(Picture attached)Fell out with neighbours over a garage wall. Help!!

[Lifeisconfusing]

What’s you opinion.
Moved into new build property in December detached house with a detached house on both sides. We unfortunately have our neighbours garage in our garden no big deal (right)???
we had nearly completed the sale and the woman in sales office said ‘oh before I forget you can’t hang attached anything to your neighbours garage I.e hanging baskets basketball hoop etc etc. We said oh that’s fine we totally respect that.

Moved in thought both sides where lovely both respectable, both sides have young children ideal I thought as I have 3. I gave my neighbour clothes from my little girl that she had grown out of Iv bought her a gift when she had a baby Basically got on well and everyone was happy.

With lockdown like most people we decided to get garden done. We chose decking to go along the back where we get the sun to put the chairs on etc. When the workmen came I advised that we didn’t want to attached any of the wood to the garage wall and to leave a gap this was all agreed all good to go. When the workmen started putting the posts up I thought I’d just txt next door to say btw we are getting decking but we totally respect you and we haven’t drilled or screwed anything to the garage. She hadn’t seen my message as literally minutes later she knocked to say she had Hurd drilling (it was a saw) and that she was wondering what we where doing? I explained that i had just txt and said not to worry we have left a gap!! We chatted about other bits and pieces then she left. 10 mins later she came to the door with her dh and 2 little ones and the dh asked if he could have a word with the lads!!!! I said yeah go round the back so off he went round the side he was asking the workmen what they where doing and how etc and then said that the decking is too high and would affect the damp proof in the garage the workmen said if they do it to this height all the rain water will run onto the grass not his garage wall. He then said if he needs access to maintain it he couldn’t!!! the workmen said he could get into point or damp proof or what ever he thinks he may need to do can’t see much maintenance on a brand new house, but anyway!! He then left and I thought that was that.

I was looking out the window a few minutes later and I seen a man I’d never seen before along with the dh in my garden,I immediately got my back up as he’s complaining about Me touching his property when he’s just walked on my property without even knocking on me first to explain that he wanted to bring his dad round to have a look.

The dh and the dad was grilling the workmen again and the same thing was repeated,I told the dh that I was upset he’d came into the garden with his dad knowing my dh is working away and I thought it was intimidating I advised I was guttered as I thought there where a lovely family and there basically causing unnecessary trouble!! I got myself upset and went into the house.

His dw Txt and said it wasn’t there intention to upset me but that We basically should have told them that we were getting Decking done and made sure they where happy with our plans.
My argument is we haven’t touched there property we have respected that from day one, we only advised them of this because we are courteous but I don’t feel the need to run over my plans with them. I said that unfortunately there garage is in our garden and we have to make the best of the garden working round the garage!! Her reply was which pissed me off was ..... technically your garden abuts onto our garage which is our land not your garden!!!

It doesn’t matter how she try’s to dress it up the garage is in our garden.
Right if you’ve got this far what is your opinion Iv been as fair as fair can be,I’m so upset that we have fallen out but I haven’t done anything wrong.

So long as you have left a gap and maintain that gap then there isnt a problem. You may need to allow your neighbours reasonable access to maintain their garage wall but the emphasis is on reasonable.

Tell yoiur joiners not to let the neighbours into your garden without your permission.

I dont agree with the idea that you should have to have your plans 'approved' by the neighbours though in hindsight it probably would have been better to tell your neighbours what you were planning to give them a chance to check with you that there would be a gap. If they have had problems with the damp proofing of the garage that probably explains why they panicked when they saw the work starting.

IME never get too close with neighbours. It seldom ends well. A polite nodding level of acquaintance is plenty close enough. This has served us well over the years and many houses. We have never got in with our neighbours so have never fallen out.

I’m not having a fence 3 foot away from there sodding wall and loose garden.

But you could put the decking elsewhere, or pull back maybe a foot and have a short backing board along the edge of the deck so people don't just slip off, but it's still easy to keep the area clear of debris.

As well as your apparent "tough shit" attitude to your neighbour's property being pretty much guaranteed to sour relationships some, if you don't manage to keep the area between the decking and the garage clear, your decking and their wall may be damaged - and you could be financially responsible for both.

@ZombieFan sorry, I was just trying to explain what maintaining a gap is for. So long as the damp proof isnt bridged then a gap is a gap is a gap. No need for 3 foot wide access routes.

I have a feeling that if the situation was reversed they would do exactly what suited them. If we’re talking about mutually respecting property then they wouldn’t walk into your garden uninvited. Your mistake was telling them.

It is almost like the builders forgot there was meant to be a garage for that house and just stuck it in the available space.

Just make sure that the gap stays clear of debris. You haven't touched their garage, they chose a house with no gap between their garage wall and your garden. More fool them. Can you see the DPC? I think mine are about 2 brick courses up? It is definitely under the door step of one of my doors.

Enjoy your garden, enjoy your sunny spot. The decking cannot have too much of a gap for safety reasons due to the slightly raised height from the garden.

I know this isn’t what you’re asking but what an odd layout! It seems so strange to just have a garage that doesn’t belong to you at the end of your garden. I wouldn’t like that at all.

