Surrey Couple Accuse Neighbors of Garden Encroachment During Holiday

Rosa and Murray Bell allege their neighbors removed fences, plants, and structures to claim disputed land while they were in Australia.

Rosa and Murray Bell, a retired couple in Tadworth, Surrey, claim their neighbors removed garden features and relocated fences to claim disputed land while they were abroad in December 2022 and June 2023.
The dispute began after the Bells sought planning permission for a home extension, which led to disagreements over property boundaries with neighbors Michael and Huy Eng Myers.
The Bells allege that their neighbors’ contractors removed a fence, dug up the patio, cut down trees, and relocated a shed without consent, with some work reportedly occurring at night.
Surveyors hired by both parties provided conflicting reports on the boundary line, and legal deeds from the 1930s have been deemed inconclusive.
The Bells have pursued the matter through civil court after local authorities and police declined to intervene, but no definitive legal ruling on land ownership has been made.