Letter Template: Neighbour Blocking Shared Access Way

Originally written by Abigail Taylor, updated by the editorial team on 11th October 2026

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Your Rights Over a Shared Access Way

This guide covers the law in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate property law and land registration systems, so check guidance that applies where you live. In Scotland, private access rights are usually known as servitudes.

Shared access ways are common, especially with older terraced houses. They can be narrow passages between buildings, paths running across the backs of gardens, or private lanes serving several properties. Some rights cover people on foot only, while others include vehicles.

Your rights will usually be set out in your title deeds. Some rights are broadly worded, while others are limited to particular uses, such as access on foot or access to a garage. The exact wording and circumstances matter. A right to pass does not ordinarily include a right to park or leave items on the route.

You can usually obtain the title register and title plan for a registered property from HM Land Registry. Check GOV.UK for the current fee. Not every property is registered, and these documents are not copies of the original deeds. If the register refers to another deed containing the right of way, such as a transfer or conveyance, you may need a copy of that document too. The title plan alone may not show the full details. Look for words such as "easement", "right of way" or "together with the right to pass".

Some rights can arise without an express grant in the deeds, for example through long use. Equally, informal permission to use a passage does not necessarily create a permanent right. If the paperwork is silent or unclear, take advice from a property solicitor or licensed conveyancer rather than assuming that no right exists.

Shared use does not necessarily mean shared ownership. Find out who owns the land, because a landlord, freeholder or managing agent may need to be involved.

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Obstructions and First Steps

Typical problems include:

wheelie bins left in the passage rather than returned after collection
parked cars, vans or trailers
bikes, garden furniture or children's toys
building materials or rubbish from home improvement work
new gates, fences or locks that restrict entry
overgrown plants or hedges

The key question is generally whether the obstruction substantially interferes with the reasonable exercise of your right of way. Not every inconvenience amounts to unlawful interference. The nature, duration and practical effect of the obstruction all matter, and being able to get past it does not necessarily settle the issue.

Do not damage locks, remove gates or dispose of a neighbour's belongings without taking advice first.

If you feel safe doing so, start with a friendly conversation, as your neighbour may not realise there is a problem. Keep a dated record of each obstruction, with photographs. If talking doesn't work or isn't possible, a polite letter puts your concerns in writing.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

Letter Template

Only state that you have a right of way if your documents support it. Quote the relevant wording or enclose a copy of the extract. The deadline you set is your own choice, not a legal requirement. A bin can usually be moved within days, while 14 days may suit a fuller response. If you have lost access entirely and need it urgently, take legal advice promptly. Keep a copy of the letter.

[Your name]
[Your address]
[Date]

Dear [Neighbour's name],

I am writing about the shared access way between our properties at [describe location].

The title documents for my property give me a right of way over this access for [quote or summarise the wording]. Recently the access has been obstructed by [describe the obstruction], on [give dates if known]. This has made it difficult for me to [explain the effect].

I would be grateful if you could keep the access clear from now on. If [the item] needs to be stored nearby, I'm happy to talk about an arrangement that works for both of us.

I hope we can resolve this informally, so please let me know if you would like to discuss it. I would appreciate the access being cleared by [give a reasonable date].

Yours sincerely,

[Your name]

If the Problem Continues

Consider mediation. A trained, neutral mediator can help both sides reach an agreement, and it can be cheaper and quicker than court proceedings. Some councils can point you to community mediation services, and the Civil Mediation Council lists accredited providers. Mediation may not be suitable where there is intimidation. If a case reaches court, unreasonably refusing to try appropriate dispute resolution can affect who pays the costs.

Police do not normally resolve disputes about private access rights, but contact them if there are threats, harassment, violence, criminal damage or an immediate danger.

If the route is a public right of way, contact the relevant highway authority or your council's rights of way team. A route can carry both private and public rights.

Where the obstruction is serious or ongoing, a solicitor can send a formal letter on your behalf. As a last resort, a court may grant an injunction, award damages or both, depending on the circumstances. Legal costs can be substantial, and you may be ordered to contribute to the other side's costs.

Citizens Advice offers free guidance on neighbour disputes. Some home insurance policies include legal expenses cover. Contact your insurer before paying for legal help, as cover may require prior approval.

Keep copies of all correspondence and a dated record of obstructions. These may help a mediator, solicitor or court understand the dispute.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Neighbour Rights Checker lets you check your legal rights in any neighbour dispute. Takes 1 minute. Try it now →

100 questions

Ask Problem Neighbours a Question

ProblemNeighbours Editor 23/10/2026 at 2:15 pm

@BLocked Check your deeds first, or download the title register from the Land Registry for £7, as that should show whether you have a right of way along the passage. If you do, a wood store blocking it is an interference with your easement and they have to clear it, even if number 35 owns that strip. Get the other affected neighbours on board and send a joint letter giving them a deadline, keeping copies and dated photos. If the lane is adopted or council owned, report it to Bristol City Council, who can deal with obstructions themselves. The free Neighbour Rights Checker is handy for sense checking your position: https://www.problemneighbours.co.uk/tools/neighbour-rights-checker. If they still ignore you, a solicitor's letter usually does the trick.

BLocked 23/10/2026 at 2:15 pm

Hi
The shared access between the backs of terraced houses on Mendip and Quantock Road, BS3 are blocked as the residents of 35 Mendip have built a wood store on the back passageway. The residents of 35 are obnoxious so I am loathe to approach them directly. What can I do to resolve this?

ProblemNeighbours Editor 17/05/2026 at 1:28 pm

@pat Patricia, blocking your only access is a serious matter and likely breaches your right of way, so contact your council's anti-social behaviour team and Citizens Advice straight away. Keep a written log of every incident with dates, photos and any witnesses, as you'll need that evidence. Many solicitors offer a free 30 minute consultation, and if your access is legally protected you may be able to get a court injunction. Also report the criminal damage to 101 again and ask for a crime reference number; the police shouldn't be fobbing you off.

pat 01/05/2024 at 7:41 pm

i have many issues with neighbours, all 5 of them against little old me, 72 years old. but i notice that the shared acaccess paths seem to be the worst complaint. i have just been informed that my down stair neighbour is going to completely cover the front of house with a flower bed. ie. that is i will have no access or exit from my property. police have washed their hands of my problems with them as they say the problems are not in their remit, despite destroying my property. screw in tyre, soil constantly thrown over driveway, bumped, ie i think bashed, their wheely bins into my stop cock for my outdoor water tap, till it broke off, my new composite fence 3 times been poked with paint roller when painting their wooden fence, pouring weed killer over my hedge and plants, destroying my plants and so much more. i dont kn ow where to go next except solicitor, mwho will cost me a fortune. does anyone have any ideas?

