jay01

We rent a property and have spoken to the landlady about raising the height of the boundary wall as it runs along side a main road and is a popular walking route with the Spanish who think it is great fun teasing the dogs to distraction.

The currant wall is solid for about 1/3 of it's height and then they have made some ornamental brickwork which allows people to see in, poke things through and also allows the dogs to get their heads through. I have blocked off the ornamental brickwork with screening but they still shout and torment the dogs as they walk past, we are now getting small stones thrown over.

Have asked the landlady about removing the ornamental section and replacing it with a solid wall to the height of the brick pillars by the gate, I was informed that it would require permission from the local council as it was on a road which she clearly does not want to do and some other excuse about the road until I pointed out that the chap next door who has a garden the same orientation as our own had a solid wall the full length.

If permission is required which department do I need to contact as today one of the men who tease the dogs got a shock of his life when one jumped up and sat on the wall, I do not give a monkies about the morons who have teased the dogs, I give a dam that it would be my dogs to blame should one get out although I have done everything in my power to prevent what they have done to them. If they had not have been teased as they have they would not bother but now it is becoming a safety issue with my dogs

Hillybilly

You will need to apply for a Licencia de Obra Menor - normally done through the Urbanismo dept of your town hall.

mikelincs

Are you on an Urbanisation? if so you will initially need permission from the Urbanisation, this permission you then have to take to the town hall.

jay01

Many thanks for the replies, no we are not on an urbanisation but a main carraterra 387. The road was widened just before we moved in so the wall has only been built 2 years as the previous wall was demolished when the land was taken for the new road.

But we have no choice now buy raise the height of the wall or move as one of the tormentors has just had the shock of his life when the dog cleared the 5ft wall and the 7ft drop.

lordhowe

I think the word you said was Rent? just move, give notice and away you and the dogs go..no problem for you or landlord....

JLFS

If she does not want to do it, that is her right as the owner, you want it for your dogs, I understand that,but you cannot really expect any owner to permanently change the look of their property to accomodate a tenants dogs.

Could things like this be the reason that so many owners stipulate "no dogs" in the rental contract?

mikelincs

If she doesn't want to have the wall height increased then there is nothing you can do as any alterations would have to be applied for by the owner. Your only choice is to move I'm afraid, or get rid of the dogs, or chain them up so they can't escape over the wall. Spanish people are used to dogs being chained in yards as this is the norm in many places, and I presume that a lot of them will just annoy the dogs 'for fun', remember that the Spanish attitude to pets is totally different to the UK attitude.

jay01

Again thanks for the replies, all I was asking was which department would need to be contacted if it has to go to the local council.

I agree it is the owners choice but good reliable tenants are not that easy to find, so at least trying to accommodate our request would be worth considering at least. If the Spanish had not teased them there would be no problem but the welfare of the dogs is more important.

It is a landlords choice to accept dogs or not but by not allowing dogs cuts your potential tenants by at least 50% as most have at least 1 dog or soon end up with one when living in the campo. I have now started to look for other properties that would be better suited to the dogs welfare.

Chiclanagir

What is the position re boundary walls between one property and the next? Is there any kind of rule?

angiescarr

The Spanish rule (I believe) is that the boundry wall is a party wall. It belongs to both sides and both sides have the right and duty to maintain it. In reality it can cause squabbles. Your neighbour may argue that you have damaged a wall/left it unpainted or whatever and that you should pay to repair or replace it. We have a neighbour who consistently over the last 20 or 30 years has built outhouses joining on to ...even over boundry walls. Effectively gaining land in our case when we pulled the original outhouse down we had to repair 'her' wall. Although it wasn't hers at all. It was the back wall of our outhouse that she had butted up to years ago. Just last year they built another outhouse using the party wall as part of the outhouse wall. Annoying yes. but not worth making enemies out of them. It seems it's just their way. On the other side we also had to repair the side of a neighbours outhouse which forms part of our boundry wall, although they didn't maintain any part of it themselves, and the roof has subsequently fallen in. It'll be interesting to see what they say when the wall we built for them comes down because the rest of the building gives way under it. I expect I'll still be the one expected to pay.

Chiclanagir

Interesting and confirms more or less what I thought.

bealerDSB

You can't do anything to the wall like this, you do NOT own the Property nor are you on the Deeds. It is not your place, or place to do so. By rights most Rentals you must seek permission to even place a nail in the wall for a Painting.

In closing :. Instead of treating the result, may you look into the cause. "The people who disturb your animals". IE: If your dogs get wet outside from the rain, would you ask your Landlord for a roof, or do you bring the animals inside?

DSB.

angiescarr

I think you're confusing this lady with the OP.

lynnxa

jay01 was the OP

bealerDSB

Whatever. Just saying you can't alter property that you don't own, without consent.

Cars, Houses, Boats, you name it.
DSB.