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AIBU?

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Original poster

New neighbours

667 replies

Plannergirl9 · 10/06/2020 12:12

Sorry this is a long one. TLDR: Essentially we were gifted land from ex-neighbour when they died. New neighbours who bought her house has told us we must sell it to them.

A bit more backstorey. Our elderly neighbour lived next to us until they died in late December. She had a side bit of garden like an allotment that we used to help her with (hatched area on diagram). Unbeknownst to us she gifted us that area of land in her will. The rest of the house and land was to be sold and the money given to charity.

After the will reading we have had the land registry changed to confirm we now own the land. The house was put up for sale late January. In mid February we received a letter from a solicitor asking that we sell the land to the potential buyer of the house. We emailed back saying no we won't sell. We then heard nothing more from any solicitors. House was then sold during lockdown.

The new neighbours moved in on Monday. Yesterday they came to our door asking for the name of our solicitor so the land purchase can take place. We told them we were not planning on selling the land and that we told their solicitor that. The new neighbours didn't take it well. Apparently they only bought the house on the provision that they could buy the land and this was agreed with us via their solicitors.

The new neighbours got quite loud and angry about us apparently misleading them and left to speak to their solicitor. They seem to think we legally need to sell them the land as there was a written (email) contract between them and their solicitor who confirmed to them by email prior to the sale of the house that we would sell the land.

Aibu to a) not sell the land even though we technically didn't buy it and b) that the fact their solicitor has mislead them is not our problem?

Neighbours land is in red.
Our land is in black and the hatched area is the land they expect to buy.

New neighbours
OP posts:
lanthanum · 10/06/2020 13:27

I don't the neighbours are being CFs. They've obviously been misled by their solicitor, and although they "got quite loud and angry", that's perhaps entirely understandable. From their point of view, they had been told they would be able to buy the land, and why would they think their solicitor had lied? Poor them, and poor you for being caught up in it. Hopefully they won't hold it against you, and we can only hope they'll have some redress against the solicitor.

Letsnotusemyname · 10/06/2020 13:29

More fool them for not sorting everything out before signing.

It’ll be easier for you if you have an email trail. But even without it’s your land.

Interesting if you ask them for their paperwork/trail.

BrightYellowDaffodil · 10/06/2020 13:29

I suspect their initial aggression comes from the shock/upset of finding that the land they were banking on being able to buy - and may well have been a large part of their decision to purchase the house - isn't going to be available.

Still, not your problem. They need to take it up with their solicitor against whom they would probably have a claim for professional negligence if their solicitor told them the land was available for purchase when it wasn't, or omitted to tell them that the land wasn't available when the solicitor knew the sale hinged on this.

It would seem very odd to agree a sale of the land as part of the terms of the house purchase without knowing the price. What if you'd said it was £10,000,000?

OVienna · 10/06/2020 13:30

You don't need to be digging around for emails or any 'proof' of anything (unless someone turns up with a forged agreement of some kind, I suppose.) You own the property and you are not willing to sell it. That's the long and the short of it.

The only thing I'd be shoring up in my records is whether the paperwork in the Land Registry that shows I own it is all watertight. If you're confident it is, there is nothing further you need to do.

Don't sell it, if they're this cheeky, they'll build a soft play area on it and charge.

Jimdandy · 10/06/2020 13:31

It doesn’t matter what any email says. You were not a party to their written contract so there is nothing legally binding (verbal contracts do not apply to land as its unique - that’s why you can be gazumped).

If their seller put in it in the contract that you would sell them the land they need to take it up with them! And again you cannot bind a random third party!

OVienna · 10/06/2020 13:31

As your neighbour if he's been to Mexico in the last few years on holiday. It sounds like Mexican Holiday Home lady's neighbour moved next door to you. Good for her, bad luck to you.

Itwasntme1 · 10/06/2020 13:32

@lanthanum

I don't the neighbours are being CFs. They've obviously been misled by their solicitor, and although they "got quite loud and angry", that's perhaps entirely understandable. From their point of view, they had been told they would be able to buy the land, and why would they think their solicitor had lied? Poor them, and poor you for being caught up in it. Hopefully they won't hold it against you, and we can only hope they'll have some redress against the solicitor.
I Think as adults they should have had the maturity and common sense to handle this better.

Even if their solicitor has mislead them, Shouting at the neighbours was totally uncalled for.

