Neighbours Wall - please help at this difficult time

wendb69

Wonder if anyone can help me please. I came home to a letter from my neighbours yesterday, and this was after a day sitting in the hospital with my father in law dying. I just can't think properly and therefore hope that someone on here can help.


2 years ago they started building, an extension, and this involved putting a wall between our 2 kitchen windows as we are a terraced property. The wall was around 4 ft wide and want from the wall of the house on to the brick built sheds. Originally they told us the wall would only be around 6 ft, and subsequently it was built at 8 foot. Of course, we queried this and their planning permission and they had none. Down the line, they had to seek planning permission. There is no party wall agreement.


We mounted a very small security camera on the wall a few months ago and have now received a letter from them saying "that we have drilled deep in to the wall, penetrating the outer brick layer, and that they want it removed and THEIR builders to come and repair".


The camera is very light weight and we didnt really consider that it was classed as their property before as its a wall between our 2 properties, but fair enough we are going to move it.


But im concerned about the whole "repair" thing. They are very small holes which can be filled with water tight sealant. And I dont believe they have penetrated the outer brick layer.


Any thoughts on this please. Im just beside myself with grief over something so trivial.

Grenage

Ultimately, you drilled into their wall; they would obviously want to be the ones to repair it, as it's their wall.

I wouldn't worry - it doesn't sound like they're even saying they want you to pay for it. Worst case scenario, it's a brick and some mortar.

wendb69

Grenage wrote: »

Ultimately, you drilled into their wall; they would obviously want to be the ones to repair it, as it's their wall.

I wouldn't worry - it doesn't sound like they're even saying they want you to pay for it. Worst case scenario, it's a brick and some mortar.

They want their builder to repair and for us to pay - at a premiem I suspect.

Doozergirl

When I have bigger fish to fry, I really just think about the level of stress an argument causes versus just getting it sorted and making it go away.

In your case, it might just be the right thing for you to do to take the camera down, move it to your wall, check the depth of the holes by poking a pencil or a long nail in the hole. A brick is 10cm thick.

And then let them repair it. Are the builders on site?

You can start a whole party wall argument, but you won't get anywhere emotionally and the PWA will not help you now that the wall is up. If you want to go there and argue about your right to attach something to a party structure then I think we need to establish whether this wall straddles your boundary (in line with your internal party wall with them) or whether it is on their side of the boundary?

Just a shame that people can be so petty. A conversation would be less upsetting.

Aylesbury_Duck

wendb69 wrote: »

They want their builder to repair and for us to pay - at a premiem I suspect.

I don't see you have much choice. It sounds trivial (if it's the usual rawl plug and screws fixings used for things like this) but ultimately, you should have sought permission before affixing the camera and your neighbour has a right to have it put right to their satisfaction.

If it is as you describe, then I suspect that the history you allude to is influencing your neighbour's attitude to this. With everything else you have going on at the moment, I would ask them to provide an estimate for repairs. You don't need the hassle or the possible consequences of a difficult neighbour relationship, which can be expensive financially and emotionally.

wendb69

Doozergirl wrote: »

When I have bigger fish to fry, I really just think about the level of stress an argument causes versus just getting it sorted and making it go away.

In your case, it might just be the right thing for you to do to take the camera down, move it to your wall, check the depth of the holes by poking a pencil or a long nail in the hole. A brick is 10cm thick.

And then let them repair it. Are the builders on site?

You can start a whole party wall argument, but you won't get anywhere emotionally and the PWA will not help you now that the wall is up. If you want to go there and argue about your right to attach something to a party structure then I think we need to establish whether this wall straddles your boundary (in line with your internal party wall with them) or whether it is on their side of the boundary?

Just a shame that people can be so petty. A conversation would be less upsetting.

I agree, but they have been quite spiteful in recent years - there is no conversation to be had sadly.


No, no builders on site currently.

Aylesbury_Duck

wendb69 wrote: »

I agree, but they have been quite spiteful in recent years - there is no conversation to be had sadly.

Oh dear. In which case, I would simply ask them to provide an estimate before work starts. You can then decide if you want to challenge the amount.

If the estimate is affordable/palatable, just agree to it (get the amount in writing) and move on. You don't need the hassle of a protracted dispute with a neighbour. If you think it's unreasonable, tell them so politely and await their next move.

Grenage

wendb69 wrote: »

They want their builder to repair and for us to pay - at a premiem I suspect.

That is unfortunate and petty indeed. Unless a brick and been rent in two, or the neighbour had completely hashed the wall - I wouldn't care.

I'd just run with it; life is too short.

baldelectrician

Write (yes WRITE) to them asking for a cost and also ask when they are going to reduce the wall (at their cost) to the height in the plans


Thank them for bringing the height of the wall to your attention and you will now write to the council planning dept.




Remember in England you have 7 years to bring things to the local authority attention (in Scotland there is no time limit)

wendb69

baldelectrician wrote: »

Write (yes WRITE) to them asking for a cost and also ask when they are going to reduce the wall (at their cost) to the height in the plans


Thank them for bringing the height of the wall to your attention and you will now write to the council planning dept.



Remember in England you have 7 years to bring things to the local authority attention (in Scotland there is no time limit)

Thank you.


They did eventually go for planning permission and it was all approved (eventually). We didnt care about the extension, just the height and the discrepancy between what they "told us" vs what happened. It's "right" in our face. However, it is what it is now.


Just the whole situation with 1. how they know we have a camera and 2. will we be ripped off for filling a tiny hole.

Aylesbury_Duck

wendb69 wrote: »

Just the whole situation with 1. how they know we have a camera and 2. will we be ripped off for filling a tiny hole.

1. Presumably they've seen it from somewhere like another neighbour's garden or from your back fence? Does the letter state it's a camera or just that they know you've drilled into their wall? Ultimately it doesn't matter and I wouldn't worry about it, unless you suspect they've been trespassing. Is there any chance that your fixings have gone through to their interior or caused a visible crack inside, and that's how they know?

2. If you follow the advice given, you shouldn't be ripped off. Ask for an estimate, keep it civil and agree or dispute it as you see fit. If there are no builders on site, the cost will have to cover calling someone out, so it won't be as straightforward as a few pence-worth of mortar/filler. Remember there's a difference between a rip-off and a genuine cost of the job and the latter isn't necessarily the former, even if it's more than you expect it to be. If your relationship were better, you could probably do it yourself but that seems out of the question.