Fire escape into my garden (undisclosed when bought house)

melanzana

Am a bit puzzled. Your neighbour's flat has a garden. You have a garden.

There is a gate on neighbour's side disguised as a fence panel through which neighbour can escape in the event of a fire into YOUR garden.

Where does neighbour go from there? Have you got a back gate into a lane or something?

And of course the obvious question is, if there is a back gate from your garden into a lane or whatever, why doesn't neighbour also have one?

Of course I may be missing something here. I am particularly curious about what happens when neighbour opens fence gate, where does neighbour go then? In through your house or side passage to escape?

Apart from that I would not worry about it. Just put a small bolt on your side for privacy.

Get on with living. Neighbour seems nice if s/he bothered to have a word over the fence. Most people seem to want to keep to themselves these days, so that is a positive!!

Eejay

On the plus side, if you ever have a fire perhaps you can go through that gate too.

I can't understand all the hassle. My next door neighbour has a gate in the fence with the neighbour at the back - no idea why it's there but I haven't noticed either of them crying about it.

G_M

I think the point about the gate is not to prive access between the gardens, it is to stop the fire spreading along the length of the fence.

By opening the gate, you create a fire break. The remainder of the fence remains untouched by fire, thus removing the need for insurance on the fence.

moneyistooshorttomention

Is there such a thing specificially as insurance on a garden fence?
I just assumed you take out insurance on the whole property and that's it = its on the whole property (including everything in the garden)?

Re the differing views on privacy in a garden - I'm guessing that peoples views may vary according to what they have been brought up being used to. If you've been brought up in a standard size family (ie 2 children or you're the only one) and by parents who expect privacy and make it plain that back gardens are private = then that's what you will probably take on board and assume everyone else will too and are likely to react very strongly to any "invasions" of your garden.

If you've been brought up in a big family/people always popping round type household/no chance of privacy anyway = you probably don't understand why other people expect it.

SmlSave

If she's a nice lady and indeed would only use it in an emergency I'd suggest that you calm down and leave it be.

Just think.....should you need help one day and shouted for help while in your garden; do you really want the neighbour to say 'sorry love but you've made it clear I'm not to cross over the boundary'?

Upsetting neighbours can be really stressful!

TBeckett100

If there was a fire, the last thing if worry about is replacing a few fencing panels. Wonder if the girl next door was knocking off the previous owners husband?

Could be a security risk. Why climb the fence with a TV when you can pop through it.

Herbalus

G_M wrote: »

I think the point about the gate is not to prive access between the gardens, it is to stop the fire spreading along the length of the fence.

By opening the gate, you create a fire break. The remainder of the fence remains untouched by fire, thus removing the need for insurance on the fence.

I normally don't question (most!) things you say, but this doesn't hold much water for me. If the OP has mistaken the gate for a fence panel for nearly 18 months, I'd suggest it's more likely to be camouflaged as a fence part with hinges (unless the OP needs to get outside more!), and as such likely to be of the same presumably flammable material.

So the fire break would be predicated on somebody being there and alert when the fire is happening, which is only ever going to be hit and miss.

But then your fence insurance comment tells me this smacks of sarcasm....
Well done. I wrote a whole reply before realising I should google fence insurance and found out there isn't any.....:rotfl:

DandelionPatrol

Hedgehog99 wrote: »

This should have been spotted by your solicitor. IMHO it comes under the same the of thing as a neighbour needing access on your land to maintain their property.

If it is in the deeds, it should have been spotted by OP's conveyancer, agreed. But if it is merely a fact on the ground, then the solicitor would be totally unaware.

Assuming there is not access in the deeds, I would be minded to 'seal' the gate shut so not so that it could not be opened, but so that access would be immediately visible. And diary the date of applying the seal

Mossfarr

Its all well and good whilst you have a nice neighbour but what if she moves? You could get a family with 12 urchins who insist on playing in your garden or sending their dog through to crap in your garden.
Sounds far fetched doesn't it? but nope - this is exactly what happened to my elderly grandmother (well, maybe not 12 urchins - there were 4 plus crapping dog)!!
We blocked the gateway as there was no mention of it in the deeds.

piggeh

Depending on the answers to some of the posts above (where does the 'fire escape route actually go after your garden?). I would speak to the neighbour and say you feel like your garden is less private but they are free to use it as an escape if required, then put a glass emergency bolt onto the 'gate' so that it can only be broken in an emergency and can't then be used on a casual basis. If they break it without any consideration for yourselves then replace the gate with a proper fence panel.

I would otherwise consult another solicitor on if this should have been picked up and then consider your options there.