Neighbour dispute- grrr

Charlieew

I live in a mid terrace Victorian house. There are 4 people in "our" part of the terrace and we have shared path to the front and shared access to our "secret gardens". Its not straightforward  but it doesnt cause any issues.The next house in the terrace is not part of our "group" and does not have one of the secret gardens and is not mentioned on any of out deeds with regard to rights of access or rights of way. I have looked at their deeds, my deeds and my neighbouts deeds and it straightforward - they have no right of way through out gardens. The problem is that their garden is "landlocked". In 2015 it seems that the owner at the time put in a gate onto our shared path. The previous owner of my hosue sought legal advice and was told to put a locked gate to prevent access. They sold the house in 2015 but strangely from the archived listing on zoopla it looks like they sold it as an investement with a view to them renting it back from the new owner. They didnt use the accessz so it didnt cause issues and then they moved out. The owners did the house up and sold it in 2017 to the current owners. They were pretty confused by the gate to nowhere.  There was then a couple of issues- footballs being kicked over and their dog getting into the garden and being agressive, so my neighbour suggested a padlock on the gate, which i agreed to.  She fitted it and shared the combinaton with the 4 of us. She sent them a letter explaining  it and saying if they needed  access they could ask. This was 2 years ago. We didnt hear anything from them so we got on with our lives. 
Then the other day the beighbour posted a passive agrressive message on a neighbourhood forum, so i pmd her and it seems they are getting a solicotor to advise. They have removed the padlock somehow and have been allowed by one of the neighbours  to go through his garden and down the shared path (he did not consider the legal possible implications of allowing them free access to his garden, he was just being nice)
Do they have any case?
1) the gate did not exist before 2015
2) it was put in without permission to aid sale of the house, the listing weirdly specifically mentions a "gate giving access to the front".(and by then renting off the new owner they  effectively "laundered " the gate when it was sold next  time.)
3) other gates were put up to prevent them using it as a right of way to the front with clear signage
4) when the new people moved in it was padlocked soon after this in 2017
5) their deeds do not mention any rights if way (all they have is a plan that "someone" has drawn a red pen path  on,  but this does not match the official records)
6) our deeds are all quite detailed and specific about the rights of way- their house is not mentined once.
7) do the remaining shared path owners have any recourse if one person grants right of way through their garden bearing in mind they then need to use the shared path. 
8) are we within our rights to put the padlock back on and do we have to give them notice? 
9) is their recourse if they take it off again, if so what is it? Police? Solicitor letter? Injunction?

Thanks in advance for your assistance 

Charlieew

my deeds.. 

Norman_Castle

They can remove a padlock from a gate they own, what right do others have to do that. If there is no legal access you can put a fence in front of the gate on property you own. For them to insist it is removed they need to prove a right of access.

http://www.boundary-problems.co.uk/boundary-problems/easements.html