thanking you in anticipation
patricia donaghy

Fed up 19/03/2024 at 7:44 pm

My neighbour has harassed me over many years firstly over the boundy fence which my husband at the time and my father maintained to find it belonged to my neighbour. My neighbour has been constantly slamming her door every time I am outside in my garden and constantly complaining. No barbecues for the kids as she suffers with CPD and as I think some sort of compulsive disorder. I get up early in the morning to shower before heading to work and being shared water she gets up and uses her water so my shower goes boiling hot than freezing cold. She blocked my access which is on my deeds with plant pots and ivy etc. asked many times for it to be removed but invited through her house instead. Last week was the icing on the cake. I’m a single mother and feel victimised as she said she was going to replace the fencing and that she would leave two posts and my access would be retained. I get home from work to find she has fenced the lot and even gate, mud, old fence post left my side. I was fuming! I asked her where my access was and she said she had told me she was fencing the whole lot and that I had permitted it. Besides being a liar she has got a huge potted tree outside my
one window in my kitchen which is touching so I cannot open it or clean it! She has various plant pots against my wall and making my house damp so my dry goods are spoilt and now smelling damp. I so wanted to get this place sorted to sell as my ex husband has an interest but now she has added value to her property and devalued mine! I’m so very depressed atm! Now having a meeting with the police with my neighbour for resolution! ??. My other neighbour had got involved and sadly has a asbo for trying to protect my rights. The only good side is my neighbour isn’t ranting or slamming her door. Forgot how peaceful things could be but being a single Mum and have had more than my fair share of things to deal with.wanted to be able to move on now I’m working full time! I did hear her rant one eve she was going to make it difficult to move but wasn’t sure at the time if it was just drink talking. I’m feeling very depressed

Magic 04/07/2023 at 1:31 pm

If you live next door to a racist no law will protect you.
Literally the police can't do anything, why because it keeps money coming into the same system that kept you in slavery for 400 year's.
The same laws that aloud slavery and the murdered millions of people from Africa to Australia from India to America.
Why isn't there a law to stop people from destroying your peace, your tranquility of living in your home you fell in love with and worked to hard to find the money to pay for it.
We need a permanent law that protects home owner from being victim's of neighbours that lives in the first house in a rank of terrace houses.

Ali 21/06/2023 at 9:37 pm

Hello,
Me and my family were surprised to see our neighbor, 2 men, and a woman, bringing in their motorbike through our front gate and through the back garden and into theirs. When we asked them why they are doing this they told us that this is a shared pathway and it always has been so whenever they need to take out their motorbike they can just go through our property whenever they wish without asking us.
I'm living in a council house and they haven't told us before we move about this access share, what can I do about this breach of my privacy, please ?
Thanks

Jncarpentry 14/06/2023 at 9:25 pm

I live in a semi detached and have a shared access with a neighbour who has left concrete rubble in the access not blocking the entrance, is it legal to be left there?

Santosh 12/11/2022 at 11:08 pm

Hi

There is Passageway next to my property. My title deed clearly says that I have the full access of the Passageway but the other end property owner has placed a gate and heavy concrete blocks to block my access to the Passageway and claiming the piece of land as his sole property.

I have sent him couple of letters but in each reply he said he won't allow my access to the Passageway.
Can you please advise what should I do to regain my access of the Passageway?

Manjas 08/11/2022 at 10:25 pm

I live in semi detached house. There is a shared access between our house and our next door neighbour. My neighbour is building a wall in the middle of the shared access on which we have a right to way as per our Title plan.My belief is he is doing so just to increase the width of the driveway so that he can park two cars in there. We tried talking to him so many times but he is adamant and not listening. What are our options here. How can we stop him? Any advice is much appreciated. Thank you in advance.

BeeHappy 26/07/2022 at 7:47 pm

I have a shared driveway to gain access to get to my property. I have to drive past our neighbours house to get to our entrance and they’ve complained about me having too many deliveries. As a result they’ve started to stake posts on the grass verges, parked a car on the grass verge to make it very difficult to get past.

To cap it off we had a verbal agreement that they kept the grass verges on their boundary beat and tidy and I’ll do the entrance to our gate. Now they are refusing to do anything and are refusing to allow me do outside my gate.

Neither party owns the land beyond our boundaries and the owner to the land is deceased. Can you give any advice ?

RVWilks 05/05/2022 at 11:22 pm

Our neighbour has dumped soil and turf from her garden in a shared rear access directly behind our property boundary. This shared access actually serves 8 properties, 4 on either arm of a T junction. Our property is on the junction and other properties use the land behind our fence for access to their gardens. The offending neighbour lives at the furthest, opposite end of the opposing arm The result of this dumping has effectively reduced the height of our fence by 6 inches on the access side from 6 feet to 5 feet 6 and means that neighbours have to move bins over a 6 inch incline of uneven loose soil.
We have asked the offending neighbour to put this right, but our polite requests have been ignored.
I fear that our landlord may hold us responsible and issue a Section 21. We did not agree to this work, and cannot pay to have it put right. We feel that the neighbour should pay to have her soil and turf removed properly. What can we do?

Avast antivirus 27/08/2021 at 9:30 am

I am living in a mid terraced house. There are 4 properties , and my neighbour has placed a garden chair as well as other garden furniture close to it as well and is blocking my access to the front public front pathway. I will not ask the person as there was a disagreement over the weed infestation which is coming into my rear garden and is on their side on the boundary which is owned by the housing association I checked in our copies of the Land registry and I have a right of legal access to the public front pathway. What I can do in this situation like contact the local council of the housing association before taking legal action. Thank you

Alex 24/08/2021 at 6:52 pm

Hi,
I am living in a terraced house. There are 4 properties , and my neighbour extend his garden up to the end of his garden including the alleyway and is block my access to the alleyway.
I asked him to move the shed but he didn't yet.
I checked in Land registry and I have a right of legal access to the alleyway.
But He doesn't care.
What I can do in this situation?
Thank you

christine 09/06/2021 at 12:13 pm

Hi, my parents have a shared access driveway and the guy next door insists he owns 1/3 of it (even though its shared between 4 houses) and says that the man next to him has given him his access, he has stored building rubbish and a boat and all sorts of stuff in it for a couple of years now. A family of foxes have moved in under his tarpaulin and also my mum has now seen rats. The foxes are harassing my parents dog and they are worried it will hurt the dog. The neighbour insists that its on his deeds that he owns it and my parents are scared of falling out with him as he is a big chap. How can we resolve this and is it actually owned by him ?

