on the boundary line, but our extension was built slightly away from the boundary, due to a gas main underground, so they had in fact gained an extra foot wide strip of garden. Then came the fence between the front gardens. It was rotten and falling apart and they made no effort to replace it, so we did it ourselves. Of course this wasn't good enough and the customary bang on the door arrived, moaning that that fence is their responsibilty and they had plans to to it. My response was not only have we done it for them, free of charge, but if they insist that they want to put up a fence of their choice, let me know when they're ready to erect it and I'll happily remove the one I'd put up. Needless to say, 2 yrs later and my fence is still there.
This brings me onto my latest chapter: A couple of weeks ago, they had builders round, putting up a new wall at the front of their garden, but a couple of days after they'd finished, I went around to the side of my house to find that they had also knocked down the wall I had previously built and replaced it with a 2 metre wall. I have no problem with that, however, I was bloody annoyed that not only did they not point it on my side, but dropped loads of cement all over the place.(pic shown) Now it was my turn to go banging on their door. I told them I don't have a problem with the wall, but I do with the fact that it's unfinished on my side and the mess they've left. I told them I wasn't blaming them for it. I asked them for the number of the builders, so I could speak to them about it and get them to rectify it. They flatly refused to give me the number.
Any suggestions of what I should do regarding this? My solution is to punch the fella in the windpipe and rub his face up & down his new wall, but my wife insists I shouldn't do this.
After some advice as how best to deal with a neighbour situation. We've been living here since 2016 (they moved in a couple of years earlier). All was okay up until 5 years ago when we had a ground floor extension built on the side of our property. 2 yrs previously they spoke about doing the same thing, but never got around to it. When the builder was doing our extension, he spoke to them, asking if it was okay to be on their garden when putting in the foundations and putting up the external wall, promising that in the end he would ensure that their garden was put back to the standard as before (which was just wild ratty grass). They said it was okay, then within a week they started kicking off about the state of their garden. The builder not only reminded them that they will relay a new lawn, but ended up saying he will also give them £250 for their "trouble". This seemed to be okay........for a week, before they started kicking off again. It all got a bit nasty and although the builder put the garden right at the end, he laughed at them when they asked for their £250, as he ended up having to build the outer wall and pointing from our side. Once the builder had finished and left, they came round, banging on my door, demanding I give them the money I owed them. I told them that I hadn't made any such deal with them and I wouldn't be giving them anything. The builder told me he's seen this many times and it's just purely down to jealousy.
Needless to say, since then we just ignore each other.
However, any excuse to moan, they are at the door. Between the extension and the out-buildings, there was a fence that was falling down. I wanted to garden to be secure (for my dogs), so I built a 3ft wall there and added a 3 foot fence on top. Naturally, they kicked off, saying it was over the boundary, as it stuck out further than our extension. I pointed out that not only was it clearly on the boundary line, but our extension was built slightly away from the boundary, due to a gas main underground, so they had in fact gained an extra foot wide strip of garden. Then came the fence between the front gardens. It was rotten and falling apart and they made no effort to replace it, so we did it ourselves. Of course this wasn't good enough and the customary bang on the door arrived, moaning that that fence is their responsibilty and they had plans to to it. My response was not only have we done it for them, free of charge, but if they insist that they want to put up a fence of their choice, let me know when they're ready to erect it and I'll happily remove the one I'd put up. Needless to say, 2 yrs later and my fence is still there.
This brings me onto my latest chapter: A couple of weeks ago, they had builders round, putting up a new wall at the front of their garden, but a couple of days after they'd finished, I went around to the side of my house to find that they had also knocked down the wall I had previously built and replaced it with a 2 metre wall. I have no problem with that, however, I was bloody annoyed that not only did they not point it on my side, but dropped loads of cement all over the place.(pic shown) Now it was my turn to go banging on their door. I told them I don't have a problem with the wall, but I do with the fact that it's unfinished on my side and the mess they've left. I told them I wasn't blaming them for it. I asked them for the number of the builders, so I could speak to them about it and get them to rectify it. They flatly refused to give me the number.
Any suggestions of what I should do regarding this? My solution is to punch the fella in the windpipe and rub his face up & down his new wall, but my wife insists I shouldn't do this.
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Comments
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There’s three things you can do really
a) be the bigger man and ignore it, the less you have to talk to them the better
b) make it right/tidy it all up yourself and fling all the mess over the wall into their garden
c) petrol bomb their house while they’re sleeping27 -
Slightly NSFW - but this should do the trick:
https://postalpranks.co.uk/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw4_K0BhBsEiwAfVVZ_xhGozeKSptOgBJHivCSW4_7-Bf_vqmIxl6uu5eLj4hWwNrBl4te6RoCCeYQAvD_BwE
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Easiest and most stress free solution is do it yourself or pay someone reputable to do it.6
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It's a shared wall = shared responsibility, so, I should just get on with it, no other real choice as I see it...1
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You have my sympathies - I've had the joy of neighbour arguments these last few years, with my own building issues. What I've learnt from the majority of the time is the fact that you'll always be able to get on with your neighbours... Until a favour is needed.
Not able to offer any advise, although like quite Dave's suggest to petrol bomb their house (Not Dave's house I should add) - Hope you're able to get it sorted!!