You don’t buy a house in the condition you can buy part of a neighbours garden without agreeing a price. It makes absolutely no sense.

They don’t sound too bright and I suspect will not make great neighbours.

gumball37 · 10/06/2020 13:33

Tell them the selling price is 1 million🤣🤣🤣🤣

Jimdandy · 10/06/2020 13:33

They’ve may not have been misled. As a solicitor all you can do is advise, and often people just hear what they want to hear. The sold may have told them this and documented it!

KitKat1985 · 10/06/2020 13:33

YADNBU. It is not your fault your new neighbours are idiots (I mean who buys a house with the intention to buy land without even knowing what the price for that land is?), nor your fault that their solicitors have ballsed up somewhere.

Hopefully all will get resolved amicably though.

thegcatsmother · 10/06/2020 13:34

I tell them every time they mention it, the price in your head gets another couple of noughts added to it, base price being £1 million.

OVienna · 10/06/2020 13:35

@lanthanum

Hopefully they won't hold it against you You're kidding right?

KitchenConfidential · 10/06/2020 13:36

The others have said it all. Just stick to your guns.

HalloHalloHallo · 10/06/2020 13:36

So they viewed the house, liked it and thought they wanted to buy it but only on condition they also buy what is now your land? They never said a word to you (their new neighbour) about this throughout the process when they were there viewing the house? They only ever spoke to you via their solicitor? Seems like they should have introduced themselves and spoke to you personally about the land before they finalised the sale. Confused

I agree with pp this isn't a great way to start off with a new neighbour but I don't see you've done anything wrong here. If their solicitor messaged you and you replied that you were not going to sell and then the solicitor lied to the neighbour then they need to take up the issue with their solicitor.
It does seem very odd that the solicitor would write to them that you had agreed the sale if you in fact had not agreed. Something doesn't sound right about that but again I think if they would have spoken to you before the sale then the situation would have been made clear before they bought the house.

2020canfuckoff · 10/06/2020 13:37

You need a solicitor not mumsnet aibu Hmm

Zaphodsotherhead · 10/06/2020 13:37

Incidentally, when I was looking to buy I looked at a lovely little place (a chapel, for conversion) but it had no garden at all. The EA's particulars were full of 'next door neighbour might be prepared to sell land for a garden' but basically, without that garden there was no land at all and no rear access and it was a very different prospect.

I would only have put in an offer if the EAs had said that the neighbour would 'definitely' sell the land. Did you ever check the EA's particulars for the CF neighbour's house, OP?

amillionnamechangeslater000 · 10/06/2020 13:39

This is utter bullshit. Either they are lying or very very thick. If the land was part of the deal the two sales would have run at the same time and a piece would have been agreed.

LST · 10/06/2020 13:39

@2020canfuckoff no they don't. They said no. The land is theres.

Collaborate · 10/06/2020 13:42

I agree that there is nothing to sort out. I wouldn't send them a copy of the email until they send to you proof that they were told that you'd sell it. You see, I think they're lying.

Collaborate · 10/06/2020 13:43

@2020canfuckoff

You need a solicitor not mumsnet aibu Hmm
Nothing for a solicitor to do. Would be an expensive way to tell someone to fuck off.
Abetes · 10/06/2020 13:43

It’s your land. You don’t want to sell. End of story.

AlexisCarringtonColbyDexter · 10/06/2020 13:43

Keep the land and dont waste a single though over it. It was legally left to you fair and square and you dont want to sell it.

Tough tits to them but thats life- we cant always get everything we want!

StCharlotte · 10/06/2020 13:44

It's not a meadow is it? Wink

Puzzledandpissedoff · 10/06/2020 13:44

Anybody else wondering if OP is the neighbour of the poster who thought her purchase included a "meadow"?

It doesn't matter whether you bought it, were given it or won it in a game of cards - it's yours, OP, and so are any decisions about it. It's a shame if your new neighbours got the wrong end of the stick about being able to buy it, but that's not your problem

EatsShootsAndRuns · 10/06/2020 13:44

IF the land had been agreed by you to be sold then its sale would have run concurrently with their house purchase to complete on the same day.

The solicitor asked, you said no, so no deal.

I would make sure you have all communications ready just in case, but no need to show or share the info with the neighbours or their solicitor without the knowledge and advice of your own legal counsel.