To feel that neighbours have “had me”

[Apossibility84]

Single parent and no support network at all.

I have a lovely garden. Small but just suits us. It’s simple, very well looked and green. There’s a hedge that divides my garden with my neighbours. He says the hedge is his (the land registrars diagram would suggest otherwise but I can’t afford a solicitor to pursue this).
He says he is going to remove “whatever my thoughts” and replace with a fence leaving me with a wide empty space of soil.

Let’s assume the hedge is his. Can he unilaterally remove and replace irrespective of how it leaves neighbour’s plot?

I’m cross with myself as I just nodded and accepted everything. His sweet wife had offered £100 months ago during initial chat so that I could do something to fill the space, but when I mentioned that to him “I am not going to do that”.

Any guidance would be appreciated although if you can remove a hedge boundary that is yours and don’t have any responsibility to how leaves neighbour‘s garden, then I will just remove it from my never ending “to-do” list and move on (probably a good thing!) and just deal with the empty bedding as and when I have money spare in the future?

Many thanks

The Gardenlaw website is a useful resource. It has some info on hedge boundary disputes; if you are urban, it looks fairly simple. More complex if you are rural.

Totally off topic OP but if you are filling a wide space Beebombs are fantastic- throw them in and leave them and in about 6-12 months you have fab wildflowers that attract bees.

Responsibility should be in the deeds.

If you don't have a copy I think you may be able to get a copy for a few quid from the Land Registry.

Failing that, visit a few other neighbours who might know which side is yours.

Our street has all boundaries to the right looking to the rear of the property belongs to the owner.

Good luck and take no bullshit from him.

My house was built in 1998, there is no indication at all as to which fence belongs to any property

my thoughts - if the hedge is really thick, where will he put his new fence? Will it be in the centre line of the hedge - you gain more garden,, on his side of the hedge - you gain even more garden or on your side - he gains garden? If the last one, I would be getting the hedge clippers out now and trimming it back as much as possible.

On the Land Registry document the boundary that’s your responsibility is marked with a symbol, usually a ‘t’. Commonly, but not always, yours is the left side and bottom boundaries. Your conveyancing document when you bought the house will set out any conditions about how the boundary share be maintained.

skoda only on some title plans is boundary ownership marked in this way. I've never lived in a house where the boundaries have been marked in this way.

Im a solicitor. Post a picture of the office copy plan (costs £3 from the land registry) and I'll give you a view. Or you can PM me

Wow, @HasaDigaEebowai, what a kind offer!

wowfudge how odd, every house I’ve lived in has had these markings. Similarly all the properties my AC have owned. Funny old world 😕

@skodadoda

On the Land Registry document the boundary that’s your responsibility is marked with a symbol, usually a ‘t’. Commonly, but not always, yours is the left side and bottom boundaries. Your conveyancing document when you bought the house will set out any conditions about how the boundary share be maintained.

‘should‘ not ‘share’ 😩

awwww fuck this im sick of pompous pricks like this. Burn a pentagram into his lawn with petrol.

@HasaDigaEebowai you're very kind to offer OP this.

If you're sure it's your hedge you should download the Land Registry record (costs about £20), if you're correct print it, and post to them recorded delivery. Don't just roll over.

Sorry I haven’t read the whole thread, but I really want to stand up for you.

Could you ask your neighbour on the other side who’s fence line it is, and any other residents - that might then help confirm the other one Is indeed yours.

I would definitely leave the troublesome neighbour and his wife with the firm opinion that there are “doubts” that the hedge is his.

If you have a lot on now, I know it’s easy to take the less stressful option of one less thing to worry about, but later, in future, you will most likely regret it.

Myself I’m in favour of freely using supportive male company in similar situations just as a “presence”....to “show” I am not alone...my brother, your ex-husband, my friends husbands and partners. Just a random male presence round and about helps I think, to stop male neighbours assuming they can ride roughshod over me...

(Neighbours on 8 sides of me all pushing my own boundaries at different times for different things that “they want”)

People will always push for their own agendas - without consideration of you.

And yes, as others say, land grab is a very likely issue. I would be having some wooden pegs and a line of string / spray paint to put in situ if you arrive home to find they have removed the hedge.

Wish I could help you 😊

skoda it's certainly not common in the NW. We've always lived in older houses which may have something to do with it. I've worked in property and on property portfolios and have never seen a T mark on any of the plans. Very many title registers and plans are silent on the subject, in which case the presumption is that boundaries and structures on them are shared responsibilities between the neighbouring landowners unless there is other evidence to the contrary - e.g. a written agreement stating otherwise.

Send him your land registry diagrams and a covering letter typed/ official looking saying you don’t give permission for him to remove it on your land and hope he backs off , without the need for legal fees , just bluster it out , he’s depending on you not following up .

hmlandregistry.blog.gov.uk/2018/02/27/drawing-the-line-on-boundaries/

@skodadoda

wowfudge how odd, every house I’ve lived in has had these markings. Similarly all the properties my AC have owned. Funny old world 😕

None of the houses I’ve owned have had these T marks on the title deeds. So not odd at all.

Op take photos of how it looks now from all angles and should your neighbour remove the hedge take photos before any fence goes up..

Do you own the house? If so you might have trouble selling if the new fence is not where the deeds put the boundary.

Unless you have a neighbour boundary agreement, then there is usually no record of who actually owns the hedge/fence on it. I never knew this!

www.gov.uk/your-property-boundaries

That said, if by him removing the hedge and putting up a fence leaves you with a wide border where the hedge was, it says it's your hedge.

Not that you'll see this as you've left. But I hope you will read everyone's posts as there is a lot of good advice.

longtompot that is really helpful thank you. I thought I was going mad reading all the threads that say "is it his hedge/is it his fence" etc.

www.boundary-problems.co.uk/boundary-problems/fences.html

I would contact your local CItizen advice for free advice on the boundary - they are doing telephone appointment service rather than face to face

After this then take up your exh offer

Oh, just tell him you need to speak to your solicitor first, or get your ex to go round and speak to him, he'll back off then.
But ffs get yourself a back bone and stop being a walk over.

Like SynchroSwimmer, I think you need your ex-husband or someone to go with you to challenge the neighbour. And the helpful offer of solicitor here to look at the registry documents is brilliant and may give you the spur to gird yourself to defend your property rights. Another thought occurs to me is that if you can't get your ex-husband, you might be able to get someone from a local volunteer network to accompany you. You can probably find contact details for any volunteering hub via your local council website or Citizens' Advice.