Are my neighbours being unreasonable?

[PawsAndReflection]

Hello!

We've recently bought a new house and our neighbours at the end of our garden are looking to redo the outside of their house.

They came by today to ask for permission as the work would require scaffolding in our garden, and were surprised to find seating and an olive tree in the area.

They've asked if we can move the olive tree and seating in order for them to have the work done, but I'm a little concerned about moving such a big tree. Does anyone have experience with this?

They were making out that it really wasn't a big deal but I've been researching it and it seems not quite as simple as they're making out.

They are being unreasonable!
(They might seem sweet and lovable but their words suggest that they only see things from their own perspective.)

I suggest that you reply to their list of 'complications' with:

Yes, you are right that it is all getting too complicated. It seems that the proposed work will be both inconvenient and expensive for me.

I have to agree with my many advisors that the only answer to the scaffolding proposal is:
No

.

I don't know why my last post was so huge...

Is it because you’re absolutely barking?

Still all a big nope from me until the point I incur no cost, and very little inconvenience, with and end date in sight.

Nothing unreasonable about making a request its just up 2 u to fulfill!

Well they showed their true colours very quickly.

I wonder if they are re-rendering their house with additional insulation too as from your pics it looks in decent repair. Which will add inches to the depth of their walls at the expense of your garden. They can do it internally but it is vastly more expensive and disruptive.

Olive tree and patio aside, how large is your garden. Would months of scaffolding be hugely disruptive to you?

I think you should consult with your solicitor. Does this constitute a party wall? I think it does in which case the costs for a party wall survey and any damage and the rest lie with them. They need to recover from their builders and subcontractors.

A quick google will tell you what sort of cost a replacement tree would be but your bench area and terrace will also in all likelihood need replacing so I would get a quote from a garden landscaper and ask for your costs to be met if you are going to accommodate the disruption and damage to their benefit.
https://www.olivegroveoundle.co.uk/product-category/olive-trees/large-olive-trees/

Then I would leave them to stew. Any party wall surveyor [which you can choose at their expense] will tell them they are liable for the costs. I suspect they have tried this with the previous owners who haven't mentioned it.

It’s a try on. Just say no.

Oh dear lord no 😂😂

they are being ridiculous

i would personally decline any access to my garden, I wouldn’t even remotely entertain this.

make recordings of all their voicemails, they’ve obviously turned nasty and you may want a record of interactions in the future

i’d send them an email asking for the calls to cease, you feel harassed, and making it clear that they never sought your permission

any solicitor would tell them they’ve gone about things in the wrong way.

Are you joking?! You would seriously pay for someone else to have work done to their house?? Hilarious. And fortunately the law doesn’t agree with you.

I wouldn't waste the word, just reply with NO.

The only sensible response is no.

I think they are being unreasonable. Neighbors should be considerate of people on a different schedule to them, I'd have a talk. Waiting till later in the morning, or asking them to be quieter isn't too much to ask.

They sound incredibly entitled and cheeky! Assuming you are under no obligation to permit access, seems to be it's a simple refusal if they won't agree to reasonable conditions!

I'd probably burst out laughing after that email, tell them they had me for a second but thanks, I really needed that laugh. Then I'd walk back inside, still chuckling.

Ask them to come to the "site" so they can point out which tree they mean!

From reading your replies, you’ve given them various solutions done which they didn’t want to do - not your problem! 🤷🏼‍♀️ They’re the ones wanting to inconvenience you, you would’ve expected them to be happy to work with your ideas/thoughts on it. Tell them no, end of conversation as they’re now just being pricks.

As for the 15 missed calls, 100% harassment. I’d be logging it with 101 if I was you in case it turns nasty, they certainly show the potential for it. If you have an iPhone it’s really easy to block numbers if you feel you need to.

Hope you get it resolved soon. X

you need to put it in writing and send recorded delivery to their property…

dear neighbours,

You not any contractors employed by yourselves or on you behalf do not have permission to enter our property, erect scaffolding or undertake any work on or over our land.

we ask that you do not contact us again with this request. To be clear if you or contractors (acting on your instruction or not) enter our property in order to complete work to your property, we will take immediate legal action to rectify it with immediate affect. If you continue to contact me about th is matter I will have no alternative but to report you to the police for harassment.

sincerely…

there is absolutely no point in fecking about with any other sort of communication with them. They are beyond cheeky and their responses to your reasonable questions is all you need to know about what would happen if things went wrong.

Simply say no. Leave the ball in their court, no way should you have to incur any expense as a result of what they want to do to their house..

They’re taking the piss!😮

I did read it, thats why I said they were probably being reactionary.
I'd moot the idea of the neighbours footing the bill for the tree being moved and the bench thing removed.

I just think its easier to get along with neighbours, you never know when you might need a favour yourself.

Have you inherited the tree and benches @PawsAndReflection ?

You say you've moved in recently. How recently?

This either means they were there when you bought the house or you moved them with you. In which case the tree won't be rooted.

Why don't you speak to your solicitor who handled the sale?

There may well be a boundary issue here. You could find the other house has a right of way over your garden, for repairs etc and maintenance. That's not unheard of.

Clearly at some time they are going to need access.

If the tree was there already you can't surely be that attached to it.
If it's yours and you had it positioned when you moved in, you could move it away from the wall.

If it IS in the ground be aware it could eventually cause subsidence or other issues and you'd have to move it.

Just say no.

Block their number.

Omg they are massive cheeky fuckers say NO op they will cause damage and if you give an inch they'll take 10 bloody miles as all cheeky fuckers do. 15 calls and horrible voice mails are harrassment report them to the police because I have a feeling they are gonna harass you until they wear you down. Don't allow them to draw you in just keep saying NO and if it continues keep reporting their harassment

Change your answer to a flat 'it'll be a cold day in hell before you get any kind of access to my garden'.