To think my neighbour can drill a whole in my house to permanently hang a 15ft tarpaulin?

[Euro21widow]

So, name changed as obviously outting as pretty sure this isn't a normal occurance!

My neighbour has drilled a hole in my (grade 2 listed) building so she can permanently hang a piece of tarpaulin about 15ft up (as high as my 1st floor roof) for "privacy". Surely she can't just do this? Where do I go from here? It blocks all the light out to my ground floor windows now. Have included (bad) diagram.

[MsFogi]

No doubt it has already been mentioned but you have a right to light - she can't just go blocking the light to your windows!

[runbyscum]

May the birds shit on her awning
To facilitate this, get a few bird feeders and hang outside your window that is above the awning (e.g. window suction ones so you don't have to drill into a listed building).

[Theunamedcat]

Throw some bird seed on it

[EKGEMS]

This calls for old school retaliation-a flaming paper bag of dog shit on her doorstep!

[Dillydollydingdong]

Get a solicitors letter sent. If she doesn't take it down you'll have to get workmen to do it, and give her the bill. The council will be interested as well if its a listed building.

[Brokenrecord3006]

The cheek! We live in grade 2 listed and we aren't even allowed a sky dish. We'd be in huge trouble if I drilled a hole to hang a tarpaulin.

[kirinm]

I'd be absolutely fuming! Looking forward to the update OP.

[AngeloMysterioso]

Even with the diagrams I’m a bit confused... so do your windows open into her garden or is it a side wall? If a side wall how would it block light for you?

[Slayduggee]

WTAF. Hopefully your council have a CO like a Rottweiler!

[Gazelda]

I'd give her a friendly 'heads up' that you are so concerned about this fixing to your listed building, that you've sent a note to planning dept to double check the legal implications.
Not in a confrontational way, but more out of neighbourly 'let's find out the legal position so we're all clear on understanding' approach.

[EmmaGrundyForPM]

I can't believe she's done this. Hopefully your planning department will sort it out for you.

[EvilPea]

I know of a similar set up (with a listed building) and the ground floors have that cling film frosting on them to help with privacy in the other garden.


She's an absolute cheeky fucker.

[Twentypast]

You can get fined and an prison sentence for unauthorised work to a grade 2 listed house.

This could get interesting for her.

[VanGoghsDog]

@Jaxhog

Highly unlikely she can do this.

1. If this is party wall (unlikely if you have windows in it), she would need party wall consent from you.
2. She would need listed building consent, which is unlikely to be forthcoming.

However, councils are often reluctant to take enforcement action, so I would also be talking to a solicitor ASAP.

Even if it is a party wall that doesn't mean it's jointly owned, the op still owns it!
And no, the neighbor does not need party wall permission from the op, she needs to stop damaging the op's property!!

You can't go around putting things in other people's house walls, it's criminal damage and I would report it to the police if she doesn't remove it and make good to an acceptable standard.

The sail itself might need planning permission (and probably wouldn't get it).

The grade 2 listed thing adds an extra dimension and an extra route of recourse which is handy.

[nixso29]

I'd be throwing all sorts of objects out my window onto her tarpaulin hoping it lowered to the ground!

[safariboot]

Listed buildings really do seem to attract epic cheeky fuckery.

[tootiredtospeak]

Seriously it is drilled into your property and you can remove that even if you need to access her property to do that. Send her a letter recorded delivery to advise you formally give notice you will be accessing her property in the 7 days after she receives to remove the tarpaulin attached to your property illegally. If she doesn't allow access your next step is a solicitor. If she doesn't take it down just go and do it.

[unsync]

Listing is for the overall architectural and historic interest of the buildings, and covered everything, inside and out.

Quite, but a listing can also refer to specific features of interest / historic value. Would be useful to OP if listing was for unusual brickwork or pargetting for instance.

[sortingout]

she says she is entitled to have her privacy

No she is not.

[OnTheBoardwalk]

Call the Legal Advice line that you are likely to have as part of your Home Insurance

[memberofthewedding]

Definitely a "letter before action" giving NDN x days to remove the erection before you forward the matter for further action.

You can google a template for a LBA - it does not have to be elaborate.

[bigbluebus]

If you were entitled to privacy in a garden, I'd be able to insist that they cover up the windows on the houses that overlook our garden!

Is the part of your house that juts out beyond her house and overlooks her garden an extension or part of the original building?

[VariantL1130]

Could you get a solicitor involved? I'm always amazed as the sheer cheek of some people.

[JediGnot]

"Even if it is a party wall that doesn't mean it's jointly owned, the op still owns it!
And no, the neighbor does not need party wall permission from the op, she needs to stop damaging the op's property!!"

Party Wall is an interesting angle though.

OP might be able to find a surveyor willing to act as Party Wall surveyor at the neighbour's cost (the neighbour being the one doing the work to the party wall). They would then settle the matter at the neighbours cost, OR the neighbour could try denying that it's a party wall in which case it's an open and shut case of trespass (placing screws into OPs property) and quite possibly criminal damage too.

[Doris86]

[quote Euro21widow]@Slothmomma I can't rip it down without being on her property as it is very securely attached as she has drilled it into the wall.[/quote]
Go onto her property then. Trespass isn’t a criminal offence, whereas the criminal damage to your house is.