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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed at neighbour drilling into my wall?

52 replies

Bezm · 23/10/2017 13:26

I have just seen that my neighbour is having a plastic roof put in the back and is attaching it to my extension wall by putting up wooden battens. My extension is about 6 inches from our boundary. So not only has he drilled into our wall, but has put the roof over part of our garden. When I asked the joiners what they were doing, he came out and was very rude!
I pointed out that he'd not even bothered to ask about drilling into my wall or putting the roof up over my garden. He said he couldn't see a problem and didn't know I was in anyway!
I'm fuming!

OP posts:
JumpingJellybeanz · 23/10/2017 13:27

Did he stop the work?

TheMerryWidow1 · 23/10/2017 13:30

he was rude because he knows he is in the wrong. Regardless he should have asked and he knows it!! I would tell him to remove it.

monkeywithacowface · 23/10/2017 13:31

I hope you told the joiners to remove it immediately?

BiddyPop · 23/10/2017 13:32

If it was a wall along the boundary, he would need a party wall agreement.

But as it is a wall WITHIN your boundary, and his extension now OVERHANGS YOUR PROPERTY, then he needs to stop all work and you need to get the local authority on his case. Even if the size of his extension is within permitted development limits, he cannot go annexing your property onto his!

JeepersKreepers · 23/10/2017 13:33

You need to get the joiners to remove it and tell him in no uncertain terms you don't want his plastic roof over the boundary and you most definitely don't want your house being touched or tampered with.

carnivalisover · 23/10/2017 13:34

He would need your consent and a party wall award, and he’d be responsible for your surveyors fees.

WitchDancer · 23/10/2017 13:35

Oh, he would have his head handed to me on a platter if it was me. There is no way on this planet I would let him continue!

Gincision · 23/10/2017 13:35

You need to get the joiners to remove it and tell him in no uncertain terms you don't want his plastic roof over the boundary and you most definitely don't want your house being touched or tampered with

This. And you need to tell him to make good any damage (to your satisfaction) at his expense and that as long as he does this you're willing to accept it as a misunderstanding and not take the matter any further....

yerbutnobut · 23/10/2017 13:36

so it's not even a 'party'wall? You certainly need permission from neighbours to even do anything to a party wall so absolutely out of order for them to do something involving a wall that is solely yours, I would ask him to remove.

DressedCrab · 23/10/2017 13:36

Make sure he removes it or remove it yourself.

Original poster
Bezm · 23/10/2017 13:38

TBH the way he spoke to me really scared me! They are not having an extension, just a lean to plastic roof, no sides. In principle I don't mind it being attached to my extension. I can't see it unless it juts into our garden. I'm just so gobsmacked that he didn't think that he needed to even ask!
I'm going to wait until his wife is home later and speak to her. She's usually very reasonable. And if by then it's been built, we have a very useful chain saw that needs a run out 😂😂

OP posts:
Maryann1975 · 23/10/2017 13:39

I’d be annoyed. It’s the not asking that’s the biggest problem, it’s really rude to just assume you won’t have a problem with this and I would be furious about that (but would probably have said that it was fine had they asked prior to do doing the work, providing they were generally good neighbours like ours are).

notnowthough · 23/10/2017 13:39

No YANBU - what a CF!

We had people put a fence up for us along our boundary wall. They drilled into the neighbours house in one place. I was horrified. We were not on good terms with the neighbours at the time so I asked them to stop. They said they had to drill in to the wall so I said they needed to speak to the neighbours and get their permission and then went indoors and hid from the expected fallout. The neighbours were listening to this conversation I am sure and were grudgingly ok with it when approached by the fencing guys but if they had not been I would have told the fencing guys they needed to stop.

WitchDancer · 23/10/2017 13:40

No no no! Please ask him to stop Right Now. You don't want a precedent set of him encroaching onto your property. If it's only a plastic roof thing then he can self support it on the side of his own property

monkeywithacowface · 23/10/2017 13:40

I'm sorry but you will have mug written all over you if you allow the joiners to continue. No need to speak to your neighbour just tell the joiners to remove what they have done.

Gincision · 23/10/2017 13:41

In principle I don't mind it being attached to my extension

You might not. But this could potentially make it very difficult to sell your house in the future.

You need to tell the joiners to stop immediately, that they are trespassing on and damaging your property without your permission.

Much easier to get this dealt with now rather than once it's done. No need to talk to your neighbour if you don't want to at this stage

JeepersKreepers · 23/10/2017 13:42

I absolutely wouldn't wait until his wife gets home, OP. This needs sorting now

I understand you didn't like the way he spoke to you but you're in the right. Stay on your side of the fence and tell the joiners to take it down immediately and make it good.

In principle I don't mind it being attached to my extension

Really? That sounds awful and I think would send a clear signal that you're a bit of a push-over so who knows what he'll do next time.

Original poster
Bezm · 23/10/2017 13:43

I think the joiner is his brother in law. All feels very intimidating.

OP posts:
JeepersKreepers · 23/10/2017 13:44

Yes, agree with PP about selling the house in future too. TBH, if I went to view a house that had this, I would run a mile.

I'm sure you'll come back and say you're not planning on selling but you will sell one day. Even if it's your children that sell it once you're dead (sorry!) this is still a headache that someone has to sort out.

bunbunny · 23/10/2017 13:44

I would be telling him what has been said above but would also be giving it to him in a hand delivered letter - maybe recording yourself giving him the letter and explaining the contents so you have proof of delivery and receipt.

Do you have legal insurance on your house insurance that could write and send the letter for you ? Always looks more official coming from a solicitor.

I would also be on to the council - building control and planning departments - and get their advice asap. They might be able to come and do an inspection or something to make them stop. Did the neighbour submit any plans? Do you know about the foundations and how they might impact you?

Sounds like something you need to stop from happening asap - you don't want them to finish and then get retrospective permission because it would be too expensive or difficult to change back.

endofthelinefinally · 23/10/2017 13:44

This will probably affect your house insurance so you must tell them to stop.

JeepersKreepers · 23/10/2017 13:45

It doesn't matter if it's intimidating.

Stay on your side of the fence. Say to them "You need to stop immediately. I don't want anything hanging over my side of the boundary and I don't want you drilling into my wall. You need to immediately stop and make good the damage"

You're within your rights, OP. They can be as intimidating as they like but they're in the wrong. They know it (that's why they're being intimidating) and nothing will happen.

headinhands · 23/10/2017 13:46

No that’s rude. My neighbour’s garage forms part of my garden boundary. I even went round to ask if he minded me putting up a retractable washing line gizmo on the back of his garage and took it with me to show.

FrancisCrawford · 23/10/2017 13:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

musicform · 23/10/2017 13:47

It actually sounds like criminal damage if there is no agreement. Plus what others have said.