Real rights: property and possessions

My neighbour wants to stop me planting trees... " My neighbour keeps telling me that I'm not allowed to plant trees within two metres of my fence. Is this true? What are the minimum distances? Christine, Vaud In the canton of Vaud, the Rural and Land Code (CRF) governs this issue.

My neighbour doesn't trim his hedge" I own a villa on a 4-villa estate. One of the owners doesn't bother at all about the upkeep of his hedge, so I've had to trim it back to keep it clean. What are his obligations under the...

My duties as a usufructuary "I'm the usufructuary of a house that I've rented out. The tenant is demanding that I pay for repairs to the balcony and the installation of a fire door, as required by the authorities. Can he demand this? Mireille, Chêne-Bourg Usufruct is an easement by which the owner of a thing confers on its owner the...

My neighbour doesn't want a fence " I'd like to separate my plot from my neighbour's with a wooden fence. My neighbour is opposed to any kind of separation. What's the situation?" Marie-Claire, Thônex Separating plots of land with a wall, palisade or hedge can lead to heated discussions between neighbours...

My neighbour has broken into my house! "At a conciliation hearing, my neighbour and I reached an agreement whereby I would trim my hedge to a height of 165 cm. My neighbour entered my garden against my wishes, claiming that the agreement had the same value as a court order...

Work in a condominium " I live in a villa, bought as part of a condominium, that is part of a lot made up of four villas. I'd like to install a lighting system on the path leading to the houses. My immediate neighbours are in agreement, but the other families are not. Can I still install the system? Jeanne, Vaud The...

Right of way " My house is located at the end of a private road encumbered by a right of way for pedestrians and vehicles. The owner of the encumbered plot regularly parks his car on the path, thereby blocking the way. What rights do I have? "M, Geneva Generally speaking, an easement is a...

The risks of subletting "A few years ago, I entered into a lease for commercial premises, which I then sublet under a written agreement. I terminated the main lease with the owner of the building and then also terminated the sublease for the end of July 2016.

The neighbour's nuts fall on my property " The tree on my neighbour's plot (80cm from mine) shades my whole garden. What's more, when autumn comes, I have to collect the leaves from the tree, not to mention the nuts that fall into my garden and are eaten by my dogs...