A potential lawsuit against my construction project is looming! What now?

2019-02-20 22:37:48

I don't understand the panic at all. Objections to a building application are a very routine procedure. You receive notification from the authorities that a neighbor has objections and then have the possibility a) to come to an agreement with the neighbor or b) to adhere 100% to the development plan. "Lawsuit" is such an exaggerated and factually incorrect word for this process.

That is what I have understood throughout the day. I am then gladly willing to "come to an agreement" with the complaining neighbor and nevertheless abide by all the rules in order to avoid trouble later on, as I said. But I was not aware that this is so normal. Thank you for this.

2019-02-20 22:40:58

That’s not the point at all. Either you have already gotten lost in the mindset of your assumptions or you don’t understand much about social skills. Reminds me of Paul Watzlawick’s story about the man and the hammer from the book "Anleitung zum Unglücklichsein" from 1983. The wonderful and short text is easily found online.

In my opinion, this has nothing to do with social skills, nor do I see any reason to justify or apologize in advance for something that is completely legitimate. As I said, at the appropriate occasion I would certainly present myself adequately.

2019-02-20 22:45:01

Sorry, but so far no one has officially complained.

Well, that sounds pretty good but in my opinion it’s not the practice! Why should I as the owner apologize upfront, to put it bluntly, or even ask for forgiveness for what the person before me did, namely built. I would have certainly done that on a proper occasion, just like with the direct neighbor whom I met and had a nice small talk with.

And it is a human practice to simply introduce yourself to your own future neighbors without prejudice. But you are currently getting stuck on an idea that was only passed on to you. You don’t even know if there is any truth to it. And that’s why you act naively and introduce yourself. This way you gauge the situation and possibly extinguish such a spark. And no one here said that you shouldn’t buy the property or that you should apologize for the purchase... no. You are putting thoughts into what you have heard or what is written here that are not accurate. Instead, you also don’t read the corrections, don’t respond to them, but continue to use the mistakes... well, this could still get interesting with you as the builder.

2019-02-20 22:57:10

I still see no reason to justify or apologize in advance for something that is completely legitimate.

There is no reason to justify or apologize for wanting to build. Neither now nor at any other time. Your intention to build is completely legitimate. There are many good reasons to talk to neighbors. None of them occur to you.

2019-02-20 22:57:43

Sorry, but until now no one has officially complained.

And it is a human practice to simply introduce yourself to your own future neighbors without prejudice. But you are currently getting carried away with an idea that was only conveyed to you. You don't even know if there is any truth to it. And that's why you do something naively and introduce yourself. That way you feel out the situation and possibly extinguish such a spark. And no one here said that you shouldn't buy the property or that you should apologize for the purchase... no. You are attributing thoughts to what you have heard or what has been written here that are not like that. Instead, you also do not read the corrections, do not respond to them, but continue to use the errors... well, this could still get interesting with you as a builder

Again. I am building, nothing more and nothing less, a completely normal human process. The introduction etc. will still come at the appropriate time or should have come. There is basically nothing more to discuss.

I think I am a builder like any layperson who is building or having something built for the first time.

Everything is still in the pre-start phase, so there is actually nothing to handle on my part except paying all the invoices

2019-02-20 23:01:20

There is no reason to justify or apologize for wanting to build. Neither now nor at any other time. Your intention to build is entirely legitimate. There are many good reasons to talk to neighbors. None of them occur to you.

Certainly there are. However, there is no perfect time for this. If a neighbor now perhaps wants to be prejudiced, I can do even less about it and also not for any possible later relationship with them.

A potential lawsuit against my construction project is looming! What now?

Tommy77

Tommy77

ypg

hampshire

Tommy77

Tommy77