prob with neighbours help pls

movingforward2010

i really need some advice please:

My house is currently up for sale,and im staying at my mums mostly as it closer for my work.

anyway - the house is a new build, and my neighbours who moved in at the same time last year as us (oct'06) . They asked a few months back about putting up a 6foot fence in between our 2 properties at the rear at a cost of £450 , they have a dog which tends to come in our garden all the time, also thier house is for sale and they told the estate agent that they would have one put up. I agreed to pay half, about 3 weeks ago the fence was put up and i said i would pay them when i got paid (1st sept)

at the same time my car went in for an MOT and it has cost me £550 to get it thru the MOT plus ive just taxed, and insured my car to, i explained to them that I had absoultly NO money untill the end of sept as my car has cost me so much ( i mean no money im on my credit card for pertol and food!!)

Even tho i have explained this they are constantly asking me for the money - i really just dont have it
I have recieved a letter off them today saying if i dont pay the money by the end of the week (as they need it for thier holiday) they will contact thier solicitor and this will " have implications' with me selling my house!:eek:

why?????????

im not sure what to do, i know they have had to wait a while for the money and if i had the £225 i would pay them, i have not signed anything its a verbal agreement, i really feel like not paying them at all now!!!

i cant believe some people can be like this:(:(:(

i already feel ill from stress as it is

i dont know what to do

Nobleck

The way i see it is that they never set a date as to when the fence would be errected, also you only verbally agreed to pay half for a fence, however being as this agreement was not written out and signed by any parties, the Solicitor would tell your neighbours that they would be fighting a losing battle(after all you could deny you ever agreed to it)
I would just let the neighbours know that you will pay (if you want to) as and when you are more financially stable.
Was there any kind of boundary between you before?, check your deeds and see who should actually maintain that boundary (they wanted the fence, they got it put up without telling you when it was going to be done, let them wait), it'll cost them a lot in Solicitors fees with a no win situation.
Good luck and don't lose any sleep.

movingforward2010

Nobleck wrote: »

The way i see it is that they never set a date as to when the fence would be errected, also you only verbally agreed to pay half for a fence, however being as this agreement was not written out and signed by any parties, the Solicitor would tell your neighbours that they would be fighting a losing battle(after all you could deny you ever agreed to it)
I would just let the neighbours know that you will pay (if you want to) as and when you are more financially stable.
Was there any kind of boundary between you before?, check your deeds and see who should actually maintain that boundary (they wanted the fence, they got it put up without telling you when it was going to be done, let them wait), it'll cost them a lot in Solicitors fees with a no win situation.
Good luck and don't lose any sleep.

also they dont have a reciept as it was £450 for cash! it was a post and rail fence before, erected by the watkin jones the developer we bought the house from, i thought u were only responsible for the left boundry (which is theres)
i cant believe they are being so akward, im also worried that i wont be able to sell my house now

mum2one

basically theres nothing in writing, so they havent got a leg to stand on, check your boundary agreement as to who was actually responsible for a fence if it needed to be repaired.

also they havent got a receipt, if you want to keep things civil, say you are willing to contribute, but say you have rang a couple of fencing comapnies and the quote was xx, therefore you will contribute xx, but due to financial constarints you will pay them by xx

movingforward2010

i actually feel really upset about it all, i dont want to fall out with them. ill try and see if i can get £50-£100 off my credit card to try and pay them something??

i hate disputes like this

tomstickland

Just explain to them when you will be paying for it.

receipt, if you want to keep things civil, say you are willing to contribute, but say you have rang a couple of fencing comapnies and the quote was xx, therefore you will contribute xx, but due to financial constarints you will pay them by xx

What, lie about the price?

spurs71

The last thing you want is a court ruling. This will show when the buyers on the property do there searches and find it has been filed by the neighbour....not a great advert on the property.

Speak to them and explain your situation and agree to pay £20 per week or whatever you can afford.

Nobleck

wxmlad wrote: »

also they dont have a reciept as it was £450 for cash! it was a post and rail fence before, erected by the watkin jones the developer we bought the house from, i thought u were only responsible for the left boundry (which is theres)
i cant believe they are being so akward, im also worried that i wont be able to sell my house now

Now you could really pull a big punch and tell them to stop hassling you, as paying cash to someone and not getting a receipt is obviously the erectors way in avoiding paying the taxman, as they paid cash with no receipt they are knowingly breaking the law as well (this is true as it happened to me).
Also i'd be !!!!ed if i would pay, for all you know that fence probably cost £220 to put up.

movingforward2010

they said there will be 'implications' with me selling my house, will i not be able to sell till this dispute is resolved? also as thier house is also up for sale would it have 'implications' for them selling thier house to.

mum2one

tomstickland wrote: »

Just explain to them when you will be paying for it.


What, lie about the price?

No, dont lie about the price, ring a couple of comapnies for quotes and go from there.

£450 does sound a lot for replacement fencing, and the cash bit - no receipt - I'd ask questions, dont get into debt, or feel you are being backed into a corner.

At the end of the day, they have the dog and its in there best interests to have a dividing fence.

I have a dog, and therefore I have ensured I have adaqete fencing down the dividing property, and did not ask my neighbours to contribute.

tomstickland

Sometimes there are standards of trust; not everyone is out to rip their neighbours off. I'd do a bit of background research to see what the going rate is for such a fence.