I have tried to upload photos to show you but they fail each time.
THERE IS A WARNING TO MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS EXPERIENCE. I many go under, but if by posting this I can warn other elderly home owners, then it will not be so much in vain. I am surprised I lived this long.
When I posted, I really just wanted to know if what the police told me was true.
My house is detached, and set back from the rest of the houses. It is at the end of a cul-de-sac. Because it is set back from the row, the front of my house is about 2/3 metres from the back of their house. I have lived here since 1986. They bought that house in 1995. They were not very kind at all. When my late husband, who was 20 years older than me was diagnosed with Parkinson's and I was disabled, we raised the money to build a disabled living extension in 2001. There were no objections at all. It was designed by a local architect and passed by the council, monitored by the Council Buildings Inspector at each stage. The gas boiler was installed in the room at the top of the wheelchair ramp and the flue on the roof.
Then in 2003/4 they planted the trees against the wall. which eventually grew and started to block the gas flue.
Then they actually put wooden planks from their tree to my wall, blocking off access to my own property. I cannot access the trees because they are their trees planted on the boundary line. They also removed the boundary fence. At that time I wrote to my solicitor who replied saying that would not affect the value of the house or prevent future selling, and I believed that. He has since died, and the firm he worked for refuses to take responsibility for it. For 2o years I have thought that, but it isn't right, and people are saying I am out of time.
I have no money. I tried earlier this year when a tree surgeon offered to cut the ones spreading across the wheelchair ramp, but she wouldn't give access, and in any case, the trunk is now a size that is right across the boundary, and to cut then would kill the trees - leylandii. They are now as tall as the main house, and the branches are spread across the flat roof and reaching the top of the main roof.
That means I would have to find someone who can climb up a tree 50ft high and only cut the branches my side without lowering the height of the trees, which would be illegal, then it would have t o be done every so often.
It is a bizarre situation. Now I find I cannot get equity release or sell the house because no one will help me finance it, because I was told last month, for the first time in writing, that the trees are the problem. Up till then the local estate agents refused to say why the value is lower. It is a sought after property on a sought after estate in a sought after town.
I have started following a number of Companies connected with the town and the property managers. What I see I don't like. I think because of my age they will sit on my daughter until she gives in and sells under value when the time comes. You have to pay interest on IHT after 6 months, and that is how these people buy up properties. If I borrow money, I might be able to maintain it better, but they don't want that. They gut the insides as you see on TV, which costs a lot, and to make a profit they have to buy cheap.
Now I have discovered that there is a partnership of property managers and landlords, and tradespeople who are buying up the detached houses on this estate and turning them into two dwellings. It started with covid deaths of owners. I am housebound, so only go out to appointments, and my carers have pointed out to me that the houses have the same cladding, the same front doors, and are numbered with a) and b). It could become a gated community. They can only do that if they buy the properties under value. My house is secluded, not overlooked and has a view of fields from the front windows. There is nothing in front of the long front garden, so gets the sun all day. There are parking spaces for 6 visitors cars. I have a frontage of 58ft. You could build a small house the other side of the disability extension, yet it is valued at nothing for mortgage and equity release purposes.
When I saw that report last month I was really shocked. If any house can be devalued in that way, so that only a cash buyer will be able to buy it.
