Potential neighbour dispute - Advice?

[jimbo1958]

Have you considered a fenced panel on the half adjacent to the neighbours property with a single gate for car access opening towards yours?
Looks like there's room. Could even have a pedestrian gate in the fenced panel.

Hope you come to an amicable solution though as you certainly have a fantastic looking place there.

 

[Ducklakeview]

Not sure if this has been covered or if the laws are different in England but do you not have to allow your neighbour access to the side of their house for maintenance reasons?
Like window cleaning, gutter cleaning etc.
If the gates are going to be locked or electric would you give your neighbour a key for access?
Nice house by the way, shame it looks like its been built backwards.
Shame not seeing the front of your house as you drive up to it.

They have to request access at a mutual convenient time etc and you can refuse. They can then take it to a court and if your being unreasonable the court will allow them access. However if its an unreasonable request, such as wanting to put up a scaffold over your lovely manicured lawn for months just so they can build and extension etc the court would refuse leaving them no where to go with it so to speak. Its not a carte blanche right of access type of thing.
Adverse possesion if I remember correctly had a cut off date where it would no longer apply from.

Yup, and the cutoff for AP was if they had been "in residence" for 10 years prior to a date in 2003.

Mike

 

[Ducklakeview]

Have you considered a fenced panel on the half adjacent to the neighbours property with a single gate for car access opening towards yours?
Looks like there's room. Could even have a pedestrian gate in the fenced panel.

Hope you come to an amicable solution though as you certainly have a fantastic looking place there.

Don't want a pedestrian access gate, I need the full opening width, as I move the cars around all of the time.

Mike

 

[jimbo1958]

Have you considered a fenced panel on the half adjacent to the neighbours property with a single gate for car access opening towards yours?
Looks like there's room. Could even have a pedestrian gate in the fenced panel.

Hope you come to an amicable solution though as you certainly have a fantastic looking place there.

Don't want a pedestrian access gate, I need the full opening width, as I move the cars around all of the time.

Mike

Ok just a thought....looks like you've made your mind up anyway. Cheers.

 

[DPG]

What window would the gate be blocking when it's open?

I'm sure they could kick up a fuss if they wanted.

One of my neighbours (not next door) had an electric gate and it made a right racket when in use.

 

[Pastry]

How about a moat and drawbridge? You could have ducks then too

 

[stupot67]

How about a moat and drawbridge? You could have ducks then too

I don't believe your taking this seriously Mr Pastry :wink:

It's obvious that a freestanding portcullis is the way to go........

 

[85genius]

Being electric surely the gate will only be open for a couple of minutes at a time when you are driving in and out, hardly cause for complaint!

Just fit em and if the naggers decide to nag the gates are wood anyway so you could easily stick a window in the gate that lines up with their window

 

[PerryGunn]

How about a moat and drawbridge? You could have ducks then too

I don't believe your taking this seriously Mr Pastry :wink:

It's obvious that a freestanding portcullis is the way to go........

Nah! Something like this should scare off the pikies... and piss off the neighbours... :wink:

 

[Pastry]

How about a moat and drawbridge? You could have ducks then too

I don't believe your taking this seriously Mr Pastry :wink:

It's obvious that a freestanding portcullis is the way to go........

Nah! Something like this should scare off the pikies... and piss off the neighbours... :wink:

I though that at first Stu, but being a fellow shooter you must see the benifit of the ducks

As for you Perry, I agree with pissing off the neighbours but with that much metal, the thieving pikies will nick them within a week for scrap!! :wink:

 

[RickRob]

Only just caught up with this. My thoughts for what they're worth.

Your is a nice house, but then you knew that and so did everyone else bar one!

I have this suspicion that building firms have related companies that are lawyers. We had similar madness with our previous house. When we moved one of our main criteria was to have nothing shared. We are totally surrounded by fences/big bushes/trees.

I have to say that whilst it is, of course, your right to create privacy, I find it tricky to see anything being aesthetically enhanced with the gates you are suggesting. As others have said, if solid gates open over window of your neighbours, then I can see why there's an issue. Also, as has been stated, are you not advertising to criminals that you have something of value in your garage? If there is/are vehicle(s) on your drive when the garage gets opened, is that not private enough?

Whatever you do, I hope it works out well and that your new neighbours are an improvement on the current ones.

 

[Bluecat]

You have been completely reasonable, as they are the ones selling, in the enquiries before sale they have to fill in there is a section re any disputes with neighbours, as it stands everything is verbal so far so they would be best advised not to say anything, particularly as they have planted shrubs on your property. I assume they cannot access them any more, with the gates which as they are not attached to their house you are entitled to put up. There may be a question of right of light if the gates make their window a lot darker, but having said that security wise it is reasonable to put them up in all the circumstances, and as they are getting divorced they should be keen for their sale to go through without any hiccups. Neighbours eh..bless em

 

[slick]

The solution to this dispute lies in your trousers..........pop next door, bend her over her kitchen worktop and put a smile on the woman's face 8)

 

[Ducklakeview]

The solution to this dispute lies in your trousers..........pop next door, bend her over her kitchen worktop and put a smile on the woman's face 8)

Now that, I wouldn't mind...

