Fence issue with neighbour and landlord

fairy_lights

Even if he hadn't put the fence up and you were able to put some plants in, you wouldn't be able to see them when you're in your flat anyway?
It's not much of a garden really, not enough space to sit out there and I can see why he wouldn't want people hanging round right in front of his window.
You might not be able to plant things directly in the pebbled are but there's nothing to stop you putting a few large planters out there.

judywoody

Pricivius wrote: »

How was G_M not constructive? He proposed 3 options for you to consider which may have solved the problem.

As a veteran of a 6 year boundary dispute, there is very rarely a straightforward answer to issues of this nature; no magic wand, I'm afraid. The owner is clearly not interested in the property and wants an easy life. If you're not happy with the property any more, and your neighbour is difficult and the landlord/owner is apathetic, maybe it's time to move?

Because the options weren't real options. If there is nothing we can do, fair enough. But a little bit of "what are your rights" "What can and can't you do?" would have been more helpful. He basically just told us to suck it up and get on with it.

Marktheshark

They are likely to think you will be creating a beer garden or similar to sit outside their windows peering in.
I can see where they are at to be honest.

judywoody

Marktheshark wrote: »

They are likely to think you will be creating a beer garden or similar to sit outside their windows peering in.
I can see where they are at to be honest.

Why on earth would we do that? And maybe it would be nice to ask us first!?

judywoody

fairy_lights wrote: »

Even if he hadn't put the fence up and you were able to put some plants in, you wouldn't be able to see them when you're in your flat anyway?
It's not much of a garden really, not enough space to sit out there and I can see why he wouldn't want people hanging round right in front of his window.
You might not be able to plant things directly in the pebbled are but there's nothing to stop you putting a few large planters out there.

It's about the atmosphere when you enter the flat. we weren't hanging out there, we were removing a jungle of weeds! Other than that we never went there...we would have put some flowers there but that's it.

judywoody

DaftyDuck wrote: »

Without wishing to make him blush, G_M is one of the most helpful and intuitive members of this forum. His comment at #3 is spot-on, and not patronising. I'd agree with most of what he has suggested. I wouldn't suggest it was patronising, just well-needed advice. G_M as a Troll? Well, I can't see it somehow.... a cross between Barry Cryer and Paul Lewis is how I see him....

All I would add is that, as far as you are aware, the area at the front is communal on both sides... Maybe the other tenant has the belief, or a contract, stating that that side is for his sole use. At the very least, it is his window under/in front of which you are working, and his direct light that you have (unilaterally, without discussion, as far as I can see) hindered with the (in my humble opinion) rather ghastly bamboo screen that you have erected rather hastily. I certainly wouldn't welcome it in front of my window, and would feel all-the-more peeved if it arrived without any discussion.

I do think your attitude may be somewhat at fault here, my opinion being founded by what you have done to the property, and how you have reacted to helpful suggestions on this forum.

Talk to all parties. Discuss. Reach amicable agreement. If you can't, then expect the bare minimum, and no more than is stipulated in the contract.

So what about the other side? That's his window too.
Does that mean we can't move about on either side?

I haven't erected a static fence, this fence was merely loosely attached with wires. And I removed a jungle of weeds which apparently is my duty as a tenant anyway!! We improved the area. The fence could have been removed anytime. He in turn put up a fortress, concreted into the ground.

DaftyDuck

You just don't seem to get it, as far as I can see...

You don't like the fact that the other tenant has, without discussion with you, fenced off an area of the garden to which you had access...

... yet, as far as I can see, prior to this, you didn't engage in discussion about putting plants and a fence in on a part of the property that has a far greater impact on him than on you.

Of course you have a right of way on the other side - that's stipulated in the contract you have. That may not give you the right to sit there, put a table & chairs there, or plants there.

Tixy

judywoody wrote: »

Why on earth would we do that? And maybe it would be nice to ask us first!?

Perhaps that is how the neighbour felt when you started work on what you assumed to be a communal area.

judywoody wrote: »

1) I don't think so - this is the way we rented it and pay for it?!
The neighbour doesn't speak to us despite us trying to be nice, I doubt he will care about inviting him
2) There is not a lot we can do with it..it's pebbled....and our bins need to be there, too.
3) We have already spoke to the agency about our proposal, we don't know how to contact the landlord.

If you don't know how to contact the landlord then it is to be hoped you don't have any bigger issues through the tenancy.

pimento

judywoody wrote: »

... we were removing a jungle of weeds! Other than that we never went there...we would have put some flowers there but that's it.

Perhaps that jungle of weeds were giving him extra cover from his bedroom window being right on the pavement. I don't think I would be too happy if my just moved in upstairs neighbour started hacking around without reference to me first.

You do come across as quite bumptious.

judywoody

DaftyDuck wrote: »

You just don't seem to get it, as far as I can see...

You don't like the fact that the other tenant has, without discussion with you, fenced off an area of the garden to which you had access...

... yet, as far as I can see, prior to this, you didn't engage in discussion about putting plants and a fence in on a part of the property that has a far greater impact on him than on you.

Of course you have a right of way on the other side - that's stipulated in the contract you have. That may not give you the right to sit there, put a table & chairs there, or plants there.

Why does everyone assume that I wanted to put tables and chairs there?? That wasn't even remotely our idea.

I see, I forgot it's better in the UK to leave front gardens overgrown with weeds, leave them as ugly as possible and if anyone dares to make a place look better it's a capital offence!

No, I haven't discussed that beforehand as I thought I would do the neighbor and the landlord a favour. Maybe in my world a nice looking garden is superior to a bunch of weeds. Sorry I got that wrong. My fault!

As I said, the bamboo fence could have easily been removed - no offence taken. I just put it up for privacy and I didn't really have the money for anything more steady, They could have said "hey to be honest, we don't like it can you take it down please?". I have done nothing else to the area. No, I don't understand why everyone takes this guys side but maybe this isn't the right forum. I am constantly reminded that in Britain, things are not supposed to look nice or tidy.

We never claimed the area as our own, we were (maybe wrongfully) of the impression that his was a communal area. So why should we ask permission to remove weeds?

You wonder why I don't understand? Because it doesn't make sense!