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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Neighbour has attached a wall to my fence

90 replies

krj2688 · 20/07/2021 22:06

Hi all

Next door neighbour has had a wall built in their garden. Our property sits around 2ft higher than theirs.

We don't really get along with the neighbour due to when our fence was fitted, she was demanding the company moved the boundary lin me by a foot 🙄

We have a fairly new wooden fence with concrete posts and concrete gravel boards.

They have built their wall so high, it's been cemented to our concrete posts, gravel boards and wooden fence panels. We will Not be able to remove these. Rain and water will now be sat on our fence panels rather than the concrete gravel boards. We paid extra for the concrete gravel boards to prevent this.

Does anyone know where we stand?

I'm quite pregnant and just cannot face her at the moment as she's quite rude

OP posts:

Thread gallery

Movinghouseatlast · 21/07/2021 10:39

Yes, you do get to dictate what touches your fence. That is the law.

The person who said 'start a claim'- you can't start a claim, what would she be claiming? Sadly although the law on fences is very clear actually enforcing it is very difficult and very costly.

I moved house die to a similar issue. I was told that my costs to take the neighbour to court would be over 30k. House insurance won't touch it unless there is a 100% chance they will be able to recover costs. If the neighbour has no money then they won't get a penny. However, if you take them to court they may give in as they can't afford to fight it. So it's worth sending a solicitors threatening letter to see if they back down.

I had months of stress, anger and heartache. In the end I moved. I declared it on my property form but as the wallwas in situ when my buyers saw the house they weren't worried that there had been a dispute about it.

MotionActivatedDog · 21/07/2021 10:42

@krj2688

I have marked where the cement actually sits in the fence. The fence is bulging outwards.

I could see the bulge straight away before you posted the red marks! You need to get a solicitor OP! Your fence panel will rot and split with that pressure.

SirGawain · 21/07/2021 11:08

@percheron67

Quite pregnant - I think you are pregnant or not pregnant. Bit like being a bit dead.

A rather pedantic comment. I think that everyone knows what the OP means.

beautifullymad · 21/07/2021 11:35

This is completely a different approach. I would accept that you'll lose a panel. Buy a replacement now.

Take a saw to the panel that has the cement bridging the gap and remove it In pieces. If they ask say the panel is being/ has been damaged and needs replacing.

Then whist this cement isn't fully dry I'd either be asking them to get their builder to remove the cement that is preventing your new panel going back into place. Or tell them that it's over the boundary line and you'll be removing it for them.

By removing this panel it will become obvious to them that action is needed to reposition the new one.

They aren't acting legally but it's a mine field to sort out. This approach might make them take action as they won't want you peering into their garden.

Original poster

krj2688 · 21/07/2021 12:01

@beautifullymad it's not just one it's 4 panels annoyingly. We have just paid £3000 for it to be done. They were a slightly more expensive panel that we purchased which are made to last a bit longer than the average panel at b and q and were made to measure by the company.

OP posts:

Knittedfairies · 21/07/2021 13:05

I may have missed it, but have you spoken to the company who installed the fence to see what their take on the neighbour's wall is?

Hankunamatata · 21/07/2021 13:11

Its completely bizarre they poured concrete down the back of the wall.

Original poster

krj2688 · 21/07/2021 13:19

@Knittedfairies no I haven't but that's a good point

@Hankunamatata it's been done to annoy us and cause problems for us. We had issues when the fence was installed, it was a wobbly fence previously and needed replacing, We finally did it after a lot of saving to try and keep peace with the neighbour and now she has done this. She is beyond bonkers!

OP posts:

picklemewalnuts · 21/07/2021 14:35

I think the council will care about structures built with no regard to safety or planning. Potentially, another family could end up there and be injured.

Teenyton · 21/07/2021 15:55

It seems by doing this they lost a bit of their boundary line, was that the case?

Original poster

krj2688 · 21/07/2021 16:32

@Teenyton yes they have lost some space. Honestly having a wall there is fine but it really didn't need to be so high or damage our fence panels that has been done intentionally as it's higher along the fence than the rest of the garden.

My husband is currently speaking to the council.

@picklemewalnuts that's very true I didn't think of it like that. I will make sure he mentions that to them also.

OP posts:

Lancrelady80 · 21/07/2021 19:08

@Postdatedpandemic

Without some sort of wall there, your garden will slowly slide into their garden. There must have been some sort of retaining wall there previously.

We have a similar set up, and no retaining wall here either. I was actually commenting on this to dh the other day as they are building houses next to us and putting up a fence between us, and I wondered if we or they needed to do something like that.

AffableApple · 21/07/2021 20:25

[quote krj2688]@gardeninggirl68

The shed/building was made with a concrete base above ground and the built a single breeze block wall around it around 6-6.5ft, it's tall enough for a normal door. They Then rendered the outside. My husband said over the winter it will crack and he was worried about it collapsing. It has double glazed Windows. I would take a photo but that would be outing.

Thank you all for the advice. Apologies if it wasn't particularly clear, it was late last night when I posted, tired brain!

Those asking about the foundations behind the wall it's a complete concrete block, with metal support structures. It might not have looked nice which is why they built the wall, it's their garden, their legal right to do, but they didn't need to build it so high or cement it to our fence and gravel boards 😕

I will be seeking legal advice this morning. Im sure my home insurance covers it. I'm not sure there is any point talking to her as she won't remove it, she can be quite a difficult neighbour, no one along the road speaks to her.
My husband has just said the cement has been angled down toward out fence too. So wouldn't be surprised if it's done to be spiteful from when the fence was fitted originally (we did move the boundary line as much as we could to try and keep the peace, we were told by the council we didn't have to as it was on the boundary line originally)

[/quote]
Hold up, so they've put a wall up on your property? You moved the boundary in their favour and they've doubled-up on it by putting a wall up? Get legal advice, sharpish

Weenurse · 26/11/2021 21:19

@krj2688 any news?

tootootaataa · 26/11/2021 21:37

Was thinking the same!

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