Taking some of your property......

[fredkins]

If you saw your neighbours cutting into your property to make their drive bigger would you say something?

[sandyRoe]

I'd start by asking them what did they think they were doing.

[fredkins]

Well sandy I did say "do you realise that this belongs to us and she went off on a one screaming the place down and saying this cant belong to you" It,s a shared access,but on our deeds it belongs to us.

[sandyRoe]

The next step might be a solicitors letter to them.

[douglas9401]

Yes I'd say something, but I can't detail it here.
You have my sympathy fredkins, we're semi-attached to a complete froot loop screamer who constantly plots ways to make our and other neighbour's lives a misery. The latest is seeing that we had Sky out to move our dish because of poor reception caused by a tree in her garden. Within the week she had planted another to grow in front of the new position.

All together now: neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours.........

[Smowball]

Happened to my parents. When we were on holiday when I was little, we returned to find that next door had extended their front driveway by building a brick wall 3 foot into my parents garden! They were ordered to knock it down by the courts.

[fredkins]

Well because they had already cut into the land with one of them grinder things my OH just let them have it,Ooh I am still fuming they have block paved It,she is not talking to me still,even though she knows she was in the wrong.Her husband apologised for damaging it and had been to his solicitors who told him he was in the wrong and It did belong to us.Just thought I would ask If any of you would say something or just keep quiet to keep the piece.

[ummmm]

How far have they cut into your property?

[fredkins]

Have'nt measured but it looks about 7/8ft long by about 3ft wide tapering to like a triangle.

[ummmm]

That's quite a bit. I'd say something.

[888sally888]

I would 100% say something immediately. If in the future, you decide to sell your property, it will cause an issue as the boundary has been changed.

You really MUST tackle this asap.

PS They sound like a nightmare and bullies!

[888sally888]

Plus her husband has admitted they are wrong!

[sandyRoe]

You're not keeping the peace if you let neighbours walk all over you. Your solicitor should write to them saying you want your land back and also you want it restored to its former condition.

[EDDIE51]

Yes you HAVE to get this sorted out, you will never be able to sell the property with it like this. This will get VERY expensive to sort out later so get it done now.

[fredkins]

But what can I do now that my OH has said they can have it and they have paved over It,yes we both understand about boundaries that was our issue If we ever sell the house It Is still on the deeds as belonging to us.Will It be that easy for them to return It to us under the circumstances.

[888sally888]

I would say that you have since taken legal advice and been told that it will cause major issues in the future and you want the land back immediately and in its former condition.

You really need to stand up for yourself!

[888sally888]

Oh and once someone has used the land for a certain number of years (sorry can't remember how many) they can claim it as theirs - beware!

[rockyracoon]

When you come to sell your house fred, you may end up in a boundary wrangle, no potential buyer is going to hang around for that to be solved.

[sandyRoe]

I think after 7 years they can claim legal possession. The fact that they've went to some expense and paved over your property is non of your concern. See your solicitor.

[buildersmate]

Is this a shared driveway, where the physical land ownership is split roughly down the middle, but where (in your legal land title) you both have a legal right to drive over the respective part owned by the other? It is often indicated on the title plan by hatching the area of shared access in a colour - often brown.

And if so, has the neighbour now removed part of your 'garden' on your side that was not part of the shared driveway, and paved it?

If so:
yes, it is likely to cause a problem when you sell the property - because the hatched area on the title plan patently no longer aligns to the area on the ground.
no, you cannot lose ownership of the LAND strip.

[EDDIE51]

The only other way out of this is to get the neighbour to actually legally sell you the land and get the sale registered correctly. You WILL have problems if you just let this continue as it is. The sale will need to be 'at market value' as well or it could be challenged.