Party Wall Advice Please - Horrible neighbour :(

[LexiLexi]

Please help i have aggressive and unpleasant neighbour who has already damaged our property threatening to make matters worse!

The situation is this: We live in a semi detached house. The house next door is detached. There is an alleyway between the two properties but this belongs to next door. Our boundary runs down the face of the outside wall of our home.

Some time ago, without our knowledge a lean to was built up against our wall. It was a very poor temporary structure that we believe was not attached to but rather placed against our wall. Because the garden slopes away, the structure was not visible from the road or from our garden.

The lean to has caused extensive damage to our wall through leakage and faulty design. Our new next door neighbour demolished this a few weeks back. He caused far more damage in demolishing it in a careless and haphazard manner. He now says that he wishes to replace it with an extension, essentially screwed to our wall.

Given that we could not have reasonably known of the structure and that it has now been demolished, is this considered a Party Wall?

What rights of access do we have to repair? He is saying that we must give him 24 hours notice and the only time we can go round is Friday. This seems to be unreasonable

Do we have to consent to a replacement structure (which is far heavier and more permanent than the original)?

Thanks so much in advance

[sourdrawers]

See a solicitor that specialises in property disputes is my advice. Take out a civil action against neighbour.

[sourdrawers]

Sorry, meant to ask. You're saying that the neighbour built against your wall? Bearing in mind your property ends at the face of your outside wall. So neighbour built over the alleyway?

[sourdrawers]

I've had a few disputes in my time with my mental case freeholder. I've found a letter from a solicitor is usually enough to to get a lunatic to see reason.

[LexiLexi]

Hi sourdrawers thanks for your reply. He did build over the alleyway but some distance back from the property front so it was not visible from the road. There is a gate at the front of the alleyway so we could not see.

Want to avoid sold if poss as selling our home but we do have ample free legal advice on our house insurance if needed.

[sourdrawers]

Does your lease/freehold say anything about the alleyway, who it belongs to? To find out you could get on to the land registry to find out who it belongs to. If not him, them he is in the wrong and will have to compensate you for any damage done. It will cost you though and can be a right pain in the arse. It might be worth going through it though, just to let him know he can't piss you about like that.