Neighbours' £150,000 boundary row

A pair of north London neighbours have spent more than £150,000 fighting a legal battle over a few inches of land.

Stephen and Barbara Kupfer, from Kenton, have gone to the Court of Appeal to protect the extension they built more than 10 years ago.

The Kupfers extended their home in Greystone Gardens in 1992 after coming to an agreement with their then neighbour David Jeffrey.

Although it came to within 300 millimetres of Mr Jeffrey's land, he approved the work and even let his neighbours remove part of his lean-to so they could build the foundations.

Feelings are running high, unfortunately, between these neighbours Michael Driscoll QC

But nearly 10 years later, the Jeffreys sold up and the new owner, Marie Claire Dunn, won planning permission to extend on the side facing the Kupfers' extension.

It was to be the start of a long-running legal battle between the new neighbours.

Ms Dunn complained the Kupfers' fence panels were in the wrong position - but the couple won a court order to stop her removing them.

But a county court judge reversed the decision, ordered the couple to remove the fence and pay their neighbour £20,000 damages.

Now Ms Dunne is threatening to bring proceedings over the foundations, guttering and down pipes of the Kupfers' extension, which she says is on her land.

Michael Driscoll QC, representing the couple, told the Court of Appeal on Thursday: "Feelings are running high, unfortunately, between these neighbours."

Lords Justices Pill, Clarke and Rix will give their judgment at a later date.