Neighbour stole loft space for conversion

DebtFreeDuo

Apologies for the confusion with the photos! Below the loft there is a bedroom which is level to the wall on the right, then below the wall on the left is the bathroom and a cupboard. I would assume that the next door neighbour would have a cupboard and bathroom that would have been level with our cupboard and bathroom but on the other side of the house (I hope this makes sense). The plasterboard comes completely across the cupboard and also above part of our bathroom. I'm 99% sure that the plasterboard comes over to the left too much by somewhere between 1-2 metres by around a metre. We haven't managed to get up there to measure it all out properly but I can try to get back to the house with my parents to check it, we are having to get there between work and the house is a little distance away.

I'm not sure if there would be any legal cover to cover this house, as the owner has died I assume any legal cover they had would now be cancelled and I assume any legal cover my parents have on their home wouldn't cover this home. 

Would approaching the neighbour be the first step here?

Thank you all for your help with this, I'm not a homeowner myself so I'm not sure how any of this works.

Jeepers_Creepers

I suspect Legal Cover is a non-starter as this is an existing issue that your folks are now aware of; subsequent insurance won't cover retrospective issues.

First things first - you, or your folks, need to work out the dimensions concerned to see if there actually is an issue or not. This is a mid-terraced house? So what's on the other end of the loft? And why or how on earth would a terraced house's boundary wall be anything other than straight from the back to the front?!

That's a brick wall and looks original. It ain't floating in space, so almost certainly has a continuing brick wall going right down to the ground floor. Are the boundary walls 'stepped' on the ground and upstairs floors too? Surely not.

And has whoever built that monstros moved one of the brick walls up there? Surely not.

If your folks - or you - cannot work this out yourselves, you need a surveyor or architect to have a look. If that wall has been moved (tho' I can't see how) then you need building control out.

This obviously needs 'sorting out'. By that I mean, working out if there has been encroachment.

Who on earth is going to buy that house with this unresolved issue?

GrumpyDil

Starting point is definately that you need to measure up to see exactly where that bathroom ends in relation to the lower walls.

If that still makes you think that there is a problem I would then check to see if there was building control sign off with the local authority and if there was, see if you can look at the plans as that may help a little.

If after doing that you still think there is a problem then start with a conversation with the neighbours and go from there. If they have trespassed into your space will be interesting to see how it can be resolved. 

Another_Level

Tbh, i would still sell the property on.  Your at the thin (better) end of the wedge.

Neighbour could be a future ongoing problem 

GrumpyDil

Another_Level said:

Tbh, i would still sell the property on.  Your at the thin (better) end of the wedge.

Neighbour could be a future ongoing problem 

There's not been any question of not selling the property. This discussion is all about dealing with any issues that the loft extension might cause. 

GeordieGeorge

While I agree that you need some proper measurements, and / or drilling down at the boundary to see where it comes out, I’d be just as concerned about the structural integrity and fire risk. It does look as though where once there was a proper wall there’s now a timber frame and a bit of plasterboard.

If it was my house, and if I were less law-abiding I’d be very tempted to go online for some spy equipment and install the teeniest tiniest camera through the drywall for a look.

shinytop

If this is as it seems, it's almost inconceivable this could have been done without the OP's parents' benefactor's knowledge.  Doesn't it suggest that if a hole was made straight upwards through the ceiling in this area, it would come out through the floor of the neighbour's loft extension? If so that would be .... interesting.

theoretica

I think it has been asked but not answered - what do the deeds show?  A straight line separating the terraced properties?  Or a stepped one?

Another_Level

GrumpyDil said:

Another_Level said:

Tbh, i would still sell the property on.  Your at the thin (better) end of the wedge.

Neighbour could be a future ongoing problem 

There's not been any question of not selling the property. This discussion is all about dealing with any issues that the loft extension might cause. 

I agree if their wanting to keep the property.  Getting an approved building inspector to visit their property and do a report for the new owners would be a start. 

Down my part of our beautiful country an inspection would be around a grand and if required they will work as an expert witness on an hourly basis.

Easily sorted 

Andy_L

Ganga said:

Would be interesting if the owner  " tripped over in the loft " and went through the plasterboard ,even if they have permission to build it should it not be protected by a brick wall ,if a fire started next door in the bathroom it would spread quickly into both houses .

Firebreaks in lofts don't have to be made of brick.
For however long that house has existed they haven't had anything blocking the spread of fire in the loft space