Neighbour has attached a large gate to my wall, where do I stand?

[IHavemyownLighthouseyouknow]

Our neighbour has attached a large (ie, full height) wooden gate and surround between our two detached properties, without asking me. He doesn't live in the place and is renting it out, so I am trying various options to get his details so we can talk to him.

Before I do though, does anyone know where I stand with this or have any advice please? The gate goes across his land (passageway between the two properties with access to both gardens, we have right of way to use this though) and I guess he wants it for security, but I just don't want anything attached to my property! It's going to make the passageway very narrow if he puts up a proper gate post rather than attaching it to our house though, there's limited space as it is.

I could just complain that we weren't asked, and then give in, but I am worried that when we come to sell our house next year, this would cause problems.

If you can remove it without damage, do. If you can't you'll need to send a letter notifying him to remove it. And don't cave - if you do you'll miss your chance to complain.

I don't think I can remove it without damaging it. It's actually like a proper door, with door frame, and it's the frame that has been attached with nails & glue to the wall of our house.

His lettings agents aren't calling me back. I've just found the original details from when we had the right of way issue set up when we moved in, so I just hope he still lives in the same place to write to him.

Am I right in thinking though that this could cause problems when we come to sell if it remains? A friend also said that it's not a detached house any more if it has a link to next door, even if only just a piece of wood!

Cheeky!

Nails and glue! You need to tell him to remove it straight away.

I'd ring the lettings agents and make a nuisance of yourself until you get his address or at least a promise to pass it on. Threaten legal advice if they don't. He has some brass neck doing that without asking you!

Why don't you want anything attached to your property though? It won't do any harm, will it? It's usual for gates to alleys between two properties to be attached to both properties, even though the alley may be owned by one of them.

We live in a detached house, in a road of detached houses. Each house has an alley to one side leading to it's own back garden. Each house has a gate in this alley - one side being attached to the side wall of the house that owns the alley, the other being attached to the side of the neighbouring house who's wall is right against the alley on the other side.

Most estates are like that, aren't they?

It sounds like it improves your security too and I can't see how a gate across a passageway stops your houses from being detached. I'd see it as a positive selling point.

I should say, we both already have gates further down the passageway into the gardens, so it's not really necessary to have another.

I think I'm just pissed off that he's gone ahead & done it without consulting us, and I have to work out which route I want to go down before we hear from him.

I think he should have asked you, certainly. But there's no actual harm done, is there? A gate attached to your wall won't affect the value of your home, and won't stop you being able to describe it as "detached".

I think a polite note to the owner saying you'd prefer to be consulted next time he needs access to your property for anything would suffice.

I would think that it would be a selling point, rather than a detriment. A bit cheeky to do it without asking, but it's not causing any harm, so I wouldn't get my knickers in a twist about it.

I wouldn't like it either. What if the next step is he or his tenants put a padlock on it and you don't have the key? It isn't on at all.

You could get a copy of the title register from the Land Registry website - £3 for an instant download. Unless he has registered his address at the property his actual address should be on there.

Things like this are the thin end of the wedge. If you don't object he'll likely do something bigger and worse because he thinks he has carte blanche.

There could well be a reason that the gate was installed and that would be my first question as to why it was installed.

Don't get all het up about a gate. It does not make your house semi detached. It does add to the security of the properties and the tenants next door may well have had an issue, hence why the gate was installed.

The alternative is to remove the frame, which could possibly damage your brickwork, and install a gate post which will encroach on the width of the passage and depending on the paving, may result in the paving being cut to accommodate the gate post.

The most secure way to attach the gate is to attach it to the two walls which has been done.

I think people are wrongly confusing two different issues here

1. is it a good idea to have a locked gate?

Maybe

2. Does the neighbour have the right to fix things to my house without my permission?

No.

The OP is perfectly entitled to get "het up" about (2).

Yes, I agree but, he doesn't live there so it doesn't affect his day to day life like it would with the OP.

I have spent too many years on GardenLaw and seen how teeny things like this can escalate. It can zap you of your health and state of mind when your home is no longer your sanctuary.

As I said in my post, the first question I would ask is why the gate went up in the first place. I would go down the be nice route, you attract more bees with honey than vinegar. If you want something, ask nicely. then you can go in all guns blazing.

Piglet has it spot on (as usual!) Thank you for all the opinions though, it helped me see things a bit more logically.

We have his address now & have also left our contact details with his lettings agent. Hopefully we can get to speak to him soon to find out why this has suddenly gone up and we will probably agree to leave things be as it will cause more damage to our house to take it down, but on the condition he doesn't do things like that again without asking us first.

Do you know the tenants to speak to? Just thinking they could perhaps shed some light on why the gate has been put up.

I would second the honey approach . But this would annoy me . Not sure of the mechanics but I think you should get something in writing as to it's their responsibilty to maintain .

Good luck - let us know how it goes .

Did the owner attach the gate or the tenant?

We have the same issue, detached bungalow, parents are in their 80s, the neighbour attached a metal gate to the outside wall which is our wall bedroom is right next to it, so when people slam the gate the wall shudders, and wakes everyone up metal clang, we told them they slam harder, now we have new neighbours i will asl them to remove it