Neighbours boiler overflow connected to our downpipe

[Sue Balou]

We live in a row of staggered terraced houses. Our next door neighbour had a new boiler installed last year and the overflow pipe has been connected to our guttering downpipe. As the houses are staggered the downpipe does not serve his guttering, it's for us and our other next door neighbour. The boiler has been installed upstairs so the overflow pipe comes out of the brickwork quite high up and above our fence height. The installer has added some extra pipework to route the overflow to our downpipe, and cut a hole in the downpipe to connect the overflow. He did not ask for our permission.

Our neighbour moved out not long after this and has been renting the house out. We did not notice he had done this until after he had moved out. The house is now for sale.

Are we entitled to ask our neighbour (via his estate agent) to remove the overflow pipe from our downpipe and replace/repair the downpipe?

It is something a surveyor would pick up in his report and ask for proof that he had our permission?

Thanks

[The Builder]

Yes, I'd say you could definitely ask him to remove it.
As for a survey. I wouldn't think a surveyor would be terribly interested ............... unless he's having a bad day ;o)

[marden40]

yes you are entitled to get this pipe removed and any repairs to your property carried out by the neighbour, if the downpipe has always been independent of theirs and as you say your houses are staggered I would think this to be the case.