Painted wall

Discussion in 'Builders' Talk' started by robbo69, Jun 21, 2014.

  1. robbo69

    robbo69 New Member

    Regarding painted wall the last thing you ever want to do is fall out with neighbours but that been said you need to look after your property I am a time served bricklayer of 38 years experience I came in from work to find that my next door neighbour of 2years painted over my double extension wall which over looks her yard without permission because she said it was her wall ,it is not a boundary wall when it was built I had to keep to my side of my property bricks where £450 a thousand back in 1994 you never paint a brick extension because brick work should be able to breath if you have not prepared the wall properly all you are doing is cosmetic the first day you paint it yes even (masonry paint) it starts to break down and will cause trouble I am now left with a cream wall that will effect my house price and will cost me several hundred pounds to remove because my neighbour did not have the decency to ask my permission be warned
     
  2. Phil the Paver

    Phil the Paver Screwfix Select

    If it is entirely your wall, not a boundary wall, then make them clean it off, Simples.:)
     
  3. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    Get it blasted with sand and send your neighbour the bill. ;)
     
  4. robbo69

    robbo69 New Member

    Even reported it to the police said it was a civil matter because she lied to the police and said we gave her the go ahead when we were in the garden er don't think so!'!!!!!
    Tried telling her that ,sand blast will remove a lot of paint but not all said I would get paint off best I can and bill her she is not letting anybody in her yard,told her by law I am aloud to maintain my property but she will not let anybody in, looks like I will have to apply for a court order all this hassle . Any painters who can advise about paint removal on brickwork would very much appreciate it
     
  5. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    Don't see why sand blasting will not remove the lot?
     
  6. robbo69

    robbo69 New Member

    To harsh mate will damage the bricks ,paint would have soaked Ito the pores of the brick like water to a sponge. Hope I can may be chemically remove

    Paint but I honestly do not know and I still have to get into her yard to do it
     
  7. Phil the Paver

    Phil the Paver Screwfix Select

    She can't stop you entering her yard, but since you are not on the best of terms, I wouldn't just go in there, she may phone the police and lie again, causing you untold grief.

    The police were right it is a civil matter, this will end up in court, unless you can convince the police it is criminal damage, this I very much doubt you will do, they will not be interested.

    You should contact your local building control office for guidance, regarding the wall in terms of it being a party wall, this is evidence you will need for the impending court case.

    You will also need proper written estimates for the removal of the paint, at least two so the court can gauge the costs involved.

    Starting court proceedings is really easy to do, money claim online, but before you do this, you will need to write to her informing her that she has a set period of time to remove the paint, leaving the wall as it was before she painted it, this period of time need to be realistic, so say one month from receipt of letter.

    When the time is up write to her again informing her of impending legal action if she doesn't remove the paint within the next 7days, when it's up start proceedings.
     
  8. You can sort this, Robbo, but you have to be tenacious. And follow the process to the letter. You may need to get advice on this so that each step takes place with as little fuss or delay as possible - nothing worse than getting one point wrong and having to back-track and start that step all over again.

    For a start, tho', you say the police were called, came out, but simply accepted the neighbour's explanation that you'd given permission? Your reply to that is as given to us above - your vast experience in this exact and specific trade makes it absolutely certain that you would never, ever give permission for bricks to be painted. Ever. And I agree with Phil - this does - just about - constitute criminal damage imo.

    I can fully understand the police not wanting to become involved in this - can you imagine what it's like for them to have two completely differing accounts of what happened?! But your ace card is that your 'expert' knowledge (and that's what it is) of how to treat brickwork means you would never have agreed to such a thing as having it painted.

    This extension wall is clearly on your land - by how much, a foot? Less? More? But it isn't on the actual boundary line? Is there anything on the actual boundary itself - a low picket fence, a hedge, anything - that indicates where the accepted boundary lies in relation to your wall?

