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Outside Toilet Used By Neighbour

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I have just bought a terraced property with a block of 2 outside toilets . As is usual with terraced properties there is access rights for the neighbour to the toilet. As we  thought and presumed  the toilet was unused and it looked that way   the owner didn’t tell us that  the neighbour actually hasn’t got a bathroom and uses the toilet ! So is trotting across the yard several times a day . In “normal life “ although this is annoying it perhaps wouldn’t bother me so much but during lockdown it’s annoying. Can we offer to buy the toilet off her in the hope she might use the money to put herself a bathroom in ? 
I just feel a bit misinformed and upset we weren’t told she used this toilet and had no bathroom because I would not have bought the house in the first place . This in not a very elderly person either she is in her early 70,s  I just don’t get why in 2020 she wouldn’t have a bathroom. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated . Thank you 

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The lady next door could possibly get a Grant from the Town Hall. But at her age she would not want the upset.

But you now have a 2nd toilet which can be very handy at time Good luck with it .KEEP SAFE>

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My partner is an estate agent & apparently there is no compulsion for estate agencies to inform house purchasers about their prospective neighbours toilet habits. I think this is unfair but she says that it would take a change in the Estate Agents Act 1979 to stamp it out & given the current climate that is unlikely to happen any time soon.

 

You must feel like you're between 2 stools.

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Do you still need Izal toilet rolls or shall I send my out of date papers for you to use as we had to?

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28 minutes ago, MJ01 said:

My partner is an estate agent & apparently there is no compulsion for estate agencies to inform house purchasers about their prospective neighbours toilet habits. I think this is unfair but she says that it would take a change in the Estate Agents Act 1979 to stamp it out & given the current climate that is unlikely to happen any time soon.

 

You must feel like you're between 2 stools.

Love that MJ01 but didn't you actually intend to write Urine between 2 stools. Sounds better.

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Moral of the story Tulip, don't come on here asking for sensible advice

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17 hours ago, Tulip28 said:

I have just bought a terraced property with a block of 2 outside toilets . As is usual with terraced properties there is access rights for the neighbour to the toilet. As we  thought and presumed  the toilet was unused and it looked that way   the owner didn’t tell us that  the neighbour actually hasn’t got a bathroom and uses the toilet ! So is trotting across the yard several times a day . In “normal life “ although this is annoying it perhaps wouldn’t bother me so much but during lockdown it’s annoying. Can we offer to buy the toilet off her in the hope she might use the money to put herself a bathroom in ? 
I just feel a bit misinformed and upset we weren’t told she used this toilet and had no bathroom because I would not have bought the house in the first place . This in not a very elderly person either she is in her early 70,s  I just don’t get why in 2020 she wouldn’t have a bathroom. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated . Thank you 

Interesting that you say "in normal life" it wouldn't bother you so much, but "during lockdown it's annoying".   I suspect the issue is that you feel that you have been mislead/not fully informed by the estate agent.  And I think you've every right to feel upset about that, whether they are obliged to inform you or not is besides the point.  A honourable estate agent would have pointed this out.  Also, why wasn't this picked up when your solicitor/conveyancer did the property searches?

 

I know my conveyancer would have picked up on that in a flash.  Then again, he's been exceptional in terms of details like this - which is why I've used him time and time again.  (I nearly bought a barn conversion a few years ago near Ewden Reservoir.  The property was stunning, but if'd gone ahead with the purchase, I would also have been liable for having the local lane that led up to the property, "metalled".    It was only through his diligence that I avoided what would have been, an additional £40k of expense on top of the house purchase).  

 

Coming back to your case though, are you saying that if it wasn't for "lockdown" you'd be quite happy for this elderly person to be regularly wandering through your property to the toilet?  I'm not sure I believe you.  I grew up in a 2 up 2 down terrace house with no toilet or bathroom.  In the row where I lived, most of the houses were the same and a trip to the toilet involved a trip out into the back yard.  Some of the houses had longish gardens and the toilet block was situated right at the back of the garden.  It was a regular occurrence seeing our neighbours (and them seeing us) wandering up the garden with toilet roll in hand to perform the necessary.  It's really not good.  We all do it of course, but a public display of "I'm going to empty my bowels" isn't great really!  

 

I'd try and spare a thought for your elderly neighbour if you can?  Think of it also from her perspective.  This is her life.  It's probably all she's ever known and is quite happy with it that way.  I know from seeing my own mother get older, that they just don't want the upset of having their homes knocked about.  My mother, after years of living in the terraced house, eventually moved into a council house, with magical things, like hot water on tap and an indoor toilet and bathroom.  When she was in her 70's the council came round doing "renovations" to the houses and it really upset her.  I think they were there about a week, but it was such an intrusion on her life and such a mess, it's not far short of the mark to call it "traumatic".  

 

You sound to me like you have very poor appreciation of how some others live their lives, when you question "why in 2020 she wouldn't have a bathroom?"  The answer to that is, she doesn't - and that's all there is to it.  She might never have had one.  She might have never wanted one.  Then again, maybe she'd love to be able to afford to have one?  Why don't you ask her?  Instead you prefer to come at it from the angle of "why on earth hasn't she got one?"  like there must be something wrong with her.  

 

 I don't see how the "lockdown" has much to do with this tbh.  This lady is presenting no threat to you and your family whatsoever.  I think you are frustrated that you/your estate agent/your solicitor  didn't pick up on this before.  Just try not to take that frustration out on this old lady and try and understand that this is her life - so put your frustrations aside and deal with her sensitively would be my advice.

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4 hours ago, DerbyTup said:

  A honourable estate agent would have pointed this out.  Also, why wasn't this picked up when your solicitor/conveyancer did the property searches?

 

 

To be fair the estate agent could well have not know, clearly it's something the owner knew about and they might have kept that information to themselves.

 

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I think in life never presume to much,in this case you presumed that although there was toilets there and you wouldn't be using yours that your neighbour would not also be using her outside toilet,you in my opinion should of asked why are they there if not being used,it was a simple mistake of presuming and a lesson learnt,but surely it cannot be that bad.

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1 hour ago, bassett one said:

I think in life never presume to much,in this case you presumed that although there was toilets there and you wouldn't be using yours that your neighbour would not also be using her outside toilet,you in my opinion should of asked why are they there if not being used,it was a simple mistake of presuming and a lesson learnt,but surely it cannot be that bad.

To be fair, there is a lot of terraced housing in Sheffield that still has outside toilets (our last house, and probably the whole street did) and I bet very few are actually used for their original purpose. We used ours as a shed/outhouse, as did many others.

 

I thought that there was a massive effort in the 60s-70s where local authorities basically upgraded all their properties to provide inside toilets in all housing? I guess that a few must have fallen through the net!

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On 25/04/2020 at 13:03, Tulip28 said:

 Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated . Thank you 

 

Is there anything in the deeds that says you can't rip the toilet out??

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