Neighbour’s improvements and effect on my garden.

Yes, you can complain. If he hasn't had the job done properly, he hasn't upheld his end of the bargain, They need to get someone with a roller to get it more even. I really hope the soil is compacted enough or you might get more issues as it settles.

Garden update. Well they have raised our garden by though we are still below neighbours. However, I am still upset because they used a differ bucket to dig up the turf to save the snowdrops so when they replaced the turf it is very uneven to walk on. ( I am not sure that they even really tamped down the soil they put in to make it firm). I nearly tripped in a hollow when I went down to look yesterday. I feel I can’t complain because neighbour says it has cost the neighbour a lot for this work on our garden and I don’t want to cause him more grief. I think we shall have to wait till spring when snowdrops are flowering. Dig them up in the green and actually prepare soil properly and reseed and replant snowdrops. I just want them to be finished now, they are doing the path but I dread them asking me if I am happy because I am not.

Nandalot. That's a shame. :-(

Cafe au lait, fortunately , we have no neighbours the other side as we are bordered by a field! However, I don’t think we will be in that happy position for long because I believe there are moves afoot to develop. The local council want to move our cul de sac out of the conservation area and I feel this is a precursor to allowing development. Still we have fought them off for 35 years so I suppose we have been lucky. However, with new laxer planning laws I think it will be allowed this time. But that is another story.

Sarnia

Nandalot

I don’t think even if we flooded it would affect the structure of the house. As I said, it is the lower part of our garden which we go down to via some steps. and any flooding would be limited to there, but I am hoping that even that will not occur.
I think our land will still be slightly lower than his at the fence edge but then rises towards the dyke. They have been so accommodating that I think we shall just have to agree on this and hopefully we shall both end up with two lovely gardens!

I hope you are right and all ends well. However, your neighbour will be accommodating because he has gone ahead without the necessary approval from the council, so you could make life difficult for him. I sincerely hope you don't have any repercussions from his groundwork but if I were you I would be keeping a close eye on things.

This. Also, is there any chance your raised garden could create any issues for any of the next neighbours along? They might not be so happy and more ready to take action if they suffer adverse consequences, like run off from your property. Then both you and/or your neighbour that started all this could be liable.

Nandalot

I don’t think even if we flooded it would affect the structure of the house. As I said, it is the lower part of our garden which we go down to via some steps. and any flooding would be limited to there, but I am hoping that even that will not occur.
I think our land will still be slightly lower than his at the fence edge but then rises towards the dyke. They have been so accommodating that I think we shall just have to agree on this and hopefully we shall both end up with two lovely gardens!

I hope you are right and all ends well. However, your neighbour will be accommodating because he has gone ahead without the necessary approval from the council, so you could make life difficult for him. I sincerely hope you don't have any repercussions from his groundwork but if I were you I would be keeping a close eye on things.

Get onto your council ASAP please. This has happened to us and we've already spent £2.5k on drainage and the continuing works are making it worse.

I wish I had your lovely neighbour Nandalot
The particular one who complains is a proper Mr Angry and he doesn't live in the house - he lets it out. He has concreted his garden and there is nothing green in it.
I am very grateful that my friend is now dealing with him and the water problem.

I think so. The lady managing it is a farmer. They have put in a couple of French drains on neighbour’s side.

but do they or their contractors actually know what they are doing and the full implications.
i would want a survey done.

I don’t think even if we flooded it would affect the structure of the house. As I said, it is the lower part of our garden which we go down to via some steps. and any flooding would be limited to there, but I am hoping that even that will not occur.
I think our land will still be slightly lower than his at the fence edge but then rises towards the dyke. They have been so accommodating that I think we shall just have to agree on this and hopefully we shall both end up with two lovely gardens!

cornishpasty if having a nice garden means causing major problems for a neighbour, no they are not. especially if their 'nice garden' could cause major flooding in her garden and could leave her house structurally unstable.

