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Original poster

Can I use my side of my boundary wall? Law in UK please

44 replies

Raginghistorically · 18/01/2023 01:46

When we moved into our terraced house, our next door neighbour told us that the wall that separates our rear gardens was built by her, deliberately inside her boundary. It looks like it is right on the boundary but we do not know and that is not the issue. She constantly tell us we cannot lean or attach anything on our side of the wall, It is 5ft tall solid single skin brick wall. She climbs up, leans over to see in and then writes to us aggressively threatening to get professions in to remove the attachments and charge us or engage us in legal action and us paying her costs. To be nice, we removed a small piece of lattice (less than 2ft tall), we attached to the wall to train a plant, then removed a wire we had run along the wall to get power to the bottom of the garden, and attached it to our paving instead, Next she demanded we remove a small electrical box attached to the wall which houses the garage door electrics, which we did, placing it on a stand alone steel plate. However, she has written again saying we have not complied with her wishes which is nonsense. We are at our wits end and are losing patience, Can I legally attach things to the wall or not? I want to either be in the right, or if I absolutely must, build another wall beside hers.

OP posts:
Fleur405 · 18/01/2023 01:54

Which country of the uk are you in?

Whatthediddlyfeck · 18/01/2023 02:27

It’s a wall She paid for, within her property. If you want to attach things train plants etc, you really need to build a fence or wall inside your boundary

PoIIyPandemonium · 18/01/2023 02:38

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

CobraChicken · 18/01/2023 02:51

It looks like it is right on the boundary but we do not know and that is not the issue.

I'm afraid that's totally the issue. If it's on her property, you have no right to attach anything to it.

lifeinthehills · 18/01/2023 03:11

I'd ask for evidence it's on her side of the boundary. Plans or something. If it is, it's her wall, her rules, I'd think. Not legal advice though.

Ladyinpuce · 18/01/2023 03:23

Have you checked your deeds to see whether or not it actually is her wall?

ThoseDamnCrows · 18/01/2023 07:52

If it's her wall then you cannot attach anything without her permission.

LordSugarTits · 18/01/2023 07:54

You obviously need to find out if it's her wall and whether it's on her side of the boundary or not

StarInTheHeavens · 18/01/2023 07:59

This is why some gardens are double-walled. It looks nuts but it means each can do as they please. Most neighbours get along and can do without this. I'm shocked you say it's a single brick thickness. Walls of this height should always be double. It won't be very stable in the long run so it's probably best you don't attach anything to it.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 18/01/2023 08:25

@Ladyinpuce

A single skin wall is less than 4 inches wide (although I would guess it must have piers every so often otherwise it is going to fall over). I don't believe deeds showing boundaries are that precise.

Deeds: "Such Plans can never be considered to be 100% accurate, as the boundaries are noted by HM Land Registry as 'general boundaries' only. This is, of course, unless there has been a boundary line determination made, to confirm the exact positioning of the same."

@lifeinthehills

"I'd ask for evidence it's on her side of the boundary"

This is what I would do.

WhatDoesItSay · 18/01/2023 08:27

If it's terrace you should be able to work out if it's on her land or not. If it is she is right that you can't do anything to her wall. You could build your own wall though.
How thick is the wall?

VanCleefArpels · 18/01/2023 08:28

Insert a fence on your side, not touching her wall. Job done

TaRaDeBumDeAy · 18/01/2023 08:36

Build your own wall, as high as you legally can, so it rises above hers. Make her side as ugly as possible, and don't let her grow something over it or put something on it to hide it. Play her at her own petty game.

MichelleScarn · 18/01/2023 08:39

I'd either erect a fence or build a wall just inside your boundary. It'll probably mean a gap of inches between them but it sounds like she'll constantly be difficult!

Georgeskitchen · 18/01/2023 09:23

Do what we did. Build a sturdy fence a couple of inches from the offending wall. 2 meters high I think.the limit is. You can then attach anything you wish and she has no recourse. Our neighbour wasn't happy when we did this but it's tough shit.
Then tell your neighbour she can stick her wall in the bodily orifice of her choice 😉😉

Quitelikeit · 18/01/2023 09:58

Don’t get sucked into this. This woman has nothing else to focus on in her life and is being ridiculous.

Either put up your own fence and be done with it or ignore her.

Do not bother getting a solicitor involved as that will feed her need for drama!

Original poster
Raginghistorically · 18/01/2023 10:56

England.

OP posts:
MrsSkylerWhite · 18/01/2023 10:58

Put a fence up on your side and grow what you like against it.

Kazzyhoward · 18/01/2023 11:01

Not sure why you kept attaching things to her wall when she'd previously asked/told you not to!

The answer is to put up your own fence/wall right to the edge of your side of the boundary and then you can attach what you want.

Uninterestedfamily · 18/01/2023 11:02

Even if it's on the boundary, if it's her wall, you can't do anything to it.

I'd be worried about a 5' single skin wall. Not stable?

WeepingSomnambulist · 18/01/2023 11:02

No, you cannot.

The boundary isnt the wall. It is an imaginary line. People put up walls and fences and your title deeds will tell you which boundary you are responsible for maintaining. If the wall or fence belongs to you then you can attach to it and paint it but your neighbour cannot. If the wall or fence belongs to the neighbour then they can attach things but you cannot.

The neighbour had a wall built entirely on their land, just inside the boundary rather than on the boundary. It is their land plus it is their wall. You cannot paint it or attach anything at all to it.

Why have you attached things to it so many times? It sounds like you keep doing it and she has to tell you to remove it. So why do you go and attach something else to it?

It isnt your all and out isnt on your land. Stop damaging it by attaching things.

You are entirely wrong. She has told you. She writes to you every time to attach something. Just stop bloody doing it.

If you want sometbing to attach stuff to then erect your own wall or fence on your side of the boundary.

pinkfondu · 18/01/2023 11:02

Put up a fence higher than her wall end of.

WhyCantPeopleBeNice · 18/01/2023 11:02

@Ladyinpuce our deeds show one boundary as the responsibility of our neighbors, however we paid for the fence that's next to the boundary. They have no right to attach anything to it and certainly don't own it.
Responsibility for a boundary and ownership of fences/walls are two very different things

akkakk · 18/01/2023 11:03

tell her that you have established that it is a party wall / shared boundary wall.
If she disagrees, you are happy to formally appoint a party wall surveyor for a legal decision, but she will need to pay (up front). Until then it will be considered a party wall and any further correspondence will be considered harassment.

WeepingSomnambulist · 18/01/2023 11:06

akkakk · 18/01/2023 11:03

tell her that you have established that it is a party wall / shared boundary wall.
If she disagrees, you are happy to formally appoint a party wall surveyor for a legal decision, but she will need to pay (up front). Until then it will be considered a party wall and any further correspondence will be considered harassment.

Doeant work like that. The neughbour paid for it. It belongs to them. OP cannot attach stuff to it.

If she wants to contest the position then she needs to pay the cost of doing so, but the wall doeant belong to her and wouldnt be a party wall.