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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to saw off my neighbour drainage pipe?

55 replies

Lavendersblue11 · 20/07/2021 17:40

About two years ago, my neighbour turned a brick out house backing onto her property into a bathroom. Two walls of the out house are boundary walls in my garden. She had no permission from me but I came home one day and she had directed her overflow pipe, pvc bath drainage pipe and guttering all on my wall, it upset me but I'm a wuss so didn't know how to deal with it. Have attached photo for ref. Weird garden boundaries as row of cottages used to belong to one family so odd division of gardens. 1) overflow pipe 2) guttering 3) bath drainage 4) her property 5)my garden.
So recently in another part of the garden she has now started cutting my hedge back and moving the boundary completely, this is a totally different arguement and I am getting a surveyor to sort this boundary line properly. But in trying to move the boundary she has massively damaged our hedge.... And I'm really pee'd of with her taking advantage and want all her crappy plastic pipes gone now (for additional information she didn't want a party wall agreement). So can I saw them off cap the pipe and return them to her???

AIBU to saw off my neighbour drainage pipe?
OP posts:
MiniCooperLover · 20/07/2021 19:16

Have you had any correspondence regarding the boundary issues? How long will surveyor take to deal with it?

MurielSpriggs · 20/07/2021 19:18

@Berthatydfil

2 issues First she can’t discharge rain water onto your garden - it’s a legal nuisance. You should give her notice to move it and if she doesn’t you can block it. Second see can’t just discharge grey waste water anywhere. It’s might get into the water course and pollute it. Your water company should take action if you report it to them.
I wouldn't be so sure it's grey water! Where is the bog? I suspect that a macerator may be involved ...
Cherrysoup · 20/07/2021 19:19

Council, all the way and whoever deals with listed property. Don’t cut anything, that would cause big issues if she then wanted to retaliate and is criminal damage. I feel for you, OP, it is past time to put a stop to her cheeky fuckery.

Oldieandgoldie · 20/07/2021 19:54

I think 3 may be the macerator…..

Berthatydfil · 20/07/2021 19:59

@MurielSpriggs I had a knock on the door last year - it was the water co. Apparently one of the houses was discharging grey water into rain water drains and they wanted to find out who it was as they wanted to give them a chance to fix it before slapping them with a £1000 plus fine. So I had to go inside and run some taps.

MurielSpriggs · 20/07/2021 20:03

[quote Berthatydfil]@MurielSpriggs I had a knock on the door last year - it was the water co. Apparently one of the houses was discharging grey water into rain water drains and they wanted to find out who it was as they wanted to give them a chance to fix it before slapping them with a £1000 plus fine. So I had to go inside and run some taps.[/quote]
I'm suggesting that one of those pipes may be carrying what is euphemistically called black water!

Don’t cut anything, that would cause big issues

Especially if it was the waste from the macerator Grin

Berthatydfil · 20/07/2021 20:06

Apparently they had found loo paper in the rainwater culvert so they were quite keen to track the culprits down.

YellowBellyCat · 20/07/2021 20:07

She shouldn't be overhanging your property. My arse hole neighbour has done the same with over flows, stench pipes, etc overhanging our land. I have mentioned it but he says his extension is six inches inside the boundary. Which is bollocks as we're a semi and his extension follows the party wall. I don't have the energy for a full blown boundary dispute but fantasise about sawing them off and blocking up with cement.

MurielSpriggs · 20/07/2021 20:07

@Berthatydfil

Apparently they had found loo paper in the rainwater culvert so they were quite keen to track the culprits down.
Errm yes, that's not grey water then Grin
QueenBee52 · 20/07/2021 20:14

Tell her to move it round to her side....

Forgottenyeti · 20/07/2021 20:18

If she's changed the roof, does that overhang your property now too?

QueenBee52 · 20/07/2021 20:23

@Forgottenyeti

If she's changed the roof, does that overhang your property now too?

yes.. looks like it

DogsSausages · 20/07/2021 20:28

Does the water from the black guttering pipe drain into her garden or yours. It looks bloody awful, shouldnt the roof guttering and drainage be on her side. How did she and the builders even get into your garden. Where does the bath and gutter water go, is there drains on her side.

