Neighbours old wall and new fence - are they taking the piss?

[Ihatemyneighbourssomuch]

Attached some pictures and also namechanged just in case the neighbours recognise the pictures!

We don’t get on with our next door neighbours and we no longer speak at all (but that’s another thread).

Last week they cut down a load of their garden bushes that were overhanging our garden, which they are perfectly entitled to do, however in removing the bushes it revealed the wall underneath was badly broken. The wall belongs to them as per the house deeds.

Instead of fixing the wall they simply erected a fence on their side of the boundary so they can no longer see the broken wall, leaving us with an unsightly mess.

We could just leave it but it looks awful and makes our garden look horrible.
We could pay to have the wall fixed but I don’t see why we should pay seeing as it’s their wall!

My question is, are they legally allowed to do this and do we have any claim to insist they fix it as it is their wall and it makes our garden look horrible. Or if we get it fixed can we reclaim the cost from them through a small claims court?

They can no longer see the broken wall because of their lovely new fence, so it’s a case of out of sight out of mind for them I suppose.

Speaking to them about it is not an option - the husband has been verbally aggressive and threatening in the past and I do not feel comfortable having any sort of conversation with him. The wife is not much better.
Any advice welcome please.

Following as we have the same issue 🙄

It's their wall so I don't think you can do anything to it but you can put your own fence on your side of it to hide it. Which is probably what I would do to avoid an eyesore.

If it is all within their boundary I'm afraid they can . If the wall is dangerous it should be made safe but that would create a lot of effort and likely ill feeling. Can you put your own fence up!

Unless the wall is a hazard, they don’t have to do anything. I would put up your own fence.

It's a bit of a crappy move, but ultimately you could put up a fence your side of the wall within your boundary if you also wanted to hide the eyesore.
In effect they've give you an extra bit of their garden as that fence looks a fair way away from the wall making their own garden narrower.

Agree, I think I would just put my own fence up

Are you sure its not your wall? There is a wire fence behind it, so it looks like the wall is on your side of the wire fence, and they have put the wooden fence up in front of their side of the wire fence.

From the CAB website:

If your neighbour owns the wall* or fence
You can't make changes to your side without their permission, such as painting it. If the wall or fence seems dangerous, point this out because your neighbour might not be aware. If they don't repair it, you can report a dangerous wall or structure to your council on GOV.UK.*

Looking at the pictures I think you'd have good grounds for saying it was unsafe.

I agree with pp - it looks like the wall is yours from the pictures you posted. The wire fence is on the far side and you also seem to have a cable attached (you shouldn’t if it was their wall).

It is strange because the old wire fence looks it would have been the boundary at one time , are you sure they just don't own that wire fence and have pretended that it was their wall or just thought it was ?

Put a fence up and ignore

Get some trellis with fake ivy and attach it along, though to be honest, I like the wall. Everything is so clinical nowadays, that it looks interesting.

You have gained some land and if over the next few years the wall gets lower and disappears they will not know any difference.

If it’s their wall and their fence then there’s nothing you can do about it.

I’m 99% sure it is their wall from memory but I will double check on the deeds.

I don’t want to put a fence up on our side as I think it will look silly - basically they have only fenced the end part of the garden and you can still see the rest of the wall with bushes further down which looks ok.
Pic attached as I’m not explaining myself very well!

So we can’t fix the wall, even at our own expense, if it belongs to them?

A walls better then a fence
Be glad you have both
Put plants in front of the wall
They may want the wall to support the fence

I would send them a recorded delivery letter informing them that the wall has become unsafe. Keep your copy and receipt. Over the years remove the unsafe bricks until the wall has nearly gone. Put pots of geraniums on the bit that's left to brighten it up.

Least you cant see them with the fence. I would pay to fix it if it isnt much would probably look quite nice and no one is going to get in trouble for fixing it surely.

If you look out of the back of your house is the wall to your right?
If yes it is most likely theirs. They do not have to fix it because its ugly. But you can cover it up with whatever you like on your side of the boundary.

If it is on the left, it is most likely yours.

Always double check deeds of course.

And I guess their highfence is a blessing as you have privacy from said horrible neighbours xx

Is their garden higher than yours?

No, you can’t fix their wall.

So we can’t fix the wall, even at our own expense, if it belongs to them?

Not without their permission, no.

I also,think the wall is a nice feature, and you have gained some “airspace” from the neighbours.

I would be planting some nice climbers on there to make a feature, after discreetly lifting and “safely storing” the loose bits...

If I was you I would just plant something fast growing and before you know it you won't see the unsightly wall. Jjust be glad there's a fence there so you can't see the twatty neighbours