unreasonable neighbour - boundary lines

[Anonuser21]

Hi all not sure if this is right the topic but could use the advice

Some background
I brought a semi-detached house which belonged to my neighbour's mother who passed. Once everything was finalised I decided to rent out the property. Neighbour became very disappointed. We got along great up until that point, Not spoken to them since then. Without them, I never would have been able to purchase the property.

Issue
I have had to install a new boiler on the property which I moved from the airing cupboard to the garage to make the bathroom slightly bigger. The piping work comes out to my external wall, there is an alleyway separating both our houses - I have attached a photo to make it easier to understand.

Once the new boiler was installed neighbour sent me an email and was furious stating I exceeded boundary limits, have piping work removed as they encroach his property, and threatened legal action. I did consider this and looking at the map I had from my solicitor and as the alleyway is shared access I did not think it would cause any issues

I have yet to receive title deeds but solicitors confirmed the right of passage but no mention of any right to overhang onto the passage which I find ridiculous but did say the neighbour was being very unreasonable!!!

Anyone else had similar experiences with awkward neighbours?

in hindsight, I probably should have consulted with them before doing this work. I'm hoping to speak with him this week before this blows out of proportion.

thanks

You need to get the pipes moved, they shouldn’t be there.

You need to move the pipes. It's his property.

He may be being rude and picky but YABU for the pipework and you really need to move it.

But it looks like he has pipes protruding top right and head height also on the right? Plus a massive light?

Has he actually removed your pipe work, as that would’ve criminal damage!

The alley is his! You shouldn't have done this! He is correct. You need to move your pipes!

If he owns the alley way then he owns the space where your pipes are - yabvvvu to think you can place them on his land.

I would get a quote to get the pipes moved...could they come out of the roof/back of your house?

His pipes are protruding over his own land.

It's his land - he has every right to have parts of his building overhang it.

The OP on the other hand does not. Their pipes will need to re-routed.

Once everything was finalised I decided to rent out the property.

This sounds an awful lot like you misled them. And they may well have substantially favoured selling to an owner - occupier rather than an investor landlord for practical as well as moral reasons.

A bad move to mislead them when neighbour relations /disputes can affect property values.

If he owns the alley, he also owns the space above it. Your pipes are trespassing onto his property. You will have to move them.

I can see your thought process OP, but I'm afraid it seems as though you are the unreasonable neighbour.

Tell him to stop being ridiculous as he has pipes too

On his own land, according to the OP, so he's not the ridiculous one.

YABU

You are completely in the wrong, it’s his land and you have no rights at all to use the passage other than to pass and re pass

Then why on earth did you put your pipes out into his alleyway without checking with him?

Did you lead him to believe you were going to live in the property yourself?

My error, considering how we just stopped talking I felt this would make it more uncomfortable

In a way yes, but buying this property and paying over asking price int he end I couldn't afford to stay in it. It was always a short term let.

If the alley belongs to him then yes you are not strictly speaking allowed anything on it.

I know because my life was made hell over a boundary dispute. It nearly broke me and I ended up moving from my lovely house after 20 years.

If he wants to go down the legal route it will cost you both at least £30k. Boundary disputes are notorious.

Not sure how you could be under any illusion that you are being reasonable. Your pipes overhang into his land and discharge there. You are a cheeky fucker. Move your pipes. All the house cost/renting bollocks is irrelevant.

If he owns the alley then he has every right to be annoyed and you have no right to put the pipes there - just the same as if your house bordered his garden fence and you put pipes extending over the fence into his garden. Your right of access is just that - the right to walk along the path presumably to get access to the rear of your property.

Buying it and turning it into a rental. I’d be making your life hell. Move the pipes.

I think this most definitely falls into the category of you’re a massively CF op.

Well I would get proper legal advice rather than listening to authoritative voices on here OP.

Houses need pipes, guttering and outlets etc and it seems extremely unreasonable that you can't have them through that wall as may be necessary. Especially as right of access is available.

People get very emotionally attached to houses even after they've accepted and taken the money after selling them. They seem to forget they've done that and don't own them anymore. And it's very small minded of them to be so petty.

I think you were foolish not to speak to them before the work was done though. Common courtesy. And it probably hasn't helped the overall situation.

What a headache. You say he owns the alley, so you'll probably have to move the pipes. You need legal advice.

I clearly haven't thought this through properly - lesson learnt. Had I spoken to him maybe I wouldn't be in this position.

Thanks all