We have lived in our property in since 1982, the neighbours moved in approx. 5 years later, the property is detached bungalow the West boundary belongs to us, we were informed by the solicitor on conveyancing that we had at least a meter access to the side of the bungalow, which has services and a window to the side so access is crucial to the property.
In 2019 we decided to place the property on the market for £350,000.In 2020 the neighbours placed a fence April 2020 to the West front of the property whilst the house was on the market. this then blocked the side access off, We told the neighbours we did not want a fence erecting, sent them a registered letter detailing that they have not followed the HMLR protocol in any way, informing them they required to have a survey carried out before erecting the fence on our boundary.
5 June 2020 : they added a further extension towards the bungalow making the 495mm gap reduced by 200mm.
6 June 2020 : they added a further extension towards the bungalow reducing the gap to less than 200mm to our bungalow wall?
We had no choice removed our bungalow from the market. we were informed by the estate agent that we could not sell the house until the matter was resolved.
We were at a loss of what to do, so I blocked the 200mm gap with a pallet and bricks, then started to clear our Hedge at the rear west of the boundary to create access from the rear.
11 June 2020 We had a visit from the Police stating they had a complaint from our neighbour of Anti Social behaviour??
The Lady constable that attended had a look at our letter sent to the neighbour, we shown her our title deeds and aerial photos, then told the neighbour to remove the angled extension sections of fence asap, advising us to seek legal help,
On checking our Photographs it was evident that the Neighbour's had been cutting the Hedge Vertically slowly over many years to take our Land from Top to Bottom, even using Garrotting technique that we had never seen, to Kill the Hedge slowly?? At the rear of the property we had a 4mtr Conifer Hedge cut vertically in half, at the front we had a 2Mtr mixed hedge also cut vertically in half??
Sept 2021The police attended after we called the to see what we had found, they wrote a 2 page letter to the neighbour, giving him a written warning. He also admitted the damage to the Police stating he had a dog???
20 June 2020 We had a full Topographical Survey carried, showing they had placed the front fence completely in our garden,
!0 months later the Neighbours had a Survey carried out by Direct Line showing the Bungalow wall as the boundary and placing our front Hedge in there front garden?
We were Insured for Trespass by Admiral at the mediation process i Found out that Admiral are part of the DLG group? so Admiral just fobbed us off so we funded our own Surveys and expert witness, at the moment it has cost us in access of £26K still going on now well into our 4th year.
The Mediator brokered by DLG was very good, in a short time had the measure of the neighbours telling them that we must have access to the side of the bungalow and our Expert Witness report was done in a forensic manner.
TBC if any one interested
In 2019 we decided to place the property on the market for £350,000.In 2020 the neighbours placed a fence April 2020 to the West front of the property whilst the house was on the market. this then blocked the side access off, We told the neighbours we did not want a fence erecting, sent them a registered letter detailing that they have not followed the HMLR protocol in any way, informing them they required to have a survey carried out before erecting the fence on our boundary.
5 June 2020 : they added a further extension towards the bungalow making the 495mm gap reduced by 200mm.
6 June 2020 : they added a further extension towards the bungalow reducing the gap to less than 200mm to our bungalow wall?
We had no choice removed our bungalow from the market. we were informed by the estate agent that we could not sell the house until the matter was resolved.
We were at a loss of what to do, so I blocked the 200mm gap with a pallet and bricks, then started to clear our Hedge at the rear west of the boundary to create access from the rear.
11 June 2020 We had a visit from the Police stating they had a complaint from our neighbour of Anti Social behaviour??
The Lady constable that attended had a look at our letter sent to the neighbour, we shown her our title deeds and aerial photos, then told the neighbour to remove the angled extension sections of fence asap, advising us to seek legal help,
On checking our Photographs it was evident that the Neighbour's had been cutting the Hedge Vertically slowly over many years to take our Land from Top to Bottom, even using Garrotting technique that we had never seen, to Kill the Hedge slowly?? At the rear of the property we had a 4mtr Conifer Hedge cut vertically in half, at the front we had a 2Mtr mixed hedge also cut vertically in half??
Sept 2021The police attended after we called the to see what we had found, they wrote a 2 page letter to the neighbour, giving him a written warning. He also admitted the damage to the Police stating he had a dog???
20 June 2020 We had a full Topographical Survey carried, showing they had placed the front fence completely in our garden,
!0 months later the Neighbours had a Survey carried out by Direct Line showing the Bungalow wall as the boundary and placing our front Hedge in there front garden?
We were Insured for Trespass by Admiral at the mediation process i Found out that Admiral are part of the DLG group? so Admiral just fobbed us off so we funded our own Surveys and expert witness, at the moment it has cost us in access of £26K still going on now well into our 4th year.
The Mediator brokered by DLG was very good, in a short time had the measure of the neighbours telling them that we must have access to the side of the bungalow and our Expert Witness report was done in a forensic manner.
TBC if any one interested
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