Boundary wall question

[Fluke]

I wonder if anyone can advise. One wall of my garage faces into the garden of my neighbour so I have no access to it. I've just noticed that 2, what look like steel wall plugs, have been hammered into the wall and have come out on the inside of the garage knocking a couple of chunks of the brickwork out in the process. Even though I have no access to it I'm pretty sure it is my property and I am responsible for it. It is only a single brick thickness and I don't yet know what they have fixed to the other side, whether it has any weight that could undermine the structure.

I wanted to seek advice before approaching them, falling out with near neighbours is best avoided. Would it be appropriate to ask them to remove whatever it is and put right the damage? if it's just a trestle or hanging basket should I mind too much?

[Charlottesquare]

I wonder if anyone can advise. One wall of my garage faces into the garden of my neighbour so I have no access to it. I've just noticed that 2, what look like steel wall plugs, have been hammered into the wall and have come out on the inside of the garage knocking a couple of chunks of the brickwork out in the process. Even though I have no access to it I'm pretty sure it is my property and I am responsible for it. It is only a single brick thickness and I don't yet know what they have fixed to the other side, whether it has any weight that could undermine the structure.

I wanted to seek advice before approaching them, falling out with near neighbours is best avoided. Would it be appropriate to ask them to remove whatever it is and put right the damage? if it's just a trestle or hanging basket should I mind too much?

Do you not have a legal right of access for maintenance and repair, maybe make ues of that to discover what is attached? (or do some "work" on garage roof so you can peer over edge to see what is attached.)

[Dod101]

I'd agree with both answers. A polite but firm visit to them seems to be on the cards and ask them to come and see what has happened.

Dod

[monabri]

I think you might need to check your boundary definitions in the land registry plan first (We don't have enough info here. For example, the wall could belong to your neighbour and you or a former owner might have built a garage up to their wall, using it as one side of the garage, with or without permission). You seem a little unsure as to whether you own the wall or not so you will need to refer to the land registry plan.

This is a link to the official Government website to search for land registry plans. I've used this in the past and it was quite cheap (£3.50) to obtain a copy of the PLAN which shows the boundaries of ones property. At the same time , you might want to check your deeds to see what access you have.

https://www.gov.uk/search-property-info ... d-registry

(watch out for fake sites..make sure you follow the 'www.gov.uk website).

[Fluke]

or do some "work" on garage roof so you can peer over edge to see what is attached

I had a sudden urge to inspect the plumb tree, got the step ladder out and peered over, all I can see is a fairly ordinary trestle for climbing roses, 3 of them, covering the width of the wall on their side. I'm pretty sure they've been there for ages, possibly even put up by the previous owners, I have no problem with that. But these holes have appeared quite recently and would seem a bit OTT for holding up fairly light trellis work.

Well whatever the purpose I'm going to have a word.

Thanks

[Charlottesquare]

or do some "work" on garage roof so you can peer over edge to see what is attached

I had a sudden urge to inspect the plumb tree, got the step ladder out and peered over, all I can see is a fairly ordinary trestle for climbing roses, 3 of them, covering the width of the wall on their side. I'm pretty sure they've been there for ages, possibly even put up by the previous owners, I have no problem with that. But these holes have appeared quite recently and would seem a bit OTT for holding up fairly light trellis work.

Well whatever the purpose I'm going to have a word.

Thanks

Bolts for hammock hanging, perhaps? These might be tricky to spot when say a hammock not attached and if roses growing around? A recce in detail is advised .

We tend not to have these problems up here in Scotland, walls more often than not are mutual and I tend to be easygoing about these sorts of things with my neighbours . (Though their grandkids foam bomb thrown over wall and ending up lodged in my cold - frame tested my forbearance)

[DrFfybes]

I suspect your neighbours are completely unaware of the length of the bolts or the damage, however it seems preet certain that the wall is your property, and they should really have asked first.

Invite them around politely to see what has happened, they will probably be horrified.

You could always grind the neds off the fixings and tap them back out of the wall

Paul

[AsleepInYorkshire]

I wonder if anyone can advise. One wall of my garage faces into the garden of my neighbour so I have no access to it. I've just noticed that 2, what look like steel wall plugs, have been hammered into the wall and have come out on the inside of the garage knocking a couple of chunks of the brickwork out in the process. Even though I have no access to it I'm pretty sure it is my property and I am responsible for it. It is only a single brick thickness and I don't yet know what they have fixed to the other side, whether it has any weight that could undermine the structure.

I wanted to seek advice before approaching them, falling out with near neighbours is best avoided. Would it be appropriate to ask them to remove whatever it is and put right the damage? if it's just a trestle or hanging basket should I mind too much?

It shouldn't damage the structure or if you prefer stability of the wall. It will look like a spot on a pigs bum so you could cut/grind the ends off or leave them there and hang your hat on them.

AiY(D)

[pje16]

It will look like a spot on a pigs bum
AiY(D)

Couldn't help myself....
just how are you familiar with that?

[richfool]

It will look like a spot on a pigs bum
AiY(D)

Couldn't help myself....
just how are you familiar with that?

Obviously a man who gets to the bottom of things!

Or, was he just telling a porky?!

[bungeejumper]

I suspect your neighbours are completely unaware of the length of the bolts or the damage, however it seems preet certain that the wall is your property, and they should really have asked first.

Invite them around politely to see what has happened, they will probably be horrified.

I'm with Paul on this. The chances are that your neighbours didn't appreciate that it was a single brick wall. (I'm assuming you mean literally one brick, or 102mm, and not a double single brick?)

An easy mistake to make. But even then, they must have used at least a five inch screw fixing to come right through the wall - which is either serious overkill (for a plant support) or else rather naughty (a lean-to structure?)

Either way, invite them round. If they're absolutely mortified by what they see, you have the opportunity to be "reasonable" (grind the protruding bit off and maybe make a good relationship for the future). And if they're not, then contrariwise.

In this televisual age, I'm assured that it's possible to exchange pictures taken on one's handheld telephonic apparatus and transmit them electronically to a person standing on the other side of your brick wall. I must say, that seems a most exciting idea. Whatever will they think of next?

(Failing which, print out the photo, attach it to a brick and lob it over.)

BJ

[Fluke]

Well I got to the bottom of it. As i was stood staring at these things sticking out of the wall the penny dropped. Imagine a H shape, below the horizontal is my garden above it is theirs. The right vertical is my garage wall which is partially in my garden (with a door) and partially in theirs. The horizontal itself is a wooden fence dividing our two gardens which they had replaced a few months ago. Unbeknownst to me it was fixed at one end to my garage wall, I mean, I could see the post was butted up to it but didn’t know about the fixings until this week when i moved some things away from the wall inside the garage.

So now I know what it is and, while they should have asked, I don’t think it’s doing any harm and I benefit from the new fence too so I’m leaving well alone. Here’s the thing though, the left vertical of the H is another neighbours garage wall (same set up), and the other end of the fence is fixed to their wall too in the same way. They may not have noticed or mind but they definitely should have been asked because they’ve got nothing to do with any of it.

So mystery solved but I’ve learned something in the process re what you can and can’t do with other people’s walls/fences that are on your side. The other thing I’ve learned is that my large black cherry/plum tree which i used as camouflage while perched up the step ladder, is full of fruit! This is a rare occurrence, it’s one of those varieties that flowers early then gets clobbered by the frost. I haven’t seen any fruit on it for years!