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
Alessandro schrieb:
Our plot had been an orchard for three generations. All the neighbors had been eagerly waiting for decades for it to be sold.
We found out by chance that the now 85-year-old owner wanted to sell and got in touch with her.
Since we wanted to secure the deal immediately, we offered to pay above market price and eventually received the acceptance.
You can imagine the mood among the neighbors when they learned that people from outside the community had bought the land.
They were already upset before the building project even started and before anyone had a chance to introduce themselves… Haha, for me, it was the opposite with the price…..
It was kind of crazy how I got my plot, long story.
In the end, I bought it below market price, and the neighbor, who is the cousin but they don’t get along at all, was furious about it. He complained to the neighbors.
“That idiot sold the plot way too cheap, it really pisses me off.”
My wife and I also want to fulfill our dream of owning a single-family house. For that, we still need a plot of land and are looking for one between 450 and 600 sqm (4800 and 6500 sq ft), as we want to keep the garden as low-maintenance as possible. Sometimes, though, I get the urge to choose a remote and huge plot at the end of the world to completely avoid other people.
Basically, I also fluctuate a lot between being introverted and extroverted. I will probably be a mystery to our future neighbors as well.
@Sandrasix
I know a similar situation to yours. Once he has set his mind on you, it can last for decades. So make sure he learns his limits early on and the matter is resolved. Hot-tempered retirees can really be no fun. Then birthdays, joint World Cup evenings, and other celebrations will quickly require police presence after 10 p.m.
Basically, I also fluctuate a lot between being introverted and extroverted. I will probably be a mystery to our future neighbors as well.
@Sandrasix
I know a similar situation to yours. Once he has set his mind on you, it can last for decades. So make sure he learns his limits early on and the matter is resolved. Hot-tempered retirees can really be no fun. Then birthdays, joint World Cup evenings, and other celebrations will quickly require police presence after 10 p.m.
Altai schrieb:
One person demanded the trimming of some grass blades at the fence, Grass that grows over is the neighbor’s problem.
Tolentino schrieb:
I actually like the idea of introducing yourself and bringing cake or something as a gesture to the neighbors before starting construction. Maybe in standard German, because if it’s Swabian, the Berliners might be a bit allergic to it, you know?
Tolentino schrieb:
I just hope Berliners are generally a bit more relaxed. It’s not quite the same anymore as when a Berliner was still an islander. Which district do you live in?
tumaa schrieb:
It was a bit crazy how I got my plot of land, long story Spill it, the night is still young
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
PyneBite schrieb:
Sometimes I get the urge to take a remote, huge plot of land at the end of the world to escape people completely. But don’t forget: it’s not just “us” who have neighbors, we are neighbors to others as well. It’s not only that others are mean or noisy, cause problems, or could maintain their property better. No, in many ways, we are also probably a thorn in someone else’s side.
11ant schrieb:
If needed, in standard German—maybe Swabian is a bit much since Berliners are somewhat allergic to it, you know? Haha, good thing I’m not Swabian. I’m not a native Berliner either, but this rabbit has been running through the forest for so long it can show quite a few foxes the way.
11ant schrieb:
It’s not quite the same as when the Berliner was still an islander. Which district are you moving to? Yes, that’s true, genuine Berliners are not so common anymore. They seem to be mostly in Swabia and Hesse these days.
I am moving to Kaulsdorf. Based on my experience so far, it’s a good mix there. Longtime Berlin residents who divide their plots and build, alongside newcomers.
I’m curious to see how things will develop.
ypg schrieb:
we are also neighbors to others. Oh dear. I don’t want to know what they must think of me when the crazy old lady is out in the front yard again, wearing her baggy pants and dirty work gloves, building some bizarre wooden towers, moving sand and stones from one place to another, or gently touching and talking to the lime tree.