Is there a minimum property walkway / access size?

PasturesNew

IMHO the concrete path leading to the back door looks wider than you say.

It looks as wide as/wider than my neighbour's new-build, poor, narrow, side entrance path, which is 2 slabs (0.9m) wide.

The details linked to clearly show a driveway/parking spot (image 8/10)... so has that gone?

Ah - I see you linked to how the house was previously sold - and now, what you're buying, doesn't have that sideway access/driveway.

Best bet is to speak to the actual landowner and ask them what went on.

Being a "local property for local people" it was probably some "mates' arrangement" to let them park there for X years without the original land being sold to the house owner. Simply the sort of thing common where you have land you don't need and your mate's sister's uncle, who is also your mate's brother, would like to use it so you say "OK, as it's you".

Knock on the door and find out.

moneyistooshorttomention

ams12688 wrote: »

The annoying thing is that the owner is not there, she rents the land to some horse owners. Do you not think that the title plan shows a much wider gap than the current 2ft? Where would I stand legally if during the renovations I simply had the builder move the posts 6 inches back so I had enough space to erect a more tidy / clean fence against it?

When you say the "landowner" just moved the fence - I am wondering why she would do that, ie with it not being her personally that's using the land for these horses.

Is it definitely the "landowner" that has moved it - or could it be the horse owners that are renting it that have moved it? I guess there is off chance that maybe the "landowner" herself actually knows nothing about it and the renters have taken it on themselves to do this.

ams12688

yes, the original fence is still there, and the new extended bit of barbed wire has been brought up as close to the house as possible.

As this house to it be a refurbishment project, I don't mind waiting to get to the bottom of the actual boundary issue, my only concern is that in the title plan the side access looks to be about half the width of the house I'm buying, and with that evidence, surely I am able to ask for the temporary fencing to be moved a bit just so I have enough room to put up a nicer looking one (eek!).

I've told my solicitor I want to raise an issue about it, so at the worst the offer could be lowered (and he will likely be desperate to take since this has been dragging on a long time as it is!), or he could get in touch with landowner to have it moved a bit

ams12688

good point... you could be quite right. The house next door told me that it was moved because the vendor kept parking a car there and it didn't belong to the house... whether it was the field tenants, or landowner, is another story. Glad I got this raised with solicitor now!

In your opinion, how much would you try and knock off the price if a suitable outcome can't be reached between the vendor and landowner?

theonlywayisup

I would not be thinking of cost at the moment, I would be thinking about the potential boundary issue.

What if the fence were higher and you couldn't lift your sofa/wardrobe/bed high enough to get it over the height of the fence?

If there is an issue, it could drag on for years and may cost more than any discount you gain now. Or you could get it sorted because the vendor wants to sell and she/he can prove the land is/isn't belonging to the house.

ams12688

^^ Thanks. I hope my solicitor is good about this stuff (eek!). I'd much rather have it sorted now, yes. It would be so wrong to have to move the door to the front :-/

theonlywayisup

Do let us know how you get on.

karcher

ams12688 wrote: »

^^ Thanks. I hope my solicitor is good about this stuff (eek!). I'd much rather have it sorted now, yes. It would be so wrong to have to move the door to the front :-/

There is no way I would even consider Exchange until this is resolved.

ams12688

thanks- will do! fingers crossed :j:j

PasturesNew

Ah, if it's in the deeds then that land should be yours.
You need to speak to the neighbouring land owner really to see what they're like/what their beef is and what they say the historical story is.
Take a copy of the deeds with you for that, so you can point and say "Moi Land innit?"

It could have been done for all sorts of reasons, legally or illegally.

Title deeds tend to trump things - but what if you bang on his door and he's an oaf with a gun, no teeth and an attitude that tells you "Not moving it, F off... get orf moi land laddie"?

It's really something you need to do face to face, not via a solicitor and on bits of paper, anonymously because, whatever's got it to this point would be something you'd inherit as a potential massive problem going forward.