Boundary Dispute....Arggggghhhh!

[Yuccaman]

Some advice please!

I've had my allotment for about 8 months and am really pleased with the progress that I have made. I went down today and a guy came and politely confronted me that four of my raised beds and my compost bin were encroaching outside my plot into his mates, who wants to lay down a slab path. I felt slightly confused as I really carefully planned it within what I was shown, so I declined his kind (???) offer to help me shift them there and then. (For info, they are filled, and one of them is 18" high and filled with strawberries - they are 8' by 2'6" so will take some moving!)

I went to find the allotment manager and we remeasured the plots. My beds and my compost bin are a foot INSIDE my plot. End of...or not.

There is a kind of 'unwritten' rule that your plot should include a 2 foot path, but this has never been mentioned to me and it is not written anywhere.

Given that this measurement has shown that the shed next door is actually about 8 inches onto my plot, do you think I am in my rights to say that he can put the path down as it sits now, so 1ft on my plot, 1ft on his and in return he can leave his shed (which is on a concrete base). If he wants me to move my beds and compost bin, he can move his shed? Fair?

Now the guy whose plot it is wasn't actually there, so I obviously need to speak to him. I am completely unconfrontational and just want to enjoy going down there, but at the same time, if I have to move my beds and he keeps his shed where it is, I feel that I've been stuffed.

ARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Snadger]

Hope you get it sorted amicably Yuccaman.

Our committee have the unenvious task of trying to sort out boundaries for plots at present.
The usual problem is that when someone has two plots next to each other they tend to treat it as one and the boundaries and paths get lost in the mists of time.
I moved from my last plot because I thought it was very narrow and this is one of the plots that has to be widened.........luckily the next door neighbours plot is vacant also and both are soon to be filled.

Until recently we always had vacant plots and people were 'encroaching' unbeknown to us. Now we are fully let with a substantial waiting list it is starting to become a problem and to be honest is a hard one to solve especially where someone has erected a 6 foot high fence.

Anyway.......enough of our problems, good luck with yours and all I can suggest is to always check that the committe are happy before making informal agreements with neighbours!

[SAFIA]

if your bins are a foot from his then he has his full foot to put his path down as long as you dont use his footpath then it shouldnt be a problem (the 2 foot rule is a 1foot footpath each not a 2foot footpath so he only has the right to put down a 1foot width of path down) also any fence he puts up should also be on the other side of his 1foot of path as should yours (leaving the 2foot path in the middle)
and for the record yes i would insist his shed was moved if he wanted me to move my beds!

[zazen999]

If you have beds and not paths, and you have a 1 foot path [although unmarked] then you aren't breaking any rules - written or unwritten???

I'd delegate this back to the allotment manager and get some heavy string, and mark out where the plots end so that you know not to encroach on anyone else's plot.

Surely if you are using raised beds, as long as you have a walkway around them and don't go onto other people's plots, the unwritten rule becomes non-existent. I'd also suggest that if there are any other unwritten rules, someone needs to write these down if they are that important.

[SarzWix]

I'd also suggest that if there are any other unwritten rules, someone needs to write these down if they are that important.

That's what I think too. 'Unwritten rules' aren't rules!

[krazy_krok]

Stand ya ground mate. We've got people on our allotment who have been there years who think they own the place. They quite often block my car in to make the point that they think that because they've been there longer it's there divine right to park there. Also they let there dogs keep coming down the corridor leading to my lottie and messing everywhere. This is my biggest pet hate having a two year old son who comes with me sometimes-Shovel and a good throw seems to get it over their hedge!!!!! Best of luck with it anyway and don't be bullied into moving anything especially when your well within your rights.

[Stacey Steve]

On our site the rule is a path wide enough to get a wheelbarrow down on the righthand side of your plot viewing from the common path.

When I started I misunderstood as there was no path to my left (on plot 1), so I put a path down that side. When the the Sec told me I had it the wrong side, I thought what the heck, I'm not taking it up again. However then the neighbours to the left of me tried encroaching, I politely and very firmly put them right.

As I have fenced all 3 plots, to avoid problems I have come in .5m all round and on 2 sides (so far) have laid weed fabric and chippings, not only to make it obvious but also as a weed "fire break", which I feel I am perfectly entitled to spray if I wish.

[Yuccaman]

Well thanks for the advice - I think it's sorted and that he's going to slab up to the edge of my beds which is a foot inside my plot and I'm perfectly happy with that.

As fate has a habit of doing, the allotment manager found me this morning to say that I am top of the waiting list for another half plot - and the people on the other half of mine haven't been down since August....here's hoping

[burnie]

I think it's a good job I've not got a allotment,too confrontational me,I'd have burnt his shed down and put up a wall with gun turrets.

[snakeshack]

we are not allowed fences,and are supposed to have a 2 ft path between allotments.
having spent 3 months clearing, including "finding a bridge that the council didn't know was there anymore i had a site meeting and was told that there would be a survey this year and the plots would be newly marked.
i was also told that existing cultivated plots would not be changed.
my plot is now 1m wider,see picture of existing path.
I also get the blackcurrant bush 3m high and 2m wide,should i keep it