Can we take their crap off of our roof?!

[JohnnyMarr]

As the title outlines really...

My elderly mum is endeavouring to sell a garage. She's had a fair bit of interest, but we're experiencing a bit of an issue in that the garage (which is in a block, if this makes a difference) has a flat roof and the people living in the flat adjacent to it have taken it upon themselves to turn said roof into some kind of patio garden area and have installed garden furniture, a washing line, a barbecue and various other miscellaneous paraphernalia!

The title deeds make it perfectly clear that they don't have any legal right to do this, yet despite multiple (perfectly civil) conversations and subsequent written requests to either A) remove the aforementioned crap or B) Discuss an arrangement whereby we come to some acceptable agreement regarding maintenance and repairs to the roof they have failed to engage with either alternative.

My mum's personal circumstances dictate that she really needs to sell the garage and she's becoming increasingly distraught by the current BBQ debacle - whilst I obviously appreciate that this isn't a long term solution, are we nevertheless within our rights to just stick a ladder up there and remove their stuff given their prolonged refusal to cooperate?

I'd also really appreciate any other advice. Solicitors are involved but taking forever and costing a fortune my mum really can't afford until the garage sells so stuck in a bit of a Catch 22

Ah - still no update. What a great thread this was! Cheeky Fucker Central!

A roll of barbed wire coils run out across the roof 'for security' would put a stop to their access. I've seen it on a few flat roofs, usually shops or warehouses but also lockups used as storage. Not pretty but functional.
Council planning/building control are a pretty useless bunch at the best of times. Anything out with the routine/by the book application is usually too hard for them.
Hope you get a satisfactory and quick resolution though OP.

Oh dear, what cf’s!

Any update Op?

Did you get this sorted OP?

And how’s your husband’s phizog?

@TeapotCollection - and everyone else who's enquired - I'm so sorry for the lack of update after generating such outrage on my mum's behalf, dp (whose phizog remains singularly easy on the eye)'s mum sadly died in the midst of the garage fiasco and so it obviously took a bit of a back seat...

Anyway, on the bright side the CFs are, very belatedly, off the roof. On the less bright side this is only very recent, they've been dishonest and obstructive from start to finish and it's cost my mum almost 2k in legal fees which she really can't afford and which would have been entirely avoidable had they not been such CFs in the first place. I remain livid and can only hope that karma works it's magic on them.

Oh no! So very sorry OP 💐

I hope karma gets them too