Help! My neighbours property is damaging mine!

MrRolandRat

Hi All,

Please help! My next door neighbour's house has been empty for 10 years and is in a terrible state of repair. The lady that owns it has moved to Manchester and stubbornly refuses requests from the council to improve her property. As she no longer lives in the area she does not care what her house looks like although it brings the whole character of the street down.

The windows and doors are rotting and the garden is wildly overgrown but the biggest problem for me is that her garage has collapsed meaning that water is leaking into my property and damaging the fabric of my house.

Is there anything I can do to force her to repair her property (the garage at the very least) so that it doesn't cause any more damage to my house?

Also can I charge her for the cost of the repairs to my house?

Does it make it easier or more difficult if she doesn't live in the property anymore? (I know her address in Manchester...)

I guess it would be suing for damages or something?

Many thanks for any suggestions!

Roland

RAS

You can certainly sue her for damage to your property. Do you have a proper report detailing the damage?

And the Council can take action under the Empty Properties scheme, which means they do it up and take responsibility or do the repairs and charge her.

MrRolandRat

Thanks for the reply RAS,

Do you know what will be required of a report into the damage to my property? Will it require a Surveyor to compile the report?

Also she doesn't reply to her mail so will this make it difficult to sue her or can you still sue her without any response from the defendant??

I have taken plenty of photos etc. I was going to post them up here to show what I am talking about but the forum won't let me as I am a newbie...

PasturesNew

If you've got the url you can type it out, with some spaces in ... we can work it out and piece the url back together.

MrRolandRat

Ah okay. I'll try that

http /farm7.static.flickr.com/6128/5929648021_75f76b5ae7_b.jpg

http /farm7.static.flickr.com/6026/5929647753_805cb68fe2_b.jpg

http /farm7.static.flickr.com/6134/5930204180_f9684e26e6_b.jpg

GDB2222

I'm not clear why you think her property is damaging yours. Her garage roof has collapsed, and it's no longer protecting your garage flank wall from the elements. Not the same thing really.

I would have a word with a solicitor before hiring a surveyor.

Grimbal

images posted to help:

tyllwyd

GDB2222 wrote: »

I'm not clear why you think her property is damaging yours. Her garage roof has collapsed, and it's no longer protecting your garage flank wall from the elements. Not the same thing really.

I would have a word with a solicitor before hiring a surveyor.

It looks to me as if any rain falling onto the collapsed roof would be directed straight onto the wall of next door, making it damp, so I agree it doesn't look good. And its probably very wet on the floor of the garage as well, so it would be making the base of your wall damp.

Would offering to pay to patch it up on her side be an option? - not fair on you, but maybe she'd be more willing to agree if she didn't have to come up with cash.

MrRolandRat

Thanks Grimbal for posting the images.

GDB2222, the party wall that is shared between our properties is a timber construction and through the neglect of her property the timber structural columns have become exposed to the elements and are therefore rotting, this means that my garage roof could collapse through no fault of my own...let alone the significant water damage to the walls...

Surely she must be responsible for the cost of ensuring our party wall does not collapse??

savingmummy

Thats dreadful

No advice from me i`m afraid but i hope you get it sorted out!
Definately speak with a solicitor before it gets any worse!

Do you know why she has left her house? Its hard to believe someone would leave a house behind.

GDB2222

MrRolandRat wrote: »

Thanks Grimbal for posting the images.

GDB2222, the party wall that is shared between our properties is a timber construction and through the neglect of her property the timber structural columns have become exposed to the elements and are therefore rotting, this means that my garage roof could collapse through no fault of my own...let alone the significant water damage to the walls...

Surely she must be responsible for the cost of ensuring our party wall does not collapse??

Possibly ... which is why I suggested speaking to a lawyer. To be frank, you could probably repair her garage roof for her for less than the cost of the legal fees, much as that might stick in your craw.