Can neighbours put up a brick wall to the side of your house without asking?

[Reastie]

Just wondering. There was an attachment to the side of our house previously with screws and wood but they’ve rebuilt this wall in a different position without asking and with bricks. I don’t really mind, but it feels like they should’ve checked first as it’s attached to our house. I know it shouldn’t bother me, and it’s no biggie, but I think my autistic tendencies kind of feel like they should’ve checked first.

If it is deemed to be a permanent structure they could be changing your house from detached ( or semi or whatever) to link-detached.

The damp course is the membrane that stops groundwater creeping up your walls. It is like a rubber layer in the wall.

If they have built a a wall touching your house and it provides a route for damp around the damp course, you will end up with a damp and very cold room. It breaches building regs. You need to get it checked by the council asap.

I don't understand why you are not MORE concerned tbh.

You need to get this checked.

Nothing can be attached to YOUR property.. Get this sorted with a solicitor before either of you ever sell.

This is worrying me now

Why don’t you speak to them. Say you’ve noticed they have built a wall and attached it your house. Ask them why they have done it and what makes them think that they are entitled to do it when you live in a detached house. Ask what there is in their deeds that makes them think this was acceptable.

No doubt there will be some blustering and comments along the lines of they thought they could or you wouldn’t mind. My response would be that I was worried it infringed on your deeds and contravened the boundaries and you would need to seek legal advice about it, but expected they would be required to take it down and make good. I’d finish by saying that you really wished they had spoken to you about it first because then you could have pointed out this wouldn’t be legally acceptable and stopped it.

Its possible that they will just offer to remove it. If not, tell them you will need to seek legal advice and if it’s shown that they have done something they shouldn’t, you will expect it to be rectified and any costs you incur to be paid for them. I’d be firm but friendly and say that it’s really unfortunate they’ve done this but you hope that you can work together to get it resolved.

And then I think you will need legal advice. This will obviously cost. Hopefully you will be able to get the money back from the neighbours and they will be co-operative in this whole process. Please don’t ignore it or let it go. This is a serious matter.

No it’s not ok!! You need to be very bothered by this.

It looks to me as though both the gate and the wall should be where they are! They can't attach anything to your property without your permission. If they've actually mortared a brick wall permanently to your house, then as a PP said, that could even change the status of your house from being detached to link-detached or semi, or from semi to terrace.... which would be reflected in its value. Could also be a potential nightmare if you want to sell and a prospective buyer's solicitor advises that the wall needs to come down. I'm surprised that you seem so sanguine about it all really. People can't just go around attaching or building things onto someone else's property!

Oh god of course that should be NEITHER the gate nor wall should be where they are

I agree with the above, I would be mighty pissed off if my neighbour had done that, and I would have stopped them when they started building it. I'm not sure why you didn't notice it going up.

Also, I wouldn't have been happy about a wood structure being drilled into my walls too.

I'm afraid it would have to come down from my perspective. In both places! They could have dug out and fitted concrete or wooden posts into the ground, not touching your property and fixed their gates to them. This is bang out of order.

I was in a similar situation. Unless the deeds show different I would assume that your house is built right up to the limit of the boundary of the land it sits in and not over it. Your house wall is your private wall not a party wall.

Whoever put that brick wall up won’t have just used mortar.

There will be brick ties screwed in to your wall every 3 or so courses. Or a wall starter strip will be screwed in the height.

the wall would fall over straight away without mechanical fixings. With a gate attached, even quicker.

You should have been consulted prior because they have effectively modified your house. The cheek is pretty unbelievable.

if whoever built the wall rode in on a horse and didn’t use ties, then you need to give it a wide birth.

So many posters are telling you how you should feel about the situation. They have no right to tell you how you should feel!

Check if your house insurance has a helpline you can ring