Neighbours always coming onto our land

[spanishflat]

Hi all,

Wonder if anyone has any advice. We have lived in this house with the same neighbours for over 15 years. They've always been nice enough, but quite 'selfish', they make a lot of noise and are constantly doing work to their house without considering the affect it might have on us.

I have attached a diagram to try and explain. We live in the countryside, and our house had no parking as it fronts directly on to a lane. Sometime in the 1950s, a small plot of land was bought off a farmer, bordering our neighbours house for the use of parking/small extra garden. So if you look at the diagram, it is my house, neighbour, neighbour's garden, then my small plot of land for parking our cars.

Recently, our neighbour has bought a huge chunk of land off the farmer's widow to extend their garden. This includes land directly behind the garden attached to our house. So if you look at the diagram, our small back garden is now engulfed by their back garden. We didn't know this was happening until almost overnight the land was fenced off and included into their now huge garden. Obviously this is not ideal, but what can you do eh. It just means that we have less privacy now, as our wall is low to let in light into the garden. Now all our windows overlook their new garden where they have a shed, trampoline, dining table etc, all very nice.

Anyways, the main problem is with the neighbours is that they come on to our land without permission. I was sat in the garden the other week, and my neighbour just wandered into our back garden by climbing over the fence so he could 'cut the hedge'. They've asked to knock down the old stone boundary wall between our garden and theirs because they want a modern wooden one, which we've said no. We came back from holidays and they'd removed a piece of downpiping from the gutters as they said it was superfluous to demand. Lo and behold, we now have damp coming in where we never used to.

Now on to the extra plot of land. The neighbours always walk onto the land for no apparent reason. They come on to the land and climb our fence to go over the field, rather than walk the 50m to the gate. We have told them not to please as it is damaging the fence, but they still do it. I watched them just yesterday from a window where the neighbour was looking about to see if we were watching him before climbing over the fence!

Next issue. We live in the country so rely on oil heating. I overhead a conversation between neighbour and oil company person who was delivering about moving their oil tank. They want to move the oil tank down to the very bottom left of their garden, adjoining our extra plot of land. They have a garage in front of this section, and so the only way to get oil into the tank if it was moved here would be via our land! (They haven't asked yet-but it would be no!)

Do people have advice on how to deal with these issues without falling out with the neighbours?

[wowfudge]

They don't care what they do to you so I would not worry about falling out with them. Put your foot down now and tell them they do not have your permission to go through your land. And whilst you're at it, request that the downpipe is reinstated. The problem with CFs like these is that if you don't react they take that as a sign that you aren't bothered. They're bullies really and need standing up to.

[CallMeRachel]

Get a gate up over the entrance to your extra land quick! It sounds like they're trying to push you out.

It would infuriate me having no privacy, I'd have expected the farmers widow to approach me first before agreeing to sell land directly behind my garden and property tbh.

I'm not sure what the answer is other than gates up, higher fences and always be out in the garden as much as possible.

Plant jaggy shrubs at the areas he's using to cut across the fence maybe?

[Catmummyof2]

You need planning permission to change a farmers field to a private residential garden. The impact on your privacy would be considered as part of that application. Time to have a chat with the local planning enforcement officer?

[MsHeffaPiglet]

As wowfudge advised, insist they reinstate the downpipe at their expense. My cast iron one fell down in a severe storm. As a result I had serious damp on my internal wall and ruined plaster.

Agree a word with the planning department is a good idea. In the meantime put that anti burglar paint stuff on the fence where they are climbing over.

[Jonnywishbone]

If it was me, I would increase the strength and robustness of all boundary fencing materials and whilst extremely unsightly I would consider barbed wire to prevent them accessing my garden.

Also definitely report this to the local planning authority. I would contact a local councillor as well as this is unauthorised change of use and the councillor might be able to get the planning people to take enforcement action more urgently.

[RememberTheSunnierDays]

Also write to them outlining this and keep a record. They don’t seem nice at all.

[Windyatthebeach]

Def speak to planning at the council. Insist they send someone out to inspect what they have done already. Cheeky fuckers indeed op!!

[intheningnangnong]

So they have turned agricultural land into a garden? I’m sure there are rules on this. Find out and hold it over them

[SoupDragon]

Plant a hawthorn hedge along the boundary of the parking area. They won't really want to climb over that more than once.

[SoupDragon]

Or put trellis up.

[BruceAndNosh]

Hawthorn is a bastard hedge.
Highly recommended

[ChocoTrio]

@spanishflat

This sounds interesting. Did a bit of googling and your neighbour might be in some serious trouble if they haven't taken the proper legal routes when purchasing the agricultural land. I can't believe or understand how any reasonable and responsible lawyer would have allowed your neighbour to purchase this land without being diligent about planning issues etc.

"The purchaser will need to sort out any planning issues which may arise through a change of use of the land. You can't convert agricultural land to garden without first getting planning consent and it would be dangerous to assume consent will be automatically given."

Source A guide to buying or selling land to make a bigger garden