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Is that wall even safe?1
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Get the wall rendered and draw a line under hostilities. A couple of years from now you may or your neighbours might want to move. These conflicts can come back and bite you.
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If its you who moves first, try and sell the house to a crack dealing, deaf reggae sound system enthusiast/ pneumatic drill loving/ insomniac/ Palace Fan, who breeds rats/ skunks /pigeons/palace loving children.charltonkeston said:Get the wall rendered and draw a line under hostilities. A couple of years from now you may or your neighbours might want to move. These conflicts can come back and bite you.
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That pointing is shocking. From what you've said I wouldn't be surprised if they told the builder to leave it like that deliberately.
You should tell them that as it's not water-tight it's only a matter of time before it leaks, so it's in their interests to get it sorted. If they still get arsey just make sure you hose the wall down everyday, paying particular attention to the gaps.14 -
I'm not ready to move at the momentHal1x said:
If its you who moves first make sure you sell the house to a crack dealing, deaf reggae loving, pneumatic drill loving, Palace Fan, who breeds rats/shunks/pigeons/palace loving children.charltonkeston said:Get the wall rendered and draw a line under hostilities. A couple of years from now you may or your neighbours might want to move. These conflicts can come back and bite you.
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Personally, I’d show them the pictures and tell them that you’re going to render it on your side and that you’re doing them a huge favour by paying for it.
if that’s not acceptable to either of you I’d speak to Citizens Advice.
I’m not a building expert but I thought any external boundary work (except fences) required a party wall agreement.1 -
I would guess that by coming on here and threatening to do things to your neighbour, you are more than likely not going to do it.
Render it and crack on with life.
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Ok. The solution IMO is to render the wall and call it a day2
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I’d still call it a wallR0TW said:Ok. The solution IMO is to render the wall and call it a day53 -
Make it a feature.
People love a feature!0 -
Could tell any prospective buyers that the next door neighbour is Banksy and this horrific looking wall is a critique of the decay of Britain’s social fabric or something.soapy_jones said:Make it a feature.
People love a feature!5 -
Do it yourself while you throw a BBQ for everyone in your street except them.
And hire a really loud DJ.5 -
Get yourself home from those Peckham pubs :-)se9addick said:
Could tell any prospective buyers that the next door neighbour is Banksy and this horrific looking wall is a critique of the decay of Britain’s social fabric or something.soapy_jones said:Make it a feature.
People love a feature!1 -
First of all, your wife is correct.It won’t cost much to have the pointing tidied up, and it seems from your description that there are no more walls/boundaries to disagree over.Karma is pretty powerful for the patient man.2
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DaveMehmet said:
I’d still call it a spannerR0TW said:Ok. The solution IMO is to render the wall and call it a day
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Sympathy but i don't think your builder did you any favours in moving on with this.
Saying he'd give them £250 then laughing at them was being a twat and did he 'relay a new lawn' or just put it right?8 -
Maybe call your builder who promised them £250 & then didnt pay it to rectify your side.
Always amazes me that people think that neighbours should facilitate builders & scaffolders on their land without any recompense.3 -
Definitely no attempt to do a decent job, I don’t believe any bricklayer would do that unless told to. Come the winter, with a bit of freezing weather tangofiash’s neighbours may regret their pettiness. I’d still try to be the bigger man and at least finish the wall to a reasonable standard.Off_it said:That pointing is shocking. From what you've said I wouldn't be surprised if they told the builder to leave it like that deliberately.
You should tell them that as it's not water-tight it's only a matter of time before it leaks, so it's in their interests to get it sorted. If they still get arsey just make sure you hose the wall down everyday, paying particular attention to the gaps.0 -
Baton it out, clad it and stick a planter with a nice clematis in it.
Failing that move house, because it's probably easier to fall out with a family member than a next door neighbour imo0 -
Did they have access to your side of the wall to do it properly? The bottom looks ok but it gets worse the higher up you get when it gets more awkward.charltonkeston said:
Definitely no attempt to do a decent job, I don’t believe any bricklayer would do that unless told to. Come the winter, with a bit of freezing weather tangofiash’s neighbours may regret their pettiness. I’d still try to be the bigger man and at least finish the wall to a reasonable standard.Off_it said:That pointing is shocking. From what you've said I wouldn't be surprised if they told the builder to leave it like that deliberately.
You should tell them that as it's not water-tight it's only a matter of time before it leaks, so it's in their interests to get it sorted. If they still get arsey just make sure you hose the wall down everyday, paying particular attention to the gaps.0 -
All I did was NVQ level 2 brick laying at college, but I must say I could do a better job than that.1
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up_the_valley said:All I did was NVQ level 2 brick laying at college, but I must say I could do a better job than that.
I've only ever laid Lego bricks but I reckon I could too.
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I did think that. Builder started this by offering £250 and then not giving itBaldybonce said:Sympathy but i don't think your builder did you any favours in moving on with this.
Saying he'd give them £250 then laughing at them was being a twat and did he 'relay a new lawn' or just put it right?0 -
Trouble is neighbours can be proper cnuts. Ours tried to fleece us out of 2k for vet bills for treatment to horses after a bonfire. Didn't produce any bills or a vet report to claim the money to the insurance company and then get all arsey over a rear boundary which is mine according to land registry.
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