Navigating the Challenges of a Right of Way: A Homeowner’s Experience

Purchasing a home is often seen as a major milestone, a place where one can nurture a sense of belonging and safety. However, the excitement of becoming a homeowner can swiftly fade in the face of unexpected challenges—especially when it comes to property boundaries and community rights.

Recently, I found myself in a situation I never anticipated. After buying my house, I discovered that the garden was part of a right of way used by walkers and ramblers. Initially, this didn’t seem too concerning, but the reality became overwhelming. On average, I see around 12 people passing through my property daily. This number has surged significantly over the last year, with three groups of hikers traversing my garden every hour during the summer months.

What began as a mere inconvenience morphed into a serious source of anxiety for my family. A troubling pattern emerged; among the passersby were men who displayed alarming behavior towards my daughter. Keeping our downstairs curtains drawn tightly has become a necessity to maintain our privacy, as curious onlookers peer through the windows.

Sadly, the issue escalated. We’ve had incidents where people have taken the liberty to sit on our lawn furniture without permission, and despite numerous attempts to kindly ask them to leave, we often faced resistance and confrontations. The situation has become so dire that my daughter can no longer enjoy the garden alone without feeling uncomfortable or threatened.

To make matters worse, she has had unsettling encounters where men have followed her all the way to our back door. When confronted, these individuals often switch to their native language, feigning a lack of understanding, although they had just been conversing in English moments earlier.

In an effort to address the situation, we engaged with local societies and our council representatives, only to find that no substantial changes could be made regarding the right of way issue. Despite filing multiple police reports about the harassment, officers have never arrived in time to address the situation on-site, merely collecting our accounts without any follow-up action.

Faced with this unbearable reality, we have decided to put our home on the market. What should have been a joyful chapter in our lives has turned into a distressing ordeal for our family. It’s a tough lesson learned about the importance of thoroughly investigating property rights and the potential complications that can arise from them.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, consider reaching out to your local representatives and law enforcement early on