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.
Comments
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 sleeping
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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!!
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.
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.
Render it and crack on with life.
People love a feature!
And hire a really loud DJ.
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?
Always amazes me that people think that neighbours should facilitate builders & scaffolders on their land without any recompense.
Failing that move house, because it's probably easier to fall out with a family member than a next door neighbour imo
I've only ever laid Lego bricks but I reckon I could too.