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AIBU?

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Original poster

To withdraw offer on house because of crazy neighbour?

193 replies

inapropertyquandry · 15/10/2023 16:31

Perfect position - amazing views.
Knock down and rebuild project.
All Proceeding beautifully until last week when we learn one of the neighbours had had a visit from the police because he was caught armed with chainsaw and weed killer on the property cutting down a tree and killing a hedge. Our solicitors informed us because the buyers' solicitor had contacted him.
Seems the neighbour (whose property overlooks the one we want to buy) felt the trees and hedge were obscuring his view. So he took the path of trespass and criminal damage by chopping down a tree and pouring weed killer over extensive areas of the garden.
Now clearly a visit from the police may put him back in his box. Bit would you buy this property now? We are seriously out off given we'd have to Apply for planning permission and he overlooks us. I don't mind being overlooked by a decent person. But that's crazy behavior isn't it?
Just want a sense check on all this!

OP posts:
Wonkasworld · 16/10/2023 11:30

inapropertyquandry · 16/10/2023 11:28

I wrote a nice email for the sellers via my solicitor outlining our regret for pulling out, and basically reporting everything I knew, as well as thanking them for their transparency. I hope that helps them. I suspect they will lose hundreds of thousands of pounds. It was an expensive plot with one of the best sea views in SW england. A rare gem....

You didn't have to do that, so good on you 👏

Crumpleton · 16/10/2023 11:59

Such a shame it does sound like a lovely location, a sea view is my dream come true.

It's one thing having them vandalise the garden but being a blaintent liar shows that she isn't someone that's going to show you any community spirt.

billy1966 · 16/10/2023 12:53

inapropertyquandry · 16/10/2023 11:28

I wrote a nice email for the sellers via my solicitor outlining our regret for pulling out, and basically reporting everything I knew, as well as thanking them for their transparency. I hope that helps them. I suspect they will lose hundreds of thousands of pounds. It was an expensive plot with one of the best sea views in SW england. A rare gem....

Good for you OP.

What a pity.

Hopefully you have given them ammunition to sue.

So often people like this do criminal damage on the off chance that their neighbours will do nothing about it.

Terribly upsetting when it happens.

DoodleDoo37 · 16/10/2023 18:20

Pull out - remember the case recently of the crazed Dutch neighbour in France where he killed the little girl...... you never know what nutters are out there - and if you needed to ever sell - any disputes could wreck your sale - which could put off buyers. Having the most beautiful spot in the world to live could quickly come undone if you hate or are afraid of the nutter next door.

timetorefresh · 16/10/2023 18:35

No, I've lived with a nightmare neighbour. If was horrendous. Luckily they moved

Zerosleep · 16/10/2023 19:05

I wouldn’t want to walk into that problem situation, I would be backing out. There is a reason why the current owners are selling a property with the perfect view.

Savagecabbage101 · 16/10/2023 19:09

It doesn’t sound brilliant, maybe it’s a sign that there’s something better out there for you….

Bartonzam · 16/10/2023 19:10

Pull out asap op. This can only go one way. You won’t rest while he is next door.

TheHateIsNotGood · 16/10/2023 19:19

Well done OP - you covered every angle and did everything you could do. Probably helped the vendors for any legal action too. Sorry it didn't work out for you.

Not wanting to take advantage of your disappointment but I'm in the SW and wanting to move to a less built up area and smaller house. Your dream plot is probably well out of my price range but can you add a link to the details please?

anonibubble · 16/10/2023 19:23

inapropertyquandry · 16/10/2023 10:47

So this morning I did knock on the door. I apologised for disturbing them but I was the lady who'd offered on the house behind them. i simply asked if they could shine a light on the trespass and damage that had occurred last week - we needed to know more in order to proceed, so we're asking neighbours. Flat denial - she didn't hear anything and her husband was out with the dog. But the body language was all off!
Rather than engage in a pointless row I thanked her and said I'd go and speak to the neighbour who'd reported the incident. And off i went.
I found him and he was happy to tell me that it was both of the people - husband and wife - who live in that property behind the one we want to buy. And he had photos.
So I have concluded they're pretty irredeemable. I'd hoped they'd be full of remorse and say oh gosh I don't know what came over us. But no. Flat denial.

So we've withdrawn, with enormous regret. But I don't think we could have lived with that.

Thanks all - you definitely helped me crystallise my views, and confirmed I ought to check by knocking on the door.

So sorry you've had to pull out, but you've done the right thing. I suspect that you'd have had nothing but trouble from when you went for planning permission. Still sad though.

YourWinter · 16/10/2023 19:46

Run. The stress of nightmare neighbours is unimaginable until you actually live there.

Nononsensemumsy · 16/10/2023 20:29

Speaking as one with a nutcase next door, don’t do it, run and don’t look back.

Ihearticecream · 16/10/2023 21:56

What happens to the neighbours who trespassed?

Teenagehorrorbag · 16/10/2023 22:54

HRTFT but think maybe everyone is overreacting?

If you had an empty property nearby with a nightmare tree which had self seeded and gone mad, or a huge Leylandii, I can see the temptation to sort that out quietly and discreetly before anyone buys and moves in. He may be a nightmare neighbour - or he maybe a perfectly normal chap who just took a chance.