    Anything like that will help. I reckon you can insist that the police come out to make it clear to the neighb that they've done wrong. Ok, they won't lock 'em up (shame :rolleyes:), but it will let your neighb know that they've crossed the line (lit and met), and that'll make them aware that they are on shaky ground when you tell them you are going to take this all the way - I reckon they will be far more likely to capitulate after this. You might even get a 'case number' out of it.

    Hellish situation - as you say, you really don't want to fall out with your neighbs if you can at all prevent it, but obviously that doesn't mean you have to allow them to muck you around either.

    So - you be completely reasonable at all times. Calm voice at all times. State your case clearly and calmly. Did I mention you should be calm? Good. If they are not reasonable, then that's all the better - they will actually find it unnerving that you are calm, reasonable, measured - and determined.

    You tell them "Look, I can perhaps understand why you might have wanted to paint the wall, and if it wasn't for the simple fact that it could seriously affect how that wall breathes in the long term, I'd have been ok with it - though you should have asked me first out of common courtesy if not even from a simple legal point of view - after all, you have clearly crossed the boundary line. And you told the police I'd given you permission for this?! That is clearly nonsense as I know what damage can be caused to that kind of wall by painting it; I would never paint such a wall, and I obviously would not let anyone else do so either. If you didn't like the brickwork you should have put up a trellis or fence or something else on the border line, or on your side. You do know you've done wrong here, don't you? The wall now needs cleaning back to the condition it was in before. This simply does need to be done - there is no way around it. So tell me how you plan to do this..."

    If they don't accept this, you calmly tell them you have no option now but to get someone else to do the job and sue them for the cost. And make it clear to them that you will win the case, no question - no-one will believe that a time-served bricklayer would have given permission for his wall to be painted!

    (All this is assuming, of course, that it really is a problem for the wall to be painted? It'll really cause it harm? How can you see this painted wall - is it obvious ( and an eye-sore) from your side?)
     
  9. robbo69

    robbo69 New Member

    Thanks for that really appreciate your comment
     
  10. robbo69

    robbo69 New Member

    The Wall can be seen from my garden live in a mid terrace house of three my garden goes the width of both properties mine and hers she has a rendered wall to her rear with a single story brickwork extension was built by a bricklayer I know really neat brickwork is a good hand she has painted every available surface including my extension cottage cream, spoilt her brickwork extension as well tried to tell her no joy. Thanks a lot for info will see if I can resolve this unwanted problem the only way forward I think is to remove as much paint as possible an have wall rendered to protect my brickwork once again thank you all very much for all your advice will definitely take it.
     
  11. So if you render your wall, she will then be allowed to paint it afterwards...? :rolleyes:

    Any chance of a photo so's we can have a gander at what this whole thing looks like?
     
  12. robbo69

    robbo69 New Member

    Am I aloud to put picture on this forum without getting into any trouble with it being on going dispute ?
     
  13. joinerjohn1

    joinerjohn1 Screwfix Select

    A picture shouldn't affect things legally, just as long as you don't identify the location of the photo ie your and your neighbours addresses. (although if she's young and blonde, her phone number would be much appreciated :p:p:p ) (as well as a photo of her sunbathing in her garden) ;);)
     
  14. Hi Robbo.

    Please don't bother with the photo unless you are happy about it. It shouldn't cause any legal issue, tho', unless you are telling fibs :confused: or invading someone's privacy; but I'd have thought that a photo taken from your own property of your own property shouldn't be an issue. Just try and avoid catching too much of your neighb's house in the shot.

    Although it is clearly a galling situation - exacerbated by the fact that they have blatantly lied to the cops about you - I was wondering just how significant the issue really was, and whether for your own peace of mind it was really worth pursuing?

    Don't get me wrong - I am not a pro builder (or pro anything...) like you, so if you are certain that painting such a wall genuinely risks compromising its condition over time, then clearly you should act.

    I'm coming from the point of view that lots of people paint lots of walls, including brick ones, and probably don't suffer any ill effects from it. Are you sure you want to pursue this?
     

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