Neighbours Extension Roof Attached To Ours?

K9Heidi · 6 Dec 2017

Hi everyone. Looking for advise.

We have an extension on the back of our house that was there when we moved it and it would seem has been there a long time.

Our neighbour had a makeshift plastic roof room attached to the end of theirs.
They have just decided to have a "proper room" extension put where that was.
We were not told of the plans, we've seen no paperwork to show it's legal etc. Just the vans started turning up and making a huge amount of noise.

Fast forward to this extension being completed and when we look out across our extension roof, they have attached a wooden batten and therefore their roof, right on top of ours?! Surely this isn't right, and surely they should have sought permission from us first?

I should mention we have an indemnity policy on our extension as no planning could be found at the time of sale (it's been up around 20 years we think) and it unfortunately has an asbestos roof!

Where do we stand if they have damaged our roof? And what do we do now?

We also think they've just used our existing walls as we can hear a lot of what happens the other side, we couldn't before.

John D v2.0 · 6 Dec 2017

If it's a party wall (astride the boundary) they can use it but you can charge them a fairly nominal amount, if it's your side of the boundary they're only allowed to attach a flashing to weatherproof things.
In terms of that roof, it's unlikely to be weatherproof depending what they've done underneath.

big-all · 6 Dec 2017

indemnity insurance is usually pointless
its in case ghosts from the past come home to haunt so after several years most things are beyond anybody caring about or able to do anything about any incorrect items
it has no connection or use to any alteration or change since it was taken out

tomfe · 6 Dec 2017

Wow, did they shoot their guns in the air and are you sure they did not arrive on horses?

JP_ · 6 Dec 2017

Call the council and ask for them to inspect?

K9Heidi · 6 Dec 2017

I'm hoping to not fall out with them over it, they are generally nice people but they've got proper cowboys in to do this job and I don't want our structure (roof/walls) to have a weakness etc because of how they've used it. If it will have/could have then its being rectified is obviously what's needed.
Plus its annoying they haven't even had the courtesy to ask or even let us know something was happening.
The wall you can see is where their house ends, these terrace houses are staggered so theirs is around 8ft further back than ours.
The wooden batten appears to have been screwed directly in to our roof?!

^woody^ · 6 Dec 2017

It's a trespass regardless of whether or has any other required permissions.

You can require them to remove it from your roof, but then the issue will be getting a good seal at the roof junction.

Realistically, there needs to be a proper sealed joint there, but those roofers don't seem to have the necessary knowledge to do it.

The neighbours should be concerned about (made aware of) the standard of that roof in any case.

JP_ · 6 Dec 2017

but if they have just used your wall as their internal wall, then this will fail building regs won;t it, re sound insulation etc. on party walls?

noseall · 6 Dec 2017

Where is that, Soweto?

K9Heidi · 8 Dec 2017

jonbey said:
but if they have just used your wall as their internal wall, then this will fail building regs won;t it, re sound insulation etc. on party walls?

That's the thing, I don't think they've paid any attention to building regs?!

themiddleagedun · 9 Dec 2017

It looks like every building in your pictures wants bulldozing TBH.. (sorry

)

nickjb · 10 Dec 2017

That is a shocking bit of roofing. You could ask the neighbours to get the builders back and rectify but I wouldn't want them back as they'd likely make things worse. It is annoying the neighbours have done the work without discussion but any attempt to raise this will likely result in conflict so probably best avoided. All in all its a poor situation but probably best left as is and keep an eye out for leaks

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Neighbours Extension Roof Attached To Ours?

K9Heidi

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