Leaking garage roof

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So we spent £1000 which was a deposit on a new flat garage roof, the job in total was due to be £3000 but before we paid the final amount we realised it was still leaking. We refused to pay the final amount. Two other roofers looked at it and said the job was done badly. We paid another roofer £500 to patch it up which still hasn't worked as after the storm last night it is leaking again. It's also causing the downstairs toilet ceiling to leak and water is coming in again through garage roof. We are looking at getting it fully replaced by another roofer now for £4000 as just want it sorted.
My husband thinks we should sue the original roofer for the £1000 we lost, any views on this?
Also two roofers who looked at it said that next doors garage roof the way it slants is likely to be causing water to pool on our roof and could be getting into the brick work. Husband spoke to the neighbours about this who said they would get it fixed but months later haven't. These neighbours have been uncooperative with other issues too like our joint fence, etc. Our houses are semi detached and joint. Would we go down the legal route with these neighbours too? Any advice please? We have two young kids and money is tight so can't really afford all this but will have to find the money somehow as it needs to be sorted

Did you ask roofer number one to come back and fix the work or head straight to number two? If you’ve had others fiddling with it since number one then you may struggle to pursue them for damages - I.e what was it like when he left, did you have a report, have you taken photos etc.

In terms of the neighbours you will want to think very carefully before heading down any sort of legal route. It will make it really hard to sell your house as you’ll need to declare a dispute, and I imagine it will turn the atmosphere very frosty. You also have to consider what are you legally persuing them for? Can you prove beyond any reasonable doubt that their roof is at fault or is it just a feeling / possibility? I doubt you’ll get any sort of enforcement on their property so would be looking for compensation for damage to yours only. They will be properly peed off with you and you have to live next to them / who knows when you might need to discuss something with them in the future which will of course then be impossible. I’d just not do it personally. Keep on with the friendly reminders and surely the issue can be fixed from your side? If not, it may be that you just say to them can we please do x,y,z on your side and we’ll pay. Our neighbour did this recently as to fix his roof they needed to do a bit of fiddling on ours and he just paid for it. No drama and we’re all friends still.

Was the original roofer insured and the work guaranteed, did he offer to come back and make good. Have all the gutters, down pipes and drains been cleared. Not sure about the neighbours, how does it slant onto your roof, is it a shared roof. Can you claim on your insurance.

You dont have a joint fence. As there is no legal obligation to have a fence.

Thank you for the replies.
The first roofer came back and blamed the neighbours roof. The second roofer did a report on how badly it was done first time, we have photos.
These neighbours we had to get environmental health involved for another issue with their waste pipe water coming into our garden after asking them many times to get it sorted so already relationship isn't great. With the fence as it's on their side it was damaged they refused to pay to fix it so we had to as we have young kids and it was dangerous, they just don't seem to care.
Guttering has been done. I know our home insurance doesn't cover flat garage roofs so I'm not sure I could do anything through them but could enquire anyway.

Sounds weird how the next door neighbours roof is causing run off onto your property unless it somehow terminates over the boundary.

You could try to pursue the original roofer in small claims. TBH £1000 is not a lot of money for roofing work (IMO anyway) and my guess is by the time you add up all the hours and stress it will hardly be worth it.

You say your insurance does not cover flat roofs, but does it cover legal expenses for you to pursue damage to your roof from some other party ? Might be worth getting clarification.

When roofer 1 carried out his original inspection did he say that your roof was fine and the leak was coming from the neighbours side. Was the job only half finished when 2nd roofer inspected it, what did they say was the cause. You don't want to spend another 4k if your roof is structurally sound. Water can pool but could drainage remedy that.