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AIBU?

Neighbour ratty or reasonable?

32 replies

Inadither · 10/12/2016 16:33

Just been around to the next door neighbour as a courtesy to let her know we're having the flat roof on our garage replaced next year. The roof is attached to her property but the building isn't iyswim. We're effectively link detached. It's an enclosed carport and a garage door has been on it for as long as we have lived her (just over 5 years). There was a lot of work done in the past but TBH the roof could have done with replacing when we moved in. She looked concerned so I reassured her it would happen after the new year and that I didn't think it would take long to do but that there would be a bit of noise while it was completed. She still looked a bit huffy and said her house was sold to her as 'detached'. I said that the roof has always been attached. Explained I was a bit of a housing nerd and had looked at similar houses on the estate and their carports all attached one house to the other. Stated that we hadn't made any changes to the roof and I didn't think the builder who had done major extension work to the house a few years before us had either as the roof was knackered and donkeys years old. She said she didn't consent to anything being attached to her house. Reassured her that we weren't changing anything (the roof is already attached). Her response was 'we'll see' intimating that she was going to look into it further. AIBU in thinking we should just press on?

OP posts:
londonrach · 10/12/2016 16:35

No wait. Do you need a party wall agreement. Someine with knowledge be along soon

mineofuselessinformation · 10/12/2016 16:37

If you're replacing like for like, you need no extra permission, so carry on with your plans.
You're only carrying out repairs to an existing structure and while she may not like it, there's nothing she can do about it.

Inadither · 10/12/2016 16:39

Thanks. The neighbours the other side of her say she's a moody grump but we'd had no problems until now. She's never been friendly but we coexisted ok. We had problems with a previous neighbour so not keen to rock the boat but if someone is being unreasonable not keen to stop doing work that needs doing (the boards are rotten and it's leaking a bit). I don't want the roofer to get it in the neck either!

OP posts:
Inadither · 10/12/2016 16:41

Yes, it's going to be like for like. Maybe a different type of felt but that's it. She can't see it anyway (hence probably not realising it's already attached).

OP posts:
MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 10/12/2016 16:43

How long has she lived there?

Inadither · 10/12/2016 16:48

Years and years. Probably 15 or more. The neighbours the other side of her have also lived there decades and had a falling out with her over some other alterations to their house, so I'm sure they'd happily fill me in on any changes that were made but looking at all the other carports on the estate they're all the same, roof attached to the next house. Maybe the felt has been cut in to her wall a bit more, not sure but can see what it's like elsewhere.

OP posts:
PrettySophisticated · 10/12/2016 16:54

I can understand her concern. She bought a detached house, that is now a kink detached house and could (if you turn the garage into a room) effectively become a semi. Obviously the work youre doing now doesn't cause that but improving the soundness of the roof could (in her mind) be a possible first step.

OurBlanche · 10/12/2016 17:09

Love the idea of a king detached house. That has really made me smile Smile

But she may not have bought a detached house, if OP is right. Narky Neighbour has always lived in a link detached. She just hasn't processed that because she can't see the roof that links her to her neighbour!

OurBlanche · 10/12/2016 17:09

KING! KING!

Feck! Grin

Inadither · 10/12/2016 17:10

I'm pretty sure it's always been link detached. All the other houses are in the estate that are like ours are. Our house was also advertised as detached when we bought it. It's only the flat roof alone that attaches it (and I suppose the garage door), the buildings aren't physically attached to each other. Never have been, never will be). We have a slight gap at the back of the garage between the buildings.

OP posts:
dingdongthewitchishere · 10/12/2016 17:12

The neighbour said she bought a detached house, we don't know how the garage was before the OP moved in. It sounds like she is already in a linked-detached house, the time to make objections was when she bought the place or when the garage was built?

I hope the OP is allowed to fix her property, but I have no legal advice, sorry.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 10/12/2016 17:13

Well anyone who has relied on an estate agents word for the last 15 years is clearly crackers.