Badger 09/06/2021 at 6:52 am

I am a council tenant with a a driveway upto my flat I acquired a letter of permission from the council to park my caravan and car on 8 years ago .the house nextdoor was sold and apparently he has right of way to his rear garden via our driveway .since then he has fitted double gates and building a working garage in his garden . Now my problem is he called police to me who threatened to arrest me and impound my vehicles council are keeping out of it I have lived here for 15 years peacefully until now .my permission for parking on council land seems to have no impact. The neighbour told me to get use to it as he is building a full working garage in his garden .how where do I stand .

annoyed88 29/04/2021 at 5:06 pm

New neighbours have just moved in a week ago, i came home to find find 5 huge bouncy castles in the middle of the street blocking the public footpaths and the road. I live on a over 50 estate they are blocking people’s driveways with these and go forbid somebody had a fall and needed an ambulance they wouldn’t be able to access them. I don’t know who to call? can anyone help

Marth 08/04/2021 at 1:32 pm

We are having the WORST experience from people who live 3 doors down. We share an access to the back of the properties, which is on their deeds but we have full vehicular access to our boundary line. Currently we are having work done and they are constantly harassing us as we are driving vehicles up “their land” (we have full any size vehicle access in our boundary as on the deeds) and its an invasion of their privacy. We dont block them in, or touch anywhere near their boundary. Despite the fact for the past few years, up until last month they had builders constantly blocking our driveway, parking in our driveway, hanging about outside my garden, yet we said nothing. We are not infringing on them in anyway, causing no problems ... we simply want to do some work on our house. They are constantly coming down to shout at us because they arent happy. We are bending over backwards and ending up paying more money to be able to keep them happy... demands they are making, but still they come shouting. I am so stressed by it all. We arent they only neighbours they harass, its everyone but its so hard. I want to add an infringement against them but I worry itll cause issues from a resale pespective. Essentially they work we have had done is to add a driveway to the front of our property so that we can get away from the issues they cause us. Its so hard!
Advice / thoughts welcome!

Car5ys 04/04/2021 at 3:48 pm

Hi, I live in an end terrace of 4 with same set set up other side of a shared access road to garages at the end of our gardens. I am having my garage removed (as have all but one neighbour) and have told the neighbours there will be workmen there for 3 days removing garage, rubble and fencing. The neighbour on other side of access road has said that my builders are not to block the access at any time. Considering for the last 3 months she has had her fences replaced, garage removed and work done on her garden I feel this is a bit cheeky. An I correct to allow the builders to park there whilst putting stuff onto their vehicles (as hers did for a couple weeks) ad it will only be temporary and no one actually uses the rear access much. She said due to insurance she can only park in her newly erected carport? I fid not once complain about her workmen blocking my drive or access to my garage during the time she had work done so am somewhat upset at this attitude.

Rafi 01/04/2021 at 1:50 am

Re: Legally Shared Access Passageway is blocked by my neighbour.

My neighbour is either unaware of this problem or refuses to reply and cooperate, as his garden gate is preventing me from accessing the garden of my property.

There is a legal right for residents of both our properties to use the shared access passageway. In addition there are covenants in the title deeds of our properties which determine how the shared access way can be used.

By blocking the shared access way, my neighbour is in breach of these covenants. I believe that I am entitled to seek an injunction to prevent blockage of the access passageway, but his can be very costly.

What is the best way to deal with such a problem?

jassy 23/03/2021 at 6:34 pm

hiya, i live in a terrace house in a line of 3 and going back over in the past, there used to be an alleyway running behind the properties. I have owned the house for over 10 years and have always thought it to be a part of my garden.
But after checking on the ordinance map it shows a small alleyway path behind my garden which i have never noticed before today.
My neighbour now wants to reduce my garden and open the communal passage so he can take his bike using this alley way.

He is not reducing his garden, therefore opening back the the communal walkway will not effect his property what so ever, although the alley way runs behind his garden also - where do i stand?

Halley 23/03/2021 at 5:47 pm

We live in a block of 4 flats with our own door the neighbor upstairs who we do not speak to has started sitting outside her doorway in a deckchair smoking blocking our right of way to get past so we struggle to get past I'm getting fed up of it she is trying to imitate us any advice please

Dav 09/03/2021 at 5:42 pm

I have had a lot of trouble with a neighbour who has threatened to lock access gates built things over our access path so as to stop me getting in the back way this guy believe it or not is a teacher I've shown him legal papers that clearly show he's wrong to be doing this and is clearly breaking the law I intend to take legal action against him and will also be seeing his headmaster as I hope he's not locking anything at his school that he shouldn't be access is a fire escape and I will be seeking costs of him

J 12/02/2021 at 10:57 am

My neighbour has had some fencing put up and added a fence so they can access their front garden to cut their grass the fence opens outwards towards the communal area but does close behind them is this breach of council tenancy?

Anders 25/10/2020 at 1:53 pm

Hi
Since new neighbours (occupying the ground floor flat next door) moved in, they have been using our shared entry as an extra room for storage. This includes suitcases, clothes, bikes, pots and pans. On occasion I have even seen pots of food down there and we already have enough rats without encouraging more.
They are a family of 5 (3 adults & 2 small children) living in a one bedroom flat. I appreciate that space must be tight for them but I have absolutely no way of getting into or out of our entry.
Unfortunately they do not speak English very well so I’ve been unable to get them to clear it. I have tried asking the oldest child as he is the most fluent but to no avail. But to be fair he is only approx 9 yrs of age and English is his second language.
Obviously because they are always needing things that are stored in there, they are forever banging around at all hours.
The other issue I have is that a previous tenant put a lock on the door but never gave me a key to it. I don’t want to be a complaining neighbour but I don’t know what choice I have left. I have written to the landlord and am awaiting a reply but I’m not expecting much of a result as I’ve spoken to him in the past and he says he’ll sort it but nothing happens. Where do I go from here? Can you help?

Jane 23/09/2020 at 9:41 am

Me and my husband live in a 1 bedroom flat council property. And we have a shared pathway what we all use, but our neighbour keeps blocking it by putting her children's toys on the shared path. So yesterday me and my husband locked our front door to go out and all along the path are our neighbour children's toys. So I had to move one of the toys as it was blocking our shared pathway. We don't talk to our neighbour upstairs because she has made our lives a misery and me and my husband suffer from mental health problems. Their must be something we can do so our neighbour dosnt block our pathway. She has a back garden she can put the toys in her back garden, but she is blocking our pathway what we walk on. And she is doing this to intimidate me and my husband.

Jane 23/09/2020 at 9:39 am

Tony 07/09/2020 at 1:52 pm

I have a renter next door to my house and the renter is now blocking a shared driveway. I am trying to sellmy house and when a client comes to see the house he tells at them and the client who cam to look at the house never comes back. Preventing me from selling my house. He is a mean old cuss.

