It is normal to feel stressed during a house move, but that stress usually fades afterwards. Recently, however, a new homeowner felt more stressed after the move because of ‘unreasonable’ demands from their new neighbour.
After unpacking, the new homeowner felt calmer but was surprised when their neighbour knocked on the door with a proposal. They wanted a tall hedge planted along the shared garden fence to increase privacy. This sounded like a reasonable request until the neighbour said they wanted the new homeowner to arrange for the hedge to be installed and pay the full cost. Furthermore, the neighbour expected the homeowner to water the hedge regularly during dry weather.
Normally, a fence or hedge installed between neighbouring properties is a shared responsibility in terms of both cost and maintenance. This appeared to be acknowledged by the neighbour living on the other side, as they had split the cost of a hedge with their other neighbour.
The request left the homeowner concerned about future relations with their neighbour if they refused to pay. The law states that responsibility for a fence depends on whose land it is actually on, as established by the title deeds. Normally, neighbours recognise that a fence benefits the privacy of both parties and agree to split the costs and responsibilities evenly.
If you are planning a house move, talk to Merseyside Movers & Storers, a leading Liverpool removals company. We’ll help make your move as stress-free as possible.
