Worriedaboutchangeofneighbours

Linhoo2014

I bought a house two months ago- moved in just after Christmas. Tried to check out who the neigbours were before I bought and they seemed OK- Both middle aged couples and the houses appeared well kept. So far so good until about two weeks or so ago.

The neighbours who have the "party wall" to me have started to have massive arguments. So loud that my two children are getting upset by it. Effing and swearing and I'm afraid he shouts so much at her that she ends up in tears. its always about really trivial stuff, (Yes I can hear every word!) like if she hasn't cooked his tea properly. Or she has a go at him for being lazy and useless etc. Its just getting worse. Last night he was threatening to leave. Then it all went quiet. This has happend every night so far since it started.

I have never spoken to the man but have spoken once or twice to the lady.

Thats bad enough but now my back fence (adjoining their garden) has blown down and I tried to go round and ask them if it was Ok to replace the fence and if they were willing to contribute anything. She was very cagey and said it was a council house so she wouldnt pay anything towards it. It turns out that they have had heavy stuff propped up against the fence so that has probably added to it falling down.

I phoned the Council and they said that they didnt pay for fences anymore in tenants gardens. So it would be down to the individual tenants.if they wanted to replace the fence... The Coiuncil just didnt want to know. They obviously dont give a stuff and were just trying to fob me off going on about reductions in budgets etc.

Im worried now. Firstly I dont want to go to the expense of new fence if they are just going to damage it again. Or if they are splitting up (which sounds likely given the arguments and him saying he is going to leave) is it likely to be given to a much larger family (its a three bed house) I was stupid not checking it out before I bought that it was social housing.

The only other option apart from me paying for it all myself but risking damage from them or future council tenants is to just leave the fence to fall down.

Do tenants usually have to fund these things themselves or is it just my local council?

DomRavioli

Linhoo2014 wrote: »

I bought a house two months ago- moved in just after Christmas. Tried to check out who the neigbours were before I bought and they seemed OK- Both middle aged couples and the houses appeared well kept. So far so good until about two weeks or so ago.

The neighbours who have the "party wall" to me have started to have massive arguments. So loud that my two children are getting upset by it. Effing and swearing and I'm afraid he shouts so much at her that she ends up in tears. its always about really trivial stuff, (Yes I can hear every word!) like if she hasn't cooked his tea properly. Or she has a go at him for being lazy and useless etc. Its just getting worse. Last night he was threatening to leave. Then it all went quiet. This has happend every night so far since it started.

I have never spoken to the man but have spoken once or twice to the lady.

Thats bad enough but now my back fence (adjoining their garden) has blown down and I tried to go round and ask them if it was Ok to replace the fence and if they were willing to contribute anything. She was very cagey and said it was a council house so she wouldnt pay anything towards it. It turns out that they have had heavy stuff propped up against the fence so that has probably added to it falling down.

I phoned the Council and they said that they didnt pay for fences anymore in tenants gardens. So it would be down to the individual tenants.if they wanted to replace the fence... The Coiuncil just didnt want to know. They obviously dont give a stuff and were just trying to fob me off going on about reductions in budgets etc. That is correct.

Im worried now. Firstly I dont want to go to the expense of new fence if they are just going to damage it again. Or if they are splitting up (which sounds likely given the arguments and him saying he is going to leave) is it likely to be given to a much larger family (its a three bed house) I was stupid not checking it out before I bought that it was social housing. Social housing doesn't mean nuisance tenants - you get them in all tenancies.

The only other option apart from me paying for it all myself but risking damage from them or future council tenants is to just leave the fence to fall down.

Do tenants usually have to fund these things themselves or is it just my local council?

Local authorities have expressly stated in tenancy agreements with their tenants that fences are the tenant's responsibility. If they don't want to pay, I'm not sure you can force them - although I'd look at it from a legal point and get some free advice from CAB/free half hour at a local solicitors if it bothers you.

Please see above - tenants are responsible for a fence, it will be in their tenancy agreements. Council has nothing to do with it (even though most councils don't do housing anymore, they put it with a partner organisation) and won't repair something that isn't in their jurisdiction.

If you want to know how you are from a legal perspective, please speak to the CAB/free half hour at a solicitors who specialise in this kind of thing; although I'm sure you won't get very far.

harrys_dad

Do you know on which side of your garden you are responsible for the fence? (It is unlikely to be both). There is no legal requirement for the boundary to even have a fence, a line of string would be sufficient. If it is your fence, and you replace it, and they damage it, then you can try to get them to pay for it, but good luck with that.