FantasyLady 01/08/2020 at 3:33 pm

I live on a 1st floor maisonette and two of the guys that live next door to me smoke weed. One smokes further down the balcony and the other every now and again does the same but most times he smokes outside my window/door and at the top of the stairs which is directly opposite his flat. Even when he smokes there the smell still comes through my window. I have already once told him to not smoke outside my house n he said sorry and moved , but since then he has still smoked outside my house. He’s also used my window sill as a table for his bottle and as I locked the door he very quickly removed the bottle under the assumption I was unlocking the door to come out. I have extreme anxiety and don’t know what steps to take next. I also have a child and it’s not pleasant having my child inhale that stuff

Lea 23/07/2020 at 8:51 pm

I live in a mid terraced house, my only access outside the back of my property is a shared access which I use to take my bins out. The neighbour at the back to which is on the side of our shared access, as took it upon herself to block my access completely with a fence, she was told by the council not to do it. She didn't listen and it's been blocked off since February 2020 I feel like the council aren't listening to me, I'm frustrated my bins are around the houses please give me some advice, I do have the deeds to my house.

Chanakya 19/07/2020 at 8:06 pm

From last 23 years I lived at [removed] from last two years common gate for building work and exit for emergency has been blocked by parking car person who lives in [removed] have built car park on front of gate and changed Locks keys is with person living at [removed] only my self can’t use gate who is cane I contact ?
Many thanks ?? AUM

stokie 17/07/2020 at 5:37 pm

Our neighbour has a driveway adjacent to ours which is separated by a strip of gravel we call no mans land. Our driveway is shown clearly on our Deeds. We don't leave our car on the drive but move it to the back of the property as our neighbour CANNOT drive her 4x4 car since she had it and actually knocked down a wall of ours twice. However, she has friends/family or tradesmen doing work on her property they use our drive to walk on to get to her front door!!! We have no privacy and her family and friends open their car doors over 'no mans land' onto the space of our drive. Is this still classed as Trespass and what can we do - we have mentioned it to her but she is abusive. Also, she uses our drive to wheel her bins down on bin days - WHAT CAN WE DO. Please anyone - give us some advice. By the way we cannot afford a solicitor

Kim 06/07/2020 at 4:18 pm

I live in a end terrence of a block of 4 however it it only my adjoining neighbor that access vis a path at my rear garden the problem is that their teenage boy (around 17years old ) uses the path at night time to come through the gate at the end of my drive taking him to a gate for access to his back gardens with his bike the problem is that its 11:30pm -12nidnight. live alone and it wakes me up thinking its an intruder is there any law that access must be at reasonable times.

105 30/06/2020 at 10:03 pm

We live in a mid terrace of a row of 5 . With have access for parking at the rear for all properties . However the very end house has extended out onto the back area and put up a shed and built a fence . I’m not sure she can do this as if anyone could extend their garden then no one would be able to park . I’ve looked at the deeds to our property and all our terrace houses are green up to our fence line . Which indicates to me that no one out of the 5 terraces own this land . Please can someone advise me on what to do ?

Red 19/06/2020 at 9:09 pm

We’ve just bought a house, we’ve moved in only last week and 2 of our neighbours have requested £500 towards concreting the access which services 6 houses.
We refused and stated we did not want this concreted, we’ve bought a house with grassed child friendly access and asked if they had permission from the council and all neighbours to do so. They said yes, to which I know for a fact this is not true.

They have now gone ahead and begun works anyway, as soon as they started I asked them to stop work, that we do not agree to this and I have contacted the council - I am awaiting response. They said they would stop and have continued anyway.

One of the houses who want the work done has an illegal outhouse they tell me they wish to park at.

What can I do to stop this?
I have the texts and photos of where work was when I asked them to stop - but once it’s all done surely there is nothing that can be done about it?

My children need to use this access every day to get their bikes in and out to school - I don’t know what to do.

chrissy 18/06/2020 at 10:49 pm

my neighbour has blocked access down our common passageway which i have used for 35years. she is having some work done but then i asked her when the gate would be open she became aggresive finger pointing and pushed me.she told me it was her land and she was blocking it off for good .you are unable to have any dialogue with her as i found out in he past

Gilly 29/05/2020 at 11:25 am

My naughbour is storing the bins we don't use till the ones on the road are full. We have since fallen out (other reasons) he lives in the upper flat im ground floor and the only flat with a garden that has access to the long passage way at the back of all garden flats. I do not what him at my gate as he's scary and manipulating. What are my rights please.

Leebee 21/05/2020 at 7:38 pm

My neighbour has emergency acess only through our shared gate. She lost her keys and is not using it as a front door as she does not want to pay for a locksmith. She's in and out of our garden all day. When I asked her about this she became violent and threatening. Do I have a y rights?

Poppyland 05/05/2020 at 1:50 pm

My neighbour has blocked a share pathway at the back of my house. He first put an old shep there, then put two pieces of wood against my gate. I have a cat and I am concerned that she might hurt herself. He is selfish

Andy 03/05/2020 at 10:42 am

Hi I live in a row of 6 houses we have access to our gardens at both ends all though one end is very small the other end is a lot bigger, we have a pathway gap between my back yard and the rest of my garden has to allow ppl to pass through, the 3rd one in from the biggest entrance has put up a fence and gates and keeps them locked at all times , they open up for 30mins on a Thursday night to get bins through then lock them again , if we don't get our bins out in time it means taking them through the house. What can we do?

vk 26/04/2020 at 7:49 pm

after all the effort for resoving matter with neighbour and serving last notice if, one removes locks and gain access to common ground and terrace . what are implication

C 05/04/2020 at 12:49 pm

We have rear access through an arch to parking 1 for each property neighbor other side of arch has a garage built on his space
Constantly requesting the car to be moved in the shared turning space has his 3 bins and bags of building rubbish
When asked to move he came round drunk and verbally abusive police called now its happened again advise please

Andy 03/03/2020 at 11:15 am

Hi we live in a street with 4 houses we have an acces road on one side that we can use or drive around to gain access to the rear off our property our house is the 3rd house then ther is a 4th then at that side the road is private so no problem ther . The problem we have is that number 2 house which we have to drive past around the back have 2gates either side which open up to let car through the neighbour haven’t claimed possession of the piece of road that runs through the gate but we are having an issue with them about getting through to the rear of our house ?

Me 14/01/2020 at 6:07 am

My neighbour has put a gate with key pad lock on my rear access. It never seems to work. Can I remove the gate. I have asked him to repair it but no luck

Tmac 19/12/2019 at 10:47 am

I too have a shared driveway and my neighbour and his family block me in all the time. He has almost come to hit me and has pushed my mum. The police have been called and still harassing my mum every morning. They are tenants the the housing association are doing nothing!!!!

Tasha 18/11/2019 at 10:44 pm

My dad owns lives on a piece of land given by his deceased father.he was born on said land and is now 77 years old and still lives there. His sister is now the owner of the land and wants him to buy the land. He has no problem doing so, except he has a walkway of approx. 18 inches to walk up to his house at present. There is a ttec pole in the middle of this walkway. On the cadastral sheet showing the entire property the specifications for the access way is 1.52 meters. What can he do?

