PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING
Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
We're aware that dates on the Forum are not currently showing correctly. Please bear with us while we get this fixed, and see Site feedback for updates.
Neighbour's Dispute With Previous Owner

Guy_Incognito_2
Posts: 2 Newbie
Hi all,
My partner and I have recently bought our first home together, in fact we've now been living at the property for two months this past weekend.
We had worries about our new neighbour: a dispute about ownership and access of a shared pathway had been noted on the SPIF provided to us, however this quarrel had been a long time settled. Nevertheless, alarm bells rang, and so on a viewing of the property we asked the previous tenants (we purchased from a landlord who was letting the house) if they had had any issues themselves, to which they replied that they had always got along with the neighbour. Indeed so do our neighbours on the adjacent side of our property. The current tenants recommended introducing ourselves to him once settled in, and building a relationship as they had.
Anyway, fears quelled, we proceeded with purchasing the house.
Up until this weekend, everything was peachy, barring the odd case of ignorable noise from the neighbour (loud soundsystem, thin walls), he very much keeps himself to himself. Unfortunately on Saturday morning just gone, his music was louder than normal, and I popped next door to ask him to turn it down (it was not long after 9:30am). He ignored the knocking at the front door, and when I went in to the back garden to have a word over the fence, he shut the backdoor on me. Clearly he was agitated, yet closing the back door cancelled out the noise, so I couldn't complain.
An hour later, we received an envelope through the door. Inside was a copy of an email the neighbour had seemingly sent to the previous owners solicitors a week ago, alongside a cover letter to us.
His email to the previous owners solicitors asks if the 'new people' who had moved in (he'd noted the date of our arrival, which freaked me out), were the new owners or new tenants, and if we are the new owners, he has no choice but to instruct his solicitors to speak to us regarding many outstanding issues over the party wall act and building works to our property that were forced to be taken out by the previous owners, on instruction of our local council.
A long story short, he seems to have problems with the installation of a chimney support beam and an RSJ, two years ago. The issues being he had no party wall agreement or any guarantees of structural work. Confusingly, in the letter to the solicitor he claims that this work caused further damage to his home and wants to know who to claim compensation from, and in the letter to us its all about how this work significantly devalued his property at no fault of his own. Regardless, he's been hounding the solicitor about these issues, seemingly chasing compensation, for over two years.
All of which is fair enough, if true, I'd be aggrieved to. However, there's no mention of this dispute in the SPIF provided to us, and we have a copy of the certificate from our council which shows that the work taken out installing the RSJ and chimney support is sound and approved.
A couple of questions (which I have asked our solicitors who handled the purchase):
1. If there is any truth to his claims, could we be held responsible for any damage to his home (or does this lie with the previous owner/those who carried out the work?)
2. Do we need to even notify him if we're owners or tenants? He flat out refuses to speak face to face, accepting only written correspondence.
Part of me thinks this is all a big scare tactic for simply asking him to turn the music down. But there's also a horrible feeling in my gut that this is going to lead to horrendous legal fees, and a nagging sensation that we're going to hate living here, thanks to this neighbour, just two months in.
Any help is appreciated!
My partner and I have recently bought our first home together, in fact we've now been living at the property for two months this past weekend.
We had worries about our new neighbour: a dispute about ownership and access of a shared pathway had been noted on the SPIF provided to us, however this quarrel had been a long time settled. Nevertheless, alarm bells rang, and so on a viewing of the property we asked the previous tenants (we purchased from a landlord who was letting the house) if they had had any issues themselves, to which they replied that they had always got along with the neighbour. Indeed so do our neighbours on the adjacent side of our property. The current tenants recommended introducing ourselves to him once settled in, and building a relationship as they had.
Anyway, fears quelled, we proceeded with purchasing the house.
Up until this weekend, everything was peachy, barring the odd case of ignorable noise from the neighbour (loud soundsystem, thin walls), he very much keeps himself to himself. Unfortunately on Saturday morning just gone, his music was louder than normal, and I popped next door to ask him to turn it down (it was not long after 9:30am). He ignored the knocking at the front door, and when I went in to the back garden to have a word over the fence, he shut the backdoor on me. Clearly he was agitated, yet closing the back door cancelled out the noise, so I couldn't complain.
An hour later, we received an envelope through the door. Inside was a copy of an email the neighbour had seemingly sent to the previous owners solicitors a week ago, alongside a cover letter to us.
