Four Common Property Disputes

In this country, huge emphasis is placed on the positives of owning a home. However, there is one big advantage to renting, and that is, if you need to, you can pack up and leave.
Almost all property disputes involve neighbours, and getting on the wrong side of them can sometimes make home life a living hell. With owning a property, it’s not just so easy to move when things get tough. Hopefully, through communication these issues can be avoided, but just in case, here are four common property disputes that you may face as a homeowner:

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Anti-social Neighbours

Bad neighbours can suck the joy out of living in a property. With a bit of luck, a friendly chat should be enough to remind them to be courteous. But for many homeowners this is only the beginning.

Inconsiderate noise from neighbours can be devastating to mental health due to the impact on sleep and peaceful enjoyment of your home. In some tragic situations, it can even lead to death.. Thankfully, moving house for this reason is rare, but due to the impact it can have, you must make sure that your conveyancer looks up the history of the property and any complaints. Many firms such as https://www.samconveyancing.co.uk/news/conveyancing/fixed-conveyancing-fee-121 will offer this as part and parcel of a fixed fee conveyancing package.

Party Wall Issues

All properties share a boundary with another, and many will have a wall or fence demarcating this. Unfortunately, issues with party walls are amongst the most common property disputes, especially over fence damage and repairs. Sometimes property deeds will make it clear whose responsibility it is to fix these issues, but it’s no guarantee they will do it. This is another reason to fully investigate this with a conveyancer.

Boundaries

As well as issues with the actual party wall, you also have to be alert to a neighbour moving a fence or wall and annexing a bit of your land, or that your property’s previous owner hasn’t done this to your neighbour before you moved in. The only way really to guard against this is to do your research and take advice from a solicitor if things go wrong.

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Overhanging Tree or Shrub Branches

If your neighbour has a mature tree that is shading your garden, there is not much you can do about this. However, if their plant is hanging over your boundary or party wall, then this is a trespass, and homeowners are allowed to cut the branch back. But it’s always best to ask first, and to not do so, while legal, might not make you any friends.