New neighbour wants to purchase some land

[danilyon]

Ok so I thought I'd revive this username for the purpose of this thread.

Almost 5 years ago we had a new batshit neighbour move in who wanted to legally own the entry between our terraced house. I posted here and a lot of lovely posters helped us work through it/gave advice at the time so I thought I'd post again for this new conundrum.

We've had a new neighbour move in the other side of us just before Christmas. Before they left the previous owners told us that the new owner was a single lady and seemed really nice etc etc. We've not actually seen her yet, just lots of cars outside the house over the past couple of weeks. The house does need updating a bit so very understandable if she has family/friends round helping sort everything.

Anyway, we had a note pushed through the door last week from the council to say that they needed to talk to us about a request to purchase some land that may affect us. The offices were closed when we got home from work and read the note, so we started to wonder if this was about the entry again given that batshit neighbour is in the process of selling her house. However it turns out that the new neighbour on our other side wants to purchase the piece of land directly in front of her house, up to the street. I've tried to attach a picture, it's shit a bit dark though. You can just make out the bit of land I think, at the bottom of the picture is her fence which goes up to the boundary of our house(white bit at the bottom right). The land she wants to purchase stretches from the fence to the pavement at the top.

The reason she has given is to put in a drive but this leaves us puzzled. Being the end terrace she already shares a drive with the semi next door to her and therefore has a drive and also a garage. There are currently two cars parked on her side of it and there is generally another car parked up on the pavement at the top. The land she wants to buy has a set of stairs leading down from the pavement to a strip of path that runs in front of the four terraced houses and there are a set of steps at the other end leading back up to the pavement (sorry if this is confusing!!)

Speaking to the guy from the council he says that obviously the set of stairs on the land she wants to purchase would no longer be there of the purchase is allowed to go through, or if they are there we will no longer have right of access to them or that section of land. He wants to know if we have any objections by the end of next week and we aren't quite sure what to come back with. There are concrete slabs that form a path on the Grass slope in between the two sets of stairs and in general we use this to get down to our house. In the bad weather such as snow/ice we use the set of stairs which sit on the land she wants to purchase, likewise if we go to the corner shop or have lots of things to carry to the house. Some of our family also use those stairs too and sometimes it's just easier to use the stairs with our 3DC.

Now if the purchase goes through then arguably we could use the remaining stairs if we needed to use some, but I think in the eight years I've lived here I've used those ones three times. I had a quick chat with the council man about maybe putting in some stairs in front of our house to replace the slope, which he said may be a possibility. I'm not saying we would begrudge the new neighbour to buy that land but I'm still really confused why she would want it for a drive way when the drive way she has is plenty of space anyway. So I guess what I'm asking is what would you do/say?

Thanks in advance!

[danilyon]

Wow that picture is really bad

I'll try get a better one!

[Tartyflette]

Perhaps she is going to be running a business from home and wants extra parking?

[RandomMess]

Sounds like she needs extra parking. Think I would be raising an objection stating that the steps need to be replaced if she wishes to purchase the land.

Could she feel it would add value to her house getting rid of the steps and right of way and having a huge drive/front garden?

[ABetaDad1]

A wild guess is she wants to park cars on the piece of land. Likely because she wants to split the house up into multiple occupancy bedsits so she has to provide off road parking as part of the planning permission.

She wont apply for that permission though until she has got the piece of land secured. This will be a slow drip of encroachment on your enjoyment of your house.

Any chance she will seek permission to extend her property forward and build on the land. She wants it for a reason. The nice single lady is a front. She will never live there.

[danilyon]

There we go, managed to find an old street view of the road...should have thought of that first! please ignore shit pic

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

Danilyon! Great to see you again! (I remember you and your batshit new neighbour will read your OP now)

[MargaretRiver]

I would object very strongly

If she levels the land to street level you'll be looking at a big retaining wall on that side rather than the nice green slope you can see now

It will reduce your light (depending on which way you face, could be quite severe)

And once she owns the land she might apply to put a garage or large shed on it, worsening your "hemmed-in"ness and shadows

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

Who does the land plus steps bring to now? The council?

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

Belong, not bring, sorry

[danilyon]

Sorry, didn't see the replies when I uploaded the pic

Hmm, that's interesting ABetaDad1, DH and I never even thought of that as an option when we were trying to figure it out. That would be a bit of a bloody nightmare to say the least.

I suppose it could add value but to be honest I think the price it was up for (no idea how much she paid like) was overinflated anyhow..hmm.

She could be running a business possibly but I don't know..old neighbour said she was a single professional and worked in nearby city. Something just feels a bit off about it and though it could possibly be just a driveway we don't want to be stuck in a situation where things become shit. I think we are just trying to err on the side of caution due to the entry experience!

[danilyon]

[waves]

Yes it is currently council owned. I think batshit neighbour will be forever remembered by eldest DC as being 'the lady who stole the wheelie bin'

That's what we are worried about, her putting a building on it or something and it just being all encroaching. The council man said that whatever we say will be put forward for consideration but that it's not him who makes the decision in the end. He did say he was a bit puzzled about the drive bit because of the garage/drive she already has.

[ABetaDad1]

She paid the overinflated price because she knew what she wanted to do in buying the land. This is likely a professional developer who knows exactly what she is doing. She might be a front for a builder. Ordinary buyers don't buy a house and then 5 minutes later buy land in front of it.

The land is where the value is. I would object strongly and at the very least do everything you can to have conditions imposed.

I would also say the council are being very 'swift' in the way they are dealing with this giving you barely any time to object. Just a note shoved through your door. Surely a proper letter and a proper amount of time to consider and consult. If you ask an architect to put in your objection I am sure they will be able to tell you exactly what she is likely planning to do.

You need professional advice from a local architect to put in a proper rebuttal of this proposal.

[danilyon]

I know an architect from a past job, I may drop him a line and see if he can offer any advice.

The council thing being so rushed is because the person who is meant to deal with it is absent and it's just been passed on to this guy at the middle of last week apparently.

Thinking about the raising it to street level thing, someone further up has their drive like that and then stairs down into their front garden/front door. Having that next door would be bloody awful.

[RandomMess]

You know I remember your other bat shit neighbour issue too, was it really 5 years ago

Object, object, object!

[Piffpaffpoff]

Good grief was that really 5 years ago?!!

I'd object on the loss of local green space.

[danilyon]

I know, 5 years in April! I was quite pregnant with DC2 at the time Batshit neighbour blanked us ever since. She really was something else...I feel for her new neighbours.

I'm glad people are saying object, we were unsure whether we were being unreasonable for thinking of saying no!

[Palomb]

I'd object too. That bit of green must soak up a lot of water and I'd be concerned about where the displaced water would go if she tarmaced over it.

Also.. What that really 5 whole years ago

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

Letting her buy it doesn't benefit anybody but her as far as I can see - the council is still responsible for the bits either side - unless they start flogging those off too? Would you be interested in buying the bit in front of your house & having your own drive & steps?

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

& congratulations on extra DC

[FinestGrundyTurkey]

It wouldn't have to be tarmac - there are drainable alternatives (which the council could insist on)

But if neighbours prefer the status quo they should all object!

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

I remember your previous thread.

Object. You'd lose the steps. Water run off could be a problem. Even parking a van on it would piss me off to be honest.

[dotdotdotmustdash]

I'm not usually one to suggest blocking neighbour requests but in this case I think you should. Those stairs are there for sensibly-placed access to the inner homes and it wouldn't benefit your house to lose them. In your position, I would refuse to give up your right of way.