Natural Boundary

Roanmore

Hi All, I'm looking for some quick advice on a problem which has occured in the last month with regards to the boundary of my back garden.

My back garden has never had a fence or a wall at the back (it has at the sides) at the back boundary but was always surrounded by trees which were on my neighbours side. Just over a month ago they knocked down all the trees without any notice. Later in the day my wife saw somebody in the garden and went out to ask her (politely) what was happening. The woman of the house said she came to our door but nobody was in (not only was my wife in all day but my mother was visiting and she was there as well). Anyway we're weren't too bothered about the notice but what worried us was that his house and front garden is facing the back of our house and can see directly in to our bedroom and kitchen (we live in a terraced bungalow)and we now have to pull the curtains all day in both. We met the man of the house who told us that they were clearing the area to make a front garden and that they will build a wall all around which will be high enough to guarantee our privacy. Fair enough until he said that they never realised how big the job was and they have run out of money to finish it at the moment. We have no privacy and local kids have seen a nice big play area and come down in to our garden as if it was a common area. Things have also gone missing from our garden and our cat has been terrorised by the kids.

My question after all that is can I insist that a wall is erected as soon as possible and what can I do if one isn't erected. We use to have a private garden and it is now very open. The kids are a nuisance but I'll get over it but with it being so open I'm afraid that it is ripe for burglars.

Cailinor

To be honest i don't know what you can really do as the trees were on your neighbours property. That is quite annoying and rude that they didn't tell you of their plans at all.
But i think your only options really (and you wont like them:o ) is to perhaps A) ask them how much the wall will take and either share the price or help get it built and get them to repay you.. bit unlikely probably.
you could also get someone you know to have a go at it, and if the neighbours dont like it, it might speed up their urgency to get it done..?
or you could get a cheap temporary fence?
or even start planting some new trees and wait:)

Victor

Are you certain where the boundary is?

Put up a temporary fence to keep trespassers out - there is a requirement to minimise your losses.

Contact solicitor.

Collect money.

seamus

A super cheap, but very temporary solution is to get a roll of chicken wire and a few stakes to erect a temporary boundary.

All this will do is keep the kids out - it won't keep out animals and probably won't last more than a year.

My main concern would be public liability - if a local kid comes into your garden, trips on a branch and clatters his head, then his parents can sue you for the cost of the trip to the hospital.

If it was me I would just erect a permanent boundary and be done with it. Afaik, you don't require planning permission for boundary walls up to a certain height (2m?).

We can't give you any legal advice here, only practical solutions. I'll move this to the Accomodation forum (though you can't get legal advice there either).

doctor evil

Put up a electric fencing, just make sure have a sign or two stating that it is alive. If they zapped its their own fault.