Latest news with #neighbourDispute
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Neighbours at war after mother who parked double-decker bus on her driveway to renovate it was hit by 'ASBO' after snobby complaints
A mother who parked a double decker bus on her driveway has been ordered to remove it after 'snobby' neighbours complained it was spoiling their view. Wendy Salmon was criticised by locals when she left the vehicle at the end of the leafy cul-de-sac street in Surrey on a temporary basis with hopes of renovating it. It sparked a row with families on the street, who reported her to the council. The 55-year-old, who runs a pub, has accused the neigbours of being 'curtain twitchers' after the council accepted she was 'not breaking any laws'. Following a two-year-battle, the mother-of-two must now remove her vehicle by June 20. Ms Salmon argued her neighbours were 'treating [her] like a criminal' and going behind her back. She said: 'The wording of the CPN was that it was "upsetting the ambience of the local area". Now no-one speaks to me. All my neighbours completely ignore me. 'I'm being treated like a criminal even though I've never committed a crime in my life. 'The whole thing is just ridiculous. The council said it needed a certain amount of witnesses so a neighbour went knocking on doors to try and drum up the hatred against me. She went straight on the attack. 'All her friends up the road can not even see the bus from their home. There is no way it is impacting or bothering them. It is just snobbery pure and simple.' Ms Salmon's street in Camberley is lined with four-bedroom detached properties with an average house price of around £600k. Her house is at the end of the cul-de-sac, and she has said her drive is out of the view of most of the residents complaining. Ms Salmon added: 'I keep myself to myself but this was going to be a business for me and my children. I am still hoping to do it but it's going to be a lot more costly and difficult. 'This was started by just one neighbour who did not like look of something. I had to tell her she does not own my house - she does not own the street. You can not even see it until you get to the end of the drive.' Problems began in March 2023 when Ms Salmon bought the Dennis double-decker bus for £6k from a friend's brother and parked it in her private driveway to renovate it. She explained: 'My plan was to convert the bus into a bar/cafe, offering private parties and events. 'I wanted this to be an investment for my children, giving them an opportunity to work for themselves as they both have a passion for food. 'Within 15 minutes of if being parked the man next door appeared to ask if it was a permanent fixture. 'Within another hour he returned to say that there will be complaints. Over the next few days his wife spoke to me and asked various questions. I told her that I was renovating the bus and that I hoped it would be completed in three months.' The bus was then reported as 'abandoned', which resulted in a visit from a member of Surrey Heath Borough Council's Corporate Enforcement Department. The council initially confirmed via email there are no planning restrictions, and no further action would be taken. But two weeks later, officers contacted Ms Salmon to say a further complaint had been received. She said: 'This was from a different neighbour. This neighbour cannot see the bus from their position on the road but is a friend of the initial complainer. 'I later received another visit from the council and I showed them the inside of the bus, clearly work had been carried out. Apparently, my neighbour had told them that she didn't want to see my bus while she was sitting watching TV in the summer.' Ms Salmon received an email from the council advising her to SORN (declare it will be kept off the road) the vehicle and complete the renovation as soon as possible. She added: 'Yet a few months later I received a Community Protection Warning (CPW) from the council. It said that if I can't comply with the order I could get a fixed penalty notice, be prosecuted, or the bus could be destroyed or disposed of. 'The warning had an impossible timescale, making it extremely challenging to get the bus ready for an MOT to make it legal to drive. 'A few months after this, the CPN arrived. I had no choice but to appeal.' Ms Salmon said limited funds meant she had to represent herself in court, and she reluctantly dropped the appeal after getting the wording of the CPN changed. She added: 'The council team was saying that after eight months the bus was still on my drive, and it needed to be moved. 'They couldn't comprehend that their actions had caused the delay. 'I reminded them that the CPN meant the bus would not be allowed to park in a residential area in Surrey Heath, and I explained how this would affect my business plan. 'The bottom line was if I didn't agree to move the bus then I would have to go into court and be cross examined. 'I didn't want my personal life played out in court, knowing that I would be the victim yet again of local gossip. 'I agreed to move the bus, if they agreed to change the wording on parking in a residential area. 'We went in front of the judge, I explained that the only reason I was dropping the appeal was because it was making me ill, with my family including my 79-year-old father having been bullied by my neighbours. 'I don't know what the future holds, but I do not like my previously loved home, I don't want to leave the house as I feel bullied, neighbours no longer speak to me or my partner. 'I have had over a year of sleepless nights, stress and anxiety. My dream of restoring the bus is no longer something that I want to do. 'It is the council and my neighbour who have upset the ambiance in the local area, not me.' Ms Salmon says in addition to the £6k to buy the bus she has spent around £2k on 'recycled' materials to restore it. 'It's getting so close to the deadline I think I will put it at the pub car park for now,' she added. 'This neighbour was the only one who had an issue with it. The council inspected initially and said they had no issue. 'But she wouldn't let it rest. The neighbour is just so stuck up and doesn't like the way it looked and only cared what people might think. 'But is it the end of a cul de sac and I have to drive in front of her house to get on the drive. You can not see the bus and it is really tucked away. 'She just didn't like the way it looked and instigated complaints.' The neighbour who launched the complaint was unavailable to comment.
