Neighbour building on my land

35har1old

Section62 said:

Petriix said:

The real issue is where you built the wall. You should have built right to the boundary, not 100mm inside it. It would be weird to retain a strip of bare earth between that wall and the neighbour's garden; it would likely grow weeds and it would be problematic to maintain.

Building the wall right on the boundary would mean the OP's roof would overhang the neighbour's garden.  It is clear from their post that the neighbour wasn't interested in pragmatic solutuions.

Leaving a gap between a concrete slab and a house wall isn't "weird".  In many cases it is a recommended solution to avoid damp problems, with the gap filled with gravel to reduce splashback and weed growth.  It isn't possible to tell where the DPC is on the OP's pictures, but there's a real risk this concrete could cause damp problems. More so as the quality of finish of the new concrete suggests it may not have been laid with due care.

The OP is right to be concerned.

Having a 100mm gap will not prevent damp it's more likely it would increase with surface water gathering. 
As long as the surface is below damp proof level it should cause no issues 
How is your roof finished on that side is there anything that would need maintained in the future which would require entry to your neighbours property ?
At least with the patio he has no plans to grow anything that could grow out of control
He has not built anything

Section62

35har1old said:

Section62 said:

Petriix said:

The real issue is where you built the wall. You should have built right to the boundary, not 100mm inside it. It would be weird to retain a strip of bare earth between that wall and the neighbour's garden; it would likely grow weeds and it would be problematic to maintain.

Building the wall right on the boundary would mean the OP's roof would overhang the neighbour's garden.  It is clear from their post that the neighbour wasn't interested in pragmatic solutuions.

Leaving a gap between a concrete slab and a house wall isn't "weird".  In many cases it is a recommended solution to avoid damp problems, with the gap filled with gravel to reduce splashback and weed growth.  It isn't possible to tell where the DPC is on the OP's pictures, but there's a real risk this concrete could cause damp problems. More so as the quality of finish of the new concrete suggests it may not have been laid with due care.

The OP is right to be concerned.

Having a 100mm gap will not prevent damp it's more likely it would increase with surface water gathering. 

No idea why you would think that when the opposite is the case.

As I said, in many cases a gap filled with gravel is a recommended solution to avoid damp problems.

markin

Seems you used the 100mm gap to put the downpipe on the side, that was a mistake when it comes to maintanance, and blocks you putting a fence on the border.

Doozergirl

Regardless of the boundary issue, you shouldn't place hardstanding directly against the wall of a house as it's a risk for damp.  There should be a gap between the concrete and the wall, and a clear 150mm from the damp proof course to the ground adjacent to the wall. 

Your neighbour has put his own house at risk there as well as yours.  

Where is the damp proof course on your extension? 

carly

greyteam1959 said:

Is the minister a Catholic by any chance ?

What's that got to do with it?

Mistral001

This might be a small matter, but the neighbour is not being very neighbourly.  They knew that the OP had concerns about boundaries in the past yet they are digging their heals in over this matter.  In reality it was something probably a builder did and the neighbour does not have the knowhow or angle grinder to do the couple of hours' work this requires to do by himself and it might cost a couple of hundred pounds to get a builder to do the work for him.

An expansion gap should have been put between the concrete and the wall.  It is bad building practice not to do this.  The angle grinder will need at least 50-75 mm space between the disk and the wall to be able to cut the concrete, so a 100mm gap as suggested is probably the best option with the gap filled by gravel.  The gravel will have to be provided by the OP as it is on their land. 

Mutton_Geoff

"Give them an inch and they take a mile" my mum always used to say. Swift firm action now. The hard surface could certainly cause you damp with water splashing back up over the bricks above the DPC. Cut all out, dig down a foot, membrane and pea shingle.

Your neighbour (usually) has to allow you access to maintain your property. Don't view this as a potential falling out but a bit of tough love needed with the neighbour.

daveyjp

Thats a damp problem waiting to happen.  It needs soemthing to stop water splashing from concrete to the wall, either as mentioned above gravel, or a slot or channel drain.

Kam777

Thanks to everyone for their comments. Neighbour isn’t willing to cut the concrete back. Do I just inform him that I will do it? What if I do and let’s say there is a little crack to his patio on his side? I can imagine he will pick up some sort of fuss over it, he’s been nothing but an opportunist throughout our lives whenever we do something. The same side has our air condition unit and the condensation pipe runs down the same side, you can’t see it in the photo because I requested the AC man to ensure they run the pipe nicely down the side so it isn’t an eyesore for the neighbour. Anyway, should I just plan to go over and remove the concrete that’s on my side and as suggested, to prevent damp fill it with pea shingle and perhaps even put up a fence. Oh by the way the damp proof course is below the concrete now.

Doozergirl

Kam777 said:

Thanks to everyone for their comments. Neighbour isn’t willing to cut the concrete back. Do I just inform him that I will do it? What if I do and let’s say there is a little crack to his patio on his side? I can imagine he will pick up some sort of fuss over it, he’s been nothing but an opportunist throughout our lives whenever we do something. The same side has our air condition unit and the condensation pipe runs down the same side, you can’t see it in the photo because I requested the AC man to ensure they run the pipe nicely down the side so it isn’t an eyesore for the neighbour. Anyway, should I just plan to go over and remove the concrete that’s on my side and as suggested, to prevent damp fill it with pea shingle and perhaps even put up a fence. Oh by the way the damp proof course is below the concrete now.

In a word, yes.