Neighbour issues.

[Mr.Chips]

Hi Guys,
My daughter, son in law and granddaughters live in one of a row of four houses. Each house has a drive, access to which is provided by a road that runs in front of the row of houses. On the other side of the road is a strip of land, covered in grass. Each of the four houses uses the land in front of their house for various purposes. My family grow a few bulbs and wild flowers up against the fence of the neighboring property and use the remainder for parking a car. They mow the grass on a regular basis. My family have been doing this for the ten years they have lived there. The owners of the other houses do similar things but have been there for over twenty years. All the neighbours get on well and there have been no problems.
About two years ago, the house on the other side of the strip of land was sold. A couple of weeks ago, the new owner mowed the land, “as a favour, seeing as she had her mower out.”
Today, she has announced her intention to fence in the land as, “nobody owns it.” I am quite happy to tell her to Foxtrot Oscar, but my family and the neighbours would prefer to know where they stand from a legal standpoint.
I would be most grateful for any constructive advice, apologies for the long post. Mods, if this post is in the wrong place, please feel free to move it.

[essayer]

A map would help to see where everyone is

[PT1984]

I’m sure you just need to go on the land registry site and it will show who owns the deeds to the land. Costs £3 or so.

[R56Cooper]

PT1984 said:

I’m sure you just need to go on the land registry site and it will show who owns the deeds to the land. Costs £3 or so.

Yes, start here. A map would help but I suspect it will be the case that the original developer would have owned the strips you refer to.

Unfortunately, if that is the case and the estate has long been completed, the developer will likely have absolutely zero interest in enforcing any trespass or breach of restrictive covenants.

[Cyberprog]

I think you're thinking of adverse possession, so I'd check the land registry and see who actually owns the land. Could it be part of your house?

Either way, I'd tell her to FO and not fence your bit of land, and encourage your neighbors to do the same.

[OutInTheShed]

PT1984 said:

I’m sure you just need to go on the land registry site and it will show who owns the deeds to the land. Costs £3 or so.

this.

Make sure you get the .gov.uk site not some scammers. who pay google to come first.

£3 gets you each title plan.

Very little belongs to 'nobody'.

[Herr Schnell]

Mr.Chips said:

My family have been doing this for the ten years they have lived there. The owners of the other houses do similar things but have been there for over twenty years. All the neighbours get on well and there have been no problems.

My dad had a similar situation a few years back, he spoke to the friendly neighbours and they agreed for him to use this process and acquire the land himself. When he moved he passed ownership to the next longest served nieghbour.

Fairly straightforward process despite how complex this site makes it sound.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adverse...

[s55shh]

This stuff can escalate rapidly! Family member lives in similar situation in Wales where residents park on verge opposite houses. But some of them have more cars than spaces so there is now competition which has led to some spectacular falling outs, particularly with 2 neighbours who are friends with each other. One neighbour has a restraining order preventing him from approaching our family, the other one, well, you couldn't write it. One day, family member was outside sorting out his tools in the rear of his escort van (rear doors open leaning in). Neighbour arrived in Discovery and reverse parked close behind, actually hitting the rear doors effectively trapping him. Then neighbour jumps out with trolley jack handle and starts ttting him over the door. Moments later, neighbours father emerges and gets stuck in, also removing the keys from the van door lock. Much ttting each other continues for a minute or two before family member was knocked unconscious by blow to the head. This is all on CCTV and I've seen it.

Trouble was, stroppy neighbours phoned police claiming they had been attacked, and relative of theirs is local police. So family member gets arrested and charged with affray. Neighbours son also got charged.

It then comes to light that neighbours son is on licence for child porn conviction (and multiple impersonating police). He decides he doesn't fancy another stay inside so hangs himself.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/mans-body-found-i...

Family member finally got acquitted after court heard audio recordings from our CCTV which ridiculed their complaint. Discovery has now been parked as a memorial to the fallen son, with all photos in the windows etc.
The dad issued death threats. Totally blatant and recorded. No action taken. Welsh police have been worse than useless.

Edited by s55shh on Monday 11th April 09:12

[Canon_Fodder]

^ ok that's probably the winner on this thread

[QBee]

If you want to get the Welsh police to do anything you need to email the hedd lunatic.

[konark]

There's a lot of land that is still unregistered on the land registry computer but that doesn't mean it doesn't belong to someone.

If the neighbours have been using the land for 20 years they could claim ownership- you usually have to fence land off though but it could be different for a parking space.

Don't let your neighbour fence it off or it becomes theirs after 12 years.

[Jamescrs]

I would not be allowing her to fence it off without some kind of proof of ownership through the land registry, consider telling her you wish to fence it off, or wish to put bollards up to mark out a parking space in use and see how she reacts to it

[hidetheelephants]

OutInTheShed said:

PT1984 said:

I’m sure you just need to go on the land registry site and it will show who owns the deeds to the land. Costs £3 or so.

this.

Make sure you get the .gov.uk site not some scammers. who pay google to come first.

£3 gets you each title plan.

Very little belongs to 'nobody'.

That; club together with your neighbours and buy it if the owner is willing to sell, plant leylandii against the revanchist neighbour's fence and refuse to trim them.

[NDA]

I am not a lawyer - but have owned a fair bit of land over the years.

Have you not developed some sort of right to access onto this land which your neighbour cannot block? Or certainly you could claim a right.

[Drawweight]

Equus is the person you want to jump in on this thread.

If he doesn't see it here try asking on Homes,Gardens and DIY.

[JQ]

NDA said:

I am not a lawyer - but have owned a fair bit of land over the years.

Have you not developed some sort of right to access onto this land which your neighbour cannot block? Or certainly you could claim a right.

If they were accessing something, then possibly, but they're not. I'm fairly certain you can't acquire an easement for parking.

And to gain adverse possession the person seeking it needs to have had exclusive occupation, ie. have fenced it off. You can secure it if not fenced, but it's much harder.

However, all of this is immaterial as the costs of going the legal route on any of this would likely be in excess of the value of the benefit. It appears all parties are trying to steal the land, the one who ends up with the land will likely be the most forceful one, and it already appears that will be the new neighbour. Having assessed the situation they clearly believe they can bully the other residents off the land. Once they have the fence up, they'll likely be able to involve the police for criminal damage should anyone try to remove it.

My view - get your fence up first. On the assumption that none of the parties actually have a right to the land, then going down the legal route will just be horrifically expensive, both financially and emotionally.

Best of luck, neighbour disputes are horrific.

[Mark Asread]

QBee said:

If you want to get the Welsh police to do anything you need to email the hedd lunatic.

That's not how you spell head. Has dumbing down gone too far?






















Go on, somebody, please. Don't leave me hanging.

[NGee]

Mark Asread said:

QBee said:

If you want to get the Welsh police to do anything you need to email the hedd lunatic.

That's not how you spell head. Has dumbing down gone too far?

Heddlu is Welsh for police. I assume it's a reference to that. But I may have missed the point or it might just be a typo!

[gazza285]

NGee said:

Mark Asread said:

QBee said:

If you want to get the Welsh police to do anything you need to email the hedd lunatic.

That's not how you spell head. Has dumbing down gone too far?

Heddlu is Welsh for police. I assume it's a reference to that. But I may have missed the point or it might just be a typo!

You missed “…you ‘tard!”

[Mark Asread]

Thank you, gazza!