My neighbour wants me to take my shed down

[emma071981]

The previous owners pur a metal shed on the side of my property over 13 years ago. I have taken the majority of it down and just lefy the framework and roof so I have access through my side gate and still have somewhere to store my daughters bike. The neighbour has came around this morning saying she is getting her house painted and i need to take the roof down so her decorator can paint her facia boards. Do I need to take it down?

I see the roof appears to adjoin your NDN's wall, appears to be the length of your alley, while NDN's property boundary extends further back than yours. There is a roof support which is on your land, fractionally away from the NDN's wall. Your wall is brick whilst the NDN is rendered. So it raises these issues.

(1) How long is the alley
(2) Did NDN extend their property to the boundary and as a PP pointed out put their facia boards and guttering to overhang your property
(3) As a PP pointed out where does the water drain from that roof as it appears flat. Could it cause damp to both properties.

I would give serious consideration to issues the shed roof might cause in the future.

but it's ugly to look at

It’s in an alleyway between the houses.

If it’s been there for 13 years she can’t insist it comes down. Also, doesn’t really suggest she’s a fastidious house painter.

Surely her decorator just needs scaffolding and your permission to set it up in the alley. He doesn’t want access to the bit behind your shed by the sounds of it he wants access to higher up.

If you don't take it down, that will be the end of any good neighbourly relations, regardless of the law.

I think the decorator could find a way to paint without it being removed, so suspect she's using that as an excuse to get it removed due to it being an eyesore.

I'd take it down and then put up a nice little wooden pergola or something in that space. That size won't cost much and will look much. Nicer.

Take it down , it is hideous. you can buy small cheap sheds that can be used to store bikes and scooters which you can put somewhere else in your back garden.

That thing is absolutely hideous. Seriously can you not just get rid of it and get a pretty little shed or something?

It looks like it's causing some sort of damp on your own property. Look at all the green on the wall. Was it a diy job when it was put up? Might be a good idea to rethink it at this stage as it could well be unsafe anyway, although its a great idea to try and use the space for storage as you want to.

neither the OP or the neighbour will see it unless they're directly walking towards their house

Eh? You write that like walking towards your house is a rare occurance. Most folks do it at least once a day. 🤣

She could get something like this and shove it in there instead, a small wooden gazebo/bbq/smoking shelter.

I wouldn't want hat attached to my house. I think it would be neighborly to take it down. It looks a right bodge job.

If I were the neighbour I would be worried about it causing damp.

My ex NDN wanted me to move my oil tank and shed for some roof work. I declined. He demanded again th st I do it, and wanted Dh's contact details as he was working abroad to get a 'sensible' decision. He was told by both of us that if scaffolding could be erected around the conning tower of a nuclear submarine whilst alongside, then putting scaffolding over the shed and the oil tank was perfectly feasible. He paid for the scaffolding. Why the fuck he thought I would disconnect my heating, hot water and cooking, and relocate a 2600 litre oil tank to avoid him paying for scaffolding was beyond me.

I’m pretty sure that’s the back of the structure... ie the part visible from the OPs garden, the front would be the gated part of it surely? So commented on the aesthetics is pointless as we can’t see what it looks like to the public. Plus, the OP has said it’s unfinished..

When it comes to being accommodating to neighbours to avoid disputes, why does the OP have to do all the accommodating and compromise? Why isn’t the other neighbour expected to show any courtesy?

In reply to the OP, I’d be keeping my lean to, regardless if people thought it was ugly or not. A shed would take away space in my garden, and if the OPs daughter is like my son.. they won’t want to get a bike in and out of a shed everyday.. they want it where it is convenient to grab and go.

I think your neighbour is rude to suggest you get rid of your structure to accommodate them.

It depends what you can afford.

Ideally you’d take that down. Not because of the decorating, that’s just bullshit. Scaffolding can go over it. The reason is the damp. It seems not great to have a structure that’s making neighbour’s house damp. If you have the money, I’d replace it with something (a plastic roof type thing) that has its own little gutter and won’t make her house damp

Wow there's a lot of half read/ misunderstood information here
party wall act does not apply (I do a lot of PWA work)

The rights to access act does apply but all that means is she can come on to your property and arrange for scaffolding, ladders etc needed for essential maintenance at her own expense but at a mutually convenient time.

Summary of act here www.problemneighbours.co.uk/rights-under-access-to-neighbouring-land-act.html

I would try to be as helpful as possible in order to keep up neighbour relations but you do not need to dismantle your property just because it's easier for them.