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Original poster

Boundary issue

85 replies

WayneCampbellsSidekick · 13/06/2023 10:06

Not long after moving into our house last year our neighbours asked me if she could access the garden for something she couldn’t reach from her side. I had a tantrumming toddler in the pushchair at the time so was quite distracted and said yes fine. A few weeks later got home and she was sat on the front drive weeding “her” strip of land. Did what anyone would do, got the deeds out and the boundary is shown as being in line with the brickwork of the garage ie not where they claimed it was. Politely showed neighbours the deeds, asked if theirs said something different (they said no but continued to argue the line was where they claimed it was). Fast forward another few weeks, got home and weed matting had been put down while we were out. Had the same conversation about the boundaries & got the same response. Nothing more said until today noticed they’ve been in the bloody garden again to put stones on top of the weed matting while I was out! I knocked and said look I’ve noticed you’ve been in my garden again & got the response “yeah to access our bit of garden”, said it’s not on to keep coming into the garden unannounced and putting things down without permission, said if the deeds state the boundary being in line with the garage then where has this alternative narrative come from and suggested we get together with both our deeds etc to compare notes. She nodded but made passive aggressive comments about living here 20yrs/if somethings been maintained by someone for a certain amount of time then it’s theirs by law/admitted they’d argued with the previous owners about the same issue.
I have so much going on in my life right now I don’t have the energy for nonsense from the neighbours.
please can someone give me some advice on how to deal with this! Do I need to pay out for a surveyor? 🙈

OP posts:
Napmum · 13/06/2023 13:57

AllAboutTheTent · 13/06/2023 13:38

Land registry documents are not to scale, and are not exact. This is stated on each of their documents.

That is true, but they use the "physical features of the site" to determine the actual boundary normally lines of garages and fences. A solicitor will be able to clarify for OP if there are any concerns, but it does not sound like there is

Napmum · 13/06/2023 13:55

WayneCampbellsSidekick · 13/06/2023 10:22

She keeps saying yes I know the deeds show the boundary as being a straight line but look my land registry document shows there being a curve - what on earth is she talking about 🙈

If she wants to claim that land, let her take you to court. Your deeds show the boundary, and she can't legally access the land, so it sounds like this is in your favour.

Get a solicitor to write that this is your land. There is no legal right to access soad land anyway (it would be a covenant on the deeds if it was). And make sure she needs a key to access your land.

Irked · 13/06/2023 13:51

Shouldn't your solicitor have asked if there were any disputes with the neighbours when you bought the house? I thought sellers legally had to declare any issues, arguments or disputes in the paperwork.

BasiliskStare · 13/06/2023 13:49

I suspect this is an occasion where a diagram would be helpful. But as @Red2017 @AllAboutTheTent says LR documents can be a bit fuzzy. If she is putting things on what you believe to be your land then you will need to do more investigation.

So ( not being a property lawyer here - are there 2 issues ) 1. She has put a weed mat & stone on your property 2. She is accessing your property to maintain her side of the garden without permission. I would as other have said put a fence up between the two properties , but it is probably worth double checking the boundary first,

Quite annoying though. I would give it another couple of conversations once you have more facts as by & large I would not like to fall out with a neighbour and see how it goes.

All best

Original poster
WayneCampbellsSidekick · 13/06/2023 13:46

I’ve got so much going on at the moment (3 year old waiting for ASD assessment, amongst lots of other things such as being in a new job but my worries about my toddler is the main thing keeping me up at night) and I don’t have capacity for dramas with our bloody weird neighbours.
so to confirm I’ve understood this correctly, the title deeds which show the boundary line as being in line with our garage cannot be disputed? So all their protestations about it being somewhere else are null and void? In addition to this - somewhere in between us having our offer accepted and moving in, they erected a large fence attached to our garage wall and positioned actually on our side (ie slightly in front of the brickwork of the garage). Previous owners argued with them about this but obviously let it slide. They are basically using this as a boundary now despite the fact it’s in front of our garage

OP posts:
GabriellaMontez · 13/06/2023 13:43

I suspect she's guessed you have your hands full with things and thinks you're an easy target.

