Really upset by neighbours that back onto my garden

[Tara336]

We bought our home last year and have been renovating it as it was N a horrendous state. The house isn’t done and we started the garden a few months ago. We cleared two huge skips of rubbish from the back garden. The garden is virtually finished and has cost an awful lot of time energy and money. We have re paved, laid an artificial lawn, installed decking and just this weekend we erected a summerhouse.

I came home today to find a note from the neighbour at end of our garden who is side on to us advising in the next few weeks he will be demolishing the garage in his garden whose wall forms part of the boundary and that our decking butts up too and will be replacing all of the fencing (plus new fence where garage wall was)

The thing is this is going to cause us so many issues with privacy as the garage wall Is higher then the new fence will be. We have French Doors from our bedroom in direct line with the wall right now meaning while they wait to replace the wall with a fence our bedroom is in full view. We have two dogs they will not be able to use the garden and the neighbour has a bloody colony of rats , we have seen them come in from his garden and into our neighbours.

We don’t know the guy but we know he fell out with our next door neighbour over the monstrosity of a garage he built in front of the one he’s suddenly decided to demolish. I’m also very concerned as the roof is asbestos. He appears to be from what I’ve seen and heard a person who doesn’t care very much who he upsets as long as he gets to do what he wants. There are 3 of us looking side on to his property and the huge breeze block monstrous garage I see visible in all our gardens

Just looking for advice/opinions really. How do we approach this

Frustrating, why won't the dogs be able to use the garden if he demolishes his garage. Could you plant some fast growing hedges or bamboo in front of the new proposed fence or a fence on your property. He should speak to the council about removing asbestos.

I’m not quite following this: you describe the garage as a “huge breeze block monstrous garage” - but equally you don’t want the one in front of it demolished because it will make you overlooked?
Unfortunately for you, he can do what he likes on his land. Unless it’s a conservation area where you often have to get permission for the smallest thing, you don’t normally have a jurisdiction on what happens over the boundary and with regard to fencing. I think you probably have to suck this up; it’s one of the disadvantages of living in close proximity to others.

Just put up your own taller fence before he starts? Asbestos wise just call the council and ask their advice.

It doesn’t sound like the work he wants to do is at all unreasonable but I appreciate it must be frustrating for you having just done your garden.

Get those sheer curtains for your bedroom doors whilst the work is ongoing, that sorts your privacy issue. As for the dogs, can you pop round and discuss it with him? I’m sure he won’t want the dogs in his garden so perhaps they could agree to leave the old fence in place until the last moment? Or could you erect a chicken wire type fence temporarily whilst the work is ongoing? As for the new fence being lower, could you offer to pay the extra cost for a higher fence? Or just plant some fast growing conifers in front of the new fence and trim them into a nice 6ft hedge once established.

Sounds unlikely to be asbestos if he built it himself and the rest of the garage is breeze block. You can read up on how to manage it on the HSE website. However short of you nipping over taking a piece and getting it tested there is very little you could do. Even then you can't force him to do anything with it.

As frustrating as it is, he's allowed to improve his garden and property just as you are allowed to do yours.

There are plenty solutions to the privacy thing. Bamboo screenings are low cost and effective. You could build a wall or put in some hedges.

What I would do right now would be to erect a fence on top of my own decking to act as my own boundary. Do this while the garage is still in situ, so that you are not interfering with the existing boundary.
In theory, that fence that you erect may actually be too high once the height of your deck is added on but I would take the chance that you'll get away with it since it will only be exposed when the garage is dismantled, it is not a boundary between actual adjoining properties, and if the garage has a peak roof the fence will be lower than what has formed the boundary for the past X years.

I think you need to sort your own garden OP. Get some screening on your side and a net curtain of some sort.

I think that many people are misunderstanding the OP's poorly explained post.

The breeze block monstrosity is a new garage situated behind the old garage and away from the boundary. The OP likes the old garage and the privacy it affords her, despite the fact that she fears that deadly fibres of asbestos will rain down on her garden if the garage is disturbed.

The old garage is to be demolished and replaced with a lower fence at the boundary, leaving the OP with less privacy, a view onto the new garage which they don't like, a (currently) unfounded worry about rogue asbestos, escaping dogs and a fearing an imminent invasion from a colony of rats.

OP, you need to understand the difference between your property and your neighbour's property. Within the confines of the law, he can do what he wants with his property.

Put up your own fence.If your desired fence is higher than permitted, seek the permission of your neighbour.

YABU and you know it

well, what he is doing seems reasonable. he has built a new garage, presumably legally and is now taking down the old one.
hire in some temporary metal fencing to keep the dogs in. if you dont like the replacement fence put up your own. buy a net curtain. maybe he feels overlooked by your french doors in your bedroom?

The neighbour has at least had the decency to let you know beforehand - he can't be all bad.

Rats do climb fences.

Put up your own fence