My neighbor’s side extension has been without gutters for over two years, excess water problems

fluffymuffy

Rainwater drainage
H3.—(1) Adequate provision shall be made for rainwater to be carried from the roof of the building. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2214/schedule/1#:~:

ThisIsWeird

Hi IaW.
Ask yourself - will this cause harm to my (almost certainly) solid-wall Viccy house? Yes. Not only from possible damp penetration, but with the coming winter possibly causing the soaked bricks to freeze, spalling your bricks.
So, it needs to stop, yes?
Next Q - are you really going to ask to go into that gap to put up a sheet of plastic on your house? No, of course not.
So there's your answer - they need to stop it from happening.
Please tell me you have Legal Protection in your house insurance? You do! Great. 
Things to do;
1) Buy a £12 pocket video recorder from eBay.
2) Check your LA's Planning Portal on their website, putting in the postcode - see if they've got Building Regs oversight (this might not be stated, but often is). 
3) Contact your house insurance to advise them what's going on - they should be informed of anything that could be causing damage to the insured property. If they ask how long it's been going on for, do not reply 'two years'! Best say summat like, "Not sure - I've only just noticed my walls are sopping wet. I guess it could have been quite a while. Now I think of it, their extension has looked the same for over a year..." Bear in mind that, as soon as you tell them, they'll almost certainly insist you have the situation sorted out - but that's good!

4) Armed with that, contact your LegProt for advice - it's what they are for, and won't cost a penny. They will guide you on what to do. Almost certainly the first thing they'll ask is, "Have you told the neighbour, and what did they say?"

Do you have a doorbell or CCTV camera at the front of your house that would pick up any conversations you have with the neighb? If not, you doubly need a discrete pocket camera - believe me, it's better than being accompanied by a bouncer.

Don't avoid the 'lady', in fact she might be your best call... Think through what you will say, and the manner in which you'll say it - you are NOT going to get into an argument - that won't happen! Summat like, "Hi. I've just noticed that my house wall is soaking wet with moss starting to grow on it. I've seen water come off your new extension roof and land in that area, so I'm certain that's the cause as there's no guttering up yet. I've asked my insurance about this, and they have told me I mustn't let it continue, and they might even not cover any damage if it isn't stopped. When will you be putting up guttering to stop it, please?" If they are stupid, and are unreasonable, aggressive, or rant, you just hold your hands up in a mock "Woah!", give a wee chuckle, and say "Ok, ok - I see I'm not going to get anywhere this way," and walk away. That's it - you've done the 'approach', had your answer, and it's 'next step'.

And you stuff them. 

(And you keep on stuffing them after this. Anything they do that could remotely be antagonistic or 'revenge' from now on, any anti-social behaviour, you report them to the LA. Encourage your other neighbours to do the same. Hammer them - show them 'the leviathan is bigger than yo'.)

Armed with the recorded* evidence of the non-response, you contact your LA Building Control Dept, explain the issue, and ask them to check the work being carried out. Then you call your LegProt, and they'll guide you on the next move, step by step. If you need to take action against your neighb, the LP should handle it for you, but you'll have to do the donkey work to begin with - delivering recorded-del 'letters-before-action', or whatev else they say. Let them guide you. Any approach to or by the neighb, make usre you have it recorded - you can do this, it is legal.

Do NOT be intimidated by these yobs. The more stupid and aggressive they are to begin with, the better - you can use this against them. Show them you are not 'bovvered' by their behaviour, whilst finding it immature and unacceptable. I mean, they ain't going to actually thump you, are they? (If they do, then they are totally stuffed...)

Yobs like this need boxing in.

* You can record them perfectly legally. You have just cause, and will only keep the clips which are relevant to any action needing to be taken to resolve the issue. So download these clips, store them securely and safely, do not share them with anyone (except your partner, if you wish), and make sure they are labelled and dated. Begin a log of the situation;

4th Oct 2024. Noticed ground and wall adjacent to neighb's new extension is water-saturated, and moss beginning to form. (Take good clear photos). Realised it's caused by water coming off their new extension due to lack of rainwater goods (take a photo of this water the next time it rains heavily). Sought advice.

7th Oct. Contacted LA Build Control, and my insurance for advice. Was told...

etc.

10th Oct. Spoke to neighb (recording 1), and was told to stick my **** where the *** don't ***.

That sort of stuff :-)