arranging garden area with other flat

neilsolaris

I'm not sure if I've chosen the correct thread for this! However, I live in a flat, which is in a converted house that containing two flats. According to the lease, we own the back part of the garden area, and the other flat owns the front part, and a pathway should run at the side of the front garden towards our part. At the moment we haven't got around to putting up any fences, as we haven't lived here that long.

However, the other flat owner suggested that he would like to put up a greenhouse where the pathway should be, and says he doesn't mind us walking through his part of the garden to get to ours. Naturally in this case I suppose we wouldn't bother with the pathway, but share that extra area between us.

The question is, do you think that this would be a sensible thing for me to agree to, or might it potentially cause problems in the future? I would appreciate any advice on this.

Jayar

What if your neighbour were to move out and leave the greenhouse behind? You don't know how the new neighbour would feel about you walking through their part of the garden. Maybe you could get your neighbour to have the terms of the lease changed to give you different access.

angie_loves_veg

These situations are always tricky, and like Jayar, I would advise that you look at possibly changing the terms of the lease.

However - since the pathway gives access to your section of the garden (and I understand from what you say that you could put a fence up to 'contain' the pathway etc), surely that means that the pathway is yours, not his or shared? Therefore, if he intends to place something of his on 'your land', you have agreed to share that area, and you would probably lose some rights....

I know what I am trying to say - these things are complex aren't they?!

bigmuffins

For what its worth my thoughts are:

1. walking through someone else's garden to get to yours will limit how you use it - would you feel awkward if they are having a family gathering and you had to walk through? :eek:

2. will make it difficult to sell on - I wouldn't be too keen on a garden that could only be accessed through someone else's!

3. As previous poster said - the path is essentially yours and you will be giving it away in return for awkwardness and inconvenience!

4. What if you fall out with neighbour or they move away? No guarantees the new neighbours will be as accomodating!

I would say thanks but no thanks!
All the best
Cheers! :beer: