Garden wall problem
gardenninggranny
Posts: 803
Our neighbour wants to enclose his entire garden in a two metre high wall. The footings will be quite deep and he wants to render it.
He has asked us if we would like to pay half of the £2000 cost for the section that borders our garden, so that our side would also be rendered by the builder.
He says that if we do not we will have to live with a breeze block wall and we will not be allowed to paint it or attach anything to it. Is he right?
What are our rights if his foundations damage our shrubs which were all planted many years ago in agreement with the previous owners.
At present his garden contains only grass, but our side is bounded by holly, viburnum bodnantense, and other shrubs which are themselves two metres high, without any gaps.
The rest of the garden is bounded by a fence, not visible because of extensive planting.
What do others think about this?
I should be grateful for any comments and advice.
Posts
Sorry - following on from my previous post. The cost of this section of wall is just over £4000 and he wants us to pay a little over £2000.
I've no idea if that is what it ought to cost (I believe it is around £250 per metre.)
a couple of thoughts
there are regulations on how high a fence can be, i'm sure it'll be the same for a wall, for fences I think its a max of 6 foot for a solid fence, also you might need planning permission for such a tall wall
if they do put the wall in any damage to your plants must be compensated.
how is he to know if you plaster it/paint it? can he see your side of his wall?
or refuse to pay and make sure he builds in on his side of the boundary and put fence panels to hide it?
Or a nice hedge ...... you could put an amazing hedge in for a quarter of what he wants you to pay.
Unless you would like a rendered wall along your side of the garden, don't be browbeaten into paying anything. Also, the whole wall, footings included, must be within his property, not 'straddling the boundary line.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
That is pretty outrageous. It would be reasonable to ask if you wanted to pay the builder a little extra to render your side of the wall, but not to pay half of the overall cost of the wall! I would get a quote from a local builder for the rendering only, and offer to pay that. Your neighbour needs to keep you on side if his footings are going to encroach on your land, or if he wants you to cooperate with his builders on access to your side of the wall.
Have you got a defined boundary between the two plots, shown on your house deeds etc?
Cannot offer much practical help from experience, but suggest you take a look at the info on the gov website re party walls, you may find some help there.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/party-wall-etc-act-1996-guidance
Hi
We had a bit of a problem with the boundary of our last house. We were told it should say on your deeds etc who has responsibility for it.
if it's yours then your neighbours can build their prison style wall but it has to be on their land but leave room for you to maintain the 'proper' boundary wall/fence.
4k for a wall sounds really expensive. How long is the wall?
Your neighbour wanting 2K from you or he refuses to let you touch or paint it sounds like blackmail and is unreasonable. That said, if it's their responsibility for the boundary then they can build what they like up to 2 mtrs in height But that doesn't stop you from building something that disguises the offending item as long as it doesn't touch his wall.
i really hope you get this sorted and your plants etc are ok.
This link has what to look for on the deeds.
http://www.boundary-problems.co.uk/boundary-problems/fences.html
Last edited: 22 May 2017 18:40:00
Many thanks for all your responses. Yes, it feels like blackmail to me too. There's an element of bullying when he says with a smile "you don't need to be a part of this if you don't want to - it's entirely up to you". If we don't agree to share the wall then he still builds it but we have to see six foot of breeze block wall. If we put wooden fencing to hide it we leave a tiny strip between the two for all sorts of undesirable things to grow. Either way the footings are right against the boundary, or straddling it, and deep for such a tall brick wall.
Reluctantly I think we have little option but to agree, though OH thinks we should not have to pay for the rendering on our side, as much of the wall will be impossible to reach because of my shrub border. He think it best that we paint or render as we see fit, in our own good time.
His wife tells me we should consider ourselves very fortunate to be getting such a beautiful edifice, but then these people who profess to love their garden and the birds have systematically stripped out every plant and shrub that was originally there. Needless to say the birds and butterflies are only there because we have created a wildlife friendly garden.
If the wall remains on your neighbours property you will not be able to render, or paint, it at any time without their permission. Many years ago my mother had the reverse problem with a new neighbour. Mum's garage wall was about 6" inside the boundary and there was a chain link fence marking the actual boundary. New neighbours ripped down the fence, which was also shown on the deeds as Mum's property, and started drilling the garage wall to fix up trellis etc. They weren't happy when Mum told them to stop and to reinstate the fence.
Had they asked first Mum may or may not have allowed them to do it (probably not in fact), but the fact that they hadn't asked really annoyed her.
Last edited: 23 May 2017 12:34:13
sadly the alternative is impossible. He intends to enclose his entire garden with this 6' rendered wall so we are only one long side - he needs (?) the wall to go up both sides of his garden and across the back. I just hope he enjoys sitting inside his prison wall with his glass of pino grigio, surveying the very expernsive japanese maple in an equally expensive pot which appeared this weekend. I'm sure it will cast most attractive shadows against his walls.
In the meantime I enjoy a rather unruly jasmine and a huge pot of scented pinks, alongside the rest of my old-fashioned, labour intensive garden where grandchildren can still find odd corners to play hide and seek and friends can enjoy a morning coffee with home made cake. The wisteria against the house wall is a picture, and the roses on the pergola are a picture.
Each to his own and I don't want to feel grumpy any more. Live and let live.
Hmm. Once he's finished his modernist vision he'll probably put the house on the market for some exorbitant amount. We probably need both - his sterile modern version, and my children and family friendly version.