Neighbour has changed the colour of jointly owned access gate

[RikkiT]

I live in a terraced house and my 2 adjoining neighbours have access via my garden to the street for things like taking their bins out. There is a single gate onto the street that connects to a alleyway in my garden for myself and my 2 neighbours to use.

Today my neighbour has painted the jointly owned gate without consulting myself or our other neighbour. The gate was white and has been painted black.

Regardless if it "needed painting" or "looks better" in principle my neighbour should have consulted me and my other neighbour first right?

It more the principle that they have done it without checking in first. If it had been kept the same colour I may have overlooked it as it it. something we are all jointly responsible for.

Would It be unreasonable of me to confront my neighbour and ask why they didn't consult me and my neighbour first?

My wife seems to think it will cause more hassle than it's worth.

Is be pleased I didn't have the expense of effort of painting it personally!

Could not get worked up about this. At all. Leave it.

Diagram please

I saw a post earlier about a shared driveway. You have a shared gate and footpath, anything shared is a big no for me.. can of worms

We went to view a house for sale. The EA had advertised it as having its own driveway, turns out it was shared. That was the end of the viewing for me

Paint your front door black!

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Why cause a fuss about something you couldn't be bothered to do?

It's a gate.

It must have needed painting.

And even if it could have waited, they didn't damage it and chose an inoffensive colour.

You seem to be pissing in your boundaries... wanting to assert your authority... over something that is really inconsequential.

Hi, I'd have been more than happy to paint it. I actually did so around a year ago after consulting both my neighbours to make sure they were happy. I painted it the in the same colour it already was and paid for it. The neighbor that has painted the gate only recently moved in. The gate definitely wasn't looking. perfect but definitely wasn't at the point it needed a paint job.

How about thanking them as a way of asserting your ownership (you obvs wouldnt thank them for painting their own gate!).

@RedHelenB

Is be pleased I didn't have the expense of effort of painting it personally!

This

Who cares? Just be grateful that they'd doing something to maintain the property.

They had to paint it a year after you painted it, sounds like you done a slack job......

Personally would give a monkeys if someone did it. We used to have a shared access gate. If someone painted it'd have thanked them next time I saw them.

I’d be thankful I didn’t have to do it tbh

@ChristmasAlone

They had to paint it a year after you painted it, sounds like you done a slack job......

Personally would give a monkeys if someone did it. We used to have a shared access gate. If someone painted it'd have thanked them next time I saw them.

The gate looked fine. It didn't need a need repainting I just meant it didn't look brand new.

Me and my neighbour share a gate for the bins. I'd be more than happy if they took it upon themselves to paint it! What priniciple are you hung up on?

I think he was putting his claim on his access rights to the path, it didnt need painting and hes chosen to change the color. I agree with PP and would paint some white stripes down it:)

I wish someone would paint my outside woodwork! Weigh up if it is worth the potential animosity of raising this. I totally understand that in principle everyone should have been consulted but sometimes in life it is better to be pragmatic. The danger here is that you start a never ending 'tit for tat' in neighbourhood relations which would make life much harder than accepting the gate has been painted, as long as it looks okay.

So if it looks okay and you can live with it maybe best to just let it go? If you are able, when you see your neighbour in passing, you could raise that you have noticed they have painted it, thank them and if you can, non-confrontationally drop in the colour change. As in 'never thought of changing the colour, what made you decide on black'? And if it works 'it looks good, what does (other neighbour) think? As long as you are not passive aggressive about it, it may prompt them to realise they should have run it by you.

@freecuthbert

Me and my neighbour share a gate for the bins. I'd be more than happy if they took it upon themselves to paint it! What priniciple are you hung up on?

It's something that we jointly own. In my opinion, anything that is done on something that I have part ownership of, I should be consulted on. Especially as it changes the look of my home. I know I would have consulted my neighbour first if I wanted to change the colour.

Blacks probably a more practical colour for an outside gate.

Oh God. This is exhausting. I'd be sure to charge you if you said anything just for the principle.

If it is your gate they shouldn't paint it without your permission. Basically they have made their house look better and bigger and yours smaller.

All those saying they wouldn't mind, what about if they had painted their neighbours windows or their front door? Would you mind then? They have effectively taken over something that doesn't belong to them.i have access through my neighbours alley and the door needs a paint but no way would I do it - it isn't mine!

OP I would check your deeds to be sure you own it (if you haven't already) and then go and ask them why they have painted your gate. Politely of course, but make it clear that they should not have done it.

@stairgates

I think he was putting his claim on his access rights to the path, it didnt need painting and hes chosen to change the color. I agree with PP and would paint some white stripes down it:)

It does sound that way.

Although they can use the gate & have access through your garden, I would have thought that the gate was your resonsibility tbh.

If you really wanted to start some shit you could paint your half to match your font door. Really though, black is better than say, colours of the rainbow or pink.

I'd hang back to be honest, unless I wanted to pay for the paint.

@Sheepareawesome

If it is your gate they shouldn't paint it without your permission. Basically they have made their house look better and bigger and yours smaller.

All those saying they wouldn't mind, what about if they had painted their neighbours windows or their front door? Would you mind then? They have effectively taken over something that doesn't belong to them.i have access through my neighbours alley and the door needs a paint but no way would I do it - it isn't mine!

OP I would check your deeds to be sure you own it (if you haven't already) and then go and ask them why they have painted your gate. Politely of course, but make it clear that they should not have done it.

It’s not OP’s gate, it’s 1/3rd OP’s and a 1/3rd the painters.

If he’s not long moved in then he either doesn’t know the status quo or he’s making a power play. Either way I’d go round and say “thank you for painting the gate, but don’t know if you are aware it’s a shared gate between x y and z, if you’d have said we would have chipped in fpr the paint” or something along those lines and see how he repsonds.

It does sound like it is your gate that they have access through?
Are you certain who actually owns the gate?

It sounds like they wanted to make it look like theirs and I wouldn't be happy about it.

I know people are saying these things don't matter, don't worry about it but other people will take the piss and claim things as theirs when they aren't. This can be where it starts.

I certainly would confirm who owns the gate and have a friendly conversation with the painter.

I agree that you clearly should have been consulted, being part owner, and in your shoes I would have been very annoyed.

I would speak to them directly and say quite politely that in future could they please consult with you before making changes to jointly owned property.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being assertive, and you’re right, letting it go this time means they could well decide to take the piss in future.