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Original poster

Cheeky neighbours want me to pay

435 replies

eggfairy1 · 12/04/2022 22:55

New neighbours bought a flat in my building. There are eight flats in total in the building.

I haven't met them yet but they're buying for investment and I found it posted online for rent already.

I came home the other day to find the main door to the building had been painted. It was shabby before and could do with a coat but this was surprising since I hadn't been consulted and it was a shared door. The new colour is black which I was always told was a bad omen. I really didn't like it but didn't want to make a fuss.

They have now emailed us saying they want the flats to equally contribute £25. Lovely to meet you too.

It may not sound like a lot of money but I am really budgeting right now and my weekly budget for fun is £30 and it would have to come from that which is miserable.

I just know if I send them the money I will be bitter about it and anxious that they may expect me to pay in the future without consenting me.

If asked, I would have reluctantly agreed to have it painted just not black.

Is there any way I can get away with not paying and not entirely ruin any relationship with them?

OP posts:
SockFluffInTheBath · 14/04/2022 21:21

@eggfairy1

So far I have ignored the message but I will update if they send another. All of my friends and family without hesitation have said that they would just pay to maintain the relationship and everyone on here is saying not to pay. I am so torn.
Maybe pay then but email back to say you won’t pay anything else in the future unless it’s agreed ahead of time.
BronskiBeaten · 14/04/2022 21:27

@Viviennemary

They were out of order painting the communal door without asking and quite cheeky to then charge. But it isn't much. I would just pay it this time but say in future these jobs need to be discussed first.
Wise up! Pay for a job that wasn’t agreed? Nah, I’d complaint it was done without consultation. OP has an issue with the colour and new owner is a CF.
rollinghillz · 14/04/2022 21:28

I bet they're getting you lot to pay for it and also putting through the books for the rental flat.

I would totally ignore the cheeky fuckers

3luckystars · 14/04/2022 21:34

No way.
Don’t pay.

Next time it could be a bigger job, they need to get agreement before doing anything in future.

unname · 14/04/2022 21:36

@eggfairy1

I had a look at the deeds and there is no mention of leasehold or freehold but it says in order for maintenance the majority of the flats should be in agreement then the work can carry out and the rest are obligated to pay.

I'm also in Scotland

I would reply to overbearing neighbor’s message with a picture of this from the deed. I don’t think I’d pay, either.
nonevernotever · 14/04/2022 21:37

Others have already covered the Scottish tenure issue and factoring arrangements, so I'll just add on the building insurance side. In Scottish tenement flats there often isn't a communal building insurance policy and instead each flat owner takes out their own individual policy. If that's the case, the key thing to check is that the rebuilding cost is adequate for rebuilding the whole tenement (our previous ones were usually either unlimited costs or several million). Otherwise op, stick to your guns and use some of the wording pp have suggested. You need to make the position clear now before they start really pushing it

Cailleach1 · 14/04/2022 21:43

@Aaaabbbcccc

£200 for painting a door is entirely reasonable if has been done properly (stripped back, properly prepared, primed and two coats for paint). That is what it costs.
How does the op (or the other 6 owners) know the job was done to this standard? No quotes or invoice with spec. was provided. The buy to let investor may have just had some paint left over from their own refurbishment, and slapped it onto the building entrance door to entice a tenant. None of the other 7 owners were consulted, never mind agreed to have it done to their communal property.
thenewduchessoflapland · 14/04/2022 21:48

Who owns the freehold?

SeasonFinale · 14/04/2022 21:48

No buildings insurance? What if the place burns down?

Namechangehobby · 14/04/2022 21:48

I’d also ask for a breakdown of costs, sounds like the guy is pulling a number out the air and certainly making a profit.

Either way, you never agrees and the door was functional before. He simply did it to make the place look nice literally for his own financial benefit

RAOK · 14/04/2022 21:56

Just ignore! They have not gone about it the right way at all and you can sure as hell bet that money is not an issue for them and they do not have a £30 budget for fun. What if they wanted a golden door? Would they expect you to cough up hundreds?! The overbearing neighbour should not have given out your email address without your consent.

DanceItOut · 14/04/2022 21:58

Um no. First thought that comes to mind is that they didn’t ask first they just did it then want people to pay up and £200 is not a small amount for a door being repainted.

