Okay this isn’t a rant so no need for scoring 😉

We have an en bloc prefab concrete section garage with a corrugated cement (possibly) asbestos roof. Its one of 20 and is at the bottom of our garden.

Our neighbours recently had their adjoining garage roof replaced with corrugated metal sheets. No consultation or advanced notice was given to us and it was done whilst we were away. They have our contact numbers but didn’t notify us.

The guy that did the work is a friend of our neighbours and did this as a sideline to his normal construction work. Don’t get me started on the disposal of the sheets 👿 **

The work to their roof is of very poor standard with their roof now being screwed down into ours and along the adjoining section it isn’t overlapped by enough – its one furrow/ridge rather than two.

They have also managed to crack our sheeting and there is a whole lot of mastic where there should’t be. They have attempted to hide this rather than resolve the issue.

The result our garage is now not water tight by a fair margin whereas it was before. Its coming in through the cracks and through the places where their sheeting is now screwed down into ours. Previously all the anchorage points for each others sheeting was on each side of the respective garage.

Our neighbours have shirked the responsibility saying we don’t know speak to the builder and I cannot get hold of him. 👿

We have a good relationship, up until now, with our neighbours but where do I go now?

We do need to replace our roof but this has brought forward the need but sadly funds do not allow us to do the work in the foreseeable future.

I’m pretty practical but I cannot address the issues due to access and I feel that the minimal overlap is always going to be the issue. Plus its not my problem to fix.

So where do I go.

Wee in shoes, bombers, continue with the builder, pursue the neighbours, get the house insurance involved?

** I understand this was disposed of no questions asked 🙁 by a reputable company doing sideline work – certainly no waste transfer details.

Ultimately it’s the responsibility of the neighbours. There’s no way you should be the one chasing the builder for this. If you truly have a good relationship with your neighbours I’m surprised they are passing the buck.

Claim on house insurance – let insurers do the dirty work?

Talk to the neighbours, say you’ll have to get the insurers involved unless they can resolve it by a certain date.

their workman has damaged your property sp Insist they remedy it or get legal on them
Before you do the legal bit record them admitting all the work though

I may feel sorry for them but realistically you cannot make your neighbours property leak and then act like its not your fault Only **** do that

@ Martin – I know it it – They just don’t want to know 🙁

@ DB – This is an option but it will inevitably increase our premium.

What I would like to do it tell the builder to sort or I’ll report his business for inappropriate disposal of the sheeting – but thats a bit childish 😕

But won’t get house insurance involved mean your future payments will go through the cracked roof, even though all the damage being claimed was done by neighbours contractor?

@ Martin – I know it it – They just don’t want to know

In which case your future ‘good relationship’ isn’t worth worrying over, as it’s already gone. Get a quote for whatever repairs are needed to keep it going until when you intended to replace it, and explain they can either pay this now or after a small claims hearing.

Stern words with your neighour are required, they are responsible. They cannot just shrug it off and say ‘you ring the builder.’ If the builder does come round he’s not gonna want to replace your roof (which is what it requires) he’s gonna want to bodge another job to make it temporarily watertight. Bad situation to be in, I’d be furious.

Until it’s sorted properly – get a massive tarpaulin to make your garage water tight & secure it through the neighbours’ roof with some cheap self tappers that will rust away to bugger all within 5 minutes leaving his new roof with sieve like properties.

Until it’s sorted properly – get a massive tarpaulin to make your garage water tight & secure it through the neighbours’ roof with some cheap self tappers that will rust away to bugger all within 5 minutes leaving his new roof with sieve like properties

You don’t even have to do that – just create a fold which dumps all the water down the edge of his garage door…

Perhaps if you mention that if you go down the formal route, their builder may well be asked for paperwork for proper disposal of asbestos…..

The most useful phrase to your neighbours is ‘if you were in my shoes what would you do?’. I’d write to them, with acknowledged receipt, reasonably outlining your stance and seeking they pay you a top end figure to enable you to pay a reputable roofer to fix it or you will seek legal remedy via Small Claims and refer to/involve Building Control etc. Small claims is a ballache with no recompense for your time so factor that in along with ensuring your neighbours have the capital to pay. Definitely no way I’d repair it given their arsey stance or let the numpty they used do it.
Good luck.

deepreddave – Member
The most useful phrase to your neighbours is ‘if you were in my shoes what would you do?’. I’d write to them, with acknowledged receipt, reasonably outlining your stance and seeking they pay you a top end figure to enable you to pay a reputable roofer to fix it or you will seek legal remedy via Small Claims and refer to/involve Building Control etc. Small claims is a ballache with no recompense for your time so factor that in along with ensuring your neighbours have the capital to pay. Definitely no way I’d repair it given their arsey stance or let the numpty they used do it.
Good luck.

My advice to me on this would be the same as yours to me on the subject.

The issue I have with this approach is that there is no going back.

Get it fixed then take your neighbours to the small claims court – if they own their house.

Tell them you’ll do this in writing first and give them 30 days to put right the damage to your satisfaction or use a surveyor to decide this for you and add it to the cost.