neighbour damaged my soffits

[sandrawa]

I live in a terrace house. My neighbour recently put new soffits and fascia on his house which are a different colour and type (white and plastic as apposed to black wood) - the trouble is he put them over a foot onto my side so they look very wierd. I have asked him and his tradesman politelyto cut them back to the boundary and repair mine - but all I got was abuse from both of them.

What I would like to know is is it a criminal offence to cut and overlay my soffits and fasica this way ? And if so should I get the police involved. I did ask him very politely, and have had nothing but abuse from him.

 

[big-all]

don't think the police will be interested all they have actually done is repair damage cause by maintainance you are now in dispute as to where the join should be thats probably how the police will see it

now off course its unacceptable i would suggest writing a letter stating that you require they remove there materials trespassing on your property and reinstate to a satisfactory condition any off the fabric off your building they have disturbed or damages during recent works

 

[sandrawa]

No they were not repairing their soffits just replacing them with different ones - but they cut over a foot of mine off and fixed their new soffits over a foot over the boundary. To my mind that is criminal damage.

I've already asked them to cut their soffit back to the boundary and repair the damage to mine - but they told me to sod off.

 

[studips]

it's a boundary dispute so it#s the council you call.

give the arrogant plebs some stick

 

[Mw Roofline]

Speak to your local council but only after you've wrote a letter to both the contractor and the homeowner first. Send both letters recorded delivery (I know he lives next door but you need to do it properly). Give them 14 days to sort it then go to the council.

We sometimes get asked by customers to go slightly over the boundary with the fascia as it does make their house look bigger (Obviously we don't!)

 

[SASroofer]

THey more likely extended the soffits to fix to the nearest rafter, and decided to finish on the rafter your side so the paying customer has no complaints. Still the wrong thing to do, because they should have nogged across and fixed into that.

 

[sandrawa]

THey more likely extended the soffits to fix to the nearest rafter, and decided to finish on the rafter your side so the paying customer has no complaints. Still the wrong thing to do, because they should have nogged across and fixed into that.

Yes that is likely, but have they the right to do this without my permission - in the process cutting my soffit and fascia off so they could fit their's ? I am not sure what "nogged across" means and I would be grateful if you could explain (sorry not a builder just a gal !)

Yes I have written them a polite letter (recorded) asking them to remove and repair. Their response was to threaten my extension wall ! I also spoke to the contractor who became very abusive on the phone.

I know it might sound petty but it does look very odd, and yes it does make their house look bigger and mine smaller - but it also looks odd going part way over my house and then just stopping because it is so different to the rest of the houses (3 terraces) ! And I imagine if I did this he would just go up and rip it off ! He's a terrible bully and has abused me in the past relying on the fact that I don't have a husband to take him on !!

Also to other posters - how could the council help ? Wouldn't they just say it was a private matter ? I am very grateful for all your advice.

The other thing I should mention is that they did this while I was out at work, and I am pretty sure the man had to come onto my land to do it which is trespass.

 

[studips]

imagine your boundary at soffit height with no wood to fix on - they fit some timber to bridge the gap - a noggin.

your council will respond to boundary disputes and complaints against neighbours.

otherwise, have you considered having your soffits done?

 

[smashngrab]

imagine your boundary at soffit height with no wood to fix on - they fit some timber to bridge the gap - a noggin.

your council will respond to boundary disputes and complaints against neighbours.

otherwise, have you considered having your soffits done?

Yeah and go to the next rafter or joist over THEIR side,i wonder what they would say to that.You could say sod off !

 

[htgeng]

Yes I have written them a polite letter (recorded) asking them to remove and repair. Their response was to threaten my extension wall !

Can you please explain exactly how and what their response was. This thread is getting a bit woolly. Is the man next door the owner or renting?

Its not in either of your best interests to have this dispute as you will be legally bound to highlight this dispute if either of you come to sell. It does seem a bit bizarre though.

What I would do is this: You need to find the exact midpoint on the wall outside. You may have to measure from your window inside and outside. Or is there a boundary fence? Mark on the wall. Once again write them a letter saying you have done this and within say 30 days you will instruct a contractor to remove his trespassing soffit off your property(sling it back his side once removed)

He can't do sweet FA about it because what your doing is on your property. End of.

 

[^woody^]

Your neighbour/builder should have cut the soffit/fascia to the boundary line and fixed whatever additional noggins were required and then made good the junction with sealant as necessary.

You are entitled to demand that the overhanging soffit is removed from your property (give a date), alternatively you can remove the section and make good, and if you wanted to recover your costs then you would be successful if this went to the county court

 

[Mw Roofline]

take a picture post it on here

 

[sandrawa]

take a picture post it on here

View media item 29422

 

[sandrawa]

 

[htgeng]

hmm. is the mid-point really half way between the windows? If you follow that point up to the line of the chimney, is not far off. is that a shared chimney with next doors?