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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

unreasonable neighbour - boundary lines

188 replies

Anonuser21 · 23/07/2022 13:51

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

unreasonable neighbour - boundary lines
OP posts:
Sweatinglikeabitch · 26/07/2022 22:45

If he owns the alleyway then his pipes are allowed to overhang but yours aren't. You're going to have to move them, I wouldn't allow it in his shoes

SeaToSki · 26/07/2022 22:49

Can you re route the pipes inside the garage so they vent through your roof? Then no need to impinge on his alleyway

Sweatinglikeabitch · 26/07/2022 22:50

I'd also be really pissed off that someone told.me they were going to live there and then turned the house I used to own into a rental and dropped any old random in there. I bet they were so careful to try to get themselves a decent neighbour and will be feeling pretty done over.

MumOfNowGrownupKids · 26/07/2022 22:52

Erected a fence around a roof top patio which had a bulge at the bottom. The bulge projected into neighbours' air space. It was over a field and above head height but they objected. It hadn't occurred to us that it would be in their air space but once it was pointed out we apologised and moved it back (expensive) so it no longer projected beyond the edge of the roof. A right royal pain but our mistake so our responsibility to fix.

kittenkipping · 26/07/2022 23:10

I dont know if anyone has pointed it out- but your pipe juts out more to ensure that the fumes from the flue are at a higher point. His releases straight into the alley way? A boiler draws in air from the outer and expels from the inner- your pipes whilst "jutting " out more, cause far less inconvenience to person. Legally I don't know where you stand. Morally- your plumber is more considerate and meets current standards, whereas his flue is releasing products of combustion into a narrow shared alley.

Clymene · 26/07/2022 23:21

kittenkipping · 26/07/2022 23:10

I dont know if anyone has pointed it out- but your pipe juts out more to ensure that the fumes from the flue are at a higher point. His releases straight into the alley way? A boiler draws in air from the outer and expels from the inner- your pipes whilst "jutting " out more, cause far less inconvenience to person. Legally I don't know where you stand. Morally- your plumber is more considerate and meets current standards, whereas his flue is releasing products of combustion into a narrow shared alley.

That's completely and utterly irrelevant. It's his alley. He can do what he wants.

Corcory · 27/07/2022 00:40

You need to reroute the vent out of your garage roof not as it is so it doesn't impinge on the alleyway.

Equalityumber · 27/07/2022 02:07

As it’s his alleyway you will need to address this.

I also think the neighbourly and moral thing to do would be to sell the property back to him.

KosherDill · 27/07/2022 02:58

Sweatinglikeabitch · 26/07/2022 22:50

I'd also be really pissed off that someone told.me they were going to live there and then turned the house I used to own into a rental and dropped any old random in there. I bet they were so careful to try to get themselves a decent neighbour and will be feeling pretty done over.

If they wanted to maintain control of the property, they shouldn't have sold it & reaped the profit.

Can't have it both ways.

Coffeeenema · 27/07/2022 05:19

PoseyFlump · 23/07/2022 14:33

solicitors confirmed the right of passage but no mention of any right to overhang onto the passage which I find ridiculous

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

I understand why your neighbour is annoyed. One house near us was constantly rented out with different people coming and going who didn't have a lot of respect for the other neighbours. Maybe he's worried about noise etc.

So only people who own a house can have respect?

Your response reads as very snobbish towards renters...

PoseyFlump · 27/07/2022 06:43

@Coffeeenema I'm very working class and not snobbish. But when you've had to put up with a nearby rented house with drug dealers and people coming and going to collect drugs and none of the residents being able to park their own cars etc. I could go on and on, then 'short term let' would fill me with dread. neighbours can affect your mental health. It's absolutely nothing to do with social class.

MaggieFS · 27/07/2022 06:53

Appreciate the OP is probably done with the thread, but quite apart from the fact the OP can't put pipes out over his land...

IT LOOKS SHIT! Who on Earth would think it's satisfactory to have pipes sticking out so far as to go up past a gutter. It's terrible.

londonlass71 · 27/07/2022 07:48

Equalityumber · 27/07/2022 02:07

As it’s his alleyway you will need to address this.

I also think the neighbourly and moral thing to do would be to sell the property back to him.

Why would the OP sell the property back to him? I do not understand this thought process. If he had wanted to keep it he wouldn't have sold it to her in the first place. His original buyer fell through and he then reapproached the OP if she wanted to buy it.

SirChenjins · 27/07/2022 08:21

Coffeeenema · 27/07/2022 05:19

So only people who own a house can have respect?

Your response reads as very snobbish towards renters...

Show quote history

Short term lets could very easily be a student let, an Airbnb, or half way house for people with addictions etc. It's not 'snobbish' not to want to live next door to those groups of renters - esp when you have a landlord who doesn't appear to gaf.

SkiingIsHeaven · 27/07/2022 08:32

I wouldn't be happy with that fuggly pipe work.

Also, by going around the outside of the gutter you have crossed probably crossed the boundary, which is unacceptable.

sunglassesonthetable · 27/07/2022 08:59

I also think the neighbourly and moral thing to do would be to sell the property back to him.

Please can we return to real life here.

But I suppose that would save on moving the pipe. 🤣🤣🤣

Bunty55 · 27/07/2022 11:13

SoupDragon · Yesterday 22:23
Bunty55 · Yesterday 14:46
What I think and what I know for sure are probably polar opposites luv
right. Clearly you know nothing then.
luv. 🙄

As clearly do you

Bunty55 · 27/07/2022 11:14

NameInUseAlreadyAgain · Yesterday 21:57
Bunty55 · Yesterday 10:31
What a lot of experts we have on this subject !
I am an expert in this subject. It’s my job…..

Very good. Now we are cooking on gas :)

Johnnysgirl · 27/07/2022 16:05

How old are you, Bunty55?!

Bunty55 · 27/07/2022 17:34

Skightly older than me teef

TrashyPanda · 27/07/2022 17:57

KosherDill · 27/07/2022 02:58

If they wanted to maintain control of the property, they shouldn't have sold it & reaped the profit.

Can't have it both ways.

Show quote history

It’s his late mothers house.

you have no idea if he got any of the proceeds of the sale, far less “reaped the profits”

TrashyPanda · 27/07/2022 18:01

Bunty55 · 26/07/2022 10:31

What a lot of experts we have on this subject !

its exactly the sort of thread that folk who are interested in land ownership issues are going to read.
so not unusual to have folk with specialised knowledge commenting.

LakieLady · 27/07/2022 18:31

MumOfNowGrownupKids · 26/07/2022 22:52

Erected a fence around a roof top patio which had a bulge at the bottom. The bulge projected into neighbours' air space. It was over a field and above head height but they objected. It hadn't occurred to us that it would be in their air space but once it was pointed out we apologised and moved it back (expensive) so it no longer projected beyond the edge of the roof. A right royal pain but our mistake so our responsibility to fix.

When my neighbour had an extension built, the architect's drawings were wrong and the builders had to wing it a bit to make it fit the plot.

Consequently, the soffits are either incredibly close to my boundary or possibly overhang a bit. It never occurred to me to be bothered about it, tbh.

Bunty55 · 27/07/2022 20:26

@TrashyPanda Yes I know ! It is very good. What a shame those who have no clue waded in as well :)

ILikeHotWaterBottles · 27/07/2022 20:36

Person lies to buy house.
Person puts pipes into space not owned by them.
Person wonders why other person who sold house and owns said space is annoyed...

How are people this dumb able to afford to buy more than one house when other people are unable to?

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