When Mediation Can Help in Neighbour Disputes

No matter how hard we may try as neighbours to get along as best as we can, some of us will, at some point, find that we end up having a disagreement with another neighbour. Most of the time, this arises out of some kind of misunderstanding or perhaps because of a rare lapse in our consideration for others and things soon blow over and peace and harmony return.

However, in some circumstances, the disagreement ends up escalating into a full scale dispute which, no matter how hard we try to come up with a compromise which will suit both sides or whether both sides remain defiant, stubborn and dig their heels in, the situation cannot be resolved.

In many cases, this may then lead to legal action being taken by one party against the other which can prove a costly affair. Worse still, a major dispute can result in physical violence, intimidation or some other type of crime being committed by one or both sides which could result in court action being taken. This is where mediation can often help.

What Do Mediation Services Get Involved With And How Do I Find Them?

Your local council or Citizen’s Advice Bureau would be able to recommend mediation services close to where you live to assist with resolving disputes between you and your neighbours. The people who work there are professionals who have received proper training to deal with all manner of neighbourhood issues. They often deal with the following issues, although this isn’t an exhaustive list.

• Problems with noise
• Dog or pet nuisance
• Parking issues
• Anti- social behaviour both by adults and children
• Harassment and intimidation
• Boundary disputes

How Do They Operate?

Those who work in mediation will be completely impartial about a particular issue you may have with your neighbour. They will listen to both sides and will help try to negotiate with each side to hopefully come up with some kind of mutually acceptable agreement. Most of the time mediation services will work with both sides on the matter independently but, in more serious cases, they might also ask you if it’s acceptable for them to also enlist the help of the police, housing officers or environment health inspectors if the issue is a bit more complex.

Either way, they are not there to judge, adjudicate, investigate or to advise. They are simply there to facilitate a solution which ultimately both parties can agree to. They will also treat your case with full confidentiality.

What Are The Benefits?

Because as neighbours, YOU will have agreed to a resolution, you are far more likely to stick to it and not to relapse. It might not end up with you ever becoming great friends with your neighbour, although in some cases, the breakdown in communications can be restored.

However, possibly the two most important benefits of going to mediation are that, by reaching an agreement between yourselves, it prevents the need for either side taking legal action which, therefore, not only would be costly but which could also end up in further resentment. It also stops the problem from escalating further which could potentially end up seeing either or both sides committing a criminal offence against the other.

Therefore, if you simply cannot see a resolution to a dispute between you and your neighbour, mediation is often the best way to get the issue resolved to both parties’ satisfaction, even if that means one or both sides having to be bold enough to make some compromises in order to achieve that.