Will these people actually be the ones living there? Because if not then I wouldn’t even pay to maintain a relationship with them. If they were actually living there I would maybe begrudgingly pay while making absolutely clear that in future I would not be paying for anything unless I had been consulted in advance. But if they are renting out to others then I wouldn’t pay out.

goaskmum · 14/04/2022 21:59

I would just LOL in their faces

Painiscrap · 14/04/2022 21:59

@Viviennemary

They were out of order painting the communal door without asking and quite cheeky to then charge. But it isn't much. I would just pay it this time but say in future these jobs need to be discussed first.
Did you read the part where the op said “I am really budgeting right now and my weekly budget for fun is £30 and it would have to come from that”.

It might not be much money to you, but why should op have to spend her small budget on something she didn’t want and would have refused (the colour) had she been asked!

MarieKlepto · 14/04/2022 22:04

Don't pay. We've lived in a similar block to yours in Scotland (so almost definitely freehold). No factor, mix of owned and rental. The fact there was no majority agreement to the job (and it wasn't an immediate emergency) means they have absolutely no right to demand any monies from you. Plus, £200 is a silly amount of money to have two doors painted and the "keep the peace" brigade are just making a rod for their own backs by setting a precedent for the new owners (and difficult neighbour - do they know each other?) getting their own way every time. Do respond but ask for the quotes and results of the consultation (which they "may have missed you out on", but we know they haven't done). I know it's hard to rock the boat but sometimes it's for the best of all in the long run. Good luck!

NickyT64 · 14/04/2022 22:20

Work can not be carried out by individual homeowners unless they bought the freehold as well. Only the freeholder can carry out such work. Do you know who owns the freehold or is there a management company? I just happen to have a lawyer sitting next to me at the moment and he has verified everything I’ve put!!!!

Comefromaway · 14/04/2022 22:24

Who owns the freehold is the new cancel the cheque.

Please folks RTFT - the OP is in Scotland where the freehold issue doesn’t apply.

tkwal · 14/04/2022 22:39

If you have to pay for work done in a communal area you should be consulted beforehand and have your say about what is to be done. I wouldn't pay and let them know why.

Neverreturntoathread · 14/04/2022 22:42

I would email back saying that you’re really disappointed and surprised that the residents weren’t consulted in advance about this aesthetic change to the building, and that maintenance of communal areas is by agreement in advance. For example you would not spend thousands on a mural and then expect the other residents to share the cost of your taste! Say that while new paint on the door was probably a good idea, you would not have agreed to the colour they chose and do not think it fits the style of the building. Then either (a) say as you are new to the building, to avoid bad feeling I’m paying £25 as a ‘welcome to the building’ gesture but I would like it really clear that you must not make further changes to the communal areas without permission of all other residents; or (b) say I would be happy to pay towards the door paint if it is finished with a top coat colour that suits the style of the building which in my opinion would be [green, red or blue] but I cannot be expected to fund someone else’s choice of paint colour when I was not consulted on it and am not happy with it.

Greenshed · 14/04/2022 22:57

So, they are saying the cost of painting the door amounts to £200? That’s taking the proverbial. Ask for a breakdown of costs:
Cost of all paint (undercoat plus top coat) and cost of labour. Insist on seeing a receipt plus the name of the contractor doing the job. ( I suspect there wasn’t one - they probably painted it themselves.)
Incidentally, is this door all solid, or partly reinforced glass? Obviously, less paint required if partly glass.
Do not pay - they took it upon themselves to paint it, and, as you say, they are new neighbours buying one flat for investment, not the main property owners. Take it up with the main landlord/ building owner, if they get shirty about it. Sounds to me as if they’re trying it on!

clpsmum · 14/04/2022 23:01

I would reply saying I knew nothing of it and didn't consent therefore will
Not be paying

Hertsgirl10 · 14/04/2022 23:16

How did they even get your email address?

No don’t pay them anything why would you?

Also they don’t care about ruining the relationship with your or other people in the block so don’t worry about that, also they’re not gonna be living there anyway so won’t be much of a relationship to ruin.

I would paint it a nicer colour and charge them
😂

lifesnotaspectatorsport · 14/04/2022 23:18

That's so cheeky! I lived in Scotland for years, owned freehold flats in shared tenements. Never did any of my neighbours randomly take it upon themselves to organise non-urgent jobs in the communal areas without so much as consulting the other flats!

I would reply saying all flat owners need to be consulted before communal works are carried out. As pp have said, minimum 3 quotes and agreement from the majority to go ahead. Ask your other neighbours (who are presumably cc'd) if they are in agreement.

If majority do agree this time, I think you'll have to pay up though.

lifesnotaspectatorsport · 14/04/2022 23:20

Only if they can show you the paid invoice though!! As @Greenshed said

Hyppogriff · 14/04/2022 23:28

Mmm I would probably pay but I would first require sight of the invoice and say that any future communal work should have prior approval with at least 2 quotes to choose from