Selling house, row with neighbours...

pimento

Just tell your neighbour that if you can't sell your house, they'll be stuck with you and your dog..

Vectis

Guest101 wrote: »

That's not a dispute....


A dispute is where there are two conflicting arguments. That is simply a request, which presumably you went along with.


Yes I love people giving silly examples to try justify an incorrect position...

Ok, I'm confused now about what constitutes a 'dispute' in house selling circumstances.

So, if your neighbour 'requests' you do something (i.e. 'Keep the bl**dy noise down') it's not a dispute unless you argue about it? If you don't reply you're ok? But if you answer back (e.g. 'I'm mowing the lawn, tough luck') then does that make it a dispute which has to be reported?

When does a 'discussion' over the fence turn into a 'dispute' which must be reported?

It does seem a little open to abuse too. An antisocial neighbour can, by the sounds of it, scupper any chance of their neighbour ever selling their house. And what about sweeteners - bung them a few quid to forget about that argument you had over their cat fouling in your garden or, indeed, them attaching their clothesline to your property? There's already been suggestions of buying the neighbours gifts to keep them sweet (alcohol, rotary clothesline) and making grovelling apologies.

Basically it all sounds a bit vague. Is there not an official line on what constitutes a dispute in cases such as this, or do you have to document every discussion/argument/disagreement?

seven-day-weekend

missbiggles1 wrote: »

A buyer won't be concerned with the problems your neighbour has had with you - you're going.

I agree and it all seems a bit petty anyway.

Guest101

Vectis wrote: »

Ok, I'm confused now about what constitutes a 'dispute' in house selling circumstances.

So, if your neighbour 'requests' you do something (i.e. 'Keep the bl**dy noise down') it's not a dispute unless you argue about it? - A dispute is as follows: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/dispute If you don't reply you're ok? But if you answer back (e.g. 'I'm mowing the lawn, tough luck') then does that make it a dispute which has to be reported? - If you have two conflicting views, you have a dispute. see the link above

When does a 'discussion' over the fence turn into a 'dispute' which must be reported? - a discussion does not require a conclusion.

It does seem a little open to abuse too. An antisocial neighbour can, by the sounds of it, scupper any chance of their neighbour ever selling their house. - They can anyway. And what about sweeteners - bung them a few quid to forget about that argument you had over their cat fouling in your garden or, indeed, them attaching their clothesline to your property? - This happens anyway. There's already been suggestions of buying the neighbours gifts to keep them sweet (alcohol, rotary clothesline) and making grovelling apologies. - Well that's upto the OP, but it's clear what must be reported.

Basically it all sounds a bit vague. Is there not an official line on what constitutes a dispute in cases such as this, or do you have to document every discussion/argument/disagreement?

It's not vague, its very straight forward.


Discussions do not need to be documented as a discussion does not require a conclusion.

mermaid85

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I agree and it all seems a bit petty anyway.

This is what is concerning me - they are by no means a nightmare neighbour... we just clearly p**s each other off. If they were civil to me in other respects, I would never have lost my temper over the fence. It really is a stupid matter - it's been the build up of lots of little things that I've ignored and I've snapped.

For the last few months if I see them in the street they give me filthy looks, to the point where my mechanic even questioned what the problem was as the husband stood glaring at me when I was parking my car (my mechanic picks my car up from my house). I'm not easily intimidated, but they only cause trouble when my OH is away... I don't publicise the fact when he leaves, but living next door I'm sure they notice he's not around.

I'm used to having neighbours I can at least say hello to. So I may well be taking things to heart more than I should.

I guess when the time comes my solicitor can help me with what needs to be disclosed and the best way of wording it.

david1951

"Gone is the principle of caveat emptor, or buyer beware...the law in this area is very clear – if the seller or the agent has any information that is likely to have an impact on the value of a property or the buyer's enjoyment of the property, they must disclose it."



"At what stage a dispute is considered serious enough to disclose is a grey area. Some cross words exchanged over the hedge is very different to a situation where the police are involved. If it is likely to impact on a buyer's decision-making, it should be disclosed."

Jeremy Raj, a partner in residential property at law firm Wedlake Bell

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/house-prices/10864514/Failed-property-survey-Now-sellers-must-disclose-all.html

Smodlet

Mm, I just read that article. I wish I believed it would protect buyers but do not. All any vendor or EA has to say is that they were not aware of any issues. Good luck proving they lied, buyers.

This article actually states, ""Gone is the principle of caveat emptor, or buyer beware. This puts the onus on the buyer to uncover any potential problems." If that is not a definition of "caveat emptor", what is? Unless it has been misreported and what he meant was, "this puts the onus on the vendor to disclose any potential problems."

That is my interpretation, anyway. Others may have different ones.

tlc678910

Mojisola wrote: »

Wine and cake, yes.

The rotary washing line isn't necessary.

The neighbours were wrong to attach their line to your fence. If they want a washing line, they should put in a pole like everyone else has to.

I wholeheartedly agree it should be totally unnecessary - it is (quite deliberately) a shameless bribe designed to help the OP make the neighbour dispute disappear! If for the cost of about £40 the OP is able to make the neighbour dispute go away then surely it is £40 well spent? I am well aware that the OP is well within their rights and not sorry but possibly willing to play along to get the relationship back on better terms for their sale.

Tlc

moneyistooshorttomention

Personally - the fact that the neighbours only "go on" when OP's husband is away is so sexist that I wouldnt be in a conciliatory/bribing mood at all.

I do think neighbours who want to be awkward are much more inclined to do so to a woman on their own - from various tales I've heard from others. I've no way of being sure (ie because I've always been a "woman on my own" - so cant compare with what it was like when Hubby was around iyswim). I've just got distinct suspicions I would get treated better by neighbours if I had a resident husband.

But why be nice to people who are discriminating against you (ie treating you worse when you are on your own)?

Just stay polite - ie say nothing to them/do nothing to them and keep a distance.

I got told by a solicitor that the definition of a "dispute" basically boils down to whether there is anything in writing (eg letter to Council or something down on police records). I took it, from what she said to me, that words are just deemed to be "words" basically.

Gawd knows - I found all sorts of disputes likely to happen when I bought my current house from vendor - but there was nothing down in writing - so he basically got away with not telling me that Neighbour X gets up to this and Neighbour Y gets up to that (well - they did......). Unfortunately - I'm the one that now has something "down in writing" - so it will have to be declared when this house gets sold (but its not likely to be until I die so <shrugs>).

Mojisola

tlc678910 wrote: »

I wholeheartedly agree it should be totally unnecessary - it is (quite deliberately) a shameless bribe designed to help the OP make the neighbour dispute disappear! If for the cost of about £40 the OP is able to make the neighbour dispute go away then surely it is £40 well spent? I am well aware that the OP is well within their rights and not sorry but possibly willing to play along to get the relationship back on better terms for their sale.

But it also sets the precedent for the neighbour to keep upping the stakes in order to get more bribes out of the OP - the neighbours could hold mermaid and her OH to ransom right up to completion by threatening to cause problems.