A few years ago, my dad bought a modest countryside home with plans to renovate it. Nothing extravagant just a tasteful extension and some updates. Unfortunately, one of the neighbours (let’s call him Tim) made that process incredibly difficult. He objected to every single planning application my dad submitted, often using what seemed like petty or overly specific reasons (for example, saying a proposed roofline would “interrupt the traditional hedge silhouette”).

Beyond the objections, Tim created a difficult atmosphere. He’d make undermining comments to other neighbours and was generally dismissive toward my dad, which wore him down over time. Eventually, my dad gave up on his dream and passed the house on to me, not because he wanted to, but because the stress of dealing with Tim had taken its toll.

When I took over, I managed to get planning permission and complete the renovations through the proper legal channels. However, during the process, we discovered that several of Tim’s property features including a section of render, a rainwater gutter, a small retaining wall, and part of a fence were encroaching a few inches onto our land.

I hired a RICS-accredited boundary surveyor to confirm this, and there’s no easement, agreement, or legal right for those things to be on my property. It seems there might have been a verbal understanding between Tim and a previous owner decades ago, but nothing official exists.

I submitted the survey findings to the council, who issued an enforcement notice requiring Tim to remove the encroaching features. Since then, he’s accused me of doing this out of spite. To be clear my goal was to resolve a longstanding issue fairly and legally. I followed all the proper channels, and while it’s been uncomfortable, I felt it was important to address, both for my own peace of mind and to protect the property moving forward.

Interestingly, other neighbours have since admitted privately that they’ve also struggled with Tim’s behaviour but didn’t feel able to speak up. Some have been supportive of my decision, while a few people think I should’ve “just let it go” because the encroachments were minor.

So Reddit — AITA for standing up for my property rights and asking my neighbour to remove things that are illegally on my land, even though it’s caused some tension on the street?