Neighbour drilled into party wall to install exercise equipment without asking

carboffin

The neighbour of my mother's staggered terraced house has erected a large pull-up bar style piece of exercise equipment on the external party wall of her house. It causes my mother's dining room to shake when the neighbour uses it. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but it's more than a basic pull-up bar.

She did not notify my mother about installing it and simply drilled into her wall one day, potentially jeopardising its structure. My mother was not aware of it until many months after they installed it.

The neighbour rents her property, but my mother owns hers.

The neighbour has refused to take it down without giving any reason. She is not a reasonable or cooperative type of person. She actually refused to take it down while continuing to use it during the conversation!

Does anyone here have experience of similar situations? My own experience of disputes is that unreasonable people can simply play the system by ignoring solicitors letters, making up excuses of ill-health and drain ££££ in legal fees from the innocent side.

Thanks.

TeamPlum

If as fixed to my part of the all I'd just take the fixings out. Then attack the neighbour with them.

Tigsteroonie

carboffin wrote: »

My mother was not aware of it until many months after they installed it.

carboffin wrote: »

It causes my mother's dining room to shake when the neighbour uses it.

Did the neighbour not use it for the first few months then?

carboffin

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

Did the neighbour not use it for the first few months then?

She assumed the vibrations were coming from the neighbour dropping barbell weights on her patio.

stator

What do you mean, external party wall?
You mean on one side of the wall it is your mother's extension and on the other side it is her neighbour's garden?

carboffin

stator wrote: »

What do you mean, external party wall?
You mean on one side of the wall it is your mother's extension and on the other side it is her neighbour's garden?

Sort of. The houses are staggered, so it's not a custom built extension.

Yes, the other side is her neighbour's garden.

The neighbour had more than enough space to install this on her own wall, but I'm assuming because she rents she was denied permission by the landlord.

Warwick_Hunt

She needs someone out to look at her property if it causes the drinking room to vibrate.

Ozzuk

Send a letter before action to the landlord asking them to remove it within a time frame and make good the damage. There is a small chance water could get into the brickwork, freeze/expand then damage the bricks.

You could also try a softer approach first with the landlord, they are likely not even aware and may sort it out if approached.

martinsurrey

Ozzuk wrote: »

Send a letter before action to the landlord asking them to remove it within a time frame and make good the damage. There is a small chance water could get into the brickwork, freeze/expand then damage the bricks.

You could also try a softer approach first with the landlord, they are likely not even aware and may sort it out if approached.

be careful,

OP is it a true party wall, or is it a wall build up to the boundary but 100% your mothers?

If its a party wall, there is nothing you can do, Party wall act only applies to changes that effect the structure, and if you claim a pull up bar effects the structure the wall MUST currently be structurally unsound, which backs you into a corner, and as a shared wall they can legally put screws into it.

if its 100% your mothers wall (not on the boundary but up to it), then they have no right to touch it at all, and you can start LBA at will.

Doozergirl

martinsurrey wrote: »

be careful,

OP is it a true party wall, or is it a wall build up to the boundary but 100% your mothers?

If its a party wall, there is nothing you can do, Party wall act only applies to changes that effect the structure, and if you claim a pull up bar effects the structure the wall MUST currently be structurally unsound, which backs you into a corner, and as a shared wall they can legally put screws into it.

if its 100% your mothers wall (not on the boundary but up to it), then they have no right to touch it at all, and you can start LBA at will.

Indeed. The OP describes it as not being an extension, but that the houses are staggered. This almost certainly makes it a party wall and the neighbour is entitled to hang things from it without permission.

No one's going to get it taken down by arguing it's their wall.