General Chat

Hi, we did recieve notice he intended to build an extension (well, actually 3 extensions!) but being good guys we did not object to them - the council itself turned one down as being overbearing and affecting the neighbours privacy and amenities. (Thank god they did). Its just that he is mad and just wants to change the environment to suit his plans rather than fit in with the plot he has! I know the planning people came out to look at his trenches which were too shallow as he came round that night (he hasnt even moved in yet) smashing up everything in sight in the garden! He then had to have a mini digger back to deepen them (this was what he was trying to avoid when he hacked down our hedge). He has literally a mountain of earth in the garden - it must be about 15ft high - a normal person would have used a dumper at the same time as the digger to fill skips and get rid of it. I dont know if they have been out to see the concrete now in the foundations as if they had, surely they would see that it is on two different levels, two different colours and two different consistencies! However I heard him next door last night telling a bricklayer or something that he is going to use some of the rubble to overfill. So it could be they came and didnt notice???

If any of our direct neighbours have work done that requires planning permission, other neighbours are notified and given time to raise objections or concerns. I am surprised you haven't been contacted. Your neighbour has hardly been considerate to you so I wouldn't feel any guilt if I was you about contacting authorities to check things. Good luck. Jacky :-)

I am sure that they should come out at every stage to check his foundations etc. I know they did with our neighbours who had to have something extra done when they had foundations laid. If he is being nasty (and I have been following this on the tips board but not commenting so know what a problem he has been), I feel you could ask the Planning authority if he has been checked. you could say that you are worried that whatever he's doing could affect your property if he is doing it incorrectly. Ann Glos

TC, You MUST get your Local Authority Planning Department involved in this as soon as possible. If this man is flouting Planning and Building Regulations, he needs to be stopped before he does further damage. DON'T be put off by wishing to seem like a 'good guy'. You're dealing here with someone who obviously has no scruples with regard to neighbours. You will probably find he won't move in himself, but will let the house, and that's very likely why he doesn't care about the neighbours or their property. Phone your District Council offices and ask to speak to a Planning Officer. They are usually very keen to act in cases like this and will probably come out to inspect the site. (Over the years, I've had lots of dealings with this sort of thing - working with Architects, dealing with our own Planning issues regarding houses we've lived in, plus my brother did conveyancing for many years in the legal departments of various Councils.) Best of luck - and let us know how you get on. CB >|<

I would give the local Planning Dept a ring, just to make sure he is doing everything correctly, if he has no planning consent they will be able to tell you, just a thought, shouldn't they be coming out regularly to check his progress? and usually neighbours get notifications of any planning don't they? Heather

So sorry to hear about your problems. I really do feel for you. Alls fair in love and war.It really is something you alone will have to decide about but this guy sounds a bit rough shod. Has he got planning permision at all,as he had everything passed.If his foundations are bodged then what will the rest of it be like. It doesn't sound like he knows what he is doing.So for safty reasons if nothing else maybe you should see those higher up. Good luck Angie x

DESPERATE FOR ADVICE PLEASE Some of you may know of our neighbour from hell situation. This guy hasnt even moved in yet (our dear neighbour died last year and he bought the house from executors). He has done various things, such as filling in the communal ditch at the end of the garden with building rubble - in an area known at risk of flooding - which has been ordered to remove. He has bonfires night and day burning all sorts including rubber. And we have tried to be tolerant and laid back but then in April I came home from my voluntary job, went out into our patio and found a 10 ft gap in our hedge and this mans relative still hacking at another tree! This isnt any old bit of hedge, but the backdrop of a raised garden where our dogs are buried, and where there were precious plants given to me by deceased mum and deceased neighbour. The man stopped hacking at the tree and said he was doing it cos 'he told me to, he needs it down for his planning application' To cut a long story short, the guy is a madman. He seems to decide what he wants to do then just change the environment to suit his plans. The hedge/trees meant he would have to dig deeper/more expensive foundations for his planned extension, so right, rip out the trees and hedge! Our solicitor sent him a letter giving all the info over 58 years, including statements from all the neighbours and next doors gardeners and our deceased neighbours family showing that the hedge was and had always been ours. We gave him 21 days to sign an agreement that he acknowledged this and would do no more damage. Solicitor now tells us the madman rang him rambling about he wasnt disputing the boundary but that he needed a straight line and our little lean to bike shed was 2 inches into his garden! Now this little bike shed has been there in one form or other for 58 years and was our side of the fence panels erected by our deceased neighbour. The fact is I overheard him telling someone that he needs an extra 3' to get a JCB down the side of his house! He has given the impression to our solicitor that he wants the shed down! He has also refused to sign the agreement. My question is, we have spent money we can ill afford on all this nonsense yet he has done nothing at all not instructed a solicitor and has made just 2 phone calls to our solicitor. The first one he agreed to attend for a meeting but failed to show. We have lots of photographic evidence which our solicitor told us to take when he came to the site and saw our trees and shrubs in a pile in the nfh garden along with boundary stakes he had ripped out. The nfh has now removed the few panels between the houses and dug over the ground so that the original post positions are not visible! However, luckily we took photos of the panels when solicitor came for the site check. We know he has bodged his foundations - should we tell the Planning Dept. It seems a sneaky thing to do, but we are feeling so impotent about all this and we need to show some strength and control. Please help!

See below and forgive rambling, on the edge now over this.