Our house has a field opposite. Shortly after we moved in I noticed there was an ash tree sapling which had seeded itself in the hedge, and which the annual hedge cutting chap must have decided was meant to be there so didn't chop down to hedge height. 20 years on there is now a massive tree there which was never actively planted (ash trees are like weeds) and which is now tall enough to fall onto our house if it gets sick (ash dieback).

I wish I had got DH to chop it off years ago - the farmer would never have known or cared, but it's just going to get bigger and bigger now. Too late now - but we are not neighbours from hell, and maybe yours isn't either?

Maybe worth knocking on his door for a chat? You'll soon get a feel for what he's like....

Teenagehorrorbag · 16/10/2023 22:56

Oh sorry - just read back and saw you did. Nuff said......

MuddyEyes · 16/10/2023 22:57

Quietly and discreetly with a chainsaw? 🤔

Original poster
inapropertyquandry · 17/10/2023 07:03

Teenagehorrorbag · 16/10/2023 22:54

HRTFT but think maybe everyone is overreacting?

If you had an empty property nearby with a nightmare tree which had self seeded and gone mad, or a huge Leylandii, I can see the temptation to sort that out quietly and discreetly before anyone buys and moves in. He may be a nightmare neighbour - or he maybe a perfectly normal chap who just took a chance.

Our house has a field opposite. Shortly after we moved in I noticed there was an ash tree sapling which had seeded itself in the hedge, and which the annual hedge cutting chap must have decided was meant to be there so didn't chop down to hedge height. 20 years on there is now a massive tree there which was never actively planted (ash trees are like weeds) and which is now tall enough to fall onto our house if it gets sick (ash dieback).

I wish I had got DH to chop it off years ago - the farmer would never have known or cared, but it's just going to get bigger and bigger now. Too late now - but we are not neighbours from hell, and maybe yours isn't either?

Maybe worth knocking on his door for a chat? You'll soon get a feel for what he's like....

There was nothing discreet about this! Also the garden isn't overgrown. The owners have been(very reasonably) sending a crew of gardeners in to strim, snip and cut. It is in no way overgrown. The nutty neighbours (sorry but that's how I see them now) could have asked the crew to ask the owners to reduce the hedge and tree next time rather than killing and chopping.
As I said, I did knock on the door, and the wife denied hearing it and said her husband had been out walking the dog. I then called on the other neighbour who'd seen and heard everything and he told me both husband and wife had been in there destroying the tree and hedge.

OP posts:
Original poster
inapropertyquandry · 17/10/2023 07:08

Now the initial disappointment has sunk in we're moving on. Who wants a sea view anyway? <sniff>

Sorry @Teenagehorrorbag I see you understood my story by reading through. I'm sure you would never behave on the scale of these people!

I have eyes and ears in the village (two friends live there) so I hope to hear whether the man and wife will be charged for trespass and criminal damage. I definitely think the sellers have grounds to sue. The value of the property will be affected. The incident has cost some people dear (including me and my legal costs.. but that's life I suppose)

OP posts:
Channellingsophistication · 17/10/2023 07:18

Disappointing but the right thing to do - i’m sure a better house will come along.

WeeMary · 17/10/2023 10:25

The neighbour could be happy the house is being sold. Perhaps he's had to endure years of nightmare tenants and decided to deal with garden while house was empty. TBH I'd have a word with him before pulling out.

MrsSkylerWhite · 17/10/2023 10:27

How old is he?

SoupDragon · 17/10/2023 10:31

WeeMary · 17/10/2023 10:25

The neighbour could be happy the house is being sold. Perhaps he's had to endure years of nightmare tenants and decided to deal with garden while house was empty. TBH I'd have a word with him before pulling out.

You might want to read the thread.

Ahfeckingfeckit · 17/10/2023 10:33

I would ask around if you can? Sound some people out? But yes, unless this is a mad one off, he sounds like he could behave in a way that makes your regret living there…

Mouseplant · 17/10/2023 10:55

@Teenagehorrorbag bag I thought the same. I've seen lots of threads on here where people have been upset about their view being blocked and have seen many OPs being given advice to just chop the tree down in secret.

OP says the property 'has some of the best views in SW England' so I can kind of see the perspective of the neighbours who wanted to access this view that was being blocked by the tree. The property was vacant so they probably thought the new owners would never notice.

They were sneaky, underhanded and criminal....but people on here are throwing around the word nutter and comparing them to child killers. It's just a tree - time for some perspective.

I used to have a MIL who had a tree like this on the extensive grounds of her million pound property. It blocked the view from her neighbour's tiny cottage and she knew it bothered them but let it grow out of spite - she was a vile person. Just another perspective.

Original poster
inapropertyquandry · 17/10/2023 11:05

Thing is @Mouseplant the property I had been trying to buy had been around a lot longer than the one behind it (home of the chainsaw and weed killer people). Theirs was built in the 1990s. They built it knowing there was a sodding great hedge and tree in the way. We n ow because we've seen old photos.

Shall we agree to call the actions a moment of madness? Compounded by lying about it afterwards when there is evidence they did it?

OP posts: