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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour wants us to replace garage roof

187 replies

imnotyourbitch · 18/04/2023 14:49

We have an old side garage between our house and our neighbour. They don't have a garage, so while ours goes up to the boundary, theirs was removed many years ago, so they have the width of a garage between ours and their house.
The garage was built at same time as house, in 1950.

The garage has an asbestos roof. We had it checked by the council when we moved in (we were having other work done we needed building regs signed off on), and also had it coated with a protective coating, and we were told that it is perfectly safe as it is. Our long term plan is to have the whole garage replaced as part of a side extension, but that is at least 5 years away.

Our neighbour has cats who climb on the garage roof to sunbathe. (It's slanted, so not entirely flat but not a normal roof shape). They've said they are concerned that the cats claws will disturb the asbestos and cause health issues in the cats, and that we need to replace the roof. And after discussion, they've said they will report us to environmental health if we don't change it.

Technically, we could afford to do it, but it would wipe out all of our savings due to the cost of removal.

We paid for the roof to be coated to make it safer - it wasn't needed but we felt it would be a good thing to do. Neighbour didn't have cats when we moved in. Wiping out our savings would change our plans for the next year, and would also impact our kids hobbies (some of the savings is earmarked for new equipment for it) so we really don't want to throw it all on a roof for a few years. But also, I do get that if her cats claw / scratch at the roof it could put them at risk.

Aaahhhh. Any ideas?

OP posts:
GobbieMaggie · 19/04/2023 08:58

Didn't they have cats in the 1950's then ?.

BMW6 · 19/04/2023 09:01

I'd tell neighbour that her cats are trespassing on my property and what does she intend to do to prevent them?

Original poster
imnotyourbitch · 19/04/2023 09:04

Thank you everyone. I needed to giggle, and every time she mentions it I will just smile and imagine the kitty sun loungers :D

Husband pointed out that the only reason they can get onto our garage roof is via their shed roof - so my first comment will be about moving their shed!

She think it's caused our old cat's cancer. But we didn't adopt our cat until she was 10, and she couldn't make it up to the roof even if we'd provided a ladder - she was a lazy old lady who preferred her platform in the sunniest part of our garden!

OP posts:
AnyMucca · 19/04/2023 09:07

Oh, so they've admitted their animals are causing damage to your property, they won't mind being liable for a new roof then.

nomoredriving · 19/04/2023 09:12

GobbieMaggie · 19/04/2023 08:58

Didn't they have cats in the 1950's then ?.

I'm sure they did, but they didn't know the dangers of asbestos

NigellaAwesome · 19/04/2023 09:38

I would not suggest asking the neighbour to pay as it will give her a sense of ownership over your property and make her feel she has the right to dictate things to you.

What if, after paying e.g. £2k for your new garage roof, in 4 years time you are ready to do your extension? The neighbour will object as she will have forked out for the new garage roof.

I would just reiterate that the council have certified it as being safe, and not get into further discussion. At a push, you could suggest if she is really bothered, then she could ensure the cat's claws are regularly trimmed, she moves her shed, or cat proofs her garden.

timetorefresh · 19/04/2023 17:26

Tell them you've paid for the coating and if their cats scratch through it they can pay to have it replaced.

PrimoPiatti · 19/04/2023 18:01

Say if they want it replaced they can pay....

azlazee1 · 19/04/2023 18:09

Suggest they have their cats declawed if they are that concerned or keep their cats inside.

thing47 · 19/04/2023 19:05

timetorefresh · 19/04/2023 17:26

Tell them you've paid for the coating and if their cats scratch through it they can pay to have it replaced.

Reading between the lines, I'm not sure neighbours' cats are all that well off.

ReginaGeorgeismyname · 19/04/2023 19:13

Put barbed wire on it to stop them going on it

RunnerNoMore · 19/04/2023 19:36

Cats will be fine. Neighbour is cheeky. My neighbour bought a new car and parked next to our wall. He came round to ask us to tell our cats not to jump from our wall on to his car. Haha. We gave them a talking to but they didn’t listen. Madness

YouCantHandleTheRuth · 19/04/2023 19:38

Charge them rent for the time their cats sit on your garage roof.