Forgottenyeti · 20/07/2021 20:34

I'm wondering if she's going to claim this new roof overhang as being on her property and therefore the pipes are OK as they're within it. I don't think it works that way around though or everyone would be at it! 😂

Original poster
Lavendersblue11 · 20/07/2021 21:05

@YellowBellyCat

She shouldn't be overhanging your property. My arse hole neighbour has done the same with over flows, stench pipes, etc overhanging our land. I have mentioned it but he says his extension is six inches inside the boundary. Which is bollocks as we're a semi and his extension follows the party wall. I don't have the energy for a full blown boundary dispute but fantasise about sawing them off and blocking up with cement.
Grin I have the same cement Fantasy as well.
OP posts:
Original poster
Lavendersblue11 · 20/07/2021 21:07

Yes, it was a flat roof previously that had hardly Any over hang. Was more like a coal shed so wasn't water tight

OP posts:
l2b2 · 20/07/2021 21:16

Do you have legal cover on your house insurance OP?
They may be able to help or are you in a Union? Often there's legal cover included in membership. Or credit card legal cover ?
Post on the garden law website with a digital image sharing app to post your photo and you'll need to upload your deeds / covenants etc /land registry docs.
She's a CF OP. Good luck.

PerciphonePuma · 20/07/2021 21:21

@YellowBellyCat

She shouldn't be overhanging your property. My arse hole neighbour has done the same with over flows, stench pipes, etc overhanging our land. I have mentioned it but he says his extension is six inches inside the boundary. Which is bollocks as we're a semi and his extension follows the party wall. I don't have the energy for a full blown boundary dispute but fantasise about sawing them off and blocking up with cement.
Please don't let him get away with that!!! Citizens' Advice Bureau!!!
LIZS · 20/07/2021 21:21

How did they have access to do the work? Did they offer a party wall arrangement? Buildings regulations should have agreed drainage. The boundary seems unusual, do you have a land registry document showing both properties?

l2b2 · 20/07/2021 21:22

She or her workmen must have climbed over the fence into your private garden to do all that.
Ok she has a right to maintain her property but you're supposed to communicate this with the neighbour whose land adjoins. Cheeky bitch

user27424799642256 · 20/07/2021 21:25

The wall belongs to her though, right? So did she give you permission to attach the trellis or is it hers?

They are boundary walls, not your walls. A boundary wall simply facing onto your land doesn't mean you are allowed to do anything to it without the owner's consent.

If you're going to get into this with her you need to be beyond reproach yourself. If you don't have consent for the trellis and hanging basket then you're not right now.

l2b2 · 20/07/2021 21:28

If you're going to get into this with her you need to be beyond reproach yourself. If you don't have consent for the trellis and hanging basket then you're not right now.
^
Agreed
Especially if the property is Grade 2 listed.

Melroses · 20/07/2021 21:34

If you're going to get into this with her you need to be beyond reproach yourself. If you don't have consent for the trellis and hanging basket then you're not right now.

Definitely worth discussing with the boundary surveyor.

The people who sign of building regs at the council used to be good. Hopefully they haven't had their budgets cut back too much.

DynamoKev · 20/07/2021 21:43

So can I saw them off cap the pipe and return them to her???
I doubt it. I mean you could, but I doubt that is any more legal than what she’s had done.

Slingsanderrors · 20/07/2021 21:54

@YellowBellyCat

She shouldn't be overhanging your property. My arse hole neighbour has done the same with over flows, stench pipes, etc overhanging our land. I have mentioned it but he says his extension is six inches inside the boundary. Which is bollocks as we're a semi and his extension follows the party wall. I don't have the energy for a full blown boundary dispute but fantasise about sawing them off and blocking up with cement.
Do I guess correctly that you’re in Lincolnshire? If so, they seem to play by they’re own rules here 😀
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