I'd ignore her and carry on.

EweAreHere · 10/12/2016 17:14

She has a 'link detached' house but probably only 'heard' the word detached.

Ignore her and just get the repairs done.

PlumsGalore · 10/12/2016 17:14

We have houses like this near us, the house will have been built this way. With car port attaching the two detached houses together. She didn't buy a detached house that has since been linked, it was always like that. How the estate agent portrayed her house when they sold it to her is irrelevant. She is trying it on and hoping you pull the garage down. Unlucky for her.

FlappysMammyAndPopeInExile · 10/12/2016 17:18

You could point out to her that if your roof rots because she won't let you repair it, this will also be detrimental to her property as the two garages are attached.

TaintForTheLikesOfWe · 10/12/2016 17:27

Crack on, she sounds crazy. She must be able to SEE the roofline surely?

It's of benefit to her to have it all in good nick rather than left so damp runs in to her home. Some people are professionally miffed and she sounds like one of them!

PrettySophisticated · 10/12/2016 17:30

I'd consider a house linked to its neighbour only by a carport roof as detached tbh. Adding a door (and back wall?) to make a garage is a pretty major change. But not op's issue if it was done years ago

Inadither · 10/12/2016 17:31

Just to clarify we didn't put on the garage door either it was here before we moved in, so at least 5 years. We've only done repairs and fixed the bodge jobs of the builder but that's another story since we moved in, so she's got no reason to have any gripes with us. I was also thinking she must have some resentment of the work but is now choosing to express this. I feel like I might be opening a can of worms and would like to know where I stand legally I suppose if she does get more stroppy.

OP posts:
BowieFanMk2 · 10/12/2016 17:39

She sounds mental. It's obviously been like this for years because there's loads of houses round here like that.

She's also bonkers for believing what the estate agent told her. Our estate agent told us our house had a "recently replaced boiler" which wasn't technically wrong - it did - it just wasn't attached to anything else as there were no radiators or heating pipes installed.

DesolateWaist · 10/12/2016 17:42

So she is pissed off because the house was sold to her as a detached.
Did it not occur to her to look?
It's not like ordering a washing machine online and then complaining because it advertised a function that isn't there. This was a house, I'm assuming she looked at it before she bought it.

GiddyOnZackHunt · 10/12/2016 17:49

Make sure you take some clear pictures of the existing structure before any work is done so you can easily prove it was repair only.

DoYouRememberJustinBobby · 10/12/2016 17:53

Jeez, our old house was listed by estate agents as semi detached with 3beds. Turns out it was a mid terrace with 4 beds but you know what? We used our eyes when we bought it.
Even if she is actually blind it still doesn't change the fact she bought a link detached and not a detached.
If you are replacing like with like you don't need permission. We recently replaced a wall in a like for like manner and didn't need to legally notify nor ask permission (although of course we did let our neighbours know).
Good luck.

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DoYouRememberJustinBobby · 10/12/2016 17:55

Maybe check to see if you can download land registry details. Or if the estate you live on has been built in recent years maybe you can find an online source re the build and type of house the developer built.

Witchend · 10/12/2016 18:01

We have loads of houses like that on our estate. Some of them have built over the garages, and have about 6" between their extension and the next door house so they stay link detached.

However it's possible she was told that wrongly. Bil was determined they had bought a detached house, because they were back to back not side to side. Couldn't help thinking he was rather thick not to realise that, but apparently the estate agent told him he probably was too busy talking to listen though

BadKnee · 10/12/2016 20:13

Just giver her a bit f time to process it. If someone comes up to you and says that they are going to do something to the roof - but "You don't need to worry" - it is stressful. She just needs time on her own to have a look at it, maybe do the odd google, talk to a friend and then I'm sure she'll be fine.

When my neighbours caught me getting into my car and said they were going to do a side extension I was sick with dread. Didn't matter how many times they said "it'll be fine". Once I'd had time to look through the plans, talk to a few people, ask a few questions - it was fine.

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