To expect to be asked about making changes to a shared garden

[Chester1980]

We live in a communal tenement with a shared garden. Our neighbours are lovely....but they’ve been making permanent changes to the garden without running it past several of us. It’s like mini land grabs. A raised vegetable plot, a brick BBQ, a massive trampoline, and we have overheard them talking about their next project....an outdoor room for the kids.

Am I being unreasonable to think this is a bit inconsiderate? I would never go ahead with something without asking everyone who has shared ownership.

How would you approach it without getting their backs up?

What does it say in the lease?

I’d just have a chat with them next time you see them. Keep it light and friendly. A note or text is a bad idea because it’s too easy to misunderstand tone. Just chat with them. If they are dicks about it, it’s not your fault.

All the while you're not saying anything, they are thinking it's all acceptable. Nice or not, most people might realise that a shared space is just that. And don't just go ahead and do their own thing, not considering its impact on anyone else. What I'm saying is this, they've not been thoughtful or polite so why are you worrying what they might think.

Wouldn't it be a shame if you fell off the trampoline and sued them?

Ask them if they have arranged liability insurance for the trampoline. As it is a shared garden, it is not private and would not be covered under general household insurance......

Why don't you set up a WhatsApp group for all of you who share the gardens? Then you can raise it there. Doesn't have to be in a confrontational way!

First day after the trampoline arrives you invite 5 mates round at 7am....

I understand about wanting to maintain good relationships but they seem to be walking all over everyone else's right to enjoy / use the garden.
It's time for someone to speak out before they have the whole area taken over for their personal use. Are they under the illusion that the garden is just for their use?
Talk to others who are affected and get it sorted sooner rather than later.

CFs only get away with things because other people don’t say anything.
They are CFs.
Gradually they will turn the shared garden into their garden.
Time for action is now before anything else appears.

@CharityDingle - you are totally right.

In Scotland our council has some regs about this - you can’t put decking or a shed in a shared garden without planning permission. Might be worth checking your local council website. Can then always explain to neighbours that what they are doing might affect anyone’s ability to sell easily if there are issues with planning regs etc

YANBU. We have a lovely big shared garden and the only permanent things in it are a few benches. Toys, barbecues, etc all get put away after we’ve finished using them. Definitely have a friendly chat!

You need to set up a communal meeting - they shouldn't be making permanent "improvements" without agreement with everyone who has rights to the garden.

I think they're bang out of order and I bet most other residents are at least a bit hacked off about it.

I'd have reached my threshold with the brick barbecue and the trampoline tbh. Unless everyone is in agreement I don't think anything that can't be easily packed up and taken indoors should be set up out there and play equipment should only be out there while it's in use.

I'd accept the raised beds, but only if everyone was allowed to share the produce.

Sorry, I pressed YABU instead of YANBU. YADNBU though.

There have been some great resident run spaces designed and maintained in tenement gardens. Perhaps you and your neighbours could get together and set up a group/committee, view it like a very small community project. Then everyone can be consulted on changes, and also have an opportunity to contribute.

They shouldn’t be doing this and if nobody says anything they will continue doing more and more.
Can we have some pictures please?

I too would suggest a group meeting. Have a few items on the agenda.

Don't worry about putting their backs up. They clearly couldn't give a toss what anyone else thinks, why are you dithering about putting them straight?
I can't imagine the brass neck needed to whack a trampoline up in a shared space. Or indeed, start barbecuing or growing vegetables!

Your set-up is similar to ours. Large country house converted to 10 apartments with a large garden. The 3 ground floor apartments have allocated garden space the rest is communal. We are all owners and share the freehold. In our case, if anyone started building barbeques etc in the shared grounds the chair of our residents' committee would be down on them like a tonne of bricks! Don't you have a residents committee? Who deals with the building insurance? The couple doing this in your garden have obviously spoken to other residents as it's getting back to you via the grapevine.

One couple here would like a summer house built, for communal use; this has been under discussion with the committee for the 3 years we've been here!

Have a chat with other residents, I bet you’re not alone in your feelings.

I would probably stage a garden sit in with some of the other residents. You need to take back ownership by your physical presence. So get out there no matter how awkward you feel . Put earphones in if you want to remain separate to them (or the children) if they are also out there.
Really you need to involve the others though as you dont want to be seen as the sole baddie who stops their fun. This is important for the future of your building and its upkeep. Its all part of the package . Otherwise you may end up with 1 flat with a massive garden and the rest with no useable outside space at all.

Go out in the garden and put one way signs up and mark out an area for each household which is 2m apart, complete with the labelled flat numbers.

Of course it goes without saying that their area will have none of the new things they have been adding.

If there isn't a committee, start one. Covid's an excellent excuse for starting one, and you can have topics like "keeping safe for communal use in a time of Covid" and "shall we buy Xmas lights for the garden as a group" or some other fluff put into an agenda alongside "decision-making for the garden going forward". If you're lucky, someone else will bring the issues up during your meeting anyway (and you can ask for "items for the agenda" while setting up).

Currently these bolder people are taking over the garden as if it's theirs alone.