A PA blew up his neighbors because they put up a 6-foot fence “an arm’s length” from his front door to stop his son from playing on ground they were fighting over.
Paul Kironji Gatu is furious as the brand new fence barricades his three-year-old son Malichi from a garden where he kept a trampoline, slide and swings.
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The 44-year-old always thought the patch of grass right outside his house belonged to him as it could only be reached from his path and his family was the only one who used it.
But Paul made a funny discovery when he asked to buy his own home under the Right to Buy scheme – he learned the council had sold it to his neighbors Ann and Ben Parratt years ago.
Mr and Mrs Parratt never used the land and were happy for little Malichi to play on it.
So Paul was surprised when they suddenly cut a hole in their fence through to the garden and put up the big fence to keep the Gatus out.
The quarrelsome families, who live side by side on different roads in Thurnby Lodge, Leicestershire, are locked in a bitter row across the yard.
Despite official records showing that the lawn is technically part of the couple’s land, Paul claims it was “accidentally” sold to them by the council and should belong to his property.
The 44-year-old from Leicestershire has previously begged the Parratts to consider “liking” the construction of the fence while working out who owns the side garden.
But he was shocked when the wooden barrier appeared, which he said blocked light to the house and restricted him from getting furniture in and out of his front door.
“I can not take two steps outside my front door, which is on the side of the house, without hitting the fence,” says Paul, “It’s a joke. I can not understand how it happened . “
The two offered to sell the garden back to him, but wanted an expensive £ 30,000 after buying it from the local authority.
But Ann said the garden “definitely” belongs to the property she shares with her husband and two children, saying it was part of the council package when she bought her home.
Paul, who is taking legal action in his fight to reclaim ‘his’ garden, said: “I am devastated that they put up the fence. This is a great thing and their actions are unbelievable.
“The fence is so high and is already on elevated ground and blocks my natural light.
“It’s right in my face and is only an arm’s length from my door.
“There is no way that I can now get a piece of furniture or a cot through the door as the fence blocks my space.
“Everything I stand on the path outside can see this giant fence.”
His neighbors had earlier happily allowed her and caregiver friend Matlida Sowa’s three-year-old son Malichi to use the grass for his trampoline, swing and slides.
Paul said: “But now his playing field has been destroyed, it’s all so unfair.
“This is my garden and I will do anything to claim it back!”
He recounted how the day after The Sun Online published a story about the disputed plot earlier this month, his neighbors put up the fence.
My son can not use his toys because there is not enough space
Paul Kironji Gatu
He recalls: “They wrote a letter asking me to move the toys because they had a fence.
“I asked them to persevere as I had instructed a lawyer and to please wait for the conclusion.
“But no, they just went ahead and physically moved all my son’s equipment to the small front yard and just dumped it.
“It is not big enough to be used as the rectangular side piece as a play area.
“They entered through my front gate without my permission, which I found annoying and transgressed, and left the toys and then started putting up the fence.
“They did this by cutting a large gap in their fence behind the tree and thus gaining access.
“I am very irritated about this and my son cannot use his toys because there is not enough space.”
The discouraged Paul added: “The council made a mistake in the first place, they really messed up and it caused me a big headache.”
He told how the local authority offered to buy back the land from the Parratts for £ 5,000, but they demanded £ 30,000 after valuing it.
Instead, Paul, who has spent £ 2,000 to maintain the grass parcel, is urging Leicester City Council to buy back the land, which he believes was “wrongly” sold years ago, to return it to him.
Before the raised fence went up and the neighbors’ land and friendship split, the Parratts and their children never used the land, which they could only access through Paul’s front gate.
But when they heard about the tenant’s plans to buy his house from the council, they allegedly decided to fence him off.
He can have it. He is welcome to do so.
Ann Parratt
Ann, a school receptionist, previously told The Sun Online: “He can have it. He is welcome to do so.
“We have never even used it, but we want to pay for it. Legally we own it, as plans and land register prove. We like to sell it, but we do not give it away. It would be foolish.”
Ann, 38, and scaffolding man Ben, 36, are upset about the border dispute.
She said: “It’s a shame, because we were friends with Paul before it all, but it caused a lot of arguments.
“We agreed to sell the land back to the council, but not for the price they offered. It was far too low. “
Then added: “We understand Paul’s frustration and we have a little sympathy with him, but now we have told him we are putting a fence on the piece of grass that comes up from his.
“We would have sold it back and to be honest, we would have decided on a £ 20,000 offer that would have helped pay for our new expansion, but the council said it was too much.”
Ben added: “Paul and I used to be healthy, we were all friends until now, but he made it clear that he would not give up the country without a fight, so we are in dispute.
“We are going to put up a fence, we have given notice to our neighbor, and if it is proven in time that the council has messed up, we would like to remove the fence.”
“But as far as we are concerned, we bought that land with our house.”
A letter from Leicester City Council to the Parratts confirms that the disputed land was sold to them as part of their Right to Buy.
It read: “The land on the side of the house that Mr Gatu wants to buy is legally owned by his neighbors, who bought it in 2018 before Mr Gatu became a tenant.
“It has never been part of his lease for the purposes of his right to buy, as we explained to his lawyer last year.
“We offered to help Mr Gatu by valuing the land and offering to buy it back from its current owner, but they refused to sell it.
“Therefore, it is up to Mr Gatu whether he wants to continue with his Right to Buy application.”
The Parratts were approached for comment.
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