Couple in Australia helpless as neighbors destroy their garden while they’re abroad, sparking a bitter property dispute.
The Bells watched CCTV footage with disbelief as contractors hired by their neighbours tore things up. They removed the fence, dug up the patio, wrecked the shed, and chopped trees and shrubs.
The situation got worse when the Bells visited their daughter. The neighbours claimed part of their garden, taking 1.2 meters at one end and 76cm at the other.
Rosa says the council and police won’t help, so she must deal with it in civil court. Surveys of the property lines were not clear because the deeds from the 1930s are too vague.
Rosa failed to win damages in court, and the ruling did not address land ownership. She says the neighbours never tried to talk it out. Victoria Myers declined to comment, claiming they were “harassed” and that they “won a court” ruling.
Rose said the situation is very upsetting, as they bought the house planning to live there forever. The neighbours moved the fence onto their land without permission or a court order, and the Bells saw it all on camera.
The neighbours were cutting plants and trees. The Bells did everything to fix it, including having surveys done at great cost. The neighbours then took matters into their own hands, broke into the garden, and moved the shed.
The Bells moved into their house in 2019 after buying it for £670k. Trouble began when they planned an extension.
Rosa thought their neighbour’s gutter was overhanging. They hadn’t seen their daughter for four years, then went to visit her for Christmas. The neighbours were like “teasing” them, doing things knowing they were far away.
In December 2022, the neighbours’ team came, and the workers removed the entire fence. Rosa said they started taking bits of their garden, even working at night, which resulted in her apple and maple tree branches getting cut.
The neighbors built a new fence to mark their claimed land. The Bell family put their fence back in place, but the neighbors then removed it again. Workers entered their garden without permission.
The neighbors took a lot of land, claiming they had a boundary survey. Rosa said surveys don’t let them move a boundary that had been there over 40 years without a court order or an agreement.
Rosa stated the police and council won’t help because it is a civil matter, so they need legal help. The neighbours broke into their shed, dug up patios, and made a mess, making it unsafe to walk in their garden.
The Bells feel frustrated and sad. They want to move now but can’t sell. The legal papers said the original fence was the boundary. The Bells got permission to build an extension and tried to agree on the boundary line.