Blackwater
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The £40,000 battle of the wheelie bins: Homeowner slapped with massive legal bill after row with neighbour ends up in court
When Liaquat Ali's next door neighbour complained that his wheelie bin was blocking the narrow alleyway between their homes, he agreed to move it.
But its new position at a wider point of the shared access route prompted a solicitor's letter stating it was still causing problems.
The dispute developed into a bitter feud between Mr Ali, 47, and neighbour Iqbal Suleman, which ended in a court ruling that neither homeowner could keep a bin there.
But they still 'refuse' to see eye-to-eye after Mr Ali was ordered to pay both of their legal bills, totalling almost £40,000.
Computer analyst Mr Ali said: 'Everyone has the right to complain if they have issues with their neighbours, but this is ridiculous.
'We thought we had sorted it out, but then one day we received a letter from a lawyer. My wife and I thought it was a joke. It said the bin was causing "substantial interference'' in [Mr Suleman's] life. And it talked about "damages" and "losses".
'To find ourselves in front of a judge was quite humiliating. I think the judge was quite surprised when he saw what the case was about.'
Father-of-two Mr Ali was living in the semi-detached house in Edgware, north-west London, when Mr Suleman, 45, and his family moved in next door in 2006. Shortly afterwards Mr Ali complained that builders working on Mr Suleman's house were blocking the driveway with their vans. The tables were turned in July last year when Mr Suleman complained about the bins.
Read more: The £40,000 battle of the wheelie bins: Homeowner slapped with massive legal bill after row with neighbour ends up in court | Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
When Liaquat Ali's next door neighbour complained that his wheelie bin was blocking the narrow alleyway between their homes, he agreed to move it.
But its new position at a wider point of the shared access route prompted a solicitor's letter stating it was still causing problems.
The dispute developed into a bitter feud between Mr Ali, 47, and neighbour Iqbal Suleman, which ended in a court ruling that neither homeowner could keep a bin there.
But they still 'refuse' to see eye-to-eye after Mr Ali was ordered to pay both of their legal bills, totalling almost £40,000.
Computer analyst Mr Ali said: 'Everyone has the right to complain if they have issues with their neighbours, but this is ridiculous.
'We thought we had sorted it out, but then one day we received a letter from a lawyer. My wife and I thought it was a joke. It said the bin was causing "substantial interference'' in [Mr Suleman's] life. And it talked about "damages" and "losses".
'To find ourselves in front of a judge was quite humiliating. I think the judge was quite surprised when he saw what the case was about.'
Father-of-two Mr Ali was living in the semi-detached house in Edgware, north-west London, when Mr Suleman, 45, and his family moved in next door in 2006. Shortly afterwards Mr Ali complained that builders working on Mr Suleman's house were blocking the driveway with their vans. The tables were turned in July last year when Mr Suleman complained about the bins.
Read more: The £40,000 battle of the wheelie bins: Homeowner slapped with massive legal bill after row with neighbour ends up in court | Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
