How Do I Deal With A Dispute With My Neighbour?

It can be extremely upsetting and disruptive to be involved in a dispute with your neighbour and can result in feeling unsettled in your own home. Due to the very nature of these types of disputes, they can often escalate quickly, so here are some ideas on how to address a neighbourly dispute.

•          Talk about it – talking can help to stop a situation from escalating. Often there can be misunderstandings in these types of circumstances so some clear communication can help to diffuse a situation. Stay calm and prepare what you want to discuss beforehand. It is important to recognise if the situation will only be made worse by trying to talk so think this through carefully.

•          Raise with others who are involved – if the local authority is involved because it is a council-owned property or there is a landlord if the property is privately rented, ensure that you raise the issues you are having with your neighbour as early on as possible. This will allow the landlord, whether local authority or private, the chance to try to address the dispute and resolve it on your behalf.

•          Contact relevant authorities – if noise is an issue, then contacting the local authority or the police may help as both authorities have specific powers to act on noise issues. Where there is antisocial behaviour or threats of violence or harassment, you should report the matter to the police as soon as possible.

•          Mediation – this could provide you with the opportunity to resolve your dispute with your neighbour without the expense and stress of going to court. Mediation is a process where both parties involved in the dispute will meet with a trained mediator. The mediator will hear both sides of the dispute and then make a ruling. Whilst this is faster and cheaper than going to court, there are a number of limitations. Both parties must agree to undertake mediation and even if the mediator rules in your favour, it is not legally binding so there is nothing to stop the other person from continuing on as they have been.

•          Taking Legal Action – your last option is to take legal action and take your case to court. This can be expensive and the process can take a long time. On the other hand, you will have a legally binding decision by a judge, which means that there will be consequences for the losing party if they continue with their behaviour.

Neighbour disputes can be complicated and emotional. If you want to find out more about we can help you to bring your dispute to an end, please contact Julian Cole on 01264 353411 or email litigation@bsandi.co.uk and we’ll be in touch shortly.