CTV News
30-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Have you ever feuded with a neighbour? We want to hear from you
In Kitchener, Ont., what started off as a disagreement over a fence has turned into a full-blown standoff between neighbours. As reported by CTV News Kitchener, homeowner Peter Christodoulou said he built a backyard fence in 2023 for privacy, but attached it to his neighbour's existing posts, due to bylaw restrictions. The neighbour objected, allegedly confronting Christodoulou's contractor during construction. In 2024, the neighbour removed his own fence, leaving a gap between the properties. Christodoulou claims the neighbour never tried to resolve the matter reasonably, while the neighbour says he attempted to speak with Christodoulou twice before the fence went up. Christodoulou refuses to initiate contact, citing personal and professional risk, and is now considering selling his home. The City of Kitchener stated that fencing disputes are civil matters and not subject to municipal enforcement. Both parties are considering legal action. Now, wants to hear from you. Have you found yourself in a feud with a neighbour? Was it over a fence, noise complaints, parking, pets – or something else entirely? Did the situation spiral or were you able to find a peaceful resolution? How long did the feud last? Did your city get involved in the issue? How did that process go? If you could go back, is there anything you would have done differently to avoid or de-escalate the situation? Share your story by emailing us at dotcom@ with your name, general location and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a story.
CTV News
30-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Have you ever feuded with a neighbour? We want to hear from you
In Kitchener, Ont., what started off as a disagreement over a fence has turned into a full-blown standoff between neighbours. As reported by CTV News Kitchener, homeowner Peter Christodoulou said he built a backyard fence in 2023 for privacy, but attached it to his neighbour's existing posts, due to bylaw restrictions. The neighbour objected, allegedly confronting Christodoulou's contractor during construction. In 2024, the neighbour removed his own fence, leaving a gap between the properties. Christodoulou claims the neighbour never tried to resolve the matter reasonably, while the neighbour says he attempted to speak with Christodoulou twice before the fence went up. Christodoulou refuses to initiate contact, citing personal and professional risk, and is now considering selling his home. The City of Kitchener stated that fencing disputes are civil matters and not subject to municipal enforcement. Both parties are considering legal action. Now, wants to hear from you. Have you found yourself in a feud with a neighbour? Was it over a fence, noise complaints, parking, pets – or something else entirely? Did the situation spiral or were you able to find a peaceful resolution? How long did the feud last? Did your city get involved in the issue? How did that process go? If you could go back, is there anything you would have done differently to avoid or de-escalate the situation? Share your story by emailing us at dotcom@ with your name, general location and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a story.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Backyard feud boils over in Avalon, on Sydney's northern beaches - as bamboo plant grows EIGHT METRES tall and towers over next-door neighbour's property
A homeowner has been ordered to cut her bamboo hedge after a neighbour dispute on Sydney 's affluent northern beaches was taken all the way to court. Architect Matthew Power told Daily Mail Australia the feud started when his neighbour Jessica Fabris planted clumps of bamboo along their fence line on Central Road in Avalon Beach last year. Mr Power quickly found the bamboo, which had grown up to eight metres tall, was stopping natural light from reaching the windows and skylights of the main living area of his home that is estimated to be worth $3.12million. There was already a large tree in his neighbour's backyard that blocked sunlight, but the bamboo made the problem even worse. He asked his neighbours if they could remove the bamboo and they initially said they would, but later refused and then stopped replying to his messages, Mr Power said. In March, he was surprised when they suddenly listed their $3.2million five-bedroom property for sale. 'I just think it's a total disregard of someone else's amenity,' he said. 'We lost contact, they didn't respond to us, and then all of a sudden their house was on the market. 'It was a bit of a kick in the teeth - it just made no sense to me.' Mr Power was reluctant to take legal action, but eventually made an application in the Land and Environment Court NSW and represented himself. 'It's horrible when you have something that really changes the way you use the house,' he explained. Under NSW law, landowners can apply to the court for a remedy over hedges higher than 2.5m that obstruct sunlight or views. In a decision on Tuesday, Acting Commissioner Peter Nichols said that during a site inspection he had observed the bamboo 'severely obstructs' the natural light to Mr Power's property. The court had tried to reach Ms Fabris by phone, but she was absent from both the hearing and the site inspection. Commissioner Nichols ordered Ms Fabris to cut the plant down and cover the cost. Any replacement planting must be limited to plants with a height at maturity of 2.4metres or less. Mr Power owns a property in Avalon where the median price for a house is $2.9million Mr Power said the decision showed 'there are rights and there are ways you can fight bamboo'. 'You don't need to bring on lawyers, you can actually do this yourself.' Avalon is considered a wealthy suburb with the median price for a house currently at $2.9million. Mr Power was not the first Aussie homeowner to have problems with the fast-growing plant. Paul Wilkinson, another resident of New South Wales, claimed this week that his neighbour's 'disruptive' bamboo plant was costing him thousands. Mr Wilkinson said he had spent almost $3,000 attempting to reverse the damage of a plant that he says his neighbour first planted five years ago. In that time, he claimed it had nearly doubled in size, standing at nine metres tall and entirely overshadowing his two-storey home. Despite pleading with his neighbour to manage the plant, who he claims often leaves his property vacant given it is a holiday home, Mr Wilkinson insisted that he simply 'doesn't seem to care'. Bamboo is an invasive plant that can spread to neighbouring properties, damage patios, foundations and waste pipes, and even grow in wall cavities.
