Neighbor complained about water going down shared entry

[HaileyW]

I jet washed my garden over the weekend and the water went down the shared entry between my house and my neighbors. I tried to get rid of all possible bits of dirt by spraying more water down and sweeping it out of the door at the bottom. My neighbor always blocks the entrance, usually with his clean washing on a clothes horse but towards the end he has a lot of beams of wood and a giant box. God knows what is in it.

I swept away as much as I could and thought that was it.

Tonight he knocks on my door to talk about my 'hosing habits' (bare in mind I do this once a year). He has asked that i don't put water down the entry as it is getting his wood wet. When I asked him if that meant my daughter couldn't have a pool out in the summer he said 'can't you get rid of the water another way' and suggested I also didn't clean my garden or aim the jet wash in another direction.

I apologised as he said a bit went into his garden (I did check to make sure it hadn't, and I also checked his washing wasn't in the entrance) but I stood my ground as surely I am entitled to clean my garden and let some water drain down the entry as long as I clean it up after.

I told him maybe he shouldn't use the entrance to store things and also pointed out that I am unable to use it due to this. We went back and forth neither backing down. It ended with no conclusion. I immediately informed my landlord incase my neighbor tries to contact him.

Am I in the wrong, because I don't think that I am? What should I do about it?

It doesn't sound as if YABU, but I would have notified him that on X date you would be washing it. Are you even allowed to jet wash the slabs? It's possible to damage how they're laid if you're not careful. I jet wash ours, but I warn the people next door so that they can put their washing the other side of their garden.

OP can't you draw the diagram on paper and take a picture of it on your phone, then upload that? I can't quite work out what you mean. Who owns the entryway land? Is it his land and you have access across it to your garden? If it's genuinely shared he shouldn't be storing wood there. Is there a drain anywhere? Where is the he water running to?

To be fair, jet washing a flagged garden leaves a lot of dirty water and tipping out a paddling pool is s lot more water than rain water (and I doubt you do that yearly), so he does have a part. If you insist on doing it you really must ensure the entryway is clean and well swept afterwards (but he will need to move his wood to allow that).

There's isn't anywhere to put his stuff unless I move it out the front then I am being unreasonable.
I've never been told I can't jet wash the slabs. I did it on a whim one day when it was nice and I did go round to knock but he wasn't in so i double checked his washing wasn't down there before I started.
Ive been made to feel I can't do what I need to do to maintain the garden just because he has some beams of wood in the entry. Like he has priority.
I am going to find out if anyone own the entrance or if it is a flying freehold.

What did your landlord say?

Do you own your property? It is a shared entrance. You may find it actually belongs to you if you look at the deeds. If you left him leave his stuff there for 20ish years, it will become his. Don’t let this happen it will seriously devalue your property.

In the event that the land is his, as it is a shared entrance legally he doesn’t have the right to block your access. If you don’t protest, he can apply for the shared access rights to be removed. Don’t let this happen it will devalue your property when you come to sell.

If you are a tenant, complain to the letting agent or if you don’t have one, complain directly to the ll.

This man is manspreading by the sound of it.

Cross post. Good. 👍

Oops sorry I missed that you are a tenant.

We are in a row of terrace houses. In between every other house there is an entrance for each house next to it to access the gardens. It runs between mine and his house and we both has doors at the bottom to get to the rear of the house.
There isn't anywhere to let me upload a picture.
I did try and sweep as much as possible around the things he had in there. I was going to let it dry out then go back in to sweep anything I may had missed but his washing is blocking me going down there and I'm not going to wrestle with his clothes.
I understand jet washing does leave dirty water which is why I cleaned the entrance with clean water after. And a pool is a lot more water than rain. There is a drain in the garden which the sinks all go down but to aim a paddling pool into a tiny drain is near impossible.
The water goes down the entrance onto the main street, which I also swept and made sure any excess water went down the main drain on the street.

My landlord hasn't got back in touch yet.

fuck him, in fact tell him that for every day he blocks the damn shared ally way you will jet wash each day... now tell him you have notified him it will happen so he can either move his shit from the shared ally way or it WILL get wet

TheSerenDipitY
This is by far my favourite answer 😂🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
I've spoke to my landlord and sent him pictures over and he is sorting it. He's getting a solicitor to write to him to get him to move his stuff as its an obstruction in the case of a fire. He's going to wish he never knocked on my door now 😂

QuirkyQuark "motorised canopy for his wood". 😂

I'll take my smut and go.

Well he's pissed on his own bonfire now hasn't he?

Good! Sounds like a plan!

Any update op?