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Coping with neighbours from hell

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Catherine Deshayes

Living next to a ‘neighbour from hell' can be a huge headache. But, according to Sussex solicitors Adams & Remers, a few simple steps could provide the remedy...

"Many house-movers choose their property based on just one or two visits," says Suzanne Bowman, solicitor at Adams & Remers. "We would always advise our clients to make several visits at different times of the day to confirm for example that your new property isn't a meeting-place for local joy-riders."

"It's also a good idea before you buy," she says, "to introduce yourself to new neighbours. It will usually be quickly transparent if you are going to have difficulties with them, for example, over a shared driveway or excessive noise."

For some home-owners, however, problems with anti-social behaviour arise when they are already living in a property. But there are still practical measures you can take to relieve the situation.

"Obviously what people regard as anti-social can vary from one person to the next," says Suzanne Bowman. "If it's really getting you down, it's worth taking a look at the covenants affecting your property. You may, for example, find a covenant prohibiting nuisance or annoyance such as all-day bonfires. There may also be recourse to the local authority if excessive noise or environmental pollution is among your concerns."

Suzanne Bowman advises discussing the problem with your neighbour first - before the situation escalates - and trying to resolve it between you. If that doesn't work, the next step might be to issue a letter from your solicitor highlighting the terms of the covenant and the possibility of legal action.

"Getting solicitors involved," says Suzanne Bowman, "should not be the first recourse, but may be the only answer if you have tried everything else. It's far better to make thorough checks before you move into the property or, if the problem arises while you are already living there, trying to sort it out face-to-face with your neighbours first."

Check out homes for sale all across the UK at http://www.themovechannel.co.uk/property/england/

Picture by FaceMePLS