Dh handled neighbours terribly?

[whippedlemons]

Good Evening,

I thought I'd ask on here to gauge if I'm lacking in complete boundaries or if my husband over reacted.

So we recently moved into a ground floor maisonette, we have the back garden. The previous tenant was quite friendly with next door and he would let their children play in the garden etc. when next door fitted a conservatory they took down the whole hedge and built it on the boundary line so I look out my kitchen window directly to their conservatory wall. They left a space between the wall to the hedge so they have access to our garden. (E.g when they had chickens, they would wander around the garden (pre us moving in as they died a few days prior) )

At one point they've fitted a outdoor tap under my kitchen window (this was all previously so fair enough) and use the water from this flat (I'm guessing their on a meter)

Fast forward to now, we've moved in, made friends with them, I get along with the wife etc and I like her

He asked to use the water so I said yes few months back, but often would just walk through his garden through the gap to use it, sometimes daily.

Where as I didn't want to disrupt what they've been custom to for years my husband finds it incredibly invasive and hates it.

Well today as we were all eating dinner in our living room, we hear the water tap being used outside so my husband gets up without warning and basically has a go at him telling him to stop coming in without At least asking and he wouldn't like it if we just walked in their back garden doing what we want. He was quite aggressive the way it came across.

My husband said I lack boundaries and get walked over but I feel so awkward as we are not on a meter and don't see the harm as such (maybe they should ask each time, but if I say yes they probably assume what's the point)

So basically am I being unreasonable to be slightly annoyed at my husband for having a go at him? As I don't want things to be awkward when we've only been here a few months?

Even if the previous resident was fully aware of and completely in agreement for it to happen (without any coercion) when it was first enacted, why would you expect it to stand in perpetuity when new people move in?

It's like the people who have an 'arrangement' with the elderly widow next door who doesn't drive to park their own car on her drive (quite possibly with aggressive #bekind demands or scare stories that she'll definitely be burgled if the house doesn't look occupied) - and then fully assume, expect and insist for it to remain in place when the widow dies and a family with three cars moves in!

But you are not the previous tenant. There's no expectation that this arrangement should continue. Where I used to live we had chickens which used to have a gate in the fence where they could go next door. The first thing I did when I moved was seal the gate. I really think this arrangement should have ended when you moved in. It seems the neighbours are crossing boundaries quite literally.

So is it the HA who have told you this @whippedlemons ?? The source is key (I wouldn't believe the neighbours).

If it's the HA, I'd be fuming as they should have told you this before you moved in. I'd actually be asking them to find you a new property as this is unacceptable.

Would you have accepted this property knowing what you know?

You need to see the legal paperwork from the HA where all these agreements were agreed.

Why weren't you given this information with the property offer?

All these questions need to be put to them formally.

Can citizens advice help you?

This seems to put you at a huge disadvantage with huge vulnerability.

The other posters are also giving you questions to ask about flooding etc.

Why is your water supply open to everyone to use?

You need to start asking for the paperwork that lays out all the legality of the entitlements these people have to your rental property.

I completely agree, ShakespearesBlister

We have a wonderful neighbour who lives in the other semi attached to ours and we do willingly share some of our facilities and help each other out. None of this is because of any 'rights', but because we are also friends who like and respect each other.

If she moved out, we may find that we become friends with the new neighbours and, in time, mutually agree to do much the same things. Equally, we may not; but we certainly wouldn't expect them to assume it the instant they move in.

It's always 'interesting' when there's no give and take, but rather you find that one neighbour gets all of the benefits whilst the other neighbour is always inconvenienced with no advantages to them.

We also only have a half-wall dividing our lofts, meaning that either of us could easily get into the other person's and steal their possessions (albeit she doesn't currently store anything in hers) and then into the house itself too. We trust each other completely, so neither of us care about this (we did once temporarily 'borrow' some of her loft air space when swinging planks into place to board ours out!); but if she did sell her house, it would be right up there on our priority list to get the rest of it walled up ASAP.

I would challenge this set up as regards shared water use but that might imply the HA have to put in water taps on the other properties and they won't want to do that as they're always looking to save money. The right of way/access might be more difficult. Why do they need access across your garden? Where are bins? Is it a safety issue?

I would challenge this set up as regards shared water use but that might imply the HA have to put in water taps on the other properties and they won't want to do that as they're always looking to save money.

You're not wrong about them seeking to avoid costs; but in the scheme of things, the cost to them of getting a couple more outside taps fitted is tiny - certainly when compared to the ongoing admin of dealing with queries/complaints/mediation because one resident is expected to share theirs with others.

In this case, though, I'm thinking it sounds more like the cost of the water that the neighbours are seeking to save rather than genuinely needing more convenient access to their own water supply, for which they of course have to pay. I can't stand people who will switch to a metered supply in order to save money - not because their usage is minimal or they're willing to economise for savings, but because they then want to use it as an excuse to browbeat others into subbing them. They're exactly the same kind of people who will feel entitled to regular lifts without ever making a contribution because "you're going there anyway".

