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Hayleybrady

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Joined
Jan 13, 2019
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Location
Torfaen
Hi i wonder if anyone can help?

I currently work from home doing hair as well as mobile for 6 years, i have a very large drive on a lane that doesn't encroach or disturb my neighbours.

I haven't altered any rooms, its just a chair in my hall with a mirror and as far as im aware im exempt from business rates as theres no modifications.

Ive come across a very upsetting situation whereby my neighbours have collapsing retaining walls along our garden that ive brought to his attention, to date we have been over generous by spending money to repair parts of tge wall and render his crumbling garage.

They have installed a side elevated door overlooking straight into our dining room and taken the fence between us down.

To cut a long story short i sent a firm message to say a fence needed to be erected to give us back our privacy and tgat weve been very generous. It got extremely heated with the nervousness of cost which i can understand but they were horrid and lied so much despite all photographic evidence.

My point is that working from homw i believe they will use as a trump card to try and stop me to prevent getting legal action or authorities. Have anyone been in the sane situation just working from home with a chair? I dont advertise my address or advertise address as business and want to know where i stand.
 
I recommend that you speak to a solicitor and get sound legal advice before this goes any further, otherwise, you could find yourself in a bigger pickle.

Do they own the fence or do you, or is it a joint liability?
Unless they own the fence, then they need to replace it. Your title deeds should help determine who owns the fence. Your solicitor will be able to advise you of your rights and obligations and recommend whether it will be worthwhile taking further action. Maybe a letter from your solicitor will be all it takes to get them to act?

Are you worried that your neighbour is going to report you for running a business without permission?
Hopefully, you do have approval to run a business from home from all the relevant parties, (council, mortgage provider/landlord, home insurance company?
Also, have you registered as self employed with HMRC?
 
Hi the fence they took down is there's but as the ground is higher up i need to determine whether they have right to see directly into our living quarters, i know the other side put a clear bathroom window in and the council made them change it back to obscured as it was 1st floor storey, the other side is ground floor but house elevated. They told me they previously had a back door years ago while a fence was there but that the council made them block up a window to stop them overlooking previous owners

In terms of hmrc/insurance everything is above board, i verbally checked with council years ago and they told me you have to pay rates if a room is converted which i havent done and said i would be ok but i need to sort it so i get it in writing, i also dont advertise my home for the purpose of it being my home, i just want to make sure everything is above board before they hold me over a barrel, push come to shove ill just go back to full time mobile as the safety of legally protecting my home from damage is more important.

I cant believe how mean people can be after the thousands weve already spent on theyre side to avoid any animosity and bad feeling. They are retired and feel they have an obligation to do and not do whatever they want because theyve been there for years, i was just so taken back when we went around to talk amicably and they lied about all the things we paid for and even said after 6 years of repairing and rebuilding our home and avoiding me about the state of negligence to walls theyre saying we probably did it. I was gobsmacked, we even paid to get theyre crumbling garage rendered.

Im going to contact the council tomorrow and get legal advice. I think its the only way. Its so sad because we would help them repair the walls but i theyre holding out because of my position of working from home.
 
... They are retired and feel they have an obligation to do and not do whatever they want because theyve been there for years, i was just so taken back when we went around to talk amicably and they lied about all the things we paid for and even said after 6 years of repairing and rebuilding our home and avoiding me about the state of negligence to walls theyre saying we probably did it. I was gobsmacked, we even paid to get theyre crumbling garage rendered.

Of course they can do what they want to or not, because it’s their property.
If the fence was owned by them, they are entitled to remove it.
There’s nothing stopping you from erecting a fence or building a wall on your side, if you want more privacy, but you can’t insist they replace the fence unless there’s a restrictive covenant that they’re breaking? The property deeds will state this.

The window in the bathroom issue is entirely different and not comparable to your current situation. It’s a matter of public decently not to be able to see someone going to the toilet. If the room had been a bedroom, the council probably wouldn’t have got involved, unless the conversion was a planning breach.

I’ve no idea why you chose to pay towards the repairs to their crumbling garage, other than to improve the look of their home, had you been thinking of selling yours. Or have you had building work done to your place that has caused damage to their property? Usually, if a boundary is jointly owned then each party pays 50% of the repair costs, but otherwise, it’s none of your business what state it’s in, unless the actual wall itself is unstable and could fall down leading to an injury.

To be honest, I think you were probably a bit naive assuming that giving them money towards some maintenance costs would subsequently confer an obligation on their part to maintain their property according to your needs. I certainly wouldn’t prioritise my maintenance schedule just to placate my neighbours whims.
 
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Of course they can do what they want to or not, because it’s their property.
If the fence was owned by them, they are entitled to remove it.
There’s nothing stopping you from erecting a fence or building a wall on your side, if you want more privacy, but you can’t insist they replace the fence unless there’s a restrictive covenant that they’re breaking? The property deeds will state this.

The window in the bathroom issue is entirely different and not comparable to your current situation. It’s a matter of public decently not to be able to see someone going to the toilet. If the room had been a bedroom, the council probably wouldn’t have got involved, unless the conversion was a planning breach.

I’ve no idea why you chose to pay towards the repairs to their crumbling garage, other than to improve the look of their home, had you been thinking of selling yours. Or have you had building work done to your place that has caused damage to their property? Usually, if a boundary is jointly owned then each party pays 50% of the repair costs, but otherwise, it’s none of your business what state it’s in, unless the actual wall itself is unstable and could fall down leading to an injury.

To be honest, I think you were probably a bit naive assuming that giving them money towards some maintenance costs would subsequently confer an obligation on their part to maintain their property according to your needs. I certainly wouldn’t prioritise my maintenance schedule just to placate my neighbours whims.
Your right
 
I have a neighbour who owns a building opposite my home and they have converted it under permitted development so now it’s residential with windows looking into our home just 11m in front of us.

we were very upset, but there is nothing we can do. Of course there is no requirement for me to put up net curtains as I wander around naked from bathroom to bedroom.

If it was me, I think I’d put my TV in the dining room where the neighbours can enjoy it. Then I’d buy some porn and leaving the show running.

And Plant something between you. I have a black elderberry bush with purple leaves that looks very pretty. It grows like a weed, so something like that will improve your privacy quite quickly. Mine grows 6ft at least every summer and we chop it down every other year. Plant a lilac next to it, (they are slower growing) and a hazel and a winter jasmine. You’ll have improved privacy, a nicer view and birds hopping through the branches very soon.
 

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