I am dreading the house at the bottom of our drive being demolished.

Yep...good that you've taken that photo. Most odd they want their scaffolding on the wall - and it's probably not a genuine "want" for this - but just to give them an excuse to do what they want to do anyway by the sound of it - ie the wall mysteriously vanishing.

Like the way you know it "doesnt meet the statutory regulatory times" - sounds like you're keeping well on top of it.

Do you know who actually owns that wall (as it sure doesn't sound like they do)?

Cariad, they have stood the feet of their scaffolding on said wall, which they said was unsafe and needed demolishing. We have photo and told them it has to come off. Maybe that was why they wanted to issue a party wall notice but that was only a couple of days ago and doesn’t meet the statutory regulatory times.

My take to them wanting to knock down a wall they've not previously mentioned is they might be looking to expand onto land they don't own that is just beyond the wall.

Don't forget to take measurements all round of where that wall is and photos - just in case it mysteriously vanishes.

If that wall going wasnt in the original planning consent = they shouldnt have touched it! It just goes to show that their attitude is to ignore the rules if they can.

Just as well to write those letters.

Thank you Cariad for your helpful advice. So sorry for all the trouble you have had. I do not trust the building contractors one bit and suspect an ulterior motive in their wanting to knock down a wall on the boundary which was not in the original planning consent. I wrote to the planning case officer last week but she wasn’t very helpful possibly because she is away this week. I am going to write to the chief planning officer and copy in their environmental officer and the tree officer.

All I can say is good luck Avalon25 and I hope it doesn’t take too long. I have to admit I would be keeping my eyes open for a new house,personally. A year is a fair while in the scheme of things and I was wondering why it will take so long. We had a house demolished a few years back , and then rebuilt. About 6 months in total. It was a 4 bedroom house down at the beach and there are not many tradesman down there otherwise it would have been even quicker.

Talk to the council planning department and see what limits were put on the build. They should have agreed to considerate contractor terms. You could try to talk to the builders. Ask for a meeting with site manager. Be reasonable and get them on your side. A harmonious relationship can work wonders.

BTW - A very useful "lesson for life" I got given a lecture on one time by a friend of mine was to always bear in mind never to expect the "opposition" to act the way I would.

So first of all I think like myself - ie what the moral code of conduct would be that I would follow personally. Then mentally put myself in the shoes of the "opposition". I listened to that friend and after that always first thought what they should do/what I would do in their position. Then I thought "If I were a nasty 8888*** in their position and only thought of my own interests - what would I do next?".

Boy was that ever a useful conversation - as, after that, I always first thought my own way and then mentally swivelled and thought "Assuming they are totally nasty and totally focused on themselves - what will they think next? what will they do next?". I got it right Every Single Time then and saw them coming a mile off....as they always took the "nasty person option" - but I'd already put every barrier I could think of in place and made my plans for minimising their actions effect on me in advance....

So "think like them" - as well as "think like yourselves".

That's not surprising that they are "minimising" right from the get-go.

1. Since when did providing a list of contacts numbers count as consultation? It doesnt.
2. Denying what was in the planning application.

Do indeed keep an eye on them. There seems to be such a tendency these days for people to think in terms of retrospective planning permission and the like. So many think it's better to "ask for forgiveness" after the event - ie "apologise" and hope to get away with things.

Take photos and measurements where applicable. Lying about measurements and how things normally are is a frequent one.

Have you got Title Plans and Register entries for nearby - ie as well as your own?

The Land Registry isn't up to much in some respects - I guess you've got your property Registered etc and made sure you are on that free scheme the Land Registry run whereby they send you an email every 6 months to confirm that nothing is happening on your "account". Even if you are registered with that scheme of theirs be aware it doesn't constitute much in the way of protection. I'm registered with that scheme - but the first I knew that adjacent neighbours were planning on stealing a bit of my garden if they could was I got notification from the Land Registry saying "There is activity on your account" and giving the name of those doing the "activity". That turned out to be their own solicitors. Those neighbours had asked the LR if they could have a bit of my garden taken off my title plan and put on theirs instead!!!! Once the fighting about it that then ensued (culminating in them managing to steal a bit from me - which I estimate is about a third of what they were trying to grab) I then found a further layer of "protection" I could put in place with the LR (can't recall the details of it now) and it's something along the lines of me proving I am me before any of my property can be disposed of from memory (sorry for being vague on the details).

It's a potential danger point I'd say if the neighbouring property concerned doesn't yet have a modern-day title plan and it will acquire that title plan in the process in being bought by new owners. That was when I experienced that land theft.

So - out there today - and take those photos and measurements. One of the reasons I had pretty detailed photos taken (by a professional photographer) was in case they vandalised some trees of mine - as I knew they wanted to reduce them in size as much as they thought they could get away with. At least with those photos taken I managed to keep their mitts off my trees - as I was well aware they were trying to think of lying and telling people "Oh they were that (much tinier) size to start with". With the photos I had proof of what size they were to start with.

By the way - keep a diary of events too - who said and did what and when.

Right chatted to the demolition foreman with no problems, seemed a nice chap and very approachable. They seem to be dismantling first and when I asked it will take about 3 weeks. Had another meeting with the building contractor, architect, and owner. Thought sending us a list of contacts numbers counted as consultation. We disabused them of that notion. At first they denied what was in the planning application but we had read it and corrected them. Stood our ground and eventually they have agreed communication is key and they need to keep us informed not ignore us. I will still report to the Council the work they have done which is not in accordance with planning consent, which hopefully will be another check although they refer to it as past history.

