Urgent advice please; builders have built about 10cm onto neighbours' land!

cyclonebri1

27col wrote: »

It's extremely unlikely that any domestic dwelling boundary is specified to within 100mm.

Or more likely, it could not be proven, the issue is still to placate what are good neighbours so the OP doesn't have future issues.

rosie383

Update: DH went with the builder to the neighbours yesterday and had a talk. The builder explained that had we left the 10cm strip of land between our boundary and the start of their extension, that it would possibly have caused both parties problems with damp and debris, hence the extra wall.
The neighbours said that they would be willing to have an agreement drawn up at our expense which would sell that strip of land to us for the princely sum of £1000!
DH explained to them that we just don't have a spare £1k to pay to them and he would have to ask the builder to knock that wall and part of roof down and start again, leaving the gap as they wanted.
They very hastily said 'No, don't do that! Just pay the money and we will get the agreement drawn up.' I'm pretty sure that they don't want to extend the building time by extra weeks either!

So going forward, I need to speak to them to see if we can come to an agreement which is more acceptable to us to be honest. Looking at the footprint of the house, and house prices around here, I think a couple of hundred would be much more realistic. The area in question is about 30-50cm square and it is a normal semi with a garden about 100' long. So I reckon (very, very roughly) that it is perhaps a thousandth of the footprint of the site. So what they are asking for would value their house at £1 million, instead of around £275k.
We really don't want to spoil what is a decent relationship with them, and in reality, from what you guys have said, and I've been able to find out, it would really only become a problem upon selling, if they made a point of making it a problem.
I believe that £1k is excessive, but how do I put it to them in a way which is not saying that we just want to get away with it, and they are being greedy? We could compromise on maybe £200-300.
Any helpful advice would be gratefully received.

AnnieO1234

rosie383 wrote: »

Update: DH went with the builder to the neighbours yesterday and had a talk. The builder explained that had we left the 10cm strip of land between our boundary and the start of their extension, that it would possibly have caused both parties problems with damp and debris, hence the extra wall.
The neighbours said that they would be willing to have an agreement drawn up at our expense which would sell that strip of land to us for the princely sum of £1000!
DH explained to them that we just don't have a spare £1k to pay to them and he would have to ask the builder to knock that wall and part of roof down and start again, leaving the gap as they wanted.
They very hastily said 'No, don't do that! Just pay the money and we will get the agreement drawn up.' I'm pretty sure that they don't want to extend the building time by extra weeks either!

So going forward, I need to speak to them to see if we can come to an agreement which is more acceptable to us to be honest. Looking at the footprint of the house, and house prices around here, I think a couple of hundred would be much more realistic. The area in question is about 30-50cm square and it is a normal semi with a garden about 100' long. So I reckon (very, very roughly) that it is perhaps a thousandth of the footprint of the site. So what they are asking for would value their house at £1 million, instead of around £275k.
We really don't want to spoil what is a decent relationship with them, and in reality, from what you guys have said, and I've been able to find out, it would really only become a problem upon selling, if they made a point of making it a problem.
I believe that £1k is excessive, but how do I put it to them in a way which is not saying that we just want to get away with it, and they are being greedy? We could compromise on maybe £200-300.
Any helpful advice would be gratefully received.

How much would it devalue your property to have an on the record boundary dispute? Or for the neighbours to demand your extension is demolished? Maybe not today but in a few years time when you no longer know where the builder is to resolve it?

The way I read it is that the situation has effectively created a ransom strip of sorts; the figures you have used mean nothing at all.

What are you willing to pay to make it go away? Xx

J_B

I discussed something along similar lines with a friend/land agent a while back, he replied "Well, nobody does anything like this for less than a grand these days"
We eventually settled on 500

rosie383

Good advice which I will listen to. If they don't want to come down from the £1k it will rankle a bit.
Hopefully they have put it out there as a ballpark figure and are willing to come down.
Neither of us will want a dispute but because it is 'our' mistake, it kind of feels as if they have us over a barrel.

DRP

What are the implications if you do nothing?

Mojisola

AnnieO1234 wrote: »

How much would it devalue your property to have an on the record boundary dispute?

A boundary dispute would affect both houses so the neighbours probably wouldn't want things to get that far.

Or for the neighbours to demand your extension is demolished? Maybe not today but in a few years time when you no longer know where the builder is to resolve it?

If the neighbours leave things as they are now, they will have accepted the position of the wall. They won't get very far trying to get it altered in a few years time.

Why isn't the builder involved in these discussions - it's his mistake. I don't understand why it's you offering the neighbours money and not him.

AnnieO1234

Mojisola wrote: »

If the neighbours leave things as they are now, they will have accepted the position of the wall. They won't get very far trying to get it altered in a few years time.

Why isn't the builder involved in these discussions - it's his mistake. I don't understand why it's you offering the neighbours money and not him.

Not true, at all. Research adverse possession. The neighbours have already notified you they are unhappy.

firefox1956

Mojisola wrote: »

If the neighbours leave things as they are now, they will have accepted the position of the wall. They won't get very far trying to get it altered in a few years time.

Why isn't the builder involved in these discussions - it's his mistake. I don't understand why it's you offering the neighbours money and not him.

I would pass all the blame onto your builder & let him or his insurance sort it out.
Or maybe I am missing something here ??

Mojisola

AnnieO1234 wrote: »

Not true, at all. Research adverse possession. The neighbours have already notified you they are unhappy.

They have said that they are unhappy but if they then step back and don't pursue it, they will have accepted the position of the wall.