ᐅ Neighbor is insulating their gable wall. They want to add 15 cm of insulation extending onto our roof.

Hello,
The neighbor’s gable is leaking and needs to be repaired.
It adjoins our roof.
We are aware of the right of access for hammering and ladder use.
A scaffold will also be set up in front of our door.
Since our facade is newly insulated, we fear damage because the scaffold will need to be fixed to it.
The repair work will be carried out from our roof.
Our roof is old, and we are concerned about possible damage caused by the workers.
The most problematic issue is that the neighbor wants to insulate the gable wall side with almost 20 cm (8 inches) thick material, which would extend onto our property! This would affect us in the event of our own roof renovation later, as his insulation would then have to be removed. This would be costly because our roof is lower and would then have to connect to his facade, not to the insulation.
He has said he would pay for the removal through a vertical extension, but nothing is mentioned about renovation or removal costs.
We have generally been cooperative in such matters.
But the neighbor came to us with a document demanding that we sign a “toleration agreement.”

This feels a bit rushed... we need advice.
It’s also worth mentioning that over the past 20 years the neighbor has caused us a lot of trouble.
We had to reroute sewage pipes because he suddenly prohibited the use that had existed for 100 years. The pipes were connected together, but he would no longer tolerate it!
We almost lost sewage access for the lowest floor of our home, which cost us thousands.
We also had to have a completely new bathroom installed by a specialist company because it supposedly became “damp” on his side.

The list goes on—these situations have been unpleasant and expensive for us.

What would you do?

Prohibit everything that is not legally required, including any insulation that extends beyond the building envelope (in this case, it should be checked whether interior insulation might be an option – only if not, you might have to tolerate this).

Specify that the scaffolding must be free-standing, without anchoring to your facade.

Take detailed photos before construction begins and have the existing condition documented and signed by the contractors. After the work is completed, carefully inspect everything again and report any damages immediately, including setting a deadline for repairs.

This does not have to be done in an unfriendly manner, but if the neighbor has caused problems for you, you should of course only allow what is really necessary.

Harakiri schrieb:

Overhanging Insulation

… is almost always acceptable. It must be carefully inspected in order to take action against it.

Hello,

House Grey schrieb:

....and that would also be relevant in the case of our roof renovation later, because theirs would then have to be dismantled, and that costs money, since our roof is lower and would then need to connect to their facade and not the insulation...

You could make good use of that right away. Talk to your neighbor about, for example, installing a continuous drip edge or something similar about 15–20cm (6–8 inches) above your current existing roof. Then continue insulating and plastering as usual up to your roof.

This way, when your renovation takes place, that small area of your neighbor’s insulation and facade (as I said, the 15–20cm (6–8 inches) up to the drip edge) can be removed and then reinstalled after your renovation. Depending on the roof structure, edge flashings will have to be provided anyway to connect to the wall-side insulation. This is an easy task for a metalworker.

Discuss it openly as something that can also benefit you.

House Grey schrieb:

It should be noted that the neighbor has caused us quite a bit of trouble over the past 20 years.
We had to install new sewage pipes because he suddenly forbade us from using the connection that had been in place for 100 years. The pipes were connected together, and he said he would no longer tolerate that!
We almost ended up without any sewage option on the lowest floor as a family, and it cost us thousands.
We also had to have a completely new bathroom removed and rebuilt by a professional company because he claimed there was “dampness” on his side...
The list goes on, and overall it has been unpleasant and expensive for us.
What would you do?

Take his “kindness” as an example and do the same to him, of course.

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@Harakiri
Thank you all for your responses; there were some good pieces of advice that I will implement.

The suggestion from @Simon-189 is also very helpful.
That’s exactly how I will proceed.
@11ant that’s right.
I also communicated this to the neighbor yesterday, that we do not agree with his "note," which is actually a neighbor agreement, in this form.

We will not tolerate a 15cm (6 inches) encroachment on our roof, especially as we plan to renovate the roof ourselves in the future. This would cause costs and additional expenses for dismantling.
This was not mentioned in his unsigned document.

Unfortunately, I have now noticed that water has leaked into our converted attic floor through the neighbor’s leaking gable.
There are quite significant stains on the wall...
I am now concerned about moisture behind the drywall and insulation.