Neighbours Satellite dish on my chimney

Long Sean Silver

Hi Guys! Just need a bit of advice here.

I live in a semi-detached house, and it has recently come to my attention that our neighbours have erected their dish to my side of our (shared) chimney stack. The dish is facing to the front of my house, which i understand to be contrary to planning laws.

I asked him to remove it and he was less than helpful/co-operative, so I am in no mood to do him any favours.

What are my options? Is this illegal? I understand this is against planning laws, so would the local council be able to remove it?

L1011

It is against planning - has to be on the rear or side. You might find the standard method of installing to the rear when the chimney has a better sighline to be rather ugly (a pole on the back wall lifting the dish over the view of the ridge - the satellite constellation is not flat in the sky so it doens't have to lift it the entire height) though.

Is it installed using lashing kits (wire around the chimney) or drilled in? Drilling in can cause damage, as can badly done lashing kits actually. You don't want a damaged chimney stack.

Councils do occasionally enforce against this, but they may have the opinion that its your responsibility being on your side of the shared stack.

Long Sean Silver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120711866#Comment_120711866

it is situated on the front of the chimney stack, pointing at a 45 degree angle to the side. it is drilled as far as i can see. i will contact the local council to see what if anything they might do.

L1011

I meant it has to be on the rear or side of the house - any side of the chimney stack requires planning. Which wouldn't ever be given.

Drilled gives an angle of "you have damaged my (shared) chimney" for further action, but this is likely to be quite messy.

Mrs OBumble

I would get a councillor on side before contacting the council. There's a chance they could just hold you responsible since it's on your property.

Long Sean Silver

assuming the council prove to be less than useful, what would you say to sending a Solicitor's letter? i don't have much of a relationship with my neighbours, so upsetting them will not unduly concern me.

Dav010

Having a relationship which is elevated to hostile with the other occupant of a semi detached house, should always be a concern for obvious reasons. If it’s a shared chimney and doesn’t really affect your life, what’s the point in elevating the hostility?

Bluefoam

Why would someone in a built up area put in a satellite dish in this day and age... no need for them anymore once broadband is available...

I had an apartment years ago. Neighbor's above put in a satellite dish... where they mounted it they allowed water in that came down through the interior walls into our apartment...

CreadanLady

Just to clarify, the council would have the power to take enforcement action against him for planning reasons. The council though would absolutely not come out and remove it - it is not theirs, not on their property, and nothing to do with them apart from their role as a planning authority.

There really is no point talking to a councillor. They would have little to no specialist knowledge on planning, and they have no input whatsoever on planning applications. They are just elected joe soap representatives of the electorate - they are not responsible for the day to day running and administration of the council.

ted1

Is this a fight worth fighting ?

bladespin

Have you asked your neighbour about it? Might be the first step before solicitors letters put you in a bad light.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120717512#Comment_120717512

The OP said:

I asked him to remove it and he was less than helpful/co-operative, so I am in no mood to do him any favours.

bladespin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120717525#Comment_120717525

Thanks, I did mean now that we've established it isn't legal etc.

Long Sean Silver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120717537#Comment_120717537

yes I told him it was not legal and he just dismissed that.

Long Sean Silver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718454#Comment_120718454

the dish itself is not really a problem, but it's his attitude that really annoys me. i mean i wouldn't dare put anything on someone else's property, and then dismiss them when questioned about it.

SteM

I'd be careful starting an argument with anyone I shared a party wall with. There's one thing having no relations with your neighbour, it's another thing to have bad relations with your neighbour. Things can get very ugly, very quickly when you share a party wall. Believe me, I know.

bladespin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718454#Comment_120718454

Fair enough, you've tried the decent thing and he's rejected that so it's on him, first stop would be to raise an objection with the council re. planning, then if necessary go the legal route.

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718473#Comment_120718473

Could always stick a flag or something else on his side of the chimney and see how that goes? 😀

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718501#Comment_120718501

100% this. If it's in any way a house you want to stay in long term then you need to figure out a way of getting on well with your neighbours.

If you removed the party wall in a semi D you'd be sitting in a big room watching TV with the household next door. Semi Ds are pretty much just one big house with no doorways between each half. You're under the same roof as another family.

So something to consider before kicking off a massive fuss. Not sure what I'd do myself to be honest, part of me wants to let it slide but there's another part of me that absolutely hates satellite dishes.

AndrewJRenko

Is your neighbour an owner or a renter?

Dial Hard

Jeez, OP, you really do love a good argument, don't you?

AlanG

Just remove it without damaging it and drop it into him nicely. It's no different than if he put up a pole in your back garden with it. Why would you not be willing to take it out of your property. Should be easy with a socket set. Its on your property, if you go to the planning department it will be your problem, not the owner of the item.

bladespin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721703#Comment_120721703

I'd agree with this, carefully removing and returning something from your property sounds pretty reasonable.

Bluefoam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721784#Comment_120721784

Unless it involves electricity and requires disconnection from the power source, which has the potential to effect the other parties supply...

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721965#Comment_120721965

Satellite LNB power is max 18v and produced by the satellite box. It is entirely safe to just unscrew the F connectors from the LNB.

This is not advice on legality or sensibility!

bladespin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721965#Comment_120721965

Satellite dish.

Dav010

The op could have a legal right to do so, he/she then just has to deal with the law of unintended consequences. There isn’t a world in which relations don’t plummet when the op knocks on the door with the neighbours dish in hand. The longest day the op is living there, the neighbour will look to screw him over in any way possible, not a good situation to be in when you share a roof, guttering, facade, garden wall, and most importantly, an internal wall. If the neighbour wants to be particularly vindictive, just turn a loud radio on before going on holiday.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120713385#Comment_120713385

Are we really there yet, in terms of replacing all cable or satellite TV with streaming through broadband? I'm not sure I want to be dependent on the various player apps for all my inputs, or switching my tv settings to UK to access the All4 app then back to Ireland to access the RTE Player.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120722605#Comment_120722605

Sky offer their service entirely streamed now (in the UK anyway - not sure here), and the Vodafone and (awful) Eir services are also entirely streamed. All of these are using their own gear and streams

If you want decent TV free and reliably you will still need a dish and aerial for the foreseeable.

Bluefoam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120722650#Comment_120722650

Sky just laid off their dish installation and support team in Ireland... their service is all streaming...

ssshhh123

Just get on with your life instead of moaning about a dish. The world won't end.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120722688#Comment_120722688

Plenty of places can't get fast enough broadband to stream so pulling new dish installs would be quite unwise.