His email to the previous owners solicitors asks if the 'new people' who had moved in (he'd noted the date of our arrival, which freaked me out), were the new owners or new tenants, and if we are the new owners, he has no choice but to instruct his solicitors to speak to us regarding many outstanding issues over the party wall act and building works to our property that were forced to be taken out by the previous owners, on instruction of our local council.
A long story short, he seems to have problems with the installation of a chimney support beam and an RSJ, two years ago. The issues being he had no party wall agreement or any guarantees of structural work. Confusingly, in the letter to the solicitor he claims that this work caused further damage to his home and wants to know who to claim compensation from, and in the letter to us its all about how this work significantly devalued his property at no fault of his own. Regardless, he's been hounding the solicitor about these issues, seemingly chasing compensation, for over two years.
All of which is fair enough, if true, I'd be aggrieved to. However, there's no mention of this dispute in the SPIF provided to us, and we have a copy of the certificate from our council which shows that the work taken out installing the RSJ and chimney support is sound and approved.
A couple of questions (which I have asked our solicitors who handled the purchase):
1. If there is any truth to his claims, could we be held responsible for any damage to his home (or does this lie with the previous owner/those who carried out the work?)
2. Do we need to even notify him if we're owners or tenants? He flat out refuses to speak face to face, accepting only written correspondence.
Part of me thinks this is all a big scare tactic for simply asking him to turn the music down. But there's also a horrible feeling in my gut that this is going to lead to horrendous legal fees, and a nagging sensation that we're going to hate living here, thanks to this neighbour, just two months in.
Any help is appreciated!
0
Comments
-
Sympathies that the previous owner of your house landed you in this situation.
I think the word you want is "misrepresentation" for what that previous owner did to you.
It may be as well to check with a solicitor (if you can afford one) as to the position on this. As a layperson, I would have thought the dispute lay between the person doing the work (ie the previous owner of your house) and the person who suffered the effects of the work (ie next door neighbour) and didn't involve you personally at all.
You weren't the one that commissioned the work in question after all, so how could it be deemed to be anything to do with you?
In your position, I would be wondering whether to give a letter to the neighbour (headed "Without prejudice" I guess) and stating that you note the neighbours concerns and aren't in a position to comment about them, because you weren't the person who commissioned the work. Remind them that it was the previous owner that commissioned this work and suggest that neighbour gets in touch with previous owner to sort this out if they wish. Keep it perfectly amiable in tone, as it does rather sound as if previous owner "did the dirty" on the neighbour with the standard of work undertaken.
Finish by providing neighbour with all contact details you have for the previous owner of your house, in order to assist them in contacting previous owner.0 -
Guy_Incognito wrote: »An hour later, we received an envelope through the door. Inside was a copy of an email the neighbour had seemingly sent to the previous owners solicitors a week ago, alongside a cover letter to us.
His email to the previous owners solicitors asks if the 'new people' who had moved in (he'd noted the date of our arrival, which freaked me out), were the new owners or new tenants, and if we are the new owners, he has no choice but to instruct his solicitors to speak to us regarding many outstanding issues over the party wall act and building works to our property that were forced to be taken out by the previous owners, on instruction of our local council.
I wouldn't respond at all. Let the solicitor sort it out.
Any issues he had with the previous owners are still issues he has with them - not you.0 -
it does rather sound as if previous owner "did the dirty" on the neighbour with the standard of work undertaken.
I don't understand this comment - the OP states that the council required the previous owner to carry out the works in questionbuilding works to our property that were forced to be taken out by the previous owners, on instruction of our local council.
and thatwe have a copy of the certificate from our council which shows that the work taken out installing the RSJ and chimney support is sound and approved.0 -
Hi everyone, thanks for all of the above advice. It is much appreciated.
I think at the moment (and without wanting to look like I am burying my head in the sand), I will wait and see if I am approached by the neighbours solicitors on the matter. As mentioned above, I don't think my girlfriend and I can be held accountable but I will wait and see, and give an update on the progression!0 -
It sounds to me as if the works the council forced upon the previous owners were to rectify earlier work involving the removal of a chimney breast, where building regs had not been applied-for, or met.
It seems likely that the neighbour dropped them in it. Perhaps there is real or imagined damage showing on his side. So many possibilities...
But from the OP's perspective the work now meets building regs, they cannot be held liable and it would be best not to respond.0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 348.4K Banking & Borrowing
- 252.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 452.4K Spending & Discounts
- 241K Work, Benefits & Business
- 617.3K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 175.7K Life & Family
- 254.1K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards