Neighbour says I'm encroaching on their land

Land_Registry

Davesnave - tea and cake is always the recommendation and could not agree more. We hear a lot about boundary issues and always encourage neighbours to try and resolve them amicably but we never usually get to hear what the end result is - that is why these forums are so interesting/useful.

I know OPs don't always come back and publish the outcomes but when they do it really does help others but as with all boundaries there are two sides (at least) to every scenario of course, literally.

moneyistooshorttomention

Land Registry rep.

Thanks for your contributions.

Actually I think your comment to the effect of physical boundaries, eg walls, fences, is probably the most useful way to look at this. The boundary between myself and the neighbour is an absolutely dead straight wall (no deviation from 90 degree angle at all), to the extent that if the wall continued absolutely right down the border between us (rather than having a gap in it) there would be no doubt whatsoever as to whose bit of land is whose (ie the disputed teeny bit is mine and so is a teeny bit the neighbour is using).

Garden walls do basically go in totally straight lines and I would imagine anyone "official" would just "join up the dots" going literally exactly straight on from the existing bit of wall and say "Money, you're absolutely right". It honestly couldn't possibly be more straightforward than to take a straight ruler right down from the end of my wall to the end of my garden and say "There's the rest of the border - gap in wall or no gap in wall". There are no landscape features (such as a tree or something) in the "line of fire" and the wall could easily be extended straight down to the next edge of my garden. If a "feature" was there, then a wall would have had to go round it and therefore the boundary marked by the wall might go round it. But there aren't. Its a totally clear, totally straight line.

It is upsetting to have someone going on at you like this neighbour is trying to whip a little bit extra from my house, on top of the little bit I haven't been petty enough to mention. But...hey....it helps knowing that I have always had the legal add-on to my household insurance ever since I bought my first house...just in case....

DRP

So the question is MITSTM, what are you going to do?

1) the neighbour has encroached on your land (a teeny bit).
2) the neighbour thinks he is entitled to the teeny bit as it belongs to him.
3) the neighbour seems to be hinting he wishes to encroach further, to take back the rest of 'his' land.

Herbalus

What exactly does your neighbour want with this bit of land anyway?
Aggressive strawberry plants? More space for inflatable Santa at Christmas? Swimming pool extension?

DaftyDuck

Why is it that almost any neighbourhood boundary dispute escalates, even if it is a teeny, tiny area?

Why is it that almost every mention of such disputes is in such a manner that it reminds me of rather more important promises made in the 1930's that there was no intention to claim X, and absolutely no possibility of ever desiring Y. Why does that make me think of Harry-Potter's-House-Elf-In-Disguise-As-President, and his promises that borders are inviolate and should be protected and nurtured.... except under certain circumstances that he will, of course, in absolutely no way encourage...

If your neighbour has kids, Money, I'd start giving them sweeties (ensure plenty of additives) and encourage them to demand to stay up late. Feed their cat cream and give it fleas simultaneously. Sow dissent. Better still, sow dandelions and thistles in their lawn. Feed the birds beside their parked car, and encourage the fox to rummage in their bins. Then, when the time is ripe, you can move in as a peacekeeping force and annexe their entire lower garden.

Garden walls need not be straight. Ownership of garden walls has probably made as much money for solicitors as it has for the builders building 'em.

Or, you could have a relaxed and friendly cuppa, and try and get on with your neighbours.

DRP

DaftyDuck wrote: »

...Or, you could have a relaxed and friendly cuppa, and try and get on with your neighbours.

distract them with tea whilst creating lebensraum out the back garden? ...very cunning :cool:

moneyistooshorttomention

Dafty,

:rotfl::rotfl:. I am now wondering whether said neighbour might just possibly have got an inkling that they have underestimated me?

Actually got greeted by them today whilst busy. I duly ignored them. They repeated the greeting and made a "neutral" comment.

Hmm....:cool:. Wondering if they have realised I am no pushover and decided they had better be a little more conciliatory?

Time will tell.....

I've never seen owt like it in England to date. It was always 100% clear that X owns this bit legally and Y owns the bit beside it ditto. Hereabouts...its sometimes anyones guess and I've noticed all sorts of odd little bits of land scattered around that someone or other has purloined and sometimes it's quite obvious its not theirs, other times its not at all clear whether its theirs or "public territory". I've never spotted such a cavalier attitude to land ownership in my life. Then there's the thing that goes "If owning such and such a bit of land looks like it will cause expense, then say you don't own it...even if you do" (but that seems to be a local Council tactic).....

It is proving more than a little frustrating to my "neat and tidy English mind" that has always taken it for granted that its obvious exactly who owns what and that it will be written down on paper legally and that's that...end of.

Here it often seems to be the case that its down to whoever shouts loudest that they own it (if it suits them) and shouts quietest (if it doesn't suit them) and blow logic and what is legally whose.

Am attempting to stick to logic and legal ownership...and blow the shouting (or whispering).

Herbalus

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Actually got greeted by them today whilst busy. I duly ignored them. They repeated the greeting and made a "neutral" comment.

That sounds strange.

So you were washing your car, or doing some gardening, or on your way to the shops, when they greeted you and you ignored them?

Presuming that a greeting is little more than a cheery "hello!" or "top of the morning to you", what are they going to think of you if you're deliberately ignoring them to their face?

Tea and cake might be further off than you think.

moneyistooshorttomention

After their diatribe at me (not the first time they've tried to tell me how to run my life/home) I am due for quite a few apologies from them by now, hence I ignored the first comment (was focusing and busy and apparently didn't hear them) and waited to see if there would be a second one.

I've had a bit of a barrage from them about "do your home like this, do your garden like that, etc, etc" and telling me what to do generally and trying to tell me they owned a bit of my garden and wanted some more was a bit "last straw".

Fingers crossed that they have now realised I'm not a little wimp and won't try it on anymore and I've put my foot down enough that that will be that.:cool:

G_M

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Dafty,

:rotfl::rotfl:. I am now wondering whether said neighbour might just possibly have got an inkling that they have underestimated me?

Actually got greeted by them today whilst busy. I duly ignored them. They repeated the greeting and made a "neutral" comment.

Hmm....:cool:. Wondering if they have realised I am no pushover and decided they had better be a little more conciliatory?

Big mistake. If they are making overtures or being conciliatory you need to reciprocate, otherwise they will get annoyed again and go back to being adverserial.

They say 'hello' to you while you're cleaning the car, you do NOT ignore them. Yor smile broadly and say " Oh hi! I was just going to put the kettle on. Would you like to come in for a cup?"

Before you know it the whole issue can be resolved. Even if they decline, at least you've further lowered the temperature so to speak.

Ignoring them will escalate it.