Hoping someone can offer some advice. We live in a semi detached house that borders the gardens (including car parking spaces) of a large grade 2 listed building that has been converted to flats. This is on the unattached side of our property. Residents can and do park their cars alongside the boundary where part of our house stands. The previous owner extended our house into what would have been a side passage so the boundary isn’t a wall or a fence, it is actually the side of our kitchen and dining room. We do own the boundary wall (which is now part of our property). I hope this makes sense so far?!
There have been a couple of issues with cars being broken into in the car park/garden next door. We don’t park there, it’s private property, we park on our drive. But we are aware as people chat etc. I am friendly with several residents and I have had to contact the freeholder previously as part of a very fancy wall on their property fell down in a storm which impacted our front garden. It took ages to get fixed but the managing agent was reasonable, took responsibility and the wall was rebuilt.
Anyway. Last week I noticed that a solar security light had been very crudely attached to the side of our house - with tape, we think gorilla tape. No one has asked our permission. It looks terrible, and I imagine will leave a mark on the brick when removed. I think we know who has done this as one of regular cars has been permanently parked directly beneath it ever since. We are not opposed to having a permanent security light that shines on the car park area attached to our property. I would be happy to have a double lamp installed that would shine on both our back garden and their cars. However, I would want the freeholder/residents to share the cost. I think that’s very reasonable. We don’t want people hanging around breaking into cars by the side of our house either!
So with this suggestion in mind my husband posted a note next to the stuck up light asking someone to contact us about it, a very polite note. We haven’t touched the light or attempted to remove it, although I believe we are within our rights to do so. However we would not be able to remove it without accessing the private property of the car park. We did access it to stick up the note, but felt this was proportionate.
We expected some sort of positive response to the note and a way forward. However, the note has been ripped down and no one has attempted to contact us. So now I’m not sure what to do? We want the light removed as it’s unsightly but also if it should fall down and land on someone or on a car then I feel that we could be held responsible. I can call the managing agent and complain but I really want to know what the legal position is here? Do we have a right to access the private property to remove ourselves? Should we do this, won’t this just irritate the offending resident further? Please help! My husband is all for sledgehammer nut immediately by threatening legal action?! Anyone have any similar experiences?!
Thank you for getting this far 