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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To buy this land and risk upsetting the tenants next door

999 replies

Mrsdavidcaruso · 04/01/2014 12:31

Long story short. My house is at the back of a large house which was converted into flats last year. I own the freehold to my property and have had problems with the tenants of the flats parking on what is actually my land. It got bad when the LL of the large house 'rented' a part of my property to one of his tenants as an extra parking space and it took a long time and solicitors letters to get it all sorted.

I also had to spend money on getting bollards and a fence to ensure no-one parked on my property.

My property is at the end of a T shape and I part is used as a passage to my house ( I have legal access over it) and a parking area for 5 cars rented by the LL to his tenants

However because of all the problems my solicitor has done some digging to ensure my legal right of way and that nothing comes back to bite me on the bum with the owners of the large house.

It then got interesting - it seems that the LL bought the large house at auction on a 99 year lease. My Solicitor saw the legal pack and there was no mention of the land on the paperwork.

He has now found out through the freeholder that the land does not actually belong to the large house but to the house next door.

The freeholder of the house next door has confirmed yes its his land but as he does not live in the house was unaware that the LL of the large house was using it as far as he was aware only I had access to it.

He has now contacted my Solicitors and offered to sell me the land, If I don’t want to buy he is going to offer the LL the chance to lease it from him but if he does that I am worried about my own access across it.

I am very tempted I can enlarge my garden and my husband (who rents a garage ) can also park his car on the property we can afford it and it may increase the value of my house and provide a safer environment for my DS and bump when he/she arrives.

But that is not going to sit well with the tenants of the large house and I can forsee huge problems with them as a couple were very abusive to me during the problem with the parking before.

I have a couple of weeks to decide. I know it would not fair to the tenants but its something they will have to take up with their LL as either he has been badly advised/mistaken or is chancing his arm renting out parking spaces when he knows its not his land (I suspect the latter).

According to my Solicitor there would be no legal or planning issues if I wanted to change the area to a larger garden (although I will check with the council myself)

So would I be UR to buy it

OP posts:
skinoncustard · 14/01/2014 08:03

Sorry you are unwell, it must have been very tempting but 'revenge is sweeter served cold' Did your meeting go ok yesterday? Do you have a plan/ timescale for the great reveal !!!!

3bunnies · 14/01/2014 08:09

Oh so tempting to tell them that as far as you can see the bin is on your land. You were very restrained I presume you told her to move it herself. Well done on buying the land I was thinking about it this morning before I saw your post.

Original poster
Mrsdavidcaruso · 14/01/2014 08:09

Yes it did I post later when DS is not screaming and throwing things at me the little monster darling

OP posts:
Original poster
Mrsdavidcaruso · 14/01/2014 08:10

sorry meant to monster

OP posts:
Original poster
Mrsdavidcaruso · 14/01/2014 08:11

and yes told her to move it herself

OP posts:
SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 14/01/2014 08:30

I so wish it was me who was going to tell them OP! Envy
its going to be such fun so satisfying. Grin

shoom · 14/01/2014 08:41

Just another example of why you should have no concern for the neighbours , and do whatever suits you with the land. Quickly!

I hope you feel better soon.

mistlethrush · 14/01/2014 08:48

Soon will be a problem of the past!!! Do they have access onto the road for their bins so that they won't end up putting them in your way when the 'parking space' land is taken away?

OddFodd · 14/01/2014 09:08
Shock

Is she the one that thought she could park outside your house mrsdc or another tenant? Is the whole building filled with self-absorbed wankers?

Kytti · 14/01/2014 09:08

Oooh just found this, and read it all with interest! So glad things have worked out for you! x

MerryWinterfel · 14/01/2014 10:00

How horrible, its almost as if they go out of there way to be nasty. Were it me I would have just moved the bin and tutted a bit but she made extra effort!

IrisWildthyme · 14/01/2014 10:10

Just found this thread and am watching with interest to see what happens next - you are going to need to enclose this land very thoroughly to ensure that the neighbour tenants don't just continue to park there!

NoseWiperExtraordinaire · 14/01/2014 10:14

They do sound horrible.

I do agree with points made about not having to offer them anything, and actually if you do do this (just fence the lot off straight away) I wouldn't blame you at all. You owe them nothing.

However, I wonder if you could use it as leverage to getting them to change their attitude towards you and create a slightly better atmosphere.

What if you said something like, you're not sure quite when you will be making changes but might be prepared to rent some of the area out on a month by month basis until you do - that might (just might) make them rethink how they are towards you, particularly once they realise what a scumbag their landlord has been about it and they have been directing their angst at the wrong person. I suspect a lot of the misplaced angst is due to him painting you as the unreasonable party in all this.

NoseWiperExtraordinaire · 14/01/2014 10:14

But I am not making excuses for them either!

NoseWiperExtraordinaire · 14/01/2014 10:20

Or you could rent some of it out to only the NICE neighbours and make the nasty ones walk miles down the road.

nauticant · 14/01/2014 10:33

You're doing the right thing by not engaging OP. The way this should work is that you contact the landlord, and then he contacts his tenants. If they want to shoot the messenger, they can shoot him, they're nothing to do with you.

Obviously it would make sense to give him a short notice period, but I would avoid making any suggestion whatsoever that you're open to any kind of negotiation.

NoseWiperExtraordinaire · 14/01/2014 10:37

Yes agree, all discussion through ll.

ZenNudist · 14/01/2014 10:52

Pleased to hear things progressing well. Sounds like the right thing to do as they have been such bad neighbours its best to secure the land.

Can I ask how you will enforce it? At the end of the day they can still park there. I know you're talking about garden plus hard standing. Will there also be boundary wall?

PigletJohn · 14/01/2014 11:09

it will be ploughed up, and stacks of building materials put on it, so no-one will be able to get their cars on there.

Sallyingforth · 14/01/2014 11:18

In the meantime it only needs a very small ditch dug across to prevent vehicle access.

UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 14/01/2014 11:28

I love a parking thread.

This is the epitome of all parking threads, with revenge on nasty neighbours thrown in for good measure. No parking thread will eve get better than this.

OP, you could sell tickets to the showdown.

Hope you feel better soon.

NynaevesSister · 14/01/2014 11:34

Oh. My. God. What is the matter with some people? Just move the friggin bin! She sounds either nuts, or the landlord has been spinning her stories that makes it sound like you are the bad guys.

propertyNIGHTmareBEFOREXMAS · 14/01/2014 12:16

Buy it and have a kick ass garden.

PedantMarina · 14/01/2014 14:35

I wanted to comment by page 3, but held off, and am I glad I did! What a brilliant update.

Mainly wanted to say, "isn't it delicious irony that if the landlord hadn't been such a dick, you wouldn't have done all this research and this result had come to pass".

I see that others have said it, and probably better.

Congratulations, OP! Maybe have a Mumsnet party on premises when you cut the ribbon on your lovely new garden? we're enough to scare any nasty neighbours, esp after the gin

Definitely hoping to see the "floor plan"!

enriquetheringbearinglizard · 14/01/2014 14:41

I've been following it too and am so pleased you've secured the land OP.
I wouldn't give the tenants any offers of parking whatsoever, they're far too rude.
If they'd been apologetic for taking your spaces and explained the LL had told them they were his to rent out, that would be different for me, but being aggressive and blaming you for his fraud says as much about them as you already know about the LL. Why should you put yourself out to accommodate them in any way?

It's just tough shit in my opinion.
He's been taking money under false pretences and none of that's your doing.

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