Garden Nightmare

[Catworrier]

Background: I've lived in my house for two years and it's needed a lot of work. That hardest and most tedious has been the garden. It's managed to sort a chill out pebbled area at the back and the boarder at the left of my garden.

Next door are now building a conservatory. I've had the builders destroy my hard work and I'm gutted. I'm having arguments with them in my head every night and lacking sleep because of it.

They've littered over my garden, their temp metal fence damaged my back door handles when it fell, they've killed at least 5 plants. Destroyed the grass and trodden in the bark on the flower bed.

I can't bring myself to speak to the neighbour as I hate confrontation. AIBU to speak to someone like the police? Or similar?



Pics don't seem to be working. Apologies.

You can’t report this to the police, realistically you should complain to the builders then neighbours. They should put tight any damage / mess. Do it sooner rather than later.
You don’t have to kick off, tell them firmly they caused damage and ask what they will do to sort it. Pleasant but firm.

You can't waste police time and resources on a civil matter. If you don't want to speak to your neighbors, write to them or hire a solicitor to do it for you. Take lots of pictures of the damage.

I can't bring myself to speak to the neighbour as I hate confrontation. AIBU to speak to someone like the police? Or similar?

Sounds horrendous. But involving the police is about as confrontational as you can get. Although I imagine they wouldn’t do anything.

Talking to your neighbour doesn’t have to be confrontational either. They might be quite reasonable and apologetic, not actually realising what has happened. Just talk to them in a calm and friendly manner as though you would expect them to resolve these issues.

It does not need to be a confrontation, just a discussion. The builders should not be on your property and by doing so, they and their actions have caused damage and you wondered if they are aware and what the builder is going to do to sort it out.

Go and speak to the neighbours so they know there is an issue. Doesn't need to be confrontational.

Just ask them to repair and replace any damage

Otherwise builders will assume you are ok with the situation and continue. Get it sorted whilst builders are still there and not after they have left.

As people have pointed out, neighbour disputes typically waste the time of the police, which leads to more people moaning that the police do nothing about x, y or z.

If you don't want to "confront" your neighbours verbally, then perhaps putting it in writing, much like you've done here would be the best way forward.

I wouldn't ask the police, I'm just trying to think of someone like them with a bit of lawful power.

My other half has spoken to the neighbour who has assured he will speak to the builders - twice now. But there's been no change.

I was working from home the other day and managed to get some good video evidence. But they are big blokes, with foul mouths. If they aren't listening to my neighbour I doubt they would listen to us.

@Retroflex that's probably a decent idea. I'll print the pictures of the "before" and "after" as my neighbour probably couldn't see what it looked like before.

I think they've had the impression because of the rest of the garden looking like crap then they can treat it like crap.

Before pics, and when they are working.

@Catworrier of you have before and after photographs then definitely print them and give your neighbours a copy! It's hard to refute evidence when they can see it for themselves

Plants tend to bounce back
Most plants are cheap to buy

@SanAntonio
Probably cost me about £60 to do the border. It lasted a month before they destroyed it.
I don't have that cash laying about to do it again.
A few of the plants will recover, but others have been trodden into the ground and uprooted to the other side of my garden.

They shouldn’t be trespassing on your land. You need to speak to your neighbour and ask for the damage to be fixed. If necessary get a solicitor to write to your neighbour. And I’d be going out and chasing the builders if I saw them on my land!

claim against builders insurance & warn on line complaint against builder

Can you also do something temporary....stick some bits of spare wood , garden canes, or metal in the ground along your boundary and loosely tie some plastic tape along - to demark an area the builders can’t cross ( a subconscious barrier for them of sorts?)
Remove all the waste back over into the neighbours plot, to “establish” your rights to a clear area?

More damage pics

If you don’t want confrontation, how about writing a letter to the building firm outlining your concerns, stating that you understood your neighbour was going to discuss it with them and enclosing the photos. Be very clear about what you want, e.g I would like a written acknowledgement within 7 days and a proposal of how you will make good the damage. Send it “signed for” so that they can’t claim they didn’t receive it.

Unfortunately their van doesn't have a company name on it. Which makes it seem all a little dodgy.
They are putting up some sort of fake brickwork, these skinny broncos that sick onto plaster.
I've got a vehicle reg but no idea what I can do with that. I guess just ask my neighbour what company they are, maybe advise him after our conversation that our next step is to give the builders a letter.

@SynchroSwimmer
I'll be out there tomorrow with razor wire at this rate!!

All joking aside though I will see what I can do.

I've sent the fence and the bricks etc back to my neighbours garden only for them to return when I'm working.

Op have a look at the Party Wall Act and specifically s7. But have a good read through all of it. It sets out in detail what your neighbour should have done. www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/40/section/1 Put your concern in writing and keep a copy. If there are still problems and you don't feel able to do anything further, speak to a solicitor and have a letter sent. The costs of which you should be able to recover from the neighbour via the solicitor. If you need further legal help, post in legal matters.
Hope this helps.

Thanks @Jonb6
I'll take a look in the morning, looks like heavy reading.

The reassurance that something can be done about this has taken it off my mind a little and I'm so bloody tired I might even sleep!

I can’t see any of your photos but they should certainly be putting right the damage. Ask for the insurance details for the builders especially for the damages to your doors.

That is shocking and disrespectful of them. Sorry you are having to put up with this and think your neighbours should pay for any damage their builders do.

They should have asked for permission for access to do the work and definitely not trampled plants but allowed you time to move them first.

Ensure from your neighbour they pay for replacements and damage. The buck stops at the neighbour.