We have just bought a buy to let house and have a couple renting.
A few weeks ago they casually mentioned some kids sit on the wall in the garden.
The wall goes up the side of the house and garden and round the back. The wall is shared between about ten houses. On our side it is a 20ft wall but the house next door the land is higher so maybe 10ft on their side. On the deeds it says it is uncertain who owns the wall.
The houses are Victorian. The wall is old and crumbly and leaning.
We were at the house yesterday refencing some of the old timber fencing on the other side of the garden from the wall. There for about two hours. All the time there were the two neighbours children boy roughly 12 girl roughly 10 sitting with their legs either side of the wall and jumping off the wall onto a trampoline in their garden.
Twice I told them how dangerous it was as it was a long way to fall which was met by giggles.
Now I don't live there and our tenants don't seem to have a problem with it but I felt uncomfortable to have these kids watching every thing we did all afternoon.
When we finished we went in the house to talk to tenants and the kids were sat on the wall, legs dangling over our side of the wall looking right through the lounge window less than 3ft away.
So I opened the door and told them sternly to get off the wall before they fell off.
Within ten minutes there Dad was on top of the wall saying "excuse me do you live here?" We told him we were the landlords.
He then said I have told my children they can jump off the wall on to their trampoline, it's halfterm and don't worry I won't sue you if they fall! WTF!!
So my DH was polite but explained it was 20ft drop our side. He then told us its 10ft his side so he has put a step laddar his side so they can jump on the trampoline!!
We asked him who owned the wall and he said his wife thought they did. So it wasn't a problem was it?
I walked off at this stage as I was fuming at his attitude and DH was trying to keep it polite.
Would I be unreasonable to ask our solicitors to find out exactly who owns which bit of wall.I want it noted that he said he won't sue us as that was a very odd thing to say, why would he sue us? Why would he even think that way. I am concerned about damage to the wall and the lack of privacy my tenants have although at this early stage of living there they don't seem to mind.
Am I being unreasonable not wanting this to continue seeing as I don't live there