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
My neighbour's bamboo is costing me thousands... but he doesn't care - here's why
It was once late night noise or disputed planning permission that were top of the neighbour row list. But now, an entirely new threat is plaguing homeowners' safety and sanity: bamboo. Historically the hottest garden plant on the planet, designed for privacy or even just to make mundane lawns look slightly more exotic, one Australian resident has now shared the true horrors of the 'disruptive' and 'out of control' plant. Paul Wilkinson, based in New South Wales, told Yahoo News that he has spent almost $3,000 attempting to reverse the damage of a bamboo plant that he says his neighbour first planted five years ago. In that time, he claims it has nearly doubled in size, standing at nine metres tall and entirely overshadowing his two-storey home. The worst part is that despite pleading with his neighbour to manage the invasive plant, who he claims often leaves his property vacant given it is a holiday home, Mr Wilkinson insists that he simply 'doesn't seem to care'. And, as the flora continues to rapidly grow, Mr Wilkinson has been forced to deal with an abundance of bamboo leaves continually falling onto his footpath. He even spent up to $12,000 on 29 solar panels on his roof that the large plant is now blocking, 'significantly limiting' his desired power bill savings. Speaking to the publication about his frustration, Mr Wilkinson said that he had hoped his neighbour would be 'reasonable' after his last power pill came to 'almost a thousand dollars.' He added: 'I understand he seeks some level of privacy, but the majority of the foliage is on the top third of the plant, so when I actually sit on my veranda, I can look straight through the bamboo at the pool anyway. 'If this was cut down, it would be at eye level to provide privacy.' Mr Wilkinson insists that he asked his neighbour in June if they could discuss the bamboo being reduced to an acceptable height and, despite assurances from the neighbour that they would discuss it the next time he was present at the property, Mr Wilkinson has not seen or heard from him since. Having exhausted all other options, the Australian homeowner has now paid nearly $3,000 in legal fees to submit an application to the Land and Environment Court in a bid to get the plant forcibly cut back. Not just an issue for existing homeowners, but also for prospective buyers too, Mr Wilkinson's neighbour horror story comes as MailOnline recently spoke to a woman, who chose to remain anonymous, that discovered 350 square metres of bamboo growing underground when purchasing a new home in rural England. After further probing the sellers she discovered the garden had previously been invaded with ten-metre-high bamboo. While they had a local contractor remove the plant, it is a complicated procedure that had not been done properly. Instead, the bamboo had started to regrow and spread next door, a problem the new owner felt was intentionally being passed onto her. So, before buying the property she decided to have a bamboo surveyor provide a quote for how much it would cost to remove all of the plant. With a ten year maintenance it ended up being an eye-watering £11k, that involved five days of work. Sharing her suspicions with MailOnline, she said: 'The owners knew [about the bamboo] but I think their plan was to sell it with the bamboo and not do anything about it. 'In my job I deal with places that have Japanese knotweed so I know what to look for.' Emily Grant from Environet, an invasive plants management company, also told MailOnline how bamboo is becoming a 'huge problem' within the UK, with a '900 per cent increase in demand for bamboo-related work in the last three years '. What's more, Ms Grant explained that there is a lack of awareness in the UK concerning the 'problematic' dangers of bamboo, with many still opting to use it as a tactic to block out surrounding properties. Instead, homeowners are preoccupied with another invasive species: Japanese knotweed, with 73 per cent of people believing it is more harmful than bamboo. Further highlighting the extent of possible damage caused by bamboo, Callum Hurst, director of C H Enviro, specialising in invasive plant removal, said: 'When you're dealing with bamboo rhizomes, it's a lot more aggressive and it's a lot more hardy and it can cause a lot more damage to concrete and it can manipulate those cracks a lot faster than Japanese knotweed. 'I've been dealing with Japanese Knotweed for about 13 years and there's only been a couple of cases where I've seen it cause structural damage. 'But with bamboo, it will tear up patios, it will break its way through waste pipes and damage underground services it can get into the footings of a building and the cavities it can start growing up in between the wall cavities. 'I've seen it spread from one garden to two properties down, it tore up the whole patio, the waste pipes and it spread all through the lawn, that was about 10 metres of spread.' Despite not being officially classified as an invasive species in the UK, bamboo can spread faster and further than the well-known Japanese knotweed. Stronger than steel, the plant can even reach up to 28 thousand pounds per square inch off tensile strength. It is becoming a pressing issue as it approaches its 'lag period'.