Him 29/10/2019 at 5:54 pm

Ive got a neighbour who has deliberately blocked shared access which is on both house deeds. He's abusive and threatening on sight to me. Police have been called to him 3 times. Hes been told not to speak to me under threat of prosecution for harassment.He is after me hitting him or doing something that will cause me to be arrested for a crime. His landlord couldn't care less. Police aint much better.After moving a load of scrap blocking my access he moved it back with his brother deliberately blocking my access.So i moved it out of the way which i was videoed with the police being called accused of criminal damage harassment smashing up his back garden and items. Boy the lies that he told. Police didnt even attend. So now hes put a fresh new shiny mortice lock on the access gate that can only be accessed under his cctv. I have no key.Next stop legal advice to see if i can legaly open the door without a key.5years of this rubbish he thinks its a laugh.

Helpneeded 01/10/2019 at 7:16 am

The owner of an adjacent property also owns the deeds to the path that runs along the back of our short terrace. Permission was given some years ago for the said terrace houses to also use the path as access.

Do they have the right to block the path, in any way? Can they stop a gardener from using the path to reach our garden? Can they stop my son-in-law from removing my old cooker, from my property, via this same path?

Peewee 30/09/2019 at 5:12 pm

Hi we have owned plots for over 16 years without any problems from others as we were told when we purchased our right of way into plots was protected .nobody owns any land other than us there so gated.we went away and when we returned had papers on gate saying to remove as a land agent had purchased the rights of ways ,he made our turning points at right of way into plots .now the buyer has dug up the rights of way and parked ten cars on it and we cannot access our fields due to deep soft mud .this person is also trespassing g on our land and cutting down our bushes and fruit tree but we cannot prove it’s him as we are not living there .

Faeaki 20/08/2019 at 8:44 am

HI , we live in a terraced cottage since last January and have to go through a stable like underpass then past our neighbours house to reach our cottage, our neighbours garden is at the back of our cottage and really big, to access it there is an asbestos like shell of a garage , quite large so they walk up and down regularly. The problem we have is we park our bicycles neatly on the side against the wall through the passage way which leaves over 2 meters of ample space for us all to walk through width ways, they park their scooter which is far larger and yet the other day they dumped our bicycles outside our property where they can get wet and my sons tools which were there to be dumped this weekend. they never clean outside there house and their dog poos often along our bit and wanders in my house and I never say a word, just want to know my rights and whats the best course of action as the man seems to be quite obnoxious about it all.

M 15/08/2019 at 10:29 pm

Neighbour parking outside my house for no reason other than causing a problem

Ameer 13/07/2019 at 5:56 pm

My neighbor and I shared a driveway at the side of my property 6ft wide 3ft is theirs and 3ft is mine, but they wouldn't let me use it. My lawyer claim that their side is now not shared because of a error or mistake on their deed that says their side is private. This doesn't make sense to me, is this possible? Can I do anything to fix this?

Shelly 01/07/2019 at 7:59 pm

Hi
Our house is rented however we maintain our garden and in 2006 we had conifers put in to form a privacy fence. We have just noticed that out trees are all now dying as their tops have all been chopped off by the neighbours on the other side of the trees only are left without been chopped as we think they could not reach them but 6/7 have been chopped and are all dying now. we paid a lot of money to plant these trees and we loved our trees as they where doing the job they were meant to do.
We are left shocked and upset what should we do/
Please advise
Shelly

Steph 17/06/2019 at 5:14 pm

Hi,

Myself and joinkng neighbors share an accessway at the rear of our property, the access has a secured gate that we all have a key for. There has been a house recently built where the wall to the access is we kindly allowed the owner/builder to use the access way when building, and have sneakily added a gate to access way also. As the access way is visible on all our deeds, does this new house need to have proof of access on deeds in order to share? How do we approach the situation? Please advise.

Ru67 18/05/2019 at 1:48 pm

I live in a four flat block of social housing. Each flat has it's own driveway . The upstairs neighbour has put a fence around her driveway with a gate. She has also put a gate outside the communal hallway that we all have to use to get bins out. She has now closed all the gates and has put a bench up against them so that they cannot be opened. There is another walkway to use. But this is the one that is more convienent for me. I own my property and .she does not. Does she have the right to block my right of way .

loc 30/04/2019 at 1:30 pm

I own the alleyway at the back of our roads. All the houses have an easement to cross over the alleyway but one of the owners has started building an extension to his garage and is using the alleyway to put down scaffolding and a skip. As the alleyway is privately owned and is meant to be used as a thoroughfare, can the builder do this? Can I ask him not to use the alleyway in this way?

Thanks in advance

Louise

Paul 20/04/2019 at 7:23 pm

HI there,

We have a side and back access road that goes round the back of our terraced houses. Its on the deeds to the house form 1900 that we have rights of way access down the back and out of the side onto the main highway one way road.
There are double yellow lines in front of the access, so people cant park on the road but some local residents are parking their cars in the entry of the access road...
The council say they cant do anything as its not an adopted highway, and the police say they cant do anything as its not a driveway..
We have had heated arguments with various neighbours and need to stop them parking there asap. We want access for bins, kids bikes to get out of the back garden, and the odd tip run, but when people block the side road you cant get anything out...
Any ideas, apart from bollards or big rock which would totally block it for vehicles...?
cheers

pushpee 20/03/2019 at 1:38 pm

I live in a cul-de-sac. There are 6 terraced houses. I live in one of the mid terraced houses. I have about 10' of front garden lawn and so are my neighbours on either side. beyond the front grass lawn the area is tar mac. We all have a car parking space. There are no lines to separate the spaces. Also we have an extra space on the opposite side of the tar mac- grounds. My neighbour has put up a 3' wooden fence separating our car park spaces. I find it hard to open my car door. The fence aligns with my front door which looks awful too.Although I have about 10' garden in the front it is an inconvenience too. The car park is used by all 6 residents. Can he put up a fence on the tar mac? What are my rights.

Janeyb 13/03/2019 at 4:50 pm

I live in the upper flat of two and access is via a front gate but my neighbour keeps wedging in a block of wood so his dogs don't get out ( he lets them both roam free unsupervised).The Fire brigade paid a visit recently after Grenfell and said all evacuation points should be unhindered but it takes me forever to undo the wood so I can get into my front door. This must be a health & safety issue - surely human life is more valuable than a dogs life?

