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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Scaffolding on neighbours roof

134 replies

SuPerDoPer · 25/01/2022 10:29

I think I already know the answer to this but need clarification.

I've lived here for only 3 months and I'm having solar panels fitted. The scaffolders came yesterday and the area that they need to reach is very narrow and right next to my neighbours garage extension. The neighbours weren't in to ask so I was very clear that the scaffolders shouldn't put anything on the roof next door or encroach on their property. Next thing I know the neighbour has returned home to see 3 blokes on his roof putting scaffolding on his roof and has come round here fuming. I said I'll tell them to take it down and work round it but he seemed more angry about not being warned than what they were actually doing. I apologised profusely and he went off in a grump.

Today I bought a nice box of posh biscuits and went round again to apologise and offer the biscuits. This time his wife answered and kept me on the doorstep for almost 10 minutes telling me how upset and distraught she was and how worried she was about the scaffolding damaging the lead on her roof. I said I'll call them and ask them to come back and remove it but she said no it's done now but wanted to keep telling me how awful the experience was.

I realise I am at fault here but apart from making sure my workmen dont cause any further upset is there anything else I can do? Would you be this upset and distraught if a neighbour put scaffolding on your property? I'm not sure if I would give it a second thought after the initial surprise.

OP posts:

PearlclutchersInc · 25/01/2022 12:57

Some of the expectations on here beggar belief

If no damage has been done and you've profusely apologised then that's it (of course unless you're as rich as croesus.....)

Consider your relationship with the drama queens massacred though.

Clymene · 25/01/2022 12:59

Scaffolders are bloody liars in my experience. They asked me if they could use my property as access to put scaffolding up in my neighbour's property. I said yes of course. Came home and they'd put the scaffolding up in my property. They had supporting beams on my shed roof. They cracked a paving slab and left scaffolding planks behind.

gamerchick · 25/01/2022 13:00

@Cissyandflora

Posh bloody biscuits? The cheek of it. You need to apologise profusely and keep pretending you knew nothing about it. And order them a proper huge hamper from fortnum and Masons. I’d be absolutely livid with you.

Heh that's a joke right? Who the fuck wants a hamper from there.

chesirecat99 · 25/01/2022 13:03

@HumpreyDowny

Really, a party wall agreement for scaffolding?! But why, nothing is being done to the wall? I had one done with a neighbour for an extension, it was a massive headache and costed thousands of £. Cant believe one would be required for installing solar panels, it'd put me right off...

OP would at least need a scaffold license, which is basically the same thing as a party wall agreement just for scaffolding on the neighbour's property. There should have been a record of the state of the roof (surveyor's report and photographs) before the scaffolding was erected and an agreement made that OP will pay for any damage.

This could cost you more than a £500 Amazon voucher, @SuPerDoPer. I would get some legal advice (there are often free clinics for people on a low income, you may have free legal advice with your home insurance or you could join Which Legal Advice, it's only about £10). At the very least, I would put a written complaint in to the scaffolding company stating that you told them not to erect scaffolding on the neighbour's property but they did it anyway, and they will be held liable for any damage caused and you will be claiming on their insurance. I would take photos of any existing damage on the roof and the exact placement of the scaffolding too, if you can.

If there is a claim for damages, it could all get very complicated as there is no record of the state of the roof before works started so your neighbour could claim for existing damage, and it will be difficult to know how any damage was caused, whether it was the scaffolders or the installers. I would probably get the scaffolding removed before the installation on Thursday to avoid that.

PattyPan · 25/01/2022 13:03

@Strictlyfanoftenyears

Oh and solar panels are bloody ugly so I would definitely not have given you permission

I’m not sure legally you’d be able to refuse - I think installing solar panels could arguably fall under the renewal part of the below from the Access to Neighbouring Land Act:

a) the maintenance, repair or renewal of any part of a building or other structure comprised in, or situated on, the dominant land

londonrach · 25/01/2022 13:05

If be furious but totally understand what happened. We had similar happen to us and I was furious that our roofers when we had told them not to went onto our neighbours roof. Can't believe work man think they can ignore what you say!!!!

gamerchick · 25/01/2022 13:05

think giving them a box of biscuits, no matter how posh, was taking the piss a little. A £500 Amazon voucher or something might have been better, a gesture that really costs you something would show you were actually sorry

Creased. man this shits funny.