PeachyPeachTrees · 19/04/2023 19:46

Prosecute her cats for trespassing on your property. I'm joking of course. Just say you can't afford it. She can't do anything about it.

Thereluctantgrownup · 19/04/2023 20:17

I have an asbestos garage roof, and a cat who has jumped/clawed/sunbathed on it several times a day.

The cat has just celebrated his 17 birthday....

I think your neighbours need to get a grip!

Mumofsons87 · 19/04/2023 20:18

She is complaining to you about her cats damaging your garage roof? Tell her she can put some barbed wire up if that will help keep them off.

SuperBlondie28 · 19/04/2023 20:19

I work in a asbestos testing lab and most of our samples are asbestos cement. I also have a cat that sunbathes on our asbestos cement coal shed roof. It does bother me as I've seen how degraded the cement can become due to the weather. How fibrous it can become.. How it can have up to 3 different asbestos types in cement (white, brown, blue).

I've never heard of any law that requires householders to remove asbestos. Even businesses are only required to identify their asbestos containing materials in a survey and 'manage' them if in good condition/remove if in bad condition or in a place where disturbed. Cement doesn't require specialist removal by licensed contractors. My coal shed roof is profiled asbestos sheeting and I considered having plastic profiled sheeting on top possibly but didn't as you shouldn't drill into asbestos.

sueelleker · 19/04/2023 21:00

azlazee1 · 19/04/2023 18:09

Suggest they have their cats declawed if they are that concerned or keep their cats inside.

I hope you're joking. You do realise that declawing involves cutting the toes off at the first joint? Perhaps you meant she should cut their claws-which is quite a different thing.

pollymere · 19/04/2023 21:04

Speaking to my resident toxicologist (DH). He says it's total piffle. It's a rock and cats claws really aren't going to make an impact!

LaylaLjungberg · 19/04/2023 21:22

They don’t like your garage and are using this as an excuse. As a proud mum to my little princess (nosey cat) she goes playing with the neighbours asbestos it’s her lookout. And thinking about it, you could flip it on them, your cat is risking my coated roof so have a word with them! (The cats)

KTheGrey · 19/04/2023 21:26

Unless the cats have pneumatic drills for claws they just are not going to disturb a bespoke safety coating. Let your neighbours crack on reporting to environmental health, and EH can explain it to them.

Mummyofsquidge · 19/04/2023 21:34

As others have suggested, tell them they are very welcome to copy you into the email to environmental health. It's been sealed and is not damaged. No one is going ask you to have it removed. They will just be laughed at. The latency period is around 40 years (the cats won't be lasting that long). And walking on it as a cat is not going to release fibres.

Just ignore them, or as you say advise you will consider it in the future, and when your ready. Be clear that if they or their animals cause any damage to the roof you will expect them to pay for the specialist clean up. X

Higgeldypiggeldy35 · 19/04/2023 21:34

They are being totally unreasonable. But if there is a risk of them disturbing the asbestos maybe get one of those sonic cat deterrents? That'll keep them off. Or the neighbour keeps his cats in!

FictionalCharacter · 19/04/2023 21:46

They are absolute CFs. The idea that a cat's claws can release fibres from coated asbestos is hilarious unless they have giant tigers with titanium claws. And they think it would be your fault if their cats damaged it? Let them complain to Environmental Health and be told how ridiculous they are.

Justalittlebitduckling · 19/04/2023 21:53

“It is often thought that cats have a right to roam wherever they wish. This idea is based on the fact that dog and livestock owners are obliged by law to keep their animals under control - but these duties do not apply to cat owners. The law recognises that cats are less likely to cause injury to people or damage property than some other animals.
However, cat owners do have a duty at law to take reasonable care to ensure that their cats do not injure people or damage property. Cases involving damage to property or injury to people by cats are rare.”

Tell them to stop their cats destroying your property.

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