How to deal with new neighbours

[justmovedhouse]

So we've just moved in. Conscious that this might be outing so I'll try to be brief and I've name changed.

We share a boundary with a couple who don't like an electric cable against 'their' fence on our side. It's all perfectly safe, it's armoured cable and is currently dead anyway). It was there when we looked round and when we moved in. They've pulled it off and damaged some plants. They've left a passive aggressive note in our garden about it and told us they take people to court.

My view -they go low, we got high. So move the cable (won't be easy and we need it to be out of the way of the kids) and just be polight but keep our distance.

Husband thinks they'll just walk all over us thinking we're wimps and what will it be next. Not sure what he wants but he's really upset by it.

Who is right? Am I being a wimp?

If its their fence theres not alot you can do

like the other fence thread you cant put things up or demand anything when its not yours

I agree with PP regarding contacting your solicitor who dealt with your move to speak with the former owner, once details have been established I would request your solicitor also send the horrible neighbour a letter with your proposal and a time frame. I would also log this incident with the police. Xx

I think you need to establish the boundary ASAP and get your own higher fence up and just leave them to it. Boundary issues can be a real nuisance so I'd get on to it as a matter of priority. If the neighbour is claiming the fence isn't a boundary fence they could start laying claim to your garden.

Contact the solicitor to find out why this issue wasn't declared and why the boundary wasn't established prior to purchase.

Sounds like you have been mislead by your solicitor and seller.

A dispute with the neighbours over a boundary issue.

This is serious shit that needs sorting out.

Create a paper trail with your solicitor too incase they have done a poor job with searches.

You need to get on this.

A friend of mine was buying a house that had been sold 4 times in 30 years.

Apparently there was a boundary issue that all previous buyers solicitors had missed.
The first 3 sellers were lucky but the last one got caught for sorting it all out which cost them time and money.

They had no choice but to sort it out before they could sell.
My friend reluctantly moved on, but was annoyed.

Do not let this go.

If it’s a boundary fence surely you normally only have one? Two would be silly. But then if it’s the responsibility of the neighbour to maintain then you can out anything on it or paint it? Really? That seems nuts.

@Glenthebattleostrich

No, you tell them they have damaged your property and they will pay to replace the plants.

We've had 10 years of bullshit from our arsehole neighbours because we just ignored it initially.

This with bells on.

They go low we go high does NOT work with these sorts of neighbours and sends the wrong message.

Don’t try placating these arseholes. We did that for years and their behaviour got worse, not better. Stand up to them from the outset.
I would write them a note and post it via registered mail advising them that you are fully aware that they knew the cable was attached to the fence prior to you purchasing your house. Furthermore, the note they left attached to your side of the fence can and will be used as evidence of their trespass and destruction of your property. (Fruit trees, pegs, cable, etc…) You have taken photos of it all and will happily log it with the police if they don’t recognize your right to peaceful enjoyment of your house and land. You are advising them officially that you will NOT tolerate trespass or intrusion again, nor will you start your time living in your new house communicating with passive-aggressive neighbours via notes.

They are welcome to come over and introduce themselves in person, and discuss this with you and DH as long as they do so in a respectful and neighbourly manner.

Exactly what @billy1966 said - get back to your solicitor and pronto. A boundary dispute when you’ve just bought the house is some serious shit.

There is a woman who lives across from me who has never spoken to me. When I first moved in I would see her and wave hello and she would blank stare at me so I started to ignore her and get on with life. Within the first week of me moving in these notes started appearing on my car and eventually I realised they are from her. The notes say things like 'you can not park in the road you have to park in your drive' (that was when I had a plumber over and I had moved into the road for a few hours to allow the plumber to park on my drive) 'you need to mow your grass' (I had been away on holiday for 2 weeks so I wasn't home to mow during that time) 'you need to be quiet' (this was after I had 3 friends around for Christmas day and we were not loud)
She apparently verbally speaks to other neighbours and no one else in the road gets notes. So what is her issue with me? I have absolutely no idea.
I've always ignored the notes and tried to just live my life but after a few years now I wish I would have said something to her about leaving notes on my car in that first week although I have no idea what good that would have done.
Have you spoken to other neighbours about this neighbour OP? Has anyone else had a problem with them?

I bought my house and next door started saying he wanted me to replace and move a boundary fence. He acted as if there was a boundary dispute. We challenged him and turns out he was just trying it on with us. My previous owner had lived in my house since it had been built decades ago and the boundary had not changed. We managed to find evidence of this after a LOT of digging around in paperwork. The neighbour had moved in a year or two before us and wanted to expand his property. He's been consistently damaging the fence in an attempt to get us to replace it
I think some people try it on with new neighbours thinking the new people will want to try to be friendly and keep the peace. You have to stand up to them OP. If you have just bought your house then contact your solicitor regarding who owns the fence and where the boundary is. Also say something to the neighbour about how they've handled the situation and how you hope to go forward as their next door neighbour.

No more notes and not seen them. The cable is tucked away.

In terms of safety it's better pegged to their fence that blowing around hitting their fence so none of it makes sense. They can't stop us having a cable there I don't think just as long as it's not attached to their fence.

I'm about to go and take some videos / photos so if they get difficult about the boundary I have evidence of what it's like.

It's quite a long garden so the land registry can't be accurate enough to prove about 60cm- they couldn't claim any more because of the outbuildings.

Once you get the cable sorted them I would completely ignore them,just don't engage at all. You can't reason with some people and they sound very hard work!

OP,

You will bitterly regret NOT contacting your solicitor and asking why, now that you have just moved into your newly purchased home, the neighbours are telling you about a boundary dispute.

You need to ask this question in WRITING to your solicitor.

If you don't and just ignore this, you are being spectacularly naive.

You need this knowledge.

It is one of two things.

The neighbours are bullshitting you and the solicitor will confirm this fact in writing, so they can be told to jog on.

OR

Your solicitor has fxxked up and it will be a headache for you that will not resolve itself, and may well cause future difficulties for you, should you decide to sell.