For almost three years, a GRANDMOTHER was in a fierce fight with a neighbor over an “outrageous” fence.
Kathryn Hewitt, 51, bought the new-build from Persimmon Homes for just under £180,000 in December 2021.
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Kathryn Hewitt, 51, is in a row with her neighbor over an ‘outrageous’ fenceCredit: NNP
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She claims that they consistently block developers’ attempts to fix the borderCredit: NNP
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But the nurse claims she quickly realized her neighbor had put up a fence along the shared boundary line before moving in without her permission.
The wooden structure, which is initially 4ft tall and then grows to 6ft, prevents Kathryn from opening her car door or taking the rubbish bin into the back garden.
The mum-of-two, who lives alone on her property in Newcastle Upon Tyne, says the border along the driveway should have been open plan.
She also alleges that Persimmon Homes installed a rear garden fence between the two properties in the wrong place.
Kathryn, who married more than 20 years ago, told The Sun: “I moved into my Persimmon Homes property in December 2021.
“Unbeknownst to me at the time, my neighbor had erected a fence on my land to extend his garden with the full knowledge of Persimmon Homes.
“This is a clear violation of the contract signed before buying my house.
“After endless communications with Persimmon Homes and letters from solicitors to my neighbour, I still don’t want to go ahead with removing the fence.
“Further inspection from Persimmon Homes also revealed that the fence they installed was in the wrong position.
“As a result, I have limited access to the rear of my property – a legal requirement.”
I’m sick of my dirty neighbors, but I can’t afford to build a privacy fence
She claims that the developer offered her £1,000 in compensation and to cover the cost of changing the land registry documents.
She continued: “It’s absolutely outrageous. They offered it to me to settle the situation. It’s my country. I’m not going to back down.”
Kathryn says the whole dispute is costing her “an arm and a leg” and she doesn’t have the money to continue to fund legal fees.
She added: “This whole situation is creating costs running into thousands of pounds.
What are your rights in this situation?
BOUNDARY Disputes are legally private matters and must be resolved between the parties involved.
In most cases, local councils are not involved unless there are special circumstances or a planning element to the dispute.
Early solutions can often be negotiated through offers of settlement or professional mediation.
However, if the parties cannot agree on a settlement, the disputes may be brought to court for adjudication.
This is often an expensive and time-consuming process as the court must determine the legal boundaries between properties.
If you are involved in a border dispute that you cannot resolve, your best option is to consult an attorney for advice on your specific case.
“Besides the cost implications, the stress of the whole situation is having an adverse effect on my mental health.”
But the neighbor in dispute, Angela, said Kathryn never approached her directly about the front fence in Dinnington.
The bank clerk, who is in her 60s, said: “It’s really funny.
“She only moved in in December 2021, and we installed the fence in April 2021, so it was there when she bought it.
It’s my country. I won’t give up.
Kathryn Hewitt
“I can’t really comment on whether the fence is going to come down. It’s a thing that’s been going on for a long time and has caused a lot of problems.
“Mrs Hewitt never discussed the front fence with us. We found out about it when she went to seek legal advice.
“We actually don’t know what’s happening now because we haven’t heard from her lawyer.
“Recently, I suffered from cancer since November last year and was undergoing treatment, and through that the legal side got involved.
I can’t really comment on whether the fence will come down.
Angela Neighbor
“I don’t know if she knew about it because we never talked.
“She didn’t tell me about this fence. I didn’t know until the legal question was sent.
“The other problem with the back fence is related to Persimmon Homes and how they built it and left it as it is.
“We’re waiting to hear from her lawyers.”
A spokesman for Persimmon North East said: “We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to Mrs Hewitt by the original installation of the small boundary fence.
“We got permission from the owner of the neighboring property to give us access to move the fence to the correct alignment.
“However, the two owners in question are unfortunately now involved in a court case regarding the additional fences that were installed next to the neighboring property, which is why we were unable to access it.
“We remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached on both sides so that we can move the original fence.”
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The wooden construction means Kathryn can’t drive her bin through the opening Credit: NNP
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The nurse had inadequate access to her back garden Credit: NNP
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The mum-of-two says the border along the front driveway should have been open-planCredit: NNP
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