Dee 09/03/2019 at 1:22 pm

Hi There
I own a property which I usually rent out, however due to divorce I am selling the property. It is a semi detached house, with a driveway at the side. The neighbours driveway runs right across the front of my property’s front garden
I have had a few people like it but don’t like the way next doors driveway runs right across the front of my property, as the neighbour parks his car, on his driveway, but right in front of my property’s living room window.
Is there any law to say he cannot park right outside my property’s window and blocking the view? Even though it’s his driveway ????.
Thanks

telegraphist 06/03/2019 at 11:13 am

Hello there. I own a shared top landing flat situated next to one other, access through stairs. Properties are both owned and let by landlord's. Having approached the neighbour then landlord, asking firstly not to make the landing a storage area for a bike, garden seat, bin bags, table and chair, said neighbour is now being difficult by placing items at either side of entrance at top of stairs, giving as little area of a 2.5ft gap to walk through.

Can the tenant be told to clear the access and by how much clearance?

I have with little response, asked the landlord to take action but if done, the situation is now getting worse by tems being placed nearer the stairs. Where do I stand with this? Many thanks for your attention to the above.

Angelb 28/02/2019 at 9:51 pm

We share an accessway with 2 other detached properties, it was designed so that we could all manoeuvre our vehicles so as to drive on and off forward due to the close proximity to a main junction and traffic lights. Both our neighbours think it’s theres as extra parking and the original builder has since provided us with tracking of all properties to prove the area is only large enough to move a car around when not obstructed and our deeds say not to obstruct. Both properties are currently being marketed and buyers are being told that both have more parking than they actually have which would greatly interfere with our rights and difficulty in getting to and from our property. It actually affects us more than the other 2. What can we do to stop this as the estate agents will not change the particulars on either.

HJohnson 22/02/2019 at 7:08 pm

We live in social housing bungalows, and the area between ours and next door is gated, to reduce unsocial gatherings. For the past 6 months one of our other neighbours has been using the gated space as their own private garage (it measures approximately 15 ft sq), but this means that we can no longer take our bins from the front to the back when doing the garden, or even wheel my disabled mother through in her wheelchair, as it's completely blocked with motorbikes. We've tried speaking to the social landlord, but each time we phone, it's a different person and they don't understand the problem, and haven't been out to view it either. Is my neighbour allowed to simply claim this space as a private garage and what if anything, should my landlord be doing about it? Thanks in advance.

Liz 25/01/2019 at 10:56 pm

Myself and my neighbour both live in ex local authorities properties and I have a legal right of access from my back garden around his property to put out bins and get them back in as well as access for workmen to get round to work on my property. This access has been since houses were built 50-60 years ago and my neighbour has put up a barrier at the side of his house and across the gate to my access stating he doesn't want anyone cutting through his gardens. I am disabled and dragging bins up 5 steps and through the house to put out is not easy, can he block my access

Dav 23/12/2018 at 3:56 pm

Halo,I need advise I bought land where my land agreement shows that I have an access road but when I started building process my neighbor who at same time was among the witnesses claimed that she bought the road hence denying me access. So what should I do.thanks

Fishman 13/11/2018 at 11:00 pm

Hi thank you in advance for your considered thoughts on my dilemma. We have recently had a new elderly neighbor move in. Our property is one of four others that share access to a privately demised parking courtyard each property has a garage and one parking space demised in front of each garage door. Car circulation within the parking courtyard is very tight and it relies on all residents parking considerately and mutual respect by not obstructing the shared access route in. My issue is the son and daughter of the new neighbor are each parking their cars a Discovery and larger MPV style car in front on the garage which blocks and restricts clear access to my car park space and garage. To add insult to injury the land immediately in front of my parking space where they park obstructively is demised to us but provides 'shared access rights'
I wouldn't have been too bothered if they had the common decency to ask me first if it was ok to park there temporarily but they haven't bothered so I'm a bit disappointed. I'd like to nip the inconsiderate double parking out quickly and appreciate any words of advice or wisdom before doing so.

Mumsky 09/11/2018 at 9:01 am

Hi I live in a council house in a row of 8 properties all with defined fenced boundaries and footpath from road to front door and rear door apart from ourselves and elderly neighbor.
Because I am disabled I requested permission to make a hardstanding to enable me direct access to my car, as it’s approx 70ft from footpath and main road to my front door. This was agreed and the council replaced the damaged 2 rows of our slabs and the one row for next door (their other row had been grown over by their lawn ) .since this day the neighbours family park on the new driveway which council have declared access only to our hardstanding ...they constantly block us and we have had to involve police due to neighbours grandson running me over with his car which he was washing and ignored my requests to move...since then they had had visits and letters all they still repeatedly block us ...I have contacted council asking for boundary to reinstate the fence (at our cost) and it’s taking forever I just want to divide the access only driveway and prevent any more hostility. But they are having problems as the land these houses were built on was bought by the council as a “Lot” and there were no official boundaries just a large plot ...

Tam 28/09/2018 at 8:07 am

Hello I have a alleyway between my house and my neighbours that we share so we can both get to are back gardens I wanted to know the rules of keeping it clear as they keep putting there bikes and rubbish in the way witch means when i leave my house though ally way I constantly have to move there stuff and when i do they shout at me its my ally way to I have spoken to them many times on with my kids n puchchair I have to use my back door as puchchair won't fit thought front door and asked them to keep ally way clear so i can get in and out of my property am I right in thinking it should be kept clear ?

APT 21/09/2018 at 11:51 am

Hello,
I was hoping to get some advice. We have just bought a property and want to refurbish. As part of our plans we want to add a toilet to our bathroom and one to the ensuite in the master bedroom. Both rooms are on the right side of the property which is a detached house and the waste pipe is an open pipe that is going into an open gully and into the manhole in our neighbour's garden on the right. the open gully system is also causing rising damp on the right side of the house. (currently all our toilet is downstairs on left side of the house).
Our neighbour does not want to allow us access to do this. They are saying that its their manhole and therefore we arent allowed to do anything. They also dont want us to do any refurbishment to the property because they are worried that we will sell up after we refurbish and that the advised 4 inch pipes we need are "ugly". We feel the latter points are unreasonable. There is clear damage happening to our property. Not to mention the rodents that are coming into our house through the pipe. We are unable to connect to our own waste pipes/manhole as they are on the left side of the house.
Our property and the other 4 on our street are exactly the same and each neighbours waste from the right is directed to the neighbour's manhole. So we are carrying next door's waste and so on.

I have checked with Thames water and the current connection is definitely incorrect. But can our neighbours stop us updating the current system. They are suggesting we plumb the waste through our house. and that we should move the existing pipes all together even though they have been there for decades.

Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks

ProblemNeighbours Editor 12/09/2018 at 12:50 pm

You will need to apply to the courts to prevent the construction fo the wall citing the right of way in your deeds.