Mike

 

[Dav the wheel nut]

Not really bothered if this turns into a dispute, I never back down and, at the end of the day, it's my land - her copies of her own plot plan from the land registry confirms this.
As said, regarding the window - Why would you buy a house that overlooked someone else's driveway if this was going to be an issue for you?
Comments appreciated btw!
Mike

My comment is that I'm really grateful I don't live next door to you if that's your attitude towards your neighbours.

 

[Chris_D]

Not really bothered if this turns into a dispute, I never back down and, at the end of the day, it's my land - her copies of her own plot plan from the land registry confirms this.
As said, regarding the window - Why would you buy a house that overlooked someone else's driveway if this was going to be an issue for you?
Comments appreciated btw!
Mike

My comment is that I'm really grateful I don't live next door to you if that's your attitude towards your neighbours.

i think mike's developed that attitude due to the situation becoming somewhat acrimonious.
i'm sure if there was no problem, his lovely neighbour would be opening that window and shouting accross for mike and his extended family to join them for tea and muffins and good old neighbourly niknak everyday.
eh mike?

 

[cj10jeeper]

I'm late to this but an interesting read:

Few thoughts and I'm not commenting on you, the house, the purpose, etc.:

Firstly the gates are ridiculous in proportions and being solid, etc. (my opinion of course) and out of keeping with the open nature of the development.
You can't block light off from someone's windows. Right to light and all that and I'm sure at some point you'll leave them open for more than a few moments.
Development or changes close to the boundary are subject to special rules. Powered gates for instance may need planning approval

I'm sure a combination of those would give them all they need to get an injunction and wrap you up for years

Equally your neighbour would never get control of the strip of land - that's a real red herring unless they had it fenced off to exclude others and in any event I'm sure your land is registered and different rules.

Given you'll never get neighbour agreement I'd consult the council planning dept. for an opinion and then you'll know exactly where you stand. I've done so informally and they have visited my property on 3 occasions to advise.
Once to advise on light restrictions if I built a conservatory (I put a hip on the very high pitched roof as a result), once on exhaust from a condenser boiler (perfectly OK) and surprisingly on a minor 'dispute' of a near identical piece of land that I own that my neighbour gardens that impacts my garage access with the same plans, Vs layout you have (I can take control in an instant if I ever want and now he knows it ).

 

[Ducklakeview]

Not really bothered if this turns into a dispute, I never back down and, at the end of the day, it's my land - her copies of her own plot plan from the land registry confirms this.
As said, regarding the window - Why would you buy a house that overlooked someone else's driveway if this was going to be an issue for you?
Comments appreciated btw!
Mike

My comment is that I'm really grateful I don't live next door to you if that's your attitude towards your neighbours.

i think mike's developed that attitude due to the situation becoming somewhat acrimonious.
i'm sure if there was no problem, his lovely neighbour would be opening that window and shouting accross for mike and his extended family to join them for tea and muffins and good old neighbourly niknak everyday.
eh mike?

Exactly Chris. I was more than willing to remove the bushes myself until she flipped! And I would certainly nibble on her nik naks if the offer was there

Mike

 

[Ducklakeview]

Only just caught up with this. My thoughts for what they're worth.

Your is a nice house, but then you knew that and so did everyone else bar one!

I have this suspicion that building firms have related companies that are lawyers. We had similar madness with our previous house. When we moved one of our main criteria was to have nothing shared. We are totally surrounded by fences/big bushes/trees.

I have to say that whilst it is, of course, your right to create privacy, I find it tricky to see anything being aesthetically enhanced with the gates you are suggesting. As others have said, if solid gates open over window of your neighbours, then I can see why there's an issue. Also, as has been stated, are you not advertising to criminals that you have something of value in your garage? If there is/are vehicle(s) on your drive when the garage gets opened, is that not private enough?

Whatever you do, I hope it works out well and that your new neighbours are an improvement on the current ones.

The reason for the gates, is simply for privacy and security, we have had a spate of burglaries over the last few months, and one of our own cars was also broken into on the driveway. Plus, I am "considering" an RS6 Avant as my next vehicle, but am also mindful of the inherent risks such a vehicle brings! My thoughts are "out of sight, out of mind" so to speak regarding that one!

Mike

 

[Ducklakeview]

I'm actually more interested to see what it looks like now after some years of plant life growth - new builds always look barren when their landscape gardening hasn't quite come into fruition yet. I'm not a huge new build fan, but i'm 100% envious of your drive and garage. and lake.

Looks like this now Jimmy, although the grass could do with a trim! I'm also having 1.2m high ball top railings put around the front and sides, to match those at the lake boundary, and of my neighbours opposite.




Mike