Our Our current neighbours and we have been for many years on the most cordial of terms for decades now BUT:
1. Within days of their arrival a point of friction had arisen over what we believed was a party wall/fence and they a party wall and mega trouble was brewing about what to do with that crumbling construction.
A property solicitor specialist and friend from nearby gave advice to me favouring our position but at the same time echoing my own advice to ANY householder:
The first rule of house occupancy: NEVER fall out with a neighbour.
The second rule: No, really :never fall out with a neighbour.
The third rule: Look at me when I’m talking to you: NEVER fall out with a neighbour.
That consummate mediator, our twin daughter Corinne smoothed it all over FAR more skilfully than I would have done.
After all on any proposed sale of the instant property in answer to the inevitable question about neighbour disputes…….?
My view entirely. When we lived in a semi our neighbours were the finest of people. They gently pointed out that I had installed an air conditioning unit on our back wall that blew hot air into their bedroom. Naturally, I arranged for it to be moved. They were both solicitors, by the way.
Many years ago some friends of mine figured out that the fence between their property and the neighbour's property was about 30 cm further into their (my friends') property than it should be. But it was clearly an error - or perhaps some cheating - that had happened many years prior to them buying their property. They decided that a dispute was pointless - that it was better to be nice to their neighbours because the extra 30 cm didn't really make any difference to them.
Yes, I must mention to my friend next time I see her that she missed out on the opportunity of free accommodation, with bars, at the cost of His Majesty. (There was also the matter of a real risk of adverse possession being relevant in favour of the neighbour to take into account.)
Sorry- I had meant to say they had maintained it was a dividing wall!
Our Our current neighbours and we have been for many years on the most cordial of terms for decades now BUT:
1. Within days of their arrival a point of friction had arisen over what we believed was a party wall/fence and they a party wall and mega trouble was brewing about what to do with that crumbling construction.
A property solicitor specialist and friend from nearby gave advice to me favouring our position but at the same time echoing my own advice to ANY householder:
The first rule of house occupancy: NEVER fall out with a neighbour.
The second rule: No, really :never fall out with a neighbour.
The third rule: Look at me when I’m talking to you: NEVER fall out with a neighbour.
That consummate mediator, our twin daughter Corinne smoothed it all over FAR more skilfully than I would have done.
After all on any proposed sale of the instant property in answer to the inevitable question about neighbour disputes…….?
My view entirely. When we lived in a semi our neighbours were the finest of people. They gently pointed out that I had installed an air conditioning unit on our back wall that blew hot air into their bedroom. Naturally, I arranged for it to be moved. They were both solicitors, by the way.
Many years ago some friends of mine figured out that the fence between their property and the neighbour's property was about 30 cm further into their (my friends') property than it should be. But it was clearly an error - or perhaps some cheating - that had happened many years prior to them buying their property. They decided that a dispute was pointless - that it was better to be nice to their neighbours because the extra 30 cm didn't really make any difference to them.
How very wise.
Yes, I must mention to my friend next time I see her that she missed out on the opportunity of free accommodation, with bars, at the cost of His Majesty. (There was also the matter of a real risk of adverse possession being relevant in favour of the neighbour to take into account.)