Hello dear members,
I discovered your lovely forum thanks to Google. Unfortunately, as is often the case, a problem has brought me here.
We are building an extension onto an existing semi-detached house in Baden-Württemberg.
We are building on a slab foundation. The friendly neighbor built his half with a basement.
We live 70 kilometers (about 43 miles) away from the construction site.
Therefore, with both of us working and having two children, we cannot be at the site all the time.
Yesterday morning, the workers began setting the formwork for the slab foundation.
When I arrived at the site yesterday, my friendly neighbor was already there waiting for me.
He yelled at me quite loudly and was extremely angry.
He said that the slab foundation towards his side was insulated only with Styrodur (extruded polystyrene).
One of the workers tried to explain that in addition to the Styrodur, a 4 cm (1.6 inch) soundproofing wall would be installed along the house.
Still, he did not calm down.
He just kept yelling. He said he would take pictures and that he would refuse to pay.
We have no intention of demanding any money from him.
I was really shocked!!!
Actually, he should be worried, since he built 3 cm (1.2 inches) of his house’s total length over our property boundary.
What is the legal situation here?
I told my husband about it.
He wanted to see a lawyer right away.
For me, maintaining peace with the neighbor is more important.
Please excuse my spelling mistakes and my lack of knowledge. I have two children and need to keep them happy at the same time.
Thank you,
Sandra
I discovered your lovely forum thanks to Google. Unfortunately, as is often the case, a problem has brought me here.
We are building an extension onto an existing semi-detached house in Baden-Württemberg.
We are building on a slab foundation. The friendly neighbor built his half with a basement.
We live 70 kilometers (about 43 miles) away from the construction site.
Therefore, with both of us working and having two children, we cannot be at the site all the time.
Yesterday morning, the workers began setting the formwork for the slab foundation.
When I arrived at the site yesterday, my friendly neighbor was already there waiting for me.
He yelled at me quite loudly and was extremely angry.
He said that the slab foundation towards his side was insulated only with Styrodur (extruded polystyrene).
One of the workers tried to explain that in addition to the Styrodur, a 4 cm (1.6 inch) soundproofing wall would be installed along the house.
Still, he did not calm down.
He just kept yelling. He said he would take pictures and that he would refuse to pay.
We have no intention of demanding any money from him.
I was really shocked!!!
Actually, he should be worried, since he built 3 cm (1.2 inches) of his house’s total length over our property boundary.
What is the legal situation here?
I told my husband about it.
He wanted to see a lawyer right away.
For me, maintaining peace with the neighbor is more important.
Please excuse my spelling mistakes and my lack of knowledge. I have two children and need to keep them happy at the same time.
Thank you,
Sandra
We all agree that shouting is not appropriate, but on a factual level, the guy is clearly unhappy and an effort should be made to restore some peace.
There are always two sides. Behind us is an older gentleman who enjoyed a beautiful, unobstructed view for 20 years. First, we built our house in front of him, then one was built to the right of us, and now another on the left. He is very friendly towards us; we invited him to our frame-raising ceremony, trimmed his trees (he isn’t in good health), and everything has been fine. However, the third party involved will soon have problems with him. I can already imagine him pacing angrily on his property. Their construction site has been active every day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. for weeks, with a vibrating compactor operating every few hours and repeatedly throughout the day.
Yes, some will say tough luck—he had to expect that others would build there. But the other side should be considered as well. Since March 19, the man can basically forget about peace and enjoying his terrace. Does the compactor really need to start at 6:30 a.m.? Yes, it is allowed, but is it necessary? I wouldn’t be surprised if he soon starts shouting and stomping around out there.
There are always two sides. Behind us is an older gentleman who enjoyed a beautiful, unobstructed view for 20 years. First, we built our house in front of him, then one was built to the right of us, and now another on the left. He is very friendly towards us; we invited him to our frame-raising ceremony, trimmed his trees (he isn’t in good health), and everything has been fine. However, the third party involved will soon have problems with him. I can already imagine him pacing angrily on his property. Their construction site has been active every day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. for weeks, with a vibrating compactor operating every few hours and repeatedly throughout the day.
Yes, some will say tough luck—he had to expect that others would build there. But the other side should be considered as well. Since March 19, the man can basically forget about peace and enjoying his terrace. Does the compactor really need to start at 6:30 a.m.? Yes, it is allowed, but is it necessary? I wouldn’t be surprised if he soon starts shouting and stomping around out there.
A
Alessandro17 Apr 2020 14:51There are also older people for whom a construction project right in front of their door is a real highlight. They stand by the construction fence every day and watch.
Fortunately, the construction noise is limited to specific hours...
Fortunately, the construction noise is limited to specific hours...
Snowy36 schrieb:
on the factual level, the guy is dissatisfied, thoughThat is only his own perception, that his dissatisfaction lies on the factual level. Therefore, his dissatisfaction should be met with understanding – but at the same time, it must be made clear that he has no right to raise his voice on the factual level and must behave properly (simply because just beyond the factual level is the peace of his nine neighbors).https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
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Alessandro schrieb:
There are also older people for whom a construction project right outside their door is a real highlight. They stand in front of the construction fence every day and watch Oh yes, and some of them keep shaking their heads because everything is being done wrong...
@Snowy36 Building within an existing structure or on an infill lot is always "challenging," and in a village setting, it’s even more difficult.
Neighbors have no right to be on someone else’s property—especially not if they are confrontational.
When he built 20 years ago (?), a lot of the work was probably done on weekends by himself... That wasn’t exactly quiet either.
The new builder isn’t to blame just because everyone is home now. We should actually be glad that construction sites are still active, wages are being paid, and taxes collected...
And continuous vibrating or compacting can’t realistically last three weeks.
I’m not saying people shouldn’t be considerate, but you also have to see the other side.
Is the long-term neighbor expected to pay the extra construction costs, higher rent, or losses due to delayed completion... just so they can sleep in? It’s a reasonable disturbance. As long as quiet hours are respected, this is acceptable.
Neighbors have no right to be on someone else’s property—especially not if they are confrontational.
When he built 20 years ago (?), a lot of the work was probably done on weekends by himself... That wasn’t exactly quiet either.
The new builder isn’t to blame just because everyone is home now. We should actually be glad that construction sites are still active, wages are being paid, and taxes collected...
And continuous vibrating or compacting can’t realistically last three weeks.
I’m not saying people shouldn’t be considerate, but you also have to see the other side.
Is the long-term neighbor expected to pay the extra construction costs, higher rent, or losses due to delayed completion... just so they can sleep in? It’s a reasonable disturbance. As long as quiet hours are respected, this is acceptable.
Vicky Pedia17 Apr 2020 20:31Altai schrieb:
I often tell my children to be quieter too – loud noise bothers me as well. I think you have to consider it in context. There is a difference between living in an apartment block and a detached house in a more spacious area. In the end, children are and need to be active. They are learning about life as it is. Loudness may sometimes be a cry for attention. It is very important to naturally engage with them and, through play, also demonstrate how to be “quiet.”