OP don't sweat it, just make sure the scaffolding is taken down straight afterwards.

Dixiechickonhols · 25/01/2022 13:05

I think you need to be clear to neighbours you didn’t tell them to go onto their property. The workmen were specifically told not to. I’d also complain to solar company.
My mum is elderly and would be very shaken and upset by something like this. Worrying re roof damage.
I’d have been fuming and told you to move scaffolding immediately.

OhFuckBloodyHell · 25/01/2022 13:09

I’m not sure legally you’d be able to refuse - I think installing solar panels could arguably fall under the renewal part of the below from the Access to Neighbouring Land Act:

a) the maintenance, repair or renewal of any part of a building or other structure comprised in, or situated on, the dominant land

Surely that's only if OP already has solar panels that are being replaced, not adding a completely new thing to her property?

OP I'd listen to @chesirecat99 's very good advice. You could be in trouble here.

Dixiechickonhols · 25/01/2022 13:10

If the scaffolding is still up I think you need to agree removal time and definitely speak to neighbours. I can just imagine scaffolders randomly turning up at 8am on Saturday and trampling over neighbours garden causing further upset and possible damage.

Winter2020 · 25/01/2022 13:10

I would be very stressed if I were your neighbour. We have had a roof leak from damaged tiles. It cost lots of time, stress and the best part of £1000 by the time tiles and tradesman were sourced and scaffold was erected as no one willing to go on the roof without it. Our damaged ceiling has only just been replaced 4 years later as other things have always taken priority. This affected how our rooms coukd be used as i wouldn't let my kids slerp under tge damaged ceiling in case it came down.
I can imagine how helpful you would be at paying for my repairs if your tradesman damaged my roof and I would imagine not very (although that may be untrue that is how I would feel for sure)

Your neighbour may only know damage was caused in a particularly bad storm event which might not occur for months and then they would hear ...."nothing to do with me". If you asked to put scaffold on my roof my response would be "no way!" but you didn't ask.... The neighbours are going on because they are stressed and worried.

PattyPan · 25/01/2022 13:12

@OhFuckBloodyHell you could argue it’s for the maintenance of the heating/energy system of her property. Especially as there will soon be limitations on new gas boilers being installed and the OP is using a government scheme. Solar panels don’t count as a separate structure.

SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 25/01/2022 13:13

It's happened to me. Woke up to the noise of scaffolding going up next door and shortly afterwards the sight of a scaffolder right outside my bedroom window attaching scaffolding to my property.

Why the fuck my neighbours didn't even think the mention the work was happening, I really don't know. But I was fucked off, yes. The whole epioside was rude, intrusive, complicated to sort out (turned out it involved party wall works, insurance etc) and all so easily prevented with normal levels of grown-up communication from the neighbours.

The scaffolders said they'd been told I'd given permission. I asked if I looked and sounded like a woman who'd given permission? They did move the scaffolding a bit and the neighbours let us in for an inspection of the party wall works, but it was really stupid and disappointing of them to behave like this.

If they'd offered me a box of biscuits that particular day I'd have told them to keep them.

OhFuckBloodyHell · 25/01/2022 13:14

I'd be absolutely livid. And you protesting that you'd told them not to, and giving me biscuits, without actually doing anything about the scaffold being on my roof would make me even more angry.

I would expect you to be on the phone to the scaffolders and make them come back and take it down. It's really not ok for you to let the scaffold remain, and is quite likely to damage your neighbour relationship long term if they're reacting as you've said.

Lockheart · 25/01/2022 13:15

@OhFuckBloodyHell

I'd be absolutely livid. And you protesting that you'd told them not to, and giving me biscuits, without actually doing anything about the scaffold being on my roof would make me even more angry.

