Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think my neighbour should not be able to attach a structure to our house without asking...or actually at all?

177 replies

bigmouthstrikesagain · 30/10/2011 19:22

But he has.

It is a wooden structure very basic clearly for storage but he has drilled into and attached it to our wall which is the boundary between our house and his property. So he has joined our formally detatched houses.

Shurely shome mishtake!? He is a nice young man with a nice young family so I am surprised, and not v happy. Willing to be reasonable but we do not want anything attached to our house so there will need to be action on his part.

Anyone got a similar issue/ wisdom/ experience to share?

OP posts:
VivaLeBeaver · 30/10/2011 21:01

I also want to know what app soup dragon did that on. I have an iPad but would have no idea how to upload a sketch like that.

Bogeymanface · 30/10/2011 21:04

Being nice here, but it probably didnt occur to him. From what I have read they sound like a young couple so probably arent experienced in the angst that an un-discussed lean-to can cause!

I am sure that once you have a chat with them, it will be fine :)

I have to say that it wouldnt bother me in the slightest, but I realise I am going against the grain here! I would probably let them know that if I wanted to sell that it would have to come down though.

Whatmeworry · 30/10/2011 21:05

They should have asked you at the least.

colken · 30/10/2011 21:07

Your circumstances might be a bit different but our neighbour's wall is the boundary of our back garden so it's a 'party wall'. That means that his side is his and our side is ours so we can do what we like with it. All we've done is put up a bit of trellis. I think an extension or something as big as that might be different.

SoupDragon · 30/10/2011 21:07

Um... I used Adobe Ideas to draw it, Filterstorm (a photo editing app I use to mess with photos) to rotate it and then Web albums to upload it to my google images album.

I think only Filterstorm was expensive and I'm sure other apps would do the rotating.

LemonDifficult · 30/10/2011 21:09

YANBU Holy mo, that is an odd thing for them to think is OK. They drilled into your house?!

Some people are just weird.

GalloweesG · 30/10/2011 21:09

Thanks SoupDragon - you are my new MN hero :o

SoupDragon · 30/10/2011 21:09

Oh, and I just took a screenshot of the Adobe drawing.

CaptainNancy · 30/10/2011 21:10

soupy- you are a goddess of tech! Grin

bigmouth- we have a similar structure between us and the neighbours, but as it has been there for many many years before we arrived, we assumed the previous owners had agreed it. The neighbour also offered to remove it if we deemed it necessary (we haven't so far).

LauraIngallsWilder · 30/10/2011 21:11

I agree YANBU op

I have doodle buddy as an app on my iPod - free and fab.
Similar to what Soup used I'd imagine

CaptainNancy · 30/10/2011 21:12

Oh- and I cannot believe anyone would think it's okay to drill into someone else's house! [shocked] and not even ask!

HauntedLittleLunatic · 30/10/2011 21:13

We weren't allowed to attah our sky dish to neighbours wall....and had to pay a fortune to have our lifted above our gutter line instead so I would be surprised if you could build a structure which forms part of the accomodation to your house.

Hassled · 30/10/2011 21:15

God I want an iPad.

Anyway - I would be absolutely spitting with rage and fury, and I'm not even pre-menstrual (unusually). The nice young chap next door is a complete loon.

BarnMummy · 30/10/2011 21:30

I'm not a lawyer (am Chartered Surveyor by training), but I would say the act of drilling into your wall would constitute trespass on your neighbour's part - my "Law for Estate Management Students" text book says "A common form of trespass consists of directly causing objects to enter the plaintiff's land...the most trivial invasion will suffice, such as leaning a ladder against a plaintiff's wall".

I don't suppose that your neighbour intended this at all, but just so you know where you stand.....you'd need to check with a lawyer though if you want / need to take it further.

VivaLeBeaver · 30/10/2011 21:36

What's google images album? Is it the same as picassa?

Bogeymanface · 30/10/2011 21:44

I would be absolutely spitting with rage and fury

Really? About a shed?

I am not taking the pee, I just wonder why it would annoy you that much! We are not talking about a full brick built extension here, but a wooden structure attached by a few screws.

It wouldnt bother me aslong as it didnt impede my access or my view and from what the OP said (and from SDs drawing!), that isnt the case. Annoyed, ok I suppose but rage and fury?!

I am not saying the OP shouldnt sort it out, not at all, but I genuinely dont understand how angry this would make you. And yes I am a home owner with external wall boundaries.

VivaLeBeaver · 30/10/2011 21:47

I'd be really annoyed, it could damage the brickwork couldn't it?

MrsRetchingBloodAndGuts · 30/10/2011 21:54

YANBU

spiderpig8 · 30/10/2011 21:55

It depends on whether your wall straddles the boundary (in which case it is a party wall) or butts up to the boundary but is entirely on your property in which case it isn't.
It makes a big big difference!!

ChippingInAutumnLover · 30/10/2011 21:56

I'd be really really annoyed and it would be coming down - as you said, you bought a detached house, not a house for the neighbours to attach their lean to, to!!

Has he not come around yet??

FGS - does the man not know that MN is waiting??

spiderpig8 · 30/10/2011 21:58

soory pressed go too quick. If it's a party wall then they are probably within their rights. but if it's entirely on your property tell him to take it down!!

CaptainNancy · 30/10/2011 22:21

bogeymanface- it could lead to water ingress, or he could have hit internal wiring depending on the depth of the screws, who knows- it is surely a matter of courtesy to speak to the homeowner first before doing something like this?

We usually inform our immediate neighbours if we're going to do some work, simply because the noise, dust or workmen parking might annoy them (one side have a small child who naps for example).

Moominsarescary · 30/10/2011 22:21

spider the neighbours have attached it to her house

I'd make them take it down

StetsonsAreCool · 30/10/2011 22:24

I haven't wanted an ipad until now. I want to do that draw-y upload-y thing!

OP can't you go and knock on their door again Wink

SoupDragon · 30/10/2011 22:29

Yes, it is picasa. web albums app which I have on phone and iPad.

Sorry for hijacking your building thread!