What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? IL
1. We bought a house that was vacant for a while and on one of the side there is a gate attached to our wall.
I did not like the gate when we we buying the house, but the neighbors reassured me we can access the wall whenever we like. But now the owner refuses to give me the key saying that he does not trust me since he does not know me.
He told me to ask one of his tenants to open the gate for me whenever I need it.
I do not like the idea of asking for permission every time I have to get in. It is very inconvenient. I need to do a lot of work on the wall and I want to be able to clean my gutters any time I need.
Also I am worried about our property and property value if I leave things like that.
Our house does not sit on the property line. We saw the survey. There is 12 inches of our space next to the wall. But they blocked us from the property we own next to our wall by putting a gate. Also they blocked us from the walkway by their front yard fence. I am worried over the time they may just claim the posession of the entire walkway. And also leaving the gate there may be treated as my concent to have it there.
Other facts: the owner currently resides elswhere, but has a homeowner tax exemption on that property and formally is the resident. But he wants me to deal with the "nonexistent" tenant instead. He refused to give me his phone or e-mail for contacting him. He resides in Indiana and sais "I do not want to be bothered".
So we bought the house and the gate was attached to our wall. But we do not have the key to access the wall. The gutters of this neighbore overflood like hell during recent storms, they are dirty, I can see stuff growing in them from our finished attick window. He refuses to fix them, saying "they are fine".
Here is another fact. That gate can be actually forced to open with a little bit of muscle without a key. Should I just do that whenever I want to get to my property?
Now here is the question. Can I just notify them formally that I need access to the wall for a month for instance, and then, if he does not reply, I just go there whenever I need with my contractor guys to take care of the wall and gutters?
Another thing, in the course of maintnance, shoud I just take the skrews from our wall that hold their gate in place and just leave the gate standing there?
The reason I do not like the gate, again, is that affects the value of my property , I think.
I m very upset about the whole thing. The neighbore is very rude, and looks down on us, since he things we "got a reall good deal for that property, and he has been taking care of it while it was vacant, and we are nobody and he has been landlording his house forever..."
I am upset, I had to take all that humiliation in order to figure something out in a friendly way but it did not work.
1. We bought a house that was vacant for a while and on one of the side there is a gate attached to our wall.
I did not like the gate when we we buying the house, but the neighbors reassured me we can access the wall whenever we like. But now the owner refuses to give me the key saying that he does not trust me since he does not know me.
He told me to ask one of his tenants to open the gate for me whenever I need it.
I do not like the idea of asking for permission every time I have to get in. It is very inconvenient. I need to do a lot of work on the wall and I want to be able to clean my gutters any time I need.
Also I am worried about our property and property value if I leave things like that.
Our house does not sit on the property line. We saw the survey. There is 12 inches of our space next to the wall. But they blocked us from the property we own next to our wall by putting a gate. Also they blocked us from the walkway by their front yard fence. I am worried over the time they may just claim the posession of the entire walkway. And also leaving the gate there may be treated as my concent to have it there.
Other facts: the owner currently resides elswhere, but has a homeowner tax exemption on that property and formally is the resident. But he wants me to deal with the "nonexistent" tenant instead. He refused to give me his phone or e-mail for contacting him. He resides in Indiana and sais "I do not want to be bothered".
So we bought the house and the gate was attached to our wall. But we do not have the key to access the wall. The gutters of this neighbore overflood like hell during recent storms, they are dirty, I can see stuff growing in them from our finished attick window. He refuses to fix them, saying "they are fine".
Here is another fact. That gate can be actually forced to open with a little bit of muscle without a key. Should I just do that whenever I want to get to my property?
Now here is the question. Can I just notify them formally that I need access to the wall for a month for instance, and then, if he does not reply, I just go there whenever I need with my contractor guys to take care of the wall and gutters?
Another thing, in the course of maintnance, shoud I just take the skrews from our wall that hold their gate in place and just leave the gate standing there?
The reason I do not like the gate, again, is that affects the value of my property , I think.
I m very upset about the whole thing. The neighbore is very rude, and looks down on us, since he things we "got a reall good deal for that property, and he has been taking care of it while it was vacant, and we are nobody and he has been landlording his house forever..."
I am upset, I had to take all that humiliation in order to figure something out in a friendly way but it did not work.
Last edited: