Neighbours extension

Pawwed Rig · 15-10-2015 7:11pm #1

So I am moving in a few months and we were hoping to extend before moving in. Each builder we got a quote from have informed us that the neighbour (who built an extension last year) has built too close to the boundary wall so is slightly over hanging our garden. It will mean our extension will need to back off a bit, along with potential for water damage as their roof drains into our garden (they never even put in a gutter).

What do people think?
Should I say nothing and just accept it seeing as we will be living beside these people in the long term or push for a remedy. (The gutter will have to be installed anyway.)

No idea what kind of people own the house.

Annoying as it is a problem I could do without at the moment.

edit - not looking for legal advice as I know the legal situation

riclad · 15-10-2015 8:29pm

Wait and see ,are they normal people, or weirdo,s
, anti social etc
the basic of building an extension ,
there should be at least a gutter on the side of the wall,with a pipe to drain water .
you should not be overhanging the neighbours garden.
if they turn out to be nice normal people, after a few weeks,
installing 1 gutter, and pipe , is not expensive
ask em politely to put on a gutter .
i wonder did that extension get planning permission or is it exempt from planning.
Theres no point in getting into an argument before you even move into the house.
Obviously the pipe needs some where to drain into .

edanto · 15-10-2015 8:36pm

Call in, get to know them. Be up front about your plans for an extension, and say that you have an architect looking into it. Depending on the your rapport with them, you might want to get into the discussion about how the two extensions will join/meet/face each other, but obviously the main priority is to establish a good long term relationship with them.

A pal of mine has had a falling out with a neighbour over a boundary issue and it looks like it's heading to court; worst situation ever. In hindsight it could easily have been avoided with a bit more talking and a lot more listening.

April 73 · 15-10-2015 8:50pm

Have you just agreed to purchase this house? What stage are you at?
I would definitely have a polite chat with the neighbours to introduce yourself & your plans for the house.
Their overhang & lack of gutter could well cause problems for you in the future. I've seen neighbours take each other to court over an extension. People can get stubborn & nasty.
I would be loath to commit to purchasing this house until I knew where this might go. What happens if they are unreasonable & say "tough luck". You need to check their planning application. If their extension's water run off is hitting your ground with no gutter or drain you will have a waterlogged garden & drainage problems on your side.

riclad · 15-10-2015 9:03pm

Maybe they had a bad builder,
or they don,t care,
or they do not realize there should be a gutter installed with a drain pipe on your side,
especially if the roof of the extension ,
is sloped slightly in the direction of your garden.
its possible the neighbour know nothing about it,
the builder may have just wanted to save a few 100 euro off the cost.

A good builder would not normally build a extension overhanging a neighbours garden .
And would have installed a gutter on the wall too.

Pawwed Rig · 15-10-2015 9:58pm

The extension is huge. It is about 6metres protruding from the original back of the house taking up alot of their garden. If they left the required garden area so as not to require planning it is very marginal.
Confirmed that they have no pp. Current resident in 'my house' says water pours off the roof when it rains.

Builder reckons it could cause water damage to any extension on my side.

Not committed completely to moving in but some way down the road and would cause considerable hassle if we were to pull out now.

Might pop up on Saturday and chat to the neighbour to see if they are reasonable.

riclad · 15-10-2015 10:29pm

I wonder if the house is in an area you really wanna live in,
not many other house,s are avaidable,for sale in the area .
You are getting a good price on the house,
the house or the garden is larger than average .
ie its not just a standard semi d with a small garden .
Did the owner give permission for the neighbour to build an extension, overhanging the garden by 6m .
you could build the new extension with extra waterproofing and a gutter to counteract
water from the extension next.
it an unusual situation ,
to have water pouring in from an extension,with no gutter on it .

BryanF · 16-10-2015 12:07am

Get a local arch / eng that can advise you and approach the neighbour with you to propose a reasonable solution. http://www.engineersirelandcork.ie/downloads/CIOB%20CPD%20Lecture%2012Oct10%20J%20Lane%20B%20Holohan.pdf

April 73 · 16-10-2015 7:12am

You definitely need to have a chat with the neighbours. Having water pouring off their roof onto your side isn't good. Has the current owner ever spoken to them about it? How is their relationship?

slowjoe17 · 18-10-2015 6:16pm

I would certainly discuss the situation with the neighbour.

If they're unreasonable, you can expect them to cause ongoing problems in the future. That ought to make you think very seriously about whether to go through with the purchase.

Wabbit Ears · 19-10-2015 11:07am

TBH I'd be discussing this with my lawyer as it could and should be a deal breaker to the sale being finalised without resolution.

In fairness the seller should be forced to resolve any border disputes and drainage issues before the deal is finished. The relationship is between the neighbour and the current owner. Until you actually own the property you have no business talking to the neighbour.

edanto · 19-10-2015 11:16am

Excellent advice.

Pawwed Rig · 19-10-2015 11:16am

Well it is the family home that I was hoping to buy out so will have to resolve the issue whether or not I go ahead. I'll have a civil word with the neighbour next weekend and see where I am at.

Wabbit Ears · 19-10-2015 1:24pm

Why can't your parents or whoever owns the family home not approach the neighbour and explain they are trying to sell it to you but cant because of the extension.

sparky63 · 20-10-2015 9:22pm

Failing all else, would it be possible to incorporate a gutter between both extensions.

MayBea · 30-10-2015 9:27am

We were at this situation earlier in the year with neighbours extension encroaching by 15 cm approx. Our solicitor has advised us against the purchase, so we pulled out... thinking it doesn't look like a good start and having a tense relationship with the neighbours is not what we want in a new place.

Neighbours extension

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