I would get more advice from citizen advice or shelter (not sure if this is in their remit though). And find out how you can challenge these things that impact your home.

One of the first things I would put to the HA is what happens when you get a water meter installed. (I know at the moment you said this isn’t possible ).

Although getting a meter is possible by using a main and sub meters. My dd lives in a block with shared water, she wanted a meter and now has a sub meter. (As a single person she was paying the same as families)

LOL!

😂

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · Today 11:25

Even if the previous resident was fully aware of and completely in agreement for it to happen (without any coercion) when it was first enacted, why would you expect it to stand in perpetuity when new people move in?

Yes, it's like buying a car and someone turning up and asking for your car key and saying, "Well, my brother let me drive it any time I wanted to."

And it does sound as though they want to avoid paying on their meter, the tight-fisted sods!

That sounds really odd to me. I do wonder who pushed for it: was it the neighbours claiming that they helped the disabled resident by maintaining their garden for them - maybe a bit like a carer wanting to park on a client's private drive when visiting and caring for them? It's hardly like a private outside tap is a controversial or antisocial development that you would have to placate the neighbours into putting up with by allowing them to use i

I agree - I can't see why the HA would ever have thought this was a good idea - it's far too open to abuse and leaves the tenant vulnerable.

Anyway - do the neighbours not own their property rather than rent, if they've put a conservatory up? (Apologies if I've got hold of the wrong end of the stick - I don't know how HAs work regarding these matters.

Could you insist on having the tap taken out altogether OP?

Also - would posting this is Legal be helpful at all? Someone there might be able to advise you of the rights you have, and who to contact.

I would check who made the agreement about the tap.
Is it in writing with HA.
Is it on your deeds.
If not then I would write to HA and tell them that as there is nothing in the deeds you do not agree to the use of your garden and water as public property. You have a right to safe enjoyment of your own premises.

If there is a right of way through your garden, again this should be on your deeds and showing a location.
If that exists you can’t block it, but if there’s nothing you can.
A verbal understanding and agreement does not create an easement.
If however people have been using your land for over 20 years without a verbal or written agreement and have not been hiding the fact then they could, if they can prove it, have an easement created in a court.

If you’re not metered your bill is based on the size of your property. Not on usage as they have no idea what this is.
Suggest phoning water company and asking what the standard charge is for your property.

Ps.
ive just realised are you renting.
In which case the access issue would be in your contract, not deeds.

According to Citizens Advice you have the right to a Water Meter. Even as a tenant. ( assuming water board can access ).
That should nip it in the bud.

Not if they have a right to access the tap

Who informed you of the right of way and shared water? I would query that…

According to Citizens Advice you have the right to a Water Meter. Even as a tenant. ( assuming water board can access ).
That should nip it in the bud.

Not necessarily. As PP says, it may indeed be that they bizarrely have a right to access the tap; but even if they don't, they sound like the entitled sort who would continue to insist that they do and keep on using it - and then, if OP & DH told them they had to stop, because it was now metered, it would automatically be their fault for getting the meter put in, so their tough luck. CFs will always find a way to protest that somebody else is to blame and it's never themselves in the wrong.

I think something needs to happen to that tap. All this freezing weather- = death to outdoor pipe work.
Remove the tap, it's leaking isn't it?

If they need a tap so badly, they can put one in on the end of their conservatory.

If you have to have a gate- and it's harder to argue the toss if you don't own the property, you can get a gate closer to automatically shut the gate and a spring operated bolt to keep it shut.
Cheap and easy to install.

www.amazon.co.uk/gate-spring-closer/s?k=gate+spring+closer

You mentioned being a maisonette, hence people talking about an upstairs. do you mean a flat?

According to Citizens Advice you have the right to a Water Meter. Even as a tenant. ( assuming water board can access ).

If you have a shared supply, which the OP does, it can be next to impossible to fit a meter. In those cases, the water company should offer an adjusted bill.

It’s not in the contract ( HA said agreement with previous tenant )
If it’s not been added to any deeds then they cannot use the tap and water.
An agreement between previous tenants is irrelevant to OP.
That was a verbal agreement as it’s not in the contract. Verbal agreements can’t even be used against the land to create a burden ie easement

OP needs to ask HA for permission for a meter, she has that right, then lock the tap. Pointing out that there is nothing in her contact. This would, I think, quicken everything up and force HAs hand to stop neighbours use of water.

OP really needs to point out her legal rights and force their hand .

You should get someone to remove the tap. Your husband was quite right to have a go it's rude not to ask first. Your neighbours are taking the Piss!

"Turns out the two terraces next to me (I'm end) apparently have right of way through their gardens into mine to go to the front"

What PP's have said - access and right of way is for them to take the bins and rubbish out - not free use of your garden whenever they want.

On the outside tap, is there a control inside? Ours has an indoor tap to turn it off in winter to stop it freezing. You could just turn it off and get them to get the HA to install an outside tap in their properties too.