Charles 04/09/2018 at 1:12 pm

We have a shared drive between 6 houses, that allows access to the rear of the properties and garages. The house next to the driveway has put a trailer at the top making it very tight, they are planning to put a wall along there boundary. I have been to the land registry and got the title register and plan, which state that there is right of way for cars on to the back and this needs to be keep clear. If a wall is built then no cars will be able to get round, he is arguing that it’s his boundary and he can build one. On the plan, it has a dashed line along where he wants to put a wall, so although he maybe sticking to his boundary with a wall, he will be blocking the right of way as stated in the title register. This will mean none of the houses will be able to get a car up and into their garages. How can stop the right of way from being blocked.

ProblemNeighbours Editor 26/06/2018 at 12:05 pm

This will depend on the terms of the deeds/conditions documented regarding the access really. In general, if all parties agree and that the gate is not an "unreasonable obstruction" and doesn’t cause "material inconvenience" it might be acceptable. You should however seek professional legal advice before proceeding.

wench 25/06/2018 at 6:31 am

We live in a terraced house with shared access for 6 houses to the rear recently we had an attempted break in to our neighbours at the back the man responsible is a local drink and drug addict and was seen welding a crow bar round and suggesting that the other neighbour goes back into their house fortunately the looney tune gave up and left this left us all slightly unnerved to say the least 1 neighbour being a single mum with 3 very young children who too are now very scared incase he comes back ..after discussion 5 of the neighbours are happy to have a gate with coded lock on but only 1 neighbour is disputing this saying NO lock but a gate is ok...none of this is of any cost to him and he will have the code for the lock he is saying access needed for emergency services baring in mind he has never used this entrance in the 3yrs we have lived here and years before being that we all don't won't a dispute but all also feeling that a locked gate would be safer and peace of mind for all his answer is not my concern how do we stand legally on this if we put a lock on and he is given a code

Jimmy 17/05/2018 at 10:06 am

I own a semi detached house with a 6 metre long single storey extension at the rear, next door has a 3 metre extension - there's a gap of about 70cm between both extensions. The woman next door has become a nuisance neighbour since her planning application was refused by the council and dismissed on appeal. My neighbour in her wisdom has decided to block off our access to the side of our extension. She's put in a fence post and bits of timber in the gap in order to block us off.

Due to this construction I am unable to access the side of my building for maintenance etc. Does the law treat this matter in the same way as overhanging branches ? Am I within my rights to dig up the posts and remove the obstructing fence from my land?

ProblemNeighbours Editor 16/05/2018 at 2:23 pm

That's great, we're glad you have managed to reach a solution.

AMF 15/05/2018 at 1:12 am

Thank you for advice on shared access through back path. I have contacted Land a Registry and have obtained the title deeds which clearly state there is shared access at the back. Have contacted my neighbour and am willing to come to a compromise on the gate as long as I have a key.

ProblemNeighbours Editor 14/05/2018 at 1:49 pm

You may be able to request a copy of your deeds from the Land Registry. Even if you can't find the deeds, the access is clearly there and the residents have a right to use it. One householder cannot take it upon themselves and erect gates unless all other resident with access are given a key. He cannot say he's only giving out keys to those who pay. You can take legal action if this goes ahead before an mutual solution is negotiated.

AMF 14/05/2018 at 12:07 am

I have lived in my terraced house for over 30 years and have had access to the back of my garden through a pathway. There are 12 houses on the road and we all have shared access to our back gardens through a pathway. All the gardens are fenced off and have individual back doors. The pathway runs from the front of the houses between number 6 and number 7 and then along the back. I live at number 2. My neighbour at number 7 wants to install a gate at street level to prevent any access at all and hold onto the key. He has had some problems with rubbish being dumped and has offered that any of the other households could have a key if they help pay for the the gates. I am worried that if he goes ahead I won’t have access to my garden from the back or that if I accept the arrangement by paying for key it won’t have any legal status if I want to sell the house. Can’t find the title deeds as have been here so long and worried that if he goes ahead there will be nothing I can do - any advice.?

ProblemNeighbours Editor 27/04/2018 at 11:18 am

Well this depends on where your key has gone? Have you compromised security by allowing the key to fall into someone else's hands?

Mi 24/04/2018 at 2:08 pm

We moved into my childhood home terraced house with a gated access to the alleyway around the back of the property, the gate was fitted by consent by council scheme and is being ran by end of terrace neighbour who thinks he owns the whole alleyway, anyway cutting storey short we need access it back of our property for matenance,we unfortunately left our key in gate whilst attending a hospital appointment and want another key however he won't give us one ,unless we pay for another new lock is this correct??

JB 19/04/2018 at 2:53 pm

We have a shared covered alleyway between our home and a neighbour. We have lived here 9 years and the first 6 were find as both the neighbour and ourselves used the area to store recycled bins.

3 years ago new people moved in with small kids and asked us to remove the bins as the wanted to use the side door access as they had a pushchair. We obliged.

Recently they have used the area many times for storing wood/ plaster board etc as they have been doing up the home. We have never complained. This doesn't seem to stop them using the pushchair.

A few times we have left some things in the alley. Mostly just a gardening waste bag so its out of the rain. Every single times it has been dragged out of the alley and left in the open.

I have today put it back in the alley with a note asking for it not be moved.

If they move it again what is our best course of action?

Matty 31/03/2018 at 11:30 am

Hello, we have a common access road shared between us and another home to our lower right. We had full use of the road for more than twenty years as there was no other house built at the time so sharing the road was a non issue. Well we moved away to another state and our son was renting our original home. Another house was built that also had the right to the common access road. This other home owner put up posts across the common access road and cables strung across the road to prevent us from accessing the road. Our son took this guy to court, the judge ruled and told the other neighbor to take down the cables and posts to allow us free access. The neighbor then informed our son that if he wanted everything taken out HE would have to do it himself. Needless to say the posts never came down and cables are still across the road and it's been several years since the court order. This other neighbor has mental problems and to upset him is to find a pet poisoned, tools missing etc.. I'm sure you get the picture. We are at our wits end with this guy. What can we do legally with an unstable, unpredictable nut case of a neighbor? We want our road back but we are tired of the whole Norman Bates routine. HELP!!!

Bex 05/03/2018 at 8:25 pm

We have a shared drive with our elderly neighbour. She has recently needed a care plan as she cannot remember things and is unable to care for herself. We both have a garage at the rear and our property has room for parking one car in front without blocking the access. Her drive has no parking space in front of her garage. The single width drive is in between the two houses with the shared part at the front being used to access our respective parking in front of our houses. Her carers are considerate but when they are not working her family cover this. They regularly park on the shared drive and block us in when we park at the back or are blocking us out when we return home. We have challenged them but they ignore us, mock us and challenge us as to why we want to park at the rear. What can we do? I have lost my temper once and shouted at them. It’s getting worse, but what can we do other than check the deeds?

ProblemNeighbours Editor 05/03/2018 at 11:41 am

As long as you have sufficient evidence of the nature of the covenant and that the neighbour in reach then we don't see any reason why you cannot do this without a solicitor. It's definitely worth looking at alternative dispute resolution/mediation before resorting to the courts. We don't know what the court fees would be unfortunately.

