Recluse neighbour nightmare!!!

melody83

Hi I was just hoping for some advice on the matter of my neighbour.
We are very house proud and are renovating our home which we love. It is a mid terraced Victorian home. The problem is that the house right next door to us is owned by a guy who seems to be a bit of a recluse (I don't even know if he lives there!) His curtains are always drawn, the state of his home is appalling!! His front garden is a mess of weeds, rubbish and dead bushes, and all the autumn leaves!! As it is near a bus stop it has become a bit of a dumping ground for people using the bus stop and walkers by. It brings down the look of the whole street specially our home!!! It depresses me everytime I walk in and out of our house.

His back garden is like a jungle and some of the trees hang over our garden and their leaves, etc drop into ours and it just looks awful!!

Is there anything I can do? (apart from obviously pay and do the work myself without his permission). Can I complain to the council or is this not a big enough matter for them to bother with?
has anyone been in this situation?
any advice will be much appreciated.

Wookey

Council probably wont want to know unless there is a health hazard due to vermin being attracted by the rubbish, they may have a word with him and ask him to clean it up but unless they have good grounds to take it further then there is little hope.

jamespir

why dont you offer to help clear it up if your that bothered he may not be able to do it plus theres nowt wrong with him being recluse and hes not exactly a nightamare so your title is slightly unfair

melody83

Well, we do get a lot of bugs flying into my little son's room which is just above the jungle next door... I haven't had any vermin in our front garden but the rubbish does fly into our garden all the time... probably still not enough for the council to want to know... :-(

pimento

Terrible as you might think it is, how he lives is up to him.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Rubbish-Appeal-Messy-Neighbour-Richard-Wallace-Wins-Appeal-to-Keep-Refuse-In-Surrey-Front-Garden/Article/201003115562956

melody83

maybe title is slightly harsh as he doesn't cause trouble himself but you should see the state of his house. It really is disgusting the bits that were meant to be white are nearly black. his guttering is hanging down across his window. There is moss on the brickwork where the water from the gutters is landing and big chunks of moss above the bay window which keep falling and dropping onto our path/garden. Windows, door are so dirty... I have cleared the leaves from his front garden a few times but there is a lot more work than that needed. It was meant to be concrete blocks but it has loads of massive weeds which are more like trees growing through it. I have no idea how to fix that I think it needs a professional!

missprice

melody83 wrote: »

maybe title is slightly harsh as he doesn't cause trouble himself but you should see the state of his house. It really is disgusting the bits that were meant to be white are nearly black. his guttering is hanging down across his window. There is moss on the brickwork where the water from the gutters is landing and big chunks of moss above the bay window which keep falling and dropping onto our path/garden. Windows, door are so dirty... I have cleared the leaves from his front garden a few times but there is a lot more work than that needed. It was meant to be concrete blocks but it has loads of massive weeds which are more like trees growing through it. I have no idea how to fix that I think it needs a professional!

if you hadnt stated it was a terrace house i would swear you live next to me
my front garden is a complete tip and has been for 3 years now
strangely enough its getting fixed this year/summer
i would leave him to it, its his house and he can live as he chooses
as for dirty windows maybe he cant afford a window cleanerand just cant manage to clean them himself:)

macman

You are entitled to cut back any tree branches etc that overhang onto your property, but you must remember to offer him the prunings back. As others have said, unless there is a hygiene issue then there is no law that requires you to keep a private house or garden tidy or in good repair.
If his property is in such a state that it is causing damage to yours (e.g. guttering leaking onto your house) then you have the option of a legal remedy.

Mojisola

Was it like that when you bought your house? Seeing a house that run down would put me off buying, especially in a terrace. If his house isn't maintained - especially roof and guttering - it could have an impact on the connected properties.

There are no rules about how we live and I doubt you will be able to do anything to make him live up to your standards. Tall fences and ignoring his garden is probably the only way to go.

blue_monkey_2

Get some nice flowering bushes that will grow tall enough to hide it.

I know what you mean though, it is irritating but just make the best of it and let him get on with living how he wants to.

You may be able to complain to the council environmental department, give it a try and see what they say.

dmg24

Have you considered that he could have mental health problems? Most people who choose to live a reclusive lifestyle do so for a reason.

Maybe you could put a note through the door offering to help with the garden? Whatever you do, please tread carefully - if he is poorly, if he feels anyone is invading his space (and his perception of this may be very different to yours), that could make him more ill.

Does he have any visitors?