New neighbour using my private garden...

[Wattyyyy]

...

Did they ever sit out in your garden or use it before (presuming there is alternative access) or did there only become access when the hole was knocked through?
You'd think that builders would check that any work they were doing was legal!

Fence up. Builders to clear house, report to council housing depart

That's outrageous. Please go and tell the builders to stop work. They almost certainly don't know that they are on your land and need to be told that the person employing them doesn't actually have the right to authorise the work.

Yumyum, they claimed they thought it was a communal garden. Despite it being walled, with an access gate for which only my Gran had the key. The passage between the fence and the block was more of a narrow gap that you had to squeeze through, rather than a path, which is why no-one had bothered to block access to the garden on that side - because it was so difficult to access. I've no idea how they managed to fit a door in, but most of the work must have been done from inside the flat.

But surely the OP should still have been contacted even if it was for something simple like a fire safety upgrade?

Fascinating how weird people are! And to think I was shocked when my neighbour complained the other day because DH cut a branch off their tree because it had grown so low, it completely rendered a part of our garden unusable!

Is OP round there now d'y'think? Hope it's going ok kicking down the new doors

Put a fence up. After all, we all need to mark our place.

placemarkimg. Not even ashamed.

Ps. Please do a diagram. Ta

From my experience with other planning dept at our council, they are unlikely to fine your neighbours if they rectify the situation.

Prosecution is a last resource as it is expensive for the council, so they will seek to rectify the situation through other means first, and only prosecute if that fails.
In my area, it is the enforcement team rather than the planning team you would need to contact about this - though the planning team would be able to tell you if they had received/ approved any applications (but that information should be online anyway)

As someone else said, don't put a fence up. That could be seen as moving your boundary back and giving them a piece of land and will cause loads of problems in the future.

I would try to talk to them before reporting but have a good idea in your head of what you want to say. You definitely don't want to be talked into anything like letting them keep the door for the sake of good relations. That will hugely affect the value of your property. The only outcome should be reinstating the window and making good on any mess to your garden.

How did the builders get out there by the way? I'm assuming they didn't climb through the window! Is there side access other than via your property?If so, I would try to get this secured with a locked gate asap.

I totally don't understand without a diagram I do I just really like diagrams

This is my first place mark.

Just can't believe their cheek!

Also getting angry on other people's behalf today. First that parking post, now this....

Do you know who the freeholders of the flats are, they would be worth contacting.

Art at "Please do a diagram"

To change a window to a door on an outer wall requires planning permission without a doubt , ring your local planning office as it's a breach of planning law and probably regulations too .

Omg....i don't think I've ever wanted to know what happened in a thread more. Go round now so we can have am update....

How could they not know that the garden belongs to the owner of your flat?
Presumably they own their flat and have seen the deeds. Have they recently moved in?

Ok, so maybe the fence is a bad idea but could you make up a board, like a road side advertising hoarding and put it up in the middle of your garden facing their new doors with 'not your garden' written on it?

1. Even if they are allowed to put in double doors they will not be able to step outside them or perhaps even open them into your air as it were!

1. My daughter just bought a ground floor flat without garden although it does have a balcony at the back off one of the bed rooms (which looks over the garden). She knows perfectly well there is no right to go into the back garden and would not dream of doing so.

1. You must make sure your legal positon is made clear early on but hopefully without making enemies for life. Tell the builders they have no right of access to your land to continue the works. if it is in a conservation area they may well have needed prior permission to do the works and possibly they are long leaseholders and the long lease prohibits the works too.

I'd plant a massive, jaggy bush in front of their new door.

A friend of mine a few years ago had a similar thing happen. Their neighbours converted a small barn and installed huge glass doors onto my friends courtyard.
Friend blocked their (illegal) view with his ginormouse and smelly muck spreader.

Ok, so maybe the fence is a bad idea but could you make up a board, like a road side advertising hoarding and put it up in the middle of your garden facing their new doors with 'not your garden' written on it?
Oh god, the possibilities for what to hang on the facing fence....