Mediation works for Devon Boundary Dispute
Readers of this blog will recall the garden centre man in Devon who was in dispute with his neighbour whose garden backs onto the garden centre. (See 21 Sept blog)
The dispute about the height of one of the neighbour's fences and the location of a second had gone on since 2001. Someone in the local pub told me that the police had recently paid both neighbours a visit and that they had each spent around £40,000 each on lawyers.
Well I was in Devon over Christmas visiting my wife's side of the family. (Actually, there were moments between Boxing day and the New Year when I though I might need a mediator to sort out my Mother in Law, but let's not go there).
I took a walk one morning and ended up at the garden centre. I saw the man who owns it talking to a customer who looked very much the country gent type. I hovered by the patio furniture section until he was free. I reckon this man could chat for England because it was nearly 20 minutes before he finished with the customer and walked in my direction.
"Hello" I said. He recognised me and immediately went into telling me how he had found a chartered surveyor to act as a mediator. He said the surveyor mediator "really knows his apples" and explained stuff to him and his neighbour that they hadn't fully understood before. In one day the mediator had helped these 2 warring neighbours to resolve a 10 year dispute.
"How is your relationship with your neighbour now"? I asked.
"Oh it's much better" he said. "In fact, that was him I was just speaking to before I bumped into you".
Made my Christmas that did.