Our garden boundary, what are my rights?

IvyFlood

Woolsery said:

It's an eyesore and a bit of a lost cause IMO for any sort of gardening treatment. While you might not have to, it would be best to let the neighbour maintain their windows and guttering in a clean condition and that means treading in the area. For me, it's a great place for a bin store, fenced up to  the height of the access gate. Your choice but I'd use hit & miss fencing painted forest green.

I'd then get rid of that silly little ramp and relocate the access to the rest of the garden, allowing me to put a border there and grow whatever I fancy against the bin store fence. After all, fences aren't very pretty either.

I happened to agree. I think bin storage is a good idea. Currently we keep our three bins at the front of the house under a canopy - but this is within an area we want to do something with so they would eventually be kept at the rear. It would mean the smell would reach through their windows though!

IvyFlood

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I've neglected the post a bit while we've been doing other work in the garden (removing 16 tones of soil and rubble!)

As it happens, the neighbors have lent us their wheelbarrow to help which we'd have been a bit screwed without to be honest! They seem like decent people. Although the guy was talking to us through one of the said windows one night - awkward!

At present, I don't feel comfortable to approach the subject of it yet, not until the work at the top of the garden has been done anyway.

Woolsery

IvyFlood said:

At present, I don't feel comfortable to approach the subject of it yet, not until the work at the top of the garden has been done anyway.

Doing things gradually is often the way. We erected a low stock fence between us and neighbours with loquacious children and  vast quantities of gaily coloured plastic activity stuff, plus the ubiquitous trampoline. Nothing unfriendly about that. I expect he little 'sticks' we planted next were scarcely noticed.

Three years or so later we had a beech hedge tall enough not to see the plastic or the kids!

Lastonestanding

IvyFlood said:

I don't know when it was built and thought nothing of it when we bought the house but as I've become more interested in gardening/sorting the garden, its started to bother me, as it affects our privacy.

I did plan to build a sleeper bed towards the bottom and grow trees in it to block it out but what are my rights in doing that? As its on my land but I'd be blocking their light? I am also tempted to put some trellis up and grow something on it to hide it too.

If it was there when you bought it, you accepted it.
Don't let it bug you, the previous owner allowed them to build it.
Don't antagonise the situation, get on with your life.

Bendy_House

You are, of course, also free to ignore that advice ^

Soot2006

Woolsery said:

IvyFlood said:

At present, I don't feel comfortable to approach the subject of it yet, not until the work at the top of the garden has been done anyway.

Doing things gradually is often the way. We erected a low stock fence between us and neighbours with loquacious children and  vast quantities of gaily coloured plastic activity stuff, plus the ubiquitous trampoline. Nothing unfriendly about that. I expect he little 'sticks' we planted next were scarcely noticed.

Three years or so later we had a beech hedge tall enough not to see the plastic or the kids!

Exactly this. I was lovely conversations with my nosy neighbour right until my laurel reached a height and density that meant he could not longer see into my garden. I run into him outside and I laugh "oh haha we hardly talk since the hedge grew so big" and then quickly run home and fertilise the hedge to keep it healthy ...

Woolsery

Lastonestanding said:

IvyFlood said:

I don't know when it was built and thought nothing of it when we bought the house but as I've become more interested in gardening/sorting the garden, its started to bother me, as it affects our privacy.

I did plan to build a sleeper bed towards the bottom and grow trees in it to block it out but what are my rights in doing that? As its on my land but I'd be blocking their light? I am also tempted to put some trellis up and grow something on it to hide it too.

If it was there when you bought it, you accepted it.

When they consider a property, most people recognise it may come with a few things they regard as problems, perhaps including overlooking, or privacy issues like this. A clever person may  achieve a resolution of the difficulty without unduly upsetting the neighbour, which is surely the OP's intention here.

If you can't see a equitable solution, that's fine, but please don't imply to the OP that there isn't one, especially when others have made constructive suggestions.

warby68

I wonder if some blinds would help. You know the vertical ones, partly closed.  It would obscure the views both ways quite a bit.

You'd need to get on friendly terms to suggest it though.

I don't think I'd like the current set up if I was the neighbour either. You can see straight in as well.

Lastonestanding

Woolsery said:

If you can't see a equitable solution, that's fine, but please don't imply to the OP that there isn't one, especially when others have made constructive suggestions.

The glass is already frosted, do you think more is needed in regards to that?

Woolsery

Lastonestanding said:

Woolsery said:

If you can't see a equitable solution, that's fine, but please don't imply to the OP that there isn't one, especially when others have made constructive suggestions.

The glass is already frosted, do you think more is needed in regards to that?

No, because it would require the neighbour to spend money and the situation isn't a problem for them, so why would they?