We are going to have to keep our beady eye on them to make sure they don’t get sneaky and take naughty short cuts. I don’t particularly trust them. I did find out they are hoping to have the building up with the roof on within a 12 month so after that it will be indoor work and they should have room to park on site.

Yes lots of helpful advice. Good old GransNet. I also appreciate some have been through far worse than this and they have my deepest sympathy. Off the bed again with my book and small glass of Baileys.

Did council send you a letter informing you of the work to be done? You have been given some excellent advice by kind gransnetters.which you should consider taking.

What does "sorting an never doorstep" mean?

Thinking back now to one particular neighbour family that decided to steal a bit of my garden. I strongly suspect they were after even more of my garden than the darn Land Registry took off my title plan and put on theirs! Part of the reason for my suspicions is that I caught them in the act waiting until my back was turned to walk all around my garden measuring it out!!!!!!!!

The time they chose for it was early in the morning before they anticipated I would have got up for the day. Only thing was I am quite an early riser - so I saw and heard Mr Thief parading around my garden doing just that.

It was shortly after that that I put up security cameras - as his reaction was to first lie and say he hadnt done so. Followed by telling a different lie and admitting he had done that - but it was supposed to be for my welfare according to him (ie to check I was alright). Funnily enough my doorbell was definitely working and could have been rung okay if that had been the truth.

I'd be willing to bet he was after about 3 times as much of my garden as he managed to persuade the Land Registry to let him steal.

Some parts of the country pretty much have people behaving themselves re the neighbours property - but other parts there's loads of it going on or attempting to go on.

So - yep....I've seen in my own case bad neighbours waiting until they thought the coast was clear to get up to stuff.

Slight snag to that idea.

Yes! I'd stay put to make sure my house didn't get demolished 'accidentally'.

Dempie55

If you can afford it, I’d be booking a few cruises for the next year!

Slight snag to that idea.

That being I've lost count of the number of times I've read of incidents of Bad Neighbour behaviour and they do their best a lot of the time specifically to "get up to mischief" when the decent neighbours back is turned. It happens very frequently.
eg Decent Neighbour goes on holiday and their fence is in the correct place - but they come back from holiday to find Bad Neighbour noticed the "coast was clear" and shifted the fence in the hopes that they'd achieve a fait accompli of what they wanted and the fence would stay in the wrong position.

Then there's scaffolding erected partly on Decent Neighbours garden and/or the scaffolders have managed to damage that garden anyway by trespassing into it and damaging plants in it, etc.

When my bad neighbours were at the height of their shenanigans I needed to be "on guard" and they still trespassed into my garden frequently (even though by then I'd made it VERY plain "My garden - keep out").

If you can afford it, I’d be booking a few cruises for the next year!

My DH works in construction, have you received any paperwork from them? Party wall agreement A party wall agreement is a legal document required under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 in England and Wales, necessary when conducting construction work on or near a shared wall or boundary. It ensures neighbors consent to work 😁

This sounds nightmarish for you and of course you must talk about it or you’ll explode! A similar thing happened in our family about 20 years ago but it went on for years. After six months an approach was made to the owner of the property and who was living elsewhere. He was invited to spend a day in our family member’s house and compensation was paid with profuse apologies. Worth a try?

My friend's have had very similar problems with the chap next door to them who had planning permission to build an extension and then promptly removed a fence and was trying to build on their land. They consulted a solicitor and work was stopped after a letter warning them of further action if they didn't. I suggest you speak to a solicitor pronto to see if you have the right to deny permission to stop them demolishing your property. Check your home insurance to see if you have legal cover to help pay for any action. Act before the builders act; it will be far easier in the long run.

My heart goes out to you. A near neighbour had a really extensive extension built on the side of their house recently. The next thing we knew other neighbours decided "what a good idea" and went down the same path. We had noise, inconvenience, mud and everything that goes with it, blocked drives, contractors vans for at least 2 years. We have now settled down and we are back to peace and quiet. Fortunately relations have recovered although I was a bit tight-lipped for a while.

Fatoldlady

Why should there be any "confrontation"? The builders will just want to get on with their job. How about viewing it from a different angle - pop down the drive to say a cheery hello to them, make friends with them, and then it'll be dead easy to ask them if you need them to do/move/change anything they are doing.
I know it will be annoying, but you really have to think that it's not forever, you might get some very nice helpful neighbours when it's done.

Don't offer to provide cups of tea! 18 months x number of builders at least twice a day would soon lose its appeal.

Norah

Have you looked to the deeds to determine ownership of boundary wall? ^They also now want to knock down a boundary wall^

Yep...good thinking Macduff. They will indeed knock that wall down if they want to - unless they get stopped - with evidence - telling them they aren't allowed to do so.

There are indeed people (builders or otherwise) that work on the basis of apologising (insincerely) after the event - rather than asking permission before the event.

I've not forgotten being told (not asked - but told) "I will be butting my fence up against your wall". He should have known (given the type of job he does I'm sure he did know that "butt up against" means "butt up against" - ie "sit beside"). Cue for me finding he'd gone and drilled into my wall and attached his fence to it!!!! That did not last long and, funnily enough, his fence equally mysteriously stopped being attached to my wall. He didnt dare illicitly join it up again....

Have you looked to the deeds to determine ownership of boundary wall? They also now want to knock down a boundary wall

Was jumping in to say, good luck and take before and after photos, but I see you already have that advice.
Pace yourself, and good luck.

Goodness...what a rant!