Neighbours think my garden is shared

[sweetnickle]

I’m really at my wits end here. Terraced property, moved in almost 2 years ago. The neighbours have an extension that takes up the best part of the length of my garden. It overhangs massively and cuts off any sunlight to my garden. Their plumbing is overhanging my property too.

Because the extension was built in 2001 they are now under the impression that because their plumbing is in my airspace they own the bit that it overhangs. This means they are constantly on my back about how I keep my garden as they think it is their’s too. They have even taken it upon themselves to trespass and cut trees down when I was on holiday. They think that because their extension is now my boundary wall that they can do as they wish.

I just want some privacy and to be left alone. I should be able to have my garden how I want without others destroying it. They need to accept that it is my property and they do not share it with me. I was wondering if there is anything that I can do at this point about the overhanging plumbing? Ideally they need to be removed and re done over their own property

We only needed 1 letter from a solicitor to remind our neighbours of the way of the boundary and their trespassing in our garden

Then they moved - was truly blissful.
Apparently she was mad she couldn't paint my fence brown on her side when our side was black!

Have you spoke to them about it?

Yeah I’m definitely going to have to get a solicitor involved as they are causing a lot of other problems for me as well as this. I’m glad yours moved! Some people are just bizarre

Do you have the land registry map of your property? That clearly shows the boundaries. If you don’t you can buy them online for a few quid. I had a neighbour when I was renting who used to throw his rubbish ‘in the shared bit’ at the bottom of our garden. I got the maps and pointed out the red line was all ours.
I think it was here I got it from:
eservices.landregistry.gov.uk/eservices/FindAProperty/view/MapEnquiryInit.do
Then I’d be phoning the council to ask for advice.

Isn't it in your deeds/land registry thing?

You need to get a solicitor to look at the deeds, the boundaries and write to them telling them it's not their land, they can't come into your garden and the plumbing needs to be re routed. What a nightmare.

It’s got past that point. The husband confronted me the other day asking to be friends now that my garden is to his standard basically! I just nodded and went inside my house. They grate on me too much I’d probably just end up shouting at them. I’ve stuck a notice on my window stating that any neighbours caught trespassing and causing criminal damage will be reported. Not sure if they’ve read it yet though. I’ve also installed CCTV and caught them doing quite a lot so far. They also have a habit of standing directly outside my front window having shouty conversations with their friends for hours every day. They’re 60+ I’d have expected them to have more respect for others but it’s the complete opposite

How do they get into your garden? Is it at the front?

In the front are they on your land or the pavement, I'd call the police if they keep coming onto your private property and see what they can do.

It seems you bought rhe property when rhe extension and plumbing g had been in place for several years, so I doubt you've room for complaint if it was done correctly

So the issue is the bit of garden under it, it's up to uou to manage as you see fit. They cannot enter and do things with it, but I would make sure it's not so overgrown it causes their property damage.

I don’t understand. How are they accessing your garden? You don’t actually say that you’ve told them it’s not their garden?

How can plumbing overhang your garden so much? Do you mean the pipe work & guttering?

On the front it’s shared access by a path down the middle of both our gardens so they regularly use my garden too. Their dog digs holes in my grass and urinates. I have all of this recorded ready to show someone. It’s private rent so I don’t have the deeds but will buy them online. I could move but it’s the perfect house for me long term until I can buy. Really don’t want to have to go through the whole renting another house rigmarole again!

It’s starting to become very clear to me why this house is rented out and it’s had the same owner for as long as their extension has been there. My landlord went against the application with some very good points but somehow it was still allowed

Call the police every time they are on your property
Keep the CCTV images for proof
Speak to a community police officer and ask them to pop round and have a word

You sound worried about these people?

After that get a solicitors letter - give the solicitor lots of photos - and ask they write a letter

Hope these photos work just trying to show the pipes. Water also overflows from them regularly and leaks into my garden

Not sure if the photos work but it’s quite a lot of piping that would be inconvient to me if they needed work doing on it. Not worried about them just want them to get a life and leave me alone really!

I think you need to talk to your landlord. Its very much his/her business if people are accessing the property and cutting down trees, not to mention causing distress to the tenant!

If nothing else they should be able to give you the information from the land registry so that you don't have to pay for that.

Ok, if you rent this is a different animal entirely.

You need to contact the landlord if there are any issues, it's their job to resolve it. You cannot get a solicitor involved and cause the landlord a dispute. You need to go through the land lord. It is their property and this sort of tthing is theirs to manage. Renting it doesn't give you the right to go via a solicitor, buy the deeds and take action.

When I rented out properties if you'd done that without my authority I'd give you notice to leave in line with your rental agreement.

I can’t understand permission being allowed to build over someone else’s boundary; that just doesn’t happen.
Can you check that they have actually adhered to the plans that were passed? It sounds far more likely that they’re in breach of planning permission than permission for this was given.
Whether you can try to enforce a breach at this point is another matter, of course.

Yeah I’m going to tell the landlord and get the deeds off of him. I’m a bit miffed at him too because he should have disclosed any issues with neighbours to me before I moved in. They said that they weren’t on good terms with the landlord. I’m essentially paying a lot of money just to be constantly harrassed

Oh, you’re renting . Talk to your landlord...

I’ll screenshot bits of the application and all the points by neighbours not to have it done. Would just link to it but will leak my address. I’m in awe as to how it was passed at all as it was built into both sides boundaries. Currently waiting for my landlord to call me back regarding the deeds. He’s fully aware of this situation but hasn’t really done anything yet

You must speak to the landlord, you are entitled to live in peace but it's not your property. The landlord needs to sort it out, did you have to get his permission to put up cctv.

I think you're maybe confused. The landlord doesn't need to give you the deeds. You escalate any issues to them, it's their job to resolve it if they chose to do so.

If they do not you give notice as per your contract and move on.

Am I in my right to leave without notice if he doesnt resolve the issues? Definitely not up for waiting an extra 2 months if I have an opportunity to get away from them