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Original poster

Neighbour washing line dispute

21 replies

kpodwyer · 10/04/2015 20:55

My neighbour used a hammer drill to fit one end for his line post on my garage wall. The garage wall runs parallel with the boundary but is set a few centimetres back and so it is all on my property. I do not want this on my garage as it may harm the brickwork with the weight of his washing, also the fact that he took out a line post from his garden when he first moved in. He did not ask my permission and has refused to remove it. What is my best course of action.

OP posts:
peggyundercrackers · 10/04/2015 20:55

Cut the line at the wall.

Lagoonablue · 10/04/2015 20:57

If he refuses cut it off.

ivykaty44 · 10/04/2015 21:07

He is legally not allowed to attch something to your property

Marmitelover55 · 10/04/2015 21:10

Ooo cut the rope...

butterflyballs · 10/04/2015 21:12

Remove it. He can put a concrete post in his garden to attach the line to.

OinkBalloon · 10/04/2015 21:13

Can you not remove it yourself? Will it not just screw out?

I wouldn't cut the rope, because then you would be damaging his property. Tit for tat is rarely a good idea.

OttiliaVonBCup · 10/04/2015 21:13

Put some old greying M&S knickers on to dry.

Line will be gone soon.

forago · 10/04/2015 21:13

we have a similar situation except the garage is next doors, right up to the boundary. They were planning to extend it over the boundary. I suggest you do what we did - get a fence built on the boundary

binspin · 10/04/2015 21:14

hang your washing on it

wowfudge · 10/04/2015 23:08

If you can speak to him, show him a copy of the title plan, point out the garage is within the boundary between your two properties and the garage wall is not a party wall. Tell him you do not give permission for him to attach anything to your garage or across the boundary onto your property. Give him 24 hours to remove it. Tell him the washing line needs to be secured to something which is inside the boundary of his own property.

If he doesn't remove it then remove it yourself and fill the hole up. Don't damage the line.

Work on the basis that he is mistaken as to the set up. It is immaterial whether or not the washing line will damage your property - he's already damaged it by drilling into it.

Chances are that he won't want to speak to you. In which case write to him instead. Just give the facts, no accusations and state what you want to happen.

Formysister218 · 11/04/2015 17:07

What a cheeky shit!

siblingrevelryagain · 11/04/2015 17:12

Here's a novel idea-be the bigger person and let him keep it there now it's in place. Yes, he should've asked permission, but is it really worth creating tension with neighbours over? It most probably won't damage the brickwork so it won't cause you any issues now.

Seems like lots of people on MN spend their waking hours spoiling for a fight, just waiting for some poor unintentional bugger to mess up!

frogsfromrumrah · 11/04/2015 19:54

If you really want to annoy him, write a letter requesting a £100 a day fee for use of your property. If you want to be rational, say how surprised you were about the work to your garage wall and ask politely if he can in the next month, put in a post on his own land as you don't want to inadvertently give a legal right to him for this use into perpetuity.....

clam · 11/04/2015 19:58

How long does it take for the legal right to become established?

frogsfromrumrah · 11/04/2015 20:09

Generally ten years plus 2 from memory, a total of 12 years exclusive use, but read the detail as ive not used this point of law for 3 years. Check out Practise guide 4 adverse possession of registered land on the gov.uk web comes up on google. I'm assuming you're england or Wales. I have no idea about Scotland sorry...

frogsfromrumrah · 11/04/2015 20:13

Sorry scratch last post it was meant for another message and my iPad won't delete. To answer question on wash line it's normally 25 years uninterrupted use for an easement but the rules are complicated. As the use is clearly going to be challenged then that's an interruption from the start...

CakeMakesEverythingBetter · 12/04/2015 08:36

Just because it is your garage does not automatically mean the wall is yours, have you checked it? Our garage wall is mostly along our boundary but a small part of it adjoins our neighbour. They did the same as yours. I was pissed off about it but let it go. Months later I was looking up something else and realised that actually that small piece of wall belongs to them. It's a crazy situation and if I'd realised at the time we were buying (new build) I'd have asked for it to be changed.

LittleBairn · 12/04/2015 08:38

Remove it but wait till he has a line full of clean washing on it first.

wowfudge · 12/04/2015 12:05

Cake - read the OP. If this is all correct, on what basis would it not be the OP's wall? Even if it's bang on the boundary line it's still the OP's.

Joan0fArk · 12/04/2015 13:14

I wonder is it worth the battle.

wowfudge · 12/04/2015 14:25

Well it's arguable whether letting it go would be the best thing to do. My fear - and something similar happened to me in my first house when I let something go - would be that the neighbour then believes the garage marks the boundary and you come home one day and find he's put a fence in, making his garden bigger and yours smaller.

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