Declaring neighbour disputes when selling

redflame705

Hi, I'm looking for a little advice.
We are putting our house on the market and know that when you sell you have to declare any neighbour disputes.
We've lived here for about 14 years and about 11 years ago and at that time their house was a council owned property.
Everything was fine between us until about 3 or 4 years ago.
We have 2 dogs (which we bought as pups from the neighbours son) and a 5 year old daughter.
It started with the neighbour parking close to our dropped curb or sometimes right across it. He doesn't have a driveway but plenty of space in front of his house to park. My husband would park his work car in front of our house because both our neighbours on either side don't have driveways and sometimes close up to his car.
One day just as my husband got home the neighbour came out of his house and started shouting at my husband about him parking up close to his car. My husband said it was because he was parking close to our dropped curb. The neighbour then said he had issues with us about the location of our bird table which meant the birds we're defecating on his garden.
We moved the bird table.
Another incident happened where I had gone to the local shop with my daughter for 20 minutes and in that time the dogs had been barking while we were out. The neighbour came out shouting at me to shut the dogs up and saying that we were noisy neighbours and living next to us with a living hell.
Another time the neighbour put a fence up between us in the front garden and stood on our garden to paint it. My husband confronted him, they had an argument but by the end they had squared their differences and he said we weren't that bad but he'd been under some stress.
A couple of further incidents have happened since with the neighbour shouting at us for the dogs barking while we were out or him parking over our drive which seems to be his indicator that he has an issue about something.
One incident a year ago saw him spitting in my husbands face and recently he has parked across our drive again. Rather than confront the man we had a PCSO go round to speak to him at which point he did not tell them why he was doing it and we haven't spoken to the neighbours properly for a couple of years now.
One of the reasons for us moving is because we're not happy living here anymore.
They have since the property from the council.
My question is do I have to declare this kind of dispute when selling the property? They are really quiet neighbours and you wouldn't know they're in. It's just that he has a problem with us and he doesn't seem able to just come out and have a conversation and say what it is bothering him.
To stick up for myself a bit, we dont play loud music, have arguments at 2 in the morning and I've recorded the dogs whilst out and I've only caught them barking once for 1 minute. Don't get me wrong I'm sure we do make some noise but we live in a mid terrace so he has to make allowances for that???
Anyway, any advice will be appreciated. Thanks

AndyT678

There is a question on the standard law society property information form:

Have there been any disputes or complaints regarding this property or a property nearby? If Yes, please give details:

I think you have to say yes.

I_have_spoken

Getting the bizzies arou d means it's on record, so you should declare a dispute.

anselld

Don't think such relatively minor disagreements and "having a word" classes as a dispute. Having the police round might do but the matter was presumably resolved at the time and I doubt their records are that detailed.

princeofpounds

Ask your solicitor.

Dropped curb, parking, bird table, dog noise, fence are all irrelevant. (Not to say things like that are always irrelevant, but in this case they are in my opinion). These were all resolved one way or another without any formal escalation. You are allowed to argue with someone a few times over 14 years without reporting it!

The spitting in the face and PCSO visit, that is the real issue. It could have been unreported, or it may have been treated as assault, or anything in between, we just don't know.

redflame705

Thanks for your replies.
we didn't report the spitting in the face incident just the recent parking over the dropped curb mainly because we didn't want it to escalate into another confrontation. So we thought by involving the authorities it would be an ideal way for him to raise any issues he had without the confrontation.
I'm not sure how much detail or information to disclose on the form when it comes to filling it out.

franklee

redflame705 wrote: »

I'm not sure how much detail or information to disclose on the form when it comes to filling it out.

I take it you have seen the form? There is also a second question "Is the seller aware of anything which might lead to a dispute about the property or a property nearby? If yes please give details".

The guidance notes say to ask your solicitor if you are unsure. That would seem the best approach IMO.

redflame705

Hi Franklee. No I haven't seen the form. We are at very early stages of putting the house on the market and just wanted to ask the question as I knew that disputes with neighbours have to be declared but what a dispute actually encompassed.
I think the best advice is to be from a solicitor when we get to that stage.
Thanks

trollopscarletwoman

I could only say what I would do.

Keep stum!

redflame705

trollopscarletwoman wrote: »

I could only say what I would do.

Keep stum!

Thanks for your honesty

franklee

AndyT678 wrote: »

There is a question on the standard law society property information form:

Have there been any disputes or complaints regarding this property or a property nearby? If Yes, please give details

Given that question says complaints as well as disputes what counts as a complaint? The form is aimed at the general public who aren't expected to know legal jargon so I guess a complaint is what the ordinary person would think? It sounds a lesser thing than a dispute.It would be interesting to hear what a solicitor would say for guidance.