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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 22:31

Ok, have got the web albums app. Downloaded a screenshot of a doodle onto picassa. How do I then get it as a link n MN.?

Really sorry about hijack!

VivaLeBeaver · 30/10/2011 22:32

My dh made me go and ask next door for permission before painting our side of the garden wall which is their boundary. They can't even see it but it was polite to ask as technically it's their wall.

startail · 30/10/2011 22:48

A previous resident of our house has extended our house right up to the boundary. It is not an ideal situation for exterior painting etc, but it does give us some very useful space.
I would hope that if next door wanted to attach something to our wall they would ask because I'd like to paint first and be sure it wouldn't make the house any damper than it already is.
For all I know they may have already done so, I can't see up the side of our house without standing in their garden.
Most likely we would know because one of the lads would have to come and borrow a drill, they have DHs saw at the moment.

Bogeymanface · 30/10/2011 22:49

Courtesy, yes. I do think that they should have said something if only because of noise etc. But the actual structure itself wouldnt send me into a state of "spitting with rage and fury"

SoupDragon · 30/10/2011 22:55

Viva, when you are looking at the photo you want in Web Albums, in the top right corner is a square with an arrow in it. Click this and choose the option to Copt photo link. You can then paste this intoMN.

Provided you have permission from your neighbour, obviously :)

VivaLeBeaver · 30/10/2011 23:09

like this

Bogeymanface · 30/10/2011 23:54

Forget the house/shed thing.

I soooo want an iPad. I was never "Appled" before this thread, but now....

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 31/10/2011 00:02

I would not be at all happy with this - the risk of damage to my walls and the possibility that the holes he's made could let in damp would be enough to make me cross and to make me tell him to take it down pronto.

Bogeymanface - if you have been very, very good, maybe Father Christmas will bring you an iPad for christmas (I've asked him for a tiger, because dh won't get me one).

Bogeymanface · 31/10/2011 00:59

Promise SDT?

Pinky swear?!

Original poster
bigmouthstrikesagain · 31/10/2011 01:25

qr.ai/i/8yppdngmd9cmypap

OP posts:
Original poster
bigmouthstrikesagain · 31/10/2011 01:26

And I done it with my HTC phone and stubby fingers.

OP posts:
ChaosTrulyReigns · 31/10/2011 02:04

Did you wake up a child to get them to do it?

Original poster
bigmouthstrikesagain · 31/10/2011 07:41

God no it would have been much much better!

OP posts:
hester · 31/10/2011 07:54

The previous owner of my house did this - built a garage that adjoined the neighbour's, actually fed some piping through the wall, all without asking permission.

Neighbour (understandably) went apopleptic, row was had, previous owner stormed into his new garage and smashed the roof down.

There is now a front double gate - so it looks like we have a garage from the front, but inside is just an empty hole full of debris. Oh, and he left internal wiring dangling down the external wall. And an internal door leading out from the utility room, which had rotted and warped by the time we arrived.

On the plus side, our neighbours welcomed us with open arms Grin

spiderpig8 · 31/10/2011 08:35

Bigmouth-please could you clarify whether the wall straddles the boundary or abuts it, being entirely on your land?

SoupDragon · 31/10/2011 09:04

Spider pig, she said "our house is built flush to the boundary between the plots"

eggandcress · 31/10/2011 09:19

WE had EXACTLY this same thing last year with our neighbour. Like bigmouth our lounge wall is our boundary wall and forms our boundary, it is not a party wall. The neighbour's house is 90cms away and the space in between is his land. He wanted to put a "lean-to" in between the house bolted to our wall. I went round there and said he must not attach anything to our wall, the lady at the council planners office said to say this and so I managed to stop him. He has built his structure but he has put it 10cms from our wall, so it is 80cms wide!

You must get them to take this down or you are changing the status of the wall and it will become a party wall whereas at present it is a boundary wall and all yours.

IndieSkies · 31/10/2011 10:24

EggAndCress is right about the legal aspect.
Post in Legal or Property / DIY and get some expert advice on what to do if a polite request doesn't work, and also to get clarification on what the law is.

KatAndKit · 31/10/2011 10:34

If it is the wall of your house you should make an official complaint if he won't take it down. He can't possibly have any sort of permission for it. He has illegally tampered with your property. A phone call to your council will inform you about your rights and how to proceed about getting it removed.

eggandcress · 31/10/2011 10:35

Also you may have a right of access to your wall for maintenance etc. It would be a good idea to get a solicitor to check your deeds to sees if this is the case. If it is the case the neighbour really should rethink the position of his structure as it will block your access.

Lots of legal aspects are relevant here, you can phone the local council planners office too. I found them very helpful.

LizzieMo · 31/10/2011 12:50

A party wall does not mean it is owned by both parties. Sometimes it is, but just because your house wall forms the boundary, it doesnot mean he 'owns' the side which runs alongside his land. It is your house wall FFS. I think you need to ask him to take it down. Not only because it may cause structural damage to your wall- like damp for example, but because of future maintenance- what would happen if you needed to paint or re-render the outside of your wall? I would be wary of letting him keep it there. Once it has been 'accepted, by you it is harder to get it removed later on- and what if in a few years time he decides to replace his wooden lean-too with a proper brick structure? He could then argue that as you accepted the first structure you have no real grounds to object to the second one. This sort of situation can be a minefield. I would nip it in the bud now!!!

PelvicFlAAAARGHOfSteel · 31/10/2011 20:47

Has the neighbour been in touch today? It always surprises me what people think they can get away with.

SkinnyWhiteBoy · 31/10/2011 20:55

YANBU
He has no right and should have asked.
Have a word, maybe he's clueless...

Original poster
bigmouthstrikesagain · 31/10/2011 21:18

Update - still waiting for neighbour to 'pop round' will call Building Control @ council tomorrow so I know what is what re. permissions, it is not a planning issue but a civil one - I will also check boundary wall status.

Thank you.

OP posts:
smartyparts · 31/10/2011 21:20

No - your neighbour had no right and should remove it and repair your wall.

This happened to my parents and (as they fell out with neighbours over it) they took their neighbours to court, and won compensation.