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Original poster

Neighbour attached things to our side of boundary

30 replies

loopylou459 · 27/08/2025 10:27

We've just noticed the neighbour behind has attached two posts to OUR side of the boundary wall facing into our garden. There was a screen in front of the wall so had not noticed before - assumed they were on his side. He's drilled them in as well.

Can I ask him to remove them? How? Feel quite anxious about it as he seems a bit of a bully. Also don't really want to get into a neighbour dispute.

OP posts:
OttersAreMySpiritAnimal · 27/08/2025 10:57

Who owns the wall, and are they needed to reinforce it or make it stable?
Can you not remove them yourselves? And if he says anything just play dumb.
Oh but on my side of the wall and I didn't want them so had them removed... Oh they were yours? But in my side of the wall? How odd...

Original poster
loopylou459 · 27/08/2025 11:04

Not sure who owns in - Land reg drawing not clear. Assume it's jointly owned but even if not surely he can't still encroach onto my property?

The posts are not to stabilise the wall. Think they are some sort of laundry posts - planks of wood extending very high.

I could remove them but as I say he is a bit of bully / unknown quantity so nervous of just doing that. Maybe I'm being a wimp!

OP posts:
viques · 27/08/2025 11:06

I would be practising with my new electric saw on what I assumed were random pieces of wood on my property……..

Original poster
loopylou459 · 27/08/2025 11:13

Grin if only I had the guts!!

OP posts:
BetweenTwoFerns · 27/08/2025 11:16

I would do what Otters says. Take them down and then be bewildered when he says he has posts on a wall in your garden.

DiscoBob · 27/08/2025 11:25

Take them down. If neighbour says anything just express extreme faux surprise that someone would be so cheeky as to erect posts on someone else's property. And that you assumed they'd been there since you moved in. He can hardly demand you put them back. So I reckon he probably won't say anything.

Friendlygingercat · 27/08/2025 11:39

There was a point where my whinging crazy neighbour thought I was "overlooking" her garden. So she had her husband attach a series of odd pieces of wood - including an old door, to their side of the boundary fence. They were held on with old bits of string and wire which came round the concrete boundary posts onto MY side. It looked like something out of the third world. Each day I would go out with the wire snippers and snip through the wire and string - on the grounds that they had not asked permission to put anything on my side of the posts. Every time there was a strong gust of wind the bits of wood blew down. Eventually they just gave up and took them away.

So i would remove the pieces of wood on the grounds that no one had asked my permission to put them there. You are wondering who had trespassed on your property. But then I am petty like that and enjoy standing up to bullies.

Annonymiss123 · 27/08/2025 11:42

How did he put them up in the first place - did he have to enter your property to do so? If he did, he was trespassing.

Original poster
loopylou459 · 27/08/2025 11:54

He must have got a ladder and done it when we were out. There's a wooden screen in front of the wall and so they have been there a while before we have realised what's he done.

OP posts:
Original poster
loopylou459 · 27/08/2025 12:08

I'm going to ask him to take them down I think.

Can anyone give me a script which is firm but not going to start a war...sorry to need a handhold but you can see this is stressing me out!!!

OP posts:
heldinadream · 27/08/2025 12:15

It's hard to envisage how he attached them to your side, even with a ladder. It's dangerous, awkward and frankly inadequate to climb a ladder on one side of a wall, reach over, and drill on the other side.
Which leads me to suspect that he must have actually climbed over the wall and stood in your garden in order to do it.
Is that likely @loopylou459 ?
Any chance of a pic?
If he was in your garden without your permission that's trespassing and not OK.
Difficult. Not sure what you need to do about it.

WonderingWanda · 27/08/2025 12:19

Perhaps he thinks the wall is his given that you have a screen at the end of yours too. How sure are you that it's not his wall?

Original poster
loopylou459 · 27/08/2025 12:20

Yes he must have come into our garden.

OP posts:
Original poster
loopylou459 · 27/08/2025 12:21

The screen is relatively recent. Not been there forever. Used to just be the wall. It maybe his wall I don't know but don't think it means he's allowed to encroach onto my property by attaching things on my side? Surely that's not right?

OP posts:
Clearoutthecrap · 27/08/2025 12:23

Is it really worth causing bad feelings with your neighbour over this? It could really escalate and cause you real issues

Original poster
loopylou459 · 27/08/2025 12:24

Clearoutthecrap · 27/08/2025 12:23

Is it really worth causing bad feelings with your neighbour over this? It could really escalate and cause you real issues

Ok so I just have to let him do what he wants on my property to avoid issues? Seems wrong.

OP posts:
Clearoutthecrap · 27/08/2025 12:26

loopylou459 · 27/08/2025 12:24

Ok so I just have to let him do what he wants on my property to avoid issues? Seems wrong.

Show quote history

Do what you want but you might end up regretting it.

Seeline · 27/08/2025 12:27

Take them down.
If he says anything, say you noticed when you took the screen down and assumed they must have been there before the screen went up and you hadn't noticed.
Keep hold of them and say he can have them back, but obviously they can't go within your property boundary.

Newgirls · 27/08/2025 12:27

Check what the boundary rules are before you go in guns a blazing. He might genuinely think it’s his

Original poster
loopylou459 · 27/08/2025 12:29

Newgirls · 27/08/2025 12:27

Check what the boundary rules are before you go in guns a blazing. He might genuinely think it’s his

Even if it is his I don't think he is allowed to encroach on my property, which the posts do.

OP posts:
OttersAreMySpiritAnimal · 27/08/2025 12:48

The encroaching part, depends on if the wall is actually the boundary, and who owns it. Lots of people have fences and walls within their boundary, you can't just assume the wall is the boundary line.
Are you renting? If you have bought you will have seen the deeds which show the boundary line and who owns which side. Normally with little arrows to indicate.
For example, my garden. My boundary on the right is mine so I would be responsible for that fence. The one on the left is my neighbours so she is responsible for that fence. Both fences are on the boundary line so we talk to each other of we need to do something that affects the other side of the fence.
At the bottom it's my boundary again and is a hedge, but my neighbour wanted a fence not a hedge so had installed a fence one foot inside the boundary line, fully on his property, so he can do whatever he wishes to both sides of that fence as not only is it his but it's fully on his land. The hedge remains the boundary line.

Sounds like you are not sure of your boundaries or ownership, so no point in getting worried about encroachment until you know if this is actually the case.

Original poster
loopylou459 · 27/08/2025 12:58

It's two rows of back to back terrace houses and the dividing wall runs along the line between the two gardens for all the houses in a straight line.

OP posts:
MissMoneyFairy · 27/08/2025 13:28

If he came onto your property its trespass, I'd ask him if he saw anyone in your garden as its a security issue which you need to report to the police.

wuminty · 27/08/2025 13:33

Why did he not put the batons/wood posts on HIS side of the dividing wall please?

Newgirls · 27/08/2025 13:33

Yes the trespassing isn’t ok

he should have asked for rights to access

as you’ve said he is awful it’s about trying to get what you want. Is it an apology? Him taking it down? Police action? Decide what you want and the best way to get that might be softly softly