OP offered to have it taken down. The neighbour said "No it's done now".

It's in the OP.

Fairyliz · 25/01/2022 13:20

You are just like our neighbours having work done to their house which is fair enough. However what’s not right is not giving any prior notice at all and expecting their workmen to have access to our drive and the side of our house at a minutes notice.
When we were out one day we can home to find workmen had climbed over the fence to access our garden.
They did the pathetic bleating oh we didn’t know they would need access.
Why not ask when you arrange for work to be done?

OhFuckBloodyHell · 25/01/2022 13:23

@lockheart

I did see that, but the way it was worded definitely gave me the impression the neighbour wasn't sincere. I know people shouldn't say what they don't mean, but being angry, and continuing to complain and repeat how angry they are about the situation over and over definitely seems like they were in a 'there's no point, you've done it now' state of mind. Rather than genuinely not wanting the scaffolding removed.

I'm still worried for op if the scaffolders do damage. I can see them refusing to engage with the neighbour and op being stuck in the middle again, but this time for money she can't afford.

pigsDOfly · 25/01/2022 13:24

Of course the neighbour is annoyed having uninvited workmen on their roof.

When my DD had to have some work done on her roof it encroached on her neighbour because of their adjoining wall.

They had to get the neighbours permission and he signed an agreement that the workmen would be allowed to go on his property.

This was to fix a damp problem, so pretty vital.

HerbertChops · 25/01/2022 13:34

Really surprised the scaffolding company put scaffolding on top of your neighbours garage roof? And were walking about up there? That’s totally bizarre and not something I’ve ever heard of and we’ve run a large scaffolding company for 17 years. How do they know the neighbours roof can take the weight? A typical garage roof would not be weight bearing and scaffolding is heavy, then people stand on it. Plus it’s not your property, we never put up scaffolding unless an agreement is signed by everyone whose property it’s on, with drawings to show how it’ll be put up, which is need for the licence plus insurance isn’t valid otherwise. I’d get it taken down asap and ask them to put back up without being on other people’s property, there’s lots of possibilities like cantilever etc. but they’re more expensive. Really sound like cowboys to have done that.

GrannytoaUnicorn · 25/01/2022 13:58

@Cissyandflora

Bang out of order. OP herself has done nothing wrong. Calm down for goodness sake

GrannytoaUnicorn · 25/01/2022 14:00

@MorningStarling

I think giving them a box of biscuits, no matter how posh, was taking the piss a little. A £500 Amazon voucher or something might have been better, a gesture that really costs you something would show you were actually sorry.

Although you admit you're at fault in your OP the rest of what you say makes it sound like you're not actually that bothered about what you've done. The neighbour complained for ten minutes about how upset she was, but you dismiss her concerns and her feelings.

Sorry for what? OP has done NOTHING wrong!!! How entitled!!!

Horst · 25/01/2022 14:04

Do you own your house op? Only because you say government scheme as I know it loads of the council houses here have had solar panels stuck on them. At which point the neighbour needs to take it up with the council and their contractors not you.

Blossomtoes · 25/01/2022 14:07

*Would you be this upset and distraught if a neighbour put scaffolding on your property?

Yes, I’d be livid. Roofs are incredibly expensive to have repaired and there’s a strong possibility of damage.

Nanny0gg · 25/01/2022 14:09

@HumpreyDowny

It's an emotional reaction not logical. If they've been warned, what would have changed? They'd still be worried about damage, but scaffolding would still be there right?

No. They could refuse permission

SirChenjins · 25/01/2022 14:18

I’d be furious at your complete lack of respect for me in terms of letting me know you were planning work and the fact you are using a company that basically stuck two fingers up at your neighbours and went onto their roof without getting proper permission or checking it could take the load.

I’d be really concerned that you were behaving like this after three months, would wonder what sort of person had moved in next to me, and wouldn’t accommodate any further requests for access from you. You’ve got off very lightly with just a 10 minute chat on the doorstep from your neighbour.

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