New neighbours

[Plannergirl9]

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.

@zaphodsotherhead

It's an interesting question in theory (I'd also be looking at Rightmove to see if it mentions the land, if I were the OP.)

Did you buy the chapel? I am guessing you confirmed with the neighbours the details were correct or this all came out in the legal dd?

Ah - I see I cross posted with you, StCharlotte

You need a solicitor not mumsnet aibu

No she doesnt lol She hasn't signed the land over to anyone, nor has she signed anything at all or put anything in writing saying they can have the land. If they want to take it to court they'll lose because there is zero proof. OP doesnt need a solicitor for that lol

Another one who wouldn’t be sending them copies of anything, I’m also finding it hard to believe that a solicitor would mislead them like this. I think they’re trying to guilt you into selling

Don’t give in, none of this is your problem

You don't need to do anything. You have explained, its their problem, the land is not for sale. Madness on their part!

It does sound like solicitor said that it may be possible which they interpreted as it will be possible.

At least you have a nice piece of land between you to keep them at a distance

You say the neighbour seems willing to sort it out peacefully, but there’s nothing to sort out.

This with bells on. There is nothing to sort out. Have fun using your plot of land

Bloody hell I hope when they realise they're wrong they come and apologise. They've definitely got off to a terrible start.

This is like buying a small car on the proviso you get a Range Rover for free.

Looking at the EA particulars would be interesting to see how the property was described. We live in a converted building which has a central courtyard garden. Access rights to the garden belong to only half of the properties in the building but the village estate agent doesn’t seem to want to understand that. When properties come up for sale she always includes the garden in the particulars then finds herself embarrassed when showing round prospects because she doesn’t have the key.
DH has told her on several occasions that she doesn’t have a key because the unit she is selling doesn’t have access, but no, she presses on.
Chances are something like that has happened here.

I agree with the PPs that it’s not really up to you to show paperwork or the conversation with their solicitor. They need to pick it up with them directly. I would just disengage on this subject. A case of only making pleasantries in passing moving forward perhaps.

Please can someone tell me what the gag is regarding the House purchase with the meadow??

They are talking rubbish. There is no way that a Solicitor would promise that they could buy land from a third party. Probably just trying it on to get you to give in to what they want.

Why were they so desperate for your piece of land anyhow? We’re they planning on slapping a house on it at a later date and cashing in?

were!

@JosephineDeBeauharnais

Looking at the EA particulars would be interesting to see how the property was described. We live in a converted building which has a central courtyard garden. Access rights to the garden belong to only half of the properties in the building but the village estate agent doesn’t seem to want to understand that. When properties come up for sale she always includes the garden in the particulars then finds herself embarrassed when showing round prospects because she doesn’t have the key. DH has told her on several occasions that she doesn’t have a key because the unit she is selling doesn’t have access, but no, she presses on. Chances are something like that has happened here.

I had a similar issue in my previous apartment. There was an older development behind us and each time one came up for sale out communal garden and partaking was included in the particulars.

The residents didn’t contribute to the upkeep, but felt they had the rights to use the space. Our management company had to eventually fence off the space and put additional car partaking barriers up to keep them out.

The excluded residents got solicitors inVolved to try and get access to The space. All because a stupid estate agent exaggerated on a few pro poetry specs.

This reminds me of that thread over a parking space that triggered the whole penguin bollard thing.

Why were they so desperate for your piece of land anyhow? We’re they planning on slapping a house on it at a later date and cashing in?

This was my first thought.

Do not sell.

YANBU

I am wondering if they thought if they purchase the piece of land they could put up another property next to theirs with access over the piece of land they want to buy? Otherwise, they appear to have land all around them and the piece in question doesn't look that important...

It's not your fault if their solicitor lied to them. And ask them to show you the non-existent email in which you agreed to sell!

They are absolutely bonkers, and rude! How dare they start demanding you sell them part of your garden? I would just laugh in their face. We had a weird neighbour. He had an ongoing issue with some of our trees. He was so rude and aggressive (ex police). Then he decided we should sell him some of our front garden. I was incredulous and said "why would we do that?" he replied, to be neighbourly! He then decided he wouldn't pay for the land but would pay the legal costs of transferring it into his ownership. Some people really are that weird.

I would also be intrigued to see what the EA particulars for their property showed.

I was unintentionally present for a viewing of my rental flat about 8 years ago and the estate agent cheerfully pointed to my tv cabinet, lamp and rug and other bits of furniture and told the prospective tenants that they were included. I quickly put them straight.

From my experience as a prospective renter or buyer of many properties it's not uncommon for an estate agent to say XYZ is included, when it actually isn't.

I suspect OP's neighbours are being cheeky fuckers though. It seems more likely to me that they thought they could pressure OP to sell the land, than their solicitor deliberately set out to deceive them. Surely they would have wanted to sort the land sale at the same time as the house sale, or at least agree a price for the land?

What @MoveOnTheCards said. You don't have to prove anything to them. Say good morning wave and move on.

The front of some people

They are fucking idiots.

If buying the house was conditional on buying the land they should have put a contract of sale in place. They didn't, they asked their solicitor to get in touch, they ignored the solicitors answer and forgot to do anything about it.

Tough shit I say. It's on their head that this will affect neighbourly relations.