A man made holes in the wall that he shares with a neighboring family because he claims he is invading his garden a couple of inches. The pensioner received a £ 90 fine for criminal damages, but has continued his protest by showing messages away from home criticizing the family, saying the fight has left his children “embarrassed to leave”.
For a few months now, Ewen Taylor of Cardiff has been putting up wooden banners in front of her house on busy Clare Road, Grangetown. The 87-year-old’s messages include: “You and your cowboy builder are thieves. [sic]”;” Other town halls are demolishing illegally [sic] construction site “;” Will they sue me? “; and” I don’t like my signs, tell the town hall. ” It really has to stop. “
Mr Taylor, a retired bricklayer who has lived in his home for about 50 years, said his anger was aroused in 2020 when the family built an extension to the backyard, removing the garden wall they previously shared and replacing it. for a new one. which he says he climbs into his own garden. “It’s a two-inch issue, but it’s my property,” he said. “Even if it was half an inch, I would oppose it.”
Read below: Joe Calzaghe’s sister crashed into a traffic sign after a whole Bailey’s bottle fell
Neighbors – a married couple with four children aged eight to 20 – deny any invasion. The 42-year-old mother said: “I have no idea why she thinks she’s on her property. It’s distressing, especially for my children. They’re embarrassed to go out when people ask questions about the signs.”
The expansion of the family pushed back his bathroom to create more space for dining. Its builders demolished the old garden wall, which Mr. Taylor described it as “a random rubble wall with a hen and hen finish,” and they built a concrete replacement.
Ewen Taylor away from home (Image: Conor Gogarty) Mr. Taylor with one of his signs (Image: Conor Gogarty)
“We moved 20 years ago [Mr Taylor] he hasn’t spoken to us, “said his mother.” We hadn’t discussed anything. This is the first time there has been a confrontation.
“Cardiff City Council says there is no need for a planning application for six-meter extensions and that was six meters. Then, after the work was completed [Mr Taylor] directly perforated “.
Taylor admits that he used a drill and a hammer to make holes in the wall for a period of about five months. He also removed a stucco strip from the building extension. Four circles on the garden wall show where the family has closed the damage.
Parts of the garden wall and extension (Image: Conor Gogarty) Damage caused by drilling in the garden wall (Image: Conor Gogarty)
“I often did it in the mornings when we were out,” the mother said. “Once, when we were inside, he started doing it and we asked why. He said, ‘It’s on my property.’ It was intimidating for my kids.”
In response, Mr. Taylor told us, “I don’t see how intimidating it was. Hammer and drilling have been around for years. And that’s acceptable. If they want to hang new cabinets, they can hang new cabinets. My wife always heard it and said “They bought another key box. He died a few years ago.”
Police paid Mr Taylor a £ 90 fine last September for criminal damages. The fixed penalty notice reads: “It has caused damage to the wall of the neighboring garden with a hammer breaking the cement of the wall intentionally.”
The mother said: “The police took the drill from him. That’s when he started with the signs. We called the police two weeks ago and they said they can’t do anything because it’s his private property. They said “It’s a protest. He’s signing his house number and he’s calling us thieves. How can he not be offensive?”
Taylor invited WalesOnline to his property and gave a demonstration where he measured the width of an interior section of his house near the garden wall and then went out into his garden and measured the distance between the wall of the garden. garden and a parallel line to the edge. of the same inner section. He said the second distance was about two inches shorter, which he says shows an invasion of his property.
Video upload
Video not available
Click to play Tap to play
The video will play automatically soon8Cancel
Play now
Ewen Taylor claims his measuring stick shows an invasion of a couple of inches (Image: Conor Gogarty)
The pensioner considered that he had “no choice” but to make holes after the council refused to intervene. A council official wrote to Mr Taylor that the extension did not require planning permission and that boundary disputes were not a matter of planning. That would be a civil matter, he told Mr Taylor.
The response did not satisfy the old palette who showed WalesOnline photocopies of eight letters he wrote demanding the council’s action. Mainly written in black felt-tip pen and in large capital letters, the messages read: “The problem is illegality. [sic] building works. “One says,” Two years [council officer’s name], two years of being ignored by you. Because?”
Taylor said he launched his protest because no civil action could be allowed. “I protest that they have invaded my property to expand their property, devaluing my property. Am I a victim and am I being punished?”
When asked if he was trying to talk to his neighbors about his concerns, he said, “Oh, no. How do you talk to someone and tell them that what you’ve done is illegal?”
Ewen Taylor has placed these posters outside his home (Image: Conor Gogarty) Ewen Taylor’s garage contains more banners (Image: Conor Gogarty)
When we informed Mr. Taylor that the family was harassed by the posters, he said, “My signs are true. A couple of days ago the law [police] they were here. I was told that the signs are not very pleasant and that other people oppose it. But they didn’t ask me to overthrow them because they don’t have the power. It’s my property. “
The family said police had advised them that they could initiate civil proceedings for the screen, but that they decided not to do so to avoid legal costs. A council spokesman said it was a civil matter between two parties, adding: “We could only intervene if the signs were on the motorway, causing an obstruction, or have been placed without permission, of so that, in fact, flyposting, which is a crime under the Environmental Protection Act of 1990 “.
South Wales police have been approached for comment. You can read more of the latest Cardiff news here.
Read more related articles Read more related articles