Neighbour Disputes and how to handle them
Disputes with your neighbours can be very unsettling, especially if you don't feel comfortable and safe in your home as a result. A study by the Halifax found a quarter of disputes were about noise, 14pc about boundaries, 11pc about pets and 10pc involved parking. Anti-social behaviour caused 8pc of rows, and tree disputes 7pc. But what's the best way to resolve these sort of disputes?
- Get to Know Your Neighbour
One often over-looked strategy is to get to know your neighbour, if you are not already on good terms. Even if a problem has occurred, try to get to know your neighbor before making the complaint. Introduce yourself. Talk about general issues of interest. A few weeks later, raise your complaint
- Try and resolve the problem early on by talking to your neighbour directly.
- It is safer to talk standing on neutral grounds. You can also talk at the gate or over the fence. For your personal safety, it is not advisable to talk in out in your neighbour's house.
- Don't attack the person. Personal criticism will be met by a defensive stance or worse, a heated exchange of words.
- Propose a solution – consider offering help or splitting costs, if you can
- For immediate and temporary resolution of a problem like noise, you can consider telephoning the police, building inspectors, town officials or any officials handling jurisdiction in the area of concern.
- Keep a diary to track the problem –if the problem is one that reoccurs, (like late-night noise). Write down the date, what occurs and any other observations that may be helpful. You may find that the problem is not as frequent as you thought.
A clear log will help document your case for the police or the courts, if it gets that far.
It will also help you talk to your neighbour as you'll have proof to raise with them. He or she will realize that you mean business and will exert a conscious effort to rectify or improve the situation. If that doesn't happen, a record will be useful if you decide to take legal action.
Put it in writing - when talking does not work, you may find that a clear written description of the problem and a proposed solution may persuade your neighbor. If you believe s/he has violated a law, include a copy of that law Your neighbour may find that reading the actual law persuades them in a way that your verbal complaint did not. Send a copy of the letter to your local councillor.
Talk to other neighbours - if the problem is bothering you, it may be an issue for others. If it is a mutual problem, consider a joint letter -a group approach can be particularly effective .There may be one neighbour who has a close relationship with the person causing the problem. S/he may be willing to talk on behalf of the group to the difficult neighbour
There are some cases however where this approach simply will not work and you find that you need expert legal advice from local Solicitors to resolve the situation.
Tim Bishop is Senior Partner of Andover Solicitors Bonallack and Bishop - provid a full range of legal services in Andover - ranging from compensation claims to contesting a will