garden wall responsibility

mark4joanne

Hi all,

We have a brick built wall on the left hand side of our back garden (looking out from the house). We had a fall out with the neighbors a few weeks ago over some petty parking issue (he turned into a raging madman threatening us - we had previously got on really well even going out for meals together). He has now indicated he wants to knock this (perfectly good) wall down as it ''does not match his fence on the other side''
We have tried to be amicable about our falling out, after all we have to live next door to one another, passing the time of day and waving but he does not respond!
What I am trying to find out is who's responsibility it is? The house was built in 1931 and I am not sure if the deeds would show this. If I can ever manage to get him to talk to me, I will suggest he bolts his fence posts to the wall if he so desperatly wants a fence.

liam8282

Do you or your neighbour have a matching wall all around your garden?

ic

Only your deeds can tell you. There is no rule otherwise that will give this away.

Your solution sounds the best way around the problem - and the cheapest for him. It'll save on the cost of removing the wall and digging out its foundations to make wall for the fence.

ormus

your house deeds should show a red T line for the fences/walls. indicating who is responsible for them.
beware that its not 100% true of all deeds.

mark4joanne

liam8282 wrote: »

Do you or your neighbour have a matching wall all around your garden?

It is a row of approx 9 no semi's. At one time there was a wall at the back of all the gardens and a dividing wall between each garden. Some neighbors have put fence up at the sides and back aswell. We still have the wall at the back and wall on one side. Our neighbor has fence at the back and the opposite side.

misgrace

Check your deeds, or ask surrounding neighbours if there side is left or right.
I know different boroughs have different sides, but if I am standing in my back garden the left side fence/wall is mine, and the same with all the neighbours down our road.

Desperado99

No advice, but why would they want to knock down a wall, to put a fence? Seems silly to me...

pimento

Is it a low wall? Does he want to put a six foot fence up?

Suggest he puts a smaller fence on top of the wall to make the height six feet (2 meters).

A bit like this:

tony6403

Your neighbour is saying that the wall ''does not match his fence on the other side'', so unless he has responsibility for both sides , this would seem to lead to the conclusion that the wall may indeed be yours.
As already advised , you need to inspect your title deeds and you may need to consult a solicitor - you need to be clear on the issue of maintenance.

mark4joanne

Bunting wrote: »

No advice, but why would they want to knock down a wall, to put a fence? Seems silly to me...

My Thoughts exactly!!

mark4joanne

No, I would say its just shy of 6 feet. The gardens slope so the wall steps down in intervals.
I am looking into getting a copy of the deeds to see if it shows anything, I read that sometimes the 'T's are not shown if the house is so old, but we will see.
thanks