A neighbour row has erupted between residents, resulting in compensation of £25,000 and legal costs approaching £150,000, following a High Court battle over building restrictions.
Kevin and Elizabeth Harrison-Ellis, from Goring, Oxfordshire, faced legal action from Stuart and Anita Hunt after adding a first-floor extension to their bungalow and later constructing a wooden bin storage unit on their driveway.
The conflict centred on historical building covenants that limited development to single-storey structures on land previously shared by both properties.
Despite the Hunts raising no objections during the 2020 extension work, they initiated proceedings in January 2023 after the bin shed appeared.
The High Court permitted the extension to remain but ordered the Harrison-Ellis family to compensate their neighbours for the loss of privacy.
The couple purchased their bungalow for £740,000 in March 2020 and sought to discuss their extension plans with the Hunts before buying.
They sent a letter through an estate agent proposing to work together on removing the covenants, but received no response.
Planning permission was granted and construction began in June 2020, finishing by December without any complaints from the Hunts.
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The neighbours had bought their property 'Korobe' for £1m in August 2019 and were themselves undertaking a major redevelopment, demolishing the original structure to build a modern three-storey home now valued at £2.3m.
The dispute erupted when the Harrison-Ellis family installed a wooden bin store in 2022, reportedly in response to noise from the Hunts' construction work.
This prompted the Hunts to claim breach of restrictions and argue the extension had altered the area's character.
Judge Elizabeth Cooke and Mrs Martin found that whilst privacy had been compromised, the Hunts' delayed response undermined their position.
The High Court permitted the extension to remain, but ordered the Harrison-Ellis family to compensate their neighbours for the loss of privacy
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The tribunal noted the neighbours "appeared to have been perfectly happy about Hillside until January 2023" when the bin store was erected.
The ruling criticised the Hunts for failing to investigate the covenants during construction.
It stated that penalising the applicants now would be "expensive and destructive".
The judges described the objectors' conduct as unfair, suggesting their indignation was "exaggerated" given their previous indifference.
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