GabriellaMontez · 13/06/2023 13:43

WayneCampbellsSidekick · 13/06/2023 13:04

Being totally gaslighted here and doubting myself

You are. She's trying to mess with your head. Ditch it all on her porch. Don't let her bully you.

AllAboutTheTent · 13/06/2023 13:38

Land registry documents are not to scale, and are not exact. This is stated on each of their documents.

Neverinamonthofsundays · 13/06/2023 13:22

How could you get into trouble? They are the ones illegally putting stuff in your garden.

Original poster
WayneCampbellsSidekick · 13/06/2023 13:04

Being totally gaslighted here and doubting myself

OP posts:
Original poster
WayneCampbellsSidekick · 13/06/2023 13:04

I just want to double check we can’t get in any trouble for digging up the weed matting etc and taking it back to them and saying very firmly stay out of our garden?

OP posts:
Red2017 · 13/06/2023 12:13

FYI a title plan does not give exact boundary lines. It will only show the general boundaries.

It will most likely be within the conveyance deed.

MooMooSharoo · 13/06/2023 11:47

Alternatively, dig up what they've done and tell them you're sticking with the boundary per your deeds and if she wants to prove otherwise, she can pay for a solicitor.

MooMooSharoo · 13/06/2023 11:46

As PP say, download both your and next door's Title Plans from Land Registry online.

Do you have legal cover with your house insurance? I'd contact them if so as they can likely help.

Willyoujustbequiet · 13/06/2023 11:38

Just pay £3 and get a copy of her title plan to compare it with yours

GasPanic · 13/06/2023 11:34

Sounds nuts to me.

You can't reason with people like this.

I would just fence it off. This at least puts in a physical boundary.

Any idea why they want to maintain your land ? Maybe the reason they want to weed it is because it makes their property look untidy, rather than they want to make a land grab. A fence in the way might well resolve the problem, because it will screen off their view of the weedy patch and they can maintain their side of the fence how they want.

CindersAgain · 13/06/2023 11:29

As above, pay £3 to look at their deeds as a start.

Avariceagain · 13/06/2023 11:27

I think we need a diagram....

HesDeadBenYouCanStopNow · 13/06/2023 11:22

Don't write or involve solicitors, just physically prevent access. Lock the gate etc

Then the balls in their court to spend lots of money trying to get a solicitor to prove something rather than you.

Mylifeislikeaboatrace · 13/06/2023 11:19

Did you write about this before on here? sounds very similar to another thread because I remember talking with dh about it, started with weeding, the matting and having maintained it /ownership after 20 odd years.
But having said that there are many cf neighbours on MN.
So, what's happening with it now?

Puzzledandpissedoff · 13/06/2023 11:18

admitted they’d argued with the previous owners about the same issue

Admittedly it depends what the "argument" consisted of, but I imagine the sellers failed to declare this?

Fraaahnces · 13/06/2023 11:07

She knows EXACTLY what she’s going. She’s going to put shit where she wants and claim she’s been “maintaining the land” for donkey’s years.
I hope you have photographic evidence that this crap wasn’t there when you moved in. Would make it much easier.

Skiphopbump · 13/06/2023 11:04

Remove anything she puts there.

As a PP suggests grow a hedge.

Zooeyzo · 13/06/2023 11:01

Download her deeds and look she's obviously bullshitting. I had this problem once when neighbour used part of my garden as storage and said it was theirs. I Downloaded both our deed plans to compare and showed it to them. They were embarrassed and muttered about it being wrong. You need to do the same and if it continues get a solicitor on it.

ButterCrackers · 13/06/2023 10:30

WayneCampbellsSidekick · 13/06/2023 10:22

She keeps saying yes I know the deeds show the boundary as being a straight line but look my land registry document shows there being a curve - what on earth is she talking about 🙈

You need a legal professional to look at the boundary and explain it to you. Once you know if the land is yours of not you can take appropriate action. If the land isn’t yours perhaps you could buy it from the owner if it makes sense in the plan of your property.

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