Von 02/03/2018 at 8:11 am

We share access ways with a neighbour he has asked for us to acknowledge them yet he is parking on it. He is not acknowledging our rights of access how can we take out an injunction do we need a Solicitor or can we do this ourselves and how. Do you know how much this would cost. We understand the covenant 100 percent

ProblemNeighbours Editor 30/01/2018 at 10:57 am

Without seeing the details of the access rights it's difficult for us to comment. We don't really see the difference between putting a car in a garage (existing arrangement) and putting it behind gates.

Pleasehelpcornwall 28/01/2018 at 9:13 am

Our house has right of access across our neighbour’s property in order to reach our garage. This right of access is in our deeds (having been purchased by our home’s previous owners). We would like to knock down our garage and instead just park in the open. Our neighbour has said they don’t want to see our cars on this driveway, so will build a fence with gates in it where our garage doors currently are. We don’t want this. So while we would still technically have access, our lives will be difficult, having to get out of our cars to open these gates every time we come and go. Our deeds are very vague and simply say we have ‘a right of way at all times with or without vehicles’. Also, the plan accompanying our deeds do not say who owns this boundary. Do we have any rights to stop this fence and gates being built?

ProblemNeighbours Editor 09/01/2018 at 3:24 pm

This is a matter that a solicitor should be able to help you with. What has your solicitor done so far? If your deeds say that you have right of access then you can take a civil action via the courts to get the access reinstated. If your deeds do not refer to any access rights, then it will be more difficult. A right of way can be made official if it's been used for 20 years or more without the owner's permission.

Samreen Choudrey 09/01/2018 at 12:27 am

I have a shared access way .used for 15 years .my new neighbour had blocked my access by inserting a gate with a lock at the entrance.i don't have the key.
He doesn't live at the property. Has several tenants, I cannt access my garden gate .asked solicitors to help, written my neighbours many letters. I've not been able to resolve the matter.regards

Concerned daughter 05/01/2018 at 8:44 pm

Boundary advise - my father is having issues entering and existing his
property at the rear of his home. The two next door neighbours are parking outside of
their garages as they claim this is their land. However they are blocking my
fathers access, so he is unable drive out of his property as they are blocking
him in. We are keen to get this matter resolved and the citizens advise
beau have provided us wither details in order to assist.

ProblemNeighbours Editor 29/11/2017 at 12:32 pm

If your neighbour is refusing to cooperate you really have no option but to look at alternative dispute resolution or court action.

Ric 29/11/2017 at 5:28 am

I am a property owner My legal right to a shared access way is being blocked my a neighbour, also the property owner He is very verbally aggressive.
I have sent a letter asking him to remove old cars & barriers but he has not acknowledged it, what are my options moving forward?

Mandy 11/06/2017 at 10:49 pm

I am writing to discuss that my next door neighbours have put up a garden door beside my garden door in our shared drive. My garden door opens inwards into my garden and my neighbours garden door is opening out into the drive blocking my garden door. The door blocks me from getting out of my garden when they have there garden door open.

My neighbor did not ask me if he could block my access. They think it is totally fine to have there gate open into the drive. I have asked builders and they have said it is wrong.

Well099 04/02/2017 at 2:55 pm

In our garden we have a well gate to provide access to the shared well. The majority of the weel is on my neoghbours side but the hand water pump is on my side and according to my neighbours they own the actuall metal pump.

The pump has not worked for years as it has not been maintained.. we have only owned the house a year.

How do i stand on surley therefore my neighbours dont have a right at the moment to access my garden as the well does not even work anymore?

ProblemNeighbours Editor 06/01/2017 at 2:35 pm

Check your deeds - this will clarify the access rights - and if necessary show your neighbour a copy (hers will say the same thing). Unfortunately, assuming there is no management company/separate owner of the road area, there is no real way you can enforce these rights other than via the courts (a solicitor's letter might suffice).

Paulo 05/01/2017 at 8:12 pm

I own one of three private houses which are all accessed from the public highway from a private "access way" as described in the deeds. The two houses prior to mine I believe are servient tenements, and I am the dominant tenement. I have access to my property from the "access way" which runs effectively through the front gardens of the two preceding properties. Both of these properties have three separate parking places attached to the "access way" but differentiated from it by a concrete border strip. The whole "access way is bordered by concrete border strips to show its exact route and size and is shown clearly on the plans and shaded to differentiate it from the house driveways/parking spaces. In the deeds and on the plan, it does not say you cannot park on the "access way" but neither does it show it as a parking place, which are shown on the plan by a "V" symbol. My immediate neighbour restricts or blocks this "access way" frequently even though there are parking spaces free for her to use on her driveway. After several heated discussions regarding this issue she argues that "Its my land, I can do what I want". On almost every occasion there is no need for her to park and obstruct the driveway, she could use her driveway. She deliberately makes it very difficult for us to enter or leave our property by seriously reducing the width of the "access way" and prevents delivery vans from gaining access. Her family and friends have also taken to restricting the driveway even though they could park on the public road 75ft away. My questions are, can she seriously and maliciously restrict the width of the "access way" and prevent us enjoying our property, do I have a right to be able to use all of the width of the "access way" which is approximately 16ft wide. I have a massive amount of photographic and video evidence which even shows her on one occasion after parking her car and locking it she returns to it a minute later and without moving it, turns the steering so the front wheels protrude making passing even more difficult. I look forward to your advice and assistance in this matter.

ProblemNeighbours Editor 30/11/2016 at 10:52 am

Access is exactly that...it should not be used for purposes other than transit from one place to the next. Are you able to fence/gate/screen the main part of your garden off to prevent this?

M 29/11/2016 at 2:03 am

RE: Shared Access.

My neighbour has shared access to his property via a side passage way.en route he has access to my back garden .
However, I feel he may be abusing the legal right of way in the form of indirect harassment.
This type of harassment is / has been ignored by the authorities but the local council has taken note of the neighbors behaviour with regards to trespassing / boundaries.
Further, the lack of privacy & intrusive behaviour preventing garden maintenance is becoming a problem/ nuisance.
Any advice is welcome.

ProblemNeighbours Editor 07/11/2016 at 11:26 am

It's not clear from your description but we assume as long as your neighbour can access their property (or wherever access it given to), with a pushchair, wheelie bin etc it should be fine. Discuss it with the neighbour before going ahead, they will be able to check their deeds too.

Alex 05/11/2016 at 8:27 am

I want to re design my garden.
My title deeds show I must provide access to my neighbour. Currently there is a gate which allows access into my back garden.
My new design involves a fence which will enclose my garden but allow access behind the fence.
Am I still meeting the conditions of allowing access

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