I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong but I can also see from their point of view that it’s not going to be good from a damp perspective etc to have decking so close to their wall.

OP if the garage wall was the wall of their house, would you say that their house was in your garden?

They are being ridiculous. If they didn't want an issue with someone potentially touching their precious garage wall, they should have purchased a house that didn't have this set up.

You haven't done anything wrong and I wouldn't have even mentioned you were building decking to them, it's your garden not theirs and you can do what you want with it. They have no say in it at all. It's not touching their wall.

They sound like they are going to whinge and moan about everything, but I bet if they wanted to build decking or something like that in their garden, they would just do it because "it's theirs"

Just to add, some of the houses on our development has this stupid set up. One side of our garden is part fence with wall of next doors garage making up the rest of the boundary, luckily it's just the wall that follows the fence - I wouldn't have wanted the garage to be sticking out like it does with your garden. Luckily, the wall is at the far end of the garden and the builders put the shed in front of it anyway.

Our neighbours to the other side have another neighbours garage wall acting in the same way, following the fence line - but theirs is smack in the middle of the fencing and not hidden by anything and i know for w fact they are intending on hanging stuff to it soon.

I think they were a bit out of line all coming round like that, but I do see their point on that tiny gap, it looks like it could fill with water and crap and cause an issue. Personally a bigger gap would be better.

The garage is not in your garden . It adjoins your garden; to say it's "in" it implies it's actually built on your land. Of course it isn't.

OP

I think you should try and smooth things over from this point.

What’s done is done.

You could say look we are coming from different perspectives.

Personally I would plant some sensible shrubs to block the view and then plant decking.

I think your neighbours have a right to be concerned, issues can and do come up (the ants nest further up thread is one example!). But I think you didn’t realise this, and so feel they are interfering.

Would you be willing to pay for any major issues that might come up as a result of its small distance from the garage wall?

So, it is in your benefit as well to make sure no issues like that come up.

But you should raise the issue that no one should enter your garden without asking. That’s a big no no.

What a stupid layout for a garden! It's more like the line should have run right across from their garage, giving you a much smaller overall garden, but not feeling like a garage was plunked in the middle of it

Decking - I thought that looked too close to the garage. We had problems with our damp proof with a similar very small gap (the boards will bring it higher and closer) and if they are nervous anyway about their dpc I can see why they have panicked. Difficult. I guess if you don't want to move it a few more inches then just keep an eye that nothing abuts the wall.

The OP has done nothing wrong, the decking hasn’t been attached to their garage, they are being ridiculous.

This is not helpful right now but in retrospect a patio the same level as the grass would have avoided these issues.

Our neighbour’s garden and a wall of our house join in a very similar situation to yours OP. They Put decking down but left a huge gap, about a metre. They put pebbles down and some pot plants and it looks really nice.

They should never ever come onto your property uninvited. I know you agreed the first instance but the second was not appropriate or respectful.

You haven’t attached it to their building and have left an ample gap giving reasoning from the workmen as to why this won’t impact them (twice as they were rude enough not to take this answer the first time) so I’d just make sure you reply again with the same and make it clear you’ll not enter into further conversation about it.

Please stop saying their garage is in your garden. It isn't.

Op our old house had the issue odd issue with the neighbours garage ‘in’ our garden. It’s a weird set up. We had to give them access for maintenance etc. Although they hardly ever used it. We even got tried to purchase the garage but they wouldn’t sell it. We were the same as you, respectful of their property but we had to have a new garden gate fitted which had to be hung on their external garden wall. Luckily they were fine about it.

I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong so crack on with your decking. And make sure you get a lock fitted so they can’t access the garden as and when they choose!

Oh the fun of new housing’

People are petty and stupid. They need to get a grip.

A garage wall forming a neighbour's garden wall was one thing that put us off buying a house. ( new build)
They are not going to be able to perform maintenance on that .

One would rely on getting access through next door garden.

You have created a maintenance nightmare OP .

It sounds like a communication problem to me. If you knew they were the sort to complain, telling them in advance was the way to go.
Don't take their reaction personally. Smooth it over and move on.

You can build as close as you want to next doors structure, my old neighbours built a two storey extension with a two inch gap alongside our house. This meant there was no access for either house to do any maintenance. And yes, they had planning permission.

Putting decking up is nothing compared to that. Considering neighbours access may be considerate and polite, but it is not necessary.
Well over ten years later neither of our houses have any issues with the neighbouring walls, no maintenance has been required, despite the fact no access could be gained if it was.
It is a shame you have fallen out, but you haven’t done anything wrong. I agree with other posters, I would have put up a fence around the garage, not leaving much space, couple of inches just so it didn’t touch their garage, as why should you sacrifice your space for their ‘potential’ need in the future to gain access to the side of their garage?
Try to live with what has happened and move on. Enjoy your decking.

Does the water from that down pipe go into a drain or a soak away? Where I work they go into soakaways which get blocked up and the area doesnt drain. I would definitely look into that.

Ask the builders as they are there! They'll have a better idea on what's likely to cause trouble.

I think given they've already had damp problems there, it's less surprising that the neighbours are worried.

Try and think that their concerns are reasonable and work out how to reassure them rather than writing them off as awful people. It will make life easier.