privacy!

[yummum]

our neighbours garage is at the end of our garden, they have a window off the garage which looks directly into our garden, we errected a tresel over the window, so we had more privacy and also it would look nicer. He has complained that it blocks out his light to his garage!, where do I stand?

[ethandron]

explain very politely to him about the privacy thing, ask him if he has an alternative solution for your problem and see what he comes up with. i don't think you're being unreasonable wanting your privacy, and if he's at all reasonable he'll come to a compromise with you. always try and keep it sweet with your neighbours, nothing worse than living next door to someone you've fallen out with.
but... if he won't compromise i don't think there's much he can do if you erect something, in your own garden, to stop the view from his garage window.

[yummum]

i agree thankyou! He came over the wall while we were having a BBQ with my family and shouted " I don't like that i'll get my people on to you!" this has ruined an end to a very enjoyable day gardening! I don't think he will be very reasonable about it! do you think we need to phone the council about it?

[ethandron]

i honestly don't know, but i wouldn't have thought so. provided it's in your garden and not attached to his garage. there wouldn't be anything to stop you erecting a shed for example, or planting a large shrub, or putting a fancy fencing panel wherever you like in your own garden. he doesn't have to like it, anymore than you like your privacy being compromised.
awkward neighbours can make life a misery can't they?

[ethandron]

my husband just came up with a good solution - a big mirror mounted on two posts, directly in front of the window. it would reflect light in so he could hardly complain about that!!!
or make the window very dirty so he can't see through it and don't allow him into your garden to clean it.

[Postdog]

Hang on, a window in a house that you lived, I can understand, but a garage!?

[Postdog]

"lived in"

[yummum]

ha ha ha! you've cheered me up alot! i like they way you think! the thing is we have been living here for 7 years and he's never even spoke to us before! thanks for your answer!

[yummum]

i know! the thing is there was a tresel there when we moved in but it was full of very nasty ivy so we took it down(7 years ago), only now could afford to get the garden straight!

[yummum]

frosted!

[taichiperson]

Tresel? Do you mean trellis?

[yummum]

yes! sorry new to the gardening!

[sp1214]

Buy some Russian Vine, give it some support on which to climb and sit back and watch. It can grow at about 6" a week from its multitude of climbing shoots.

[yummum]

thanks i've bought climbing plants! i'll keep that in mind!

[sp1214]

Very cheap too and no gardening expertise necessary.

http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/climbers/othe r-climbers/fallopia-baldschuanica/itemno.PL000 04749/

[yummum]

to be honest i'm not sure he'll be happy whatever i put there, he's just being akward! looks really nice as well!

[Whickerman]

You're right that you can and should protect your privacy.

Could I just ask though - if the glass is frosted, it's already protecting you privacy and allowing light in to his garage, so why the need for the trellis? Purely my curiosity!

[alan30]

A right to light may be acquired by 'anyone who has had uninterrupted use of something over someone else's land for 20 years without consent, openly and without threat, and without interruption of more than a year.'

Your right to light is protected in England and Wales under common law, adverse possession or by the Prescription Act 1832.

If you removed the trellis 7 years ago then that is the maximum he could argue right to light so it doesn't meet above criteria.

[yummum]

thanks for answer whickerman and alan 30!
the reason for the trellis is to make our side of the garden look more attractive, we don't have a very big garden so the window is just there and looks really unattractive ( the window is a big PVC window 3ft by 5ft)!