It seems to me your neighbours are having problems and probably need some sympathy and understanding. I would go round again and try to have a chat, like a good neighbour trying to make friends.

Linhoo2014

I am sympathetic- I've tried to talk to the woman but she just scurries past me in the street...I would like them to stay because (apart from the arguments) they seem like perfect neighbours.

I'm prepared to pay for the fence if I have to, but only if they dont damage it by stupidly resting heavy stuff against it. I think i'm responsible for that side anyway as it "matches" the rest of my fence.

Thanks for the info about the council policy.....I guess I'll just have to pay the full amount myself but do you think I would be cheeky if I put a note through their door politely requesting theat they dont lean anything up against the new panels?

DomRavioli

Linhoo2014 wrote: »

I am sympathetic- I've tried to talk to the woman but she just scurries past me in the street...I would like them to stay because (apart from the arguments) they seem like perfect neighbours.

I'm prepared to pay for the fence if I have to, but only if they dont damage it by stupidly resting heavy stuff against it. I think i'm responsible for that side anyway as it "matches" the rest of my fence.

Thanks for the info about the council policy.....I guess I'll just have to pay the full amount myself but do you think I would be cheeky if I put a note through their door politely requesting theat they dont lean anything up against the new panels?

I'd have an actual conversation with them about it - no point buying a new fence if they are going to wreck it is there?

Perhaps mention the arguments as well.

Mojisola

Linhoo2014 wrote: »

do you think I would be cheeky if I put a note through their door politely requesting theat they dont lean anything up against the new panels?

Stay as polite and friendly as possible but don't request that they don't damage your fence - say nicely that they mustn't pile anything up against it, lean stuff against it, hang anything off it, fix anything to it, paint it, kick balls against it or otherwise interfere with it or damage it.

olgadapolga

DomRavioli wrote: »

Local authorities have expressly stated in tenancy agreements with their tenants that fences are the tenant's responsibility. If they don't want to pay, I'm not sure you can force them - although I'd look at it from a legal point and get some free advice from CAB/free half hour at a local solicitors if it bothers you.

Please see above - tenants are responsible for a fence, it will be in their tenancy agreements. Council has nothing to do with it (even though most councils don't do housing anymore, they put it with a partner organisation) and won't repair something that isn't in their jurisdiction.

This isn't strictly true for all councils - we had a fence fall down between us and our council-tenant neighbours. Not our fence according to the deeds. Neighbours said that they would not pay to have it replaced as the previous owners of our house had erected it on the boundary. We approached the council directly and were told that they wouldn't replace it as it was tenant's responsibility. We then decided to look at the "tenant's handbook" which stated that the council was responsible for fences between council property and privately-owned houses if fence was to be maintained by them (ie, according to the deeds). However, any fences that required replacement between neighbouring council-owned properties were the responsibility of tenants.

We threw this clause back at them and a couple of months later a brand new fence appeared.

warehouse

Linhoo2014 wrote: »

I would like them to stay because (apart from the arguments) they seem like perfect neighbours.

Apart from the screaming rows that frighten your children, not wanting to talk to you and taking no responsibility for the fence whatsoever? All they need is the barking dog and it's neighbours from hell.

pukkamum

She probably scurried past you for 2 reasons, being worried you would ask again about contributing and or embarrassment because she must be aware you can hear their rows.
Perhaps money is tight at the moment hence the rowing and your asking for a fence contribution is just too much.

ska_lover

Linhoo2014 wrote: »

I was stupid not checking it out before I bought that it was social housing.

Why, what difference would that have made?

Assuming you know something about a person you would have never even met - based simply on their bank balance, almost makes me feel that you deserve neighbours from hell!!

AnnieO1234

Might be worth installing a full length of fence six inches or so in from the existing one, that way most of it will be protected by the existing fence.

Unfortunately fence replacement isn't something that's required whether they were council or private owners, as a pp said, even a piece of string is enough to demarcate the boundary.

As for your unfortunate situation, I implore you if you think there is any violence or there are kids in your neighbours home, to report the incidents. Your report may end up being the woman's only way out of her domestic situation. Please don't myob in this instance.

Xxx