Be careful not to do anything that could cause a dispute. If and when you come to sell you have to declare any problems that have occurred and it might put buyers off.

I once made an offer on a house then did not go ahead with the sale when I discovered that work much more minor than this had happened without permits. I wanted to avoid future issues for myself that could arise from those works not having been permitted. Then again, I tend to be be a stickler for rules so it might not have bothered someone else.

I would not speak to the council, it could cause unpleasantness with neighbours that you have to live next door to.

They sound very nice keeping you up to date with what they are doing and telling you to say if you are unhappy.

Speak to them as you are unhappy, do take into account their problems though, they are entitled to a nice garden too.

Your neighbour is being very accomodating but I would still speak to council. If you try to sell later and the work hasn't got the necessary permits, it could affect a potential sale. Almost level still allows room for run off if you're a bit below. It might all be fine but I myself would still check with council for my own protection.

Sorry to hear about your neighbour dispute, Grammateto, I hope you manage to get a satisfactory solution soon.
Thanks for all the other helpful advice, I just needed to let off a bit of steam last night.

I have spoken to my neighbour and his contractor and expressed my concerns about drainage and the effect the raising of his garden might have on ours. He has been very understanding and the result is they are going to raise part of ours ( our edge near the dyke is about the level they have raised theirs to) so that we are just about level with theirs. They will then put everything back and relandscape it to restore our seating area. They will rescue our plants and take the turf off carefully before replacing as it is full of snowdrops in the spring.
I don’t think we could have hoped for a better outcome.
By the way, in case any of you are in this position, you need planning permission to raise your ground level by more than 30 cm. My neighbour was unaware of this and seemed a bit shocked when I told him as he hadn’t applied for it.
I will lose half the depth of the stepped rockery but I think that will actually mean less work for me!

Wise advice about speaking to the council. It sounds like a project which began as a perfectly logical solution to a local flooding fear into something which could cause you, and any successors to your property, a big headache.
I am in the midst of an ongoing neighbour dispute? also caused by water.
This has gone on for several years now and has involved their housing estate lawyers/factors*, the council and so far inefficient, drainage engineers.

I asked a friend who is an ecologist to help me and he is now my unofficial "Factor" helping to reroute the water and is dealing with all the officialdom.

I wish you all the best.
*A Factor is the Scottish equivalent of a Property Manager.

As previous posters have suggested, get in touch with your local council and ask their advice. Also the services of a land surveyor to assess the effect your neighbours huge alterations will have on your home and garden. It doesn't sound to me as if your neighbour has been totally honest about the work he is doing and hopes that you will, as you say yourself have to live with it. Well, you don't.

If the area is prone flooding, the Environment Agency may not be happy about what is happening. I would certainly speak to your local councillor and local planning department.

If you can afford it get a surveyor in. The work your neighbour is doing could threaten the structural stability of your house.

I’d discuss your concerns with your neighbour, they’ve been very open, have they had an engineer assess the drainage implications and what about insurances on both sides? Check with your council’s planning if this is permitted development and mention potential flooding. Good luck.

If your land is now lower than his, the water may now drain into yours, like a sump. Previously it happened to him. I wonder if you could talk to the council Building regs dept for advice. I think you should tell him you're concerned.

"i don't think you can do anything about the look of their fence. except grow something wild near it to mask."

That would depend on whether it is on a boundary. If building a boundary fence, in most places the neighbours need to agree on the fence, the price, the look, and then split the cost. If it's on his own property then it's all his choice. However if it blocks light, causes other issues or is a boundary fence, there are probably other rules in play.

i don't understand the first response.
a three foot fence in a rear garden gives no privacy at all.
most are 6 foot 6.
as for the possible run-off complications, i think it might need a proper survey. there could be some detriment to you.
what are the local laws there.
or if it is a private matter, you may need a specialist lawyer.
i don't think you can do anything about the look of their fence. except grow something wild near it to mask.