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

Beyond all the other issues here (yep, you have no right to put your pipes there) I’m rather concerned as it looks to me like that flue is way too close to his window to comply with regs (poisoning the neighbour will only cause you more issues @Anonuser21!). Additionally your condensate pipe will be dripping (hazardous acidic waste) onto his access path. If this is correct you seriously need to do something ASAP (& your plumber is a cowboy).

Will this pass regulations for letting out property?

You are the unreasonable neighbour. That alleyway is for access. Would you be happy if he started using it for storage?

I pity your neighbour and tennents if this is your idea of reasonable.

What???? OP hasn't done anything illegal because she's renting it out.

I would apologise profusely OP, acknowledge that you fucked up, and see if there’s any way to salvage it without having to rip out the pipes and re-do it all. Maybe he just wants an acknowledgement that you had no right to do what you did and will leave it at “well what’s done is done”. Probably not, and he’s entitled to be upset. Good luck.

....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....

Tbh this is concerning. It does look as if your garage wall has been built right up to the boundary and that path is entirely on his property. Right to access it to walk along is a bit different to installing things that stick out and could make him walking along it - especially carrying things -difficult.

Having read your follow up posts. YABU

And that my friend is the crux of the matter! You can’t hand anything there, not guttering and certainly not pipe work. You have access maybe but you don’t own the land and your access probably says you can go over it in foot not permanently locate your fixtures and fittings.

Oh dear op.

If the alley is his you'll have to move the pipes.

You shouldn't have done that

It’s his land. You have to remove your pipes sorry

I noticed the way the paving was laid in a fat and thin strip, and it reminds me of our property. When originally built in the 60s, all these houses had a boundary wire about 6 inches from the external wall of the house not using the access path. This meant that although we had our side access path, about 6 inches was owned by the next door property. We assumed this was for making sure they stayed detached and ensured space for their guttering, the down pipes, eaves overhang etc. as it was about in line with that. Over time these wire boundaries got removed/damaged etc but we all know about them and now, although wider than shown here, our passageways look like this with paving that’s ours and then a narrow strip (ours is gravel but others have paved them too). Is that what’s happened here, the property owns the space below the eaves to the ground but it’s just become used by the neighbour?

Is that what’s happened here, the property owns the space below the eaves to the ground but it’s just become used by the neighbour?

Thats what I thought it looked like. And why it needs to be checked.

It looks like their alleyway, with their back door; the alleyway to which you have access. Literally that - access.

You really should have spoken to the neighbour before having the pipes installed; it does seem unreasonable that you would undertake work like that without having the title deeds yourself. You thought to check with the solicitor, but not with the neighbour. Were you worried your neighbour might refuse?

I can see why they are upset - rather than having a neighbour they thought they knew, they haven't been consulted about work that affects their property, and are probably worried about having neighbours who are renting, may be changing frequently and coming and going at all hours.

The work looks like an example from "Bodge It Yourself by Jeff Slapdash" [that really is a book].

YABU. As PoseyFlump said "It doesn't really matter if you find it ridiculous, it's whether you have a right or not."

You owe your neighbour an apology, and you need to discuss with your neighbour how to put this right.

You are , as most people have said completely in the wrong
arrange for the pipes to be moved and go round to your neighbours with an apology & some humble pie
I would be cross with you too

YABU
If that was my alley, I’d be accessing it and taking the pipes with me 😂lol but seriously, uncool move.
Renting it - also uncool. Well within your rights of course, but thank Lord I’m not your neighbour.

There’s a cheeky fucker in this story and it isn’t the neighbour…

OP is quite clear the alley is owned by her neighbour.

I am surprised the plumber agreed to do this. The pipework needs to be rerouted through your roof asap. It isn’t a boundary dispute. It’s a legal issue.

You need to divert that flue - it breaches the regulations and should never been terminated there.

Boiler flues are required to terminate at least 600mm from a boundary.

Then he is totally correct and you are in the wrong.
Ignore the muppets going "but he has pipes too" 🤦‍♀️ He owns the area and can install whatever he pleases.
You can't.

Anyone else had similar experiences with awkward neighbours
Bless. The awkward one is not who you imagine it is.

OP is quite clear the alley is owned by her neighbour.

Yes that's quite true. And yep this is a balls up on her part.

However, as the situation stands I would still be checking the boundaries on the off chance the area under the guttering is allowed for as per @CasparBloomberg's post and then going cap in hand to my neighbour.

You are being a massive cf for buying it and turning it into a rental. I pity your neighbour. You knew exactly what you were doing. And installing pipes on his property is beyond being a cf.

The OP has realised she made a mistake!

You are being a massive cf for buying it and turning it into a rental. I pity your neighbour. You knew exactly what you were doing.

Can I just check ? Are people not allowed to have rental properties on MN?