Neighbour wants to replace MY fence, I don’t want them to!

I would be over the moon if my neighbours put up a 6ft fence! A very private garden is a blessing.

Because I like to be private in my own space

If someones is offering to replace a fence for free but you don’t want it replacing, it is your own fault if it looks odd. I like privacy in my garden and they are in their right to put a higher fence up. They were being considerate offering to replace so it looks nice on both sides. You will just have to accept how it you looks if you want to keep your fence.

We had a similar issue with house next door, the landlord refused the offer to replace a 5ft with 6ft fence at no cost to him whatsoever. We just put our fence up next to his and now it looks silly their side. Apologised to renters but i’m entitled to put mine up.

People like and are entitled to privacy especially in their own garden.

They would be within their rights to kill or remove anything growing on their land. If I was feeling arsey I would put in a boundary marker before erecting the new fence so that there could be no forgetting over time. I have had permitted use of a strip of land belonging to my neighbour for more than 30 years. This is the second neighbour in that house that has agreed to this. The actual boundary is marked on the deeds on the land registry and this does not change regardless. Here's the story on adverse possession. Its very unlikely that the OP could get ownership of that strip of land. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adverse-possession-of-registered-land/practice-guide-4-adverse-possession-of-registered-land

Yes sorry if it’s to contain a dog I understand

what?? you can make a small hedgehog entrance in a new fence

Whilst I agree high fences are ugly what's the alternative solution to stop the dog escaping ?

FFS! They're not offering to put a 6ft new fence around OP's property! (Admittadly your the 20th person to mention this, sorry)

They're putting a 6ft fence around their own property

OP will still need to pay for the other 3/4's if she wants it too match her side as the other boundry fences will still be 4ft & also ensure "her side" of their fence is paintable/decoratable so that it blends in. Not a free fence at all but alot if hassle actually if the street/properties are already sorted

Let them lose a bit of their garden if you can afford to replace your fence later (which sounds like it needs doing) but also request that they sort out maintence of the strip of grass/weeds to stop it overflowing into your side & request an idea of what they have in mind style wise if you change your mind about

Farking legislation!

It’s just a fence OP. Tell me about the ways it ruins the “community feel”? Can’t have a nosey into their garden easily?

It’s not inevitable that it would be moved back. Fence lines often get moved by a few inches here and there for various reasons. It usually just gets forgotten about and accepted that’s where fence is.

20 years ago my neighbour got a new fence built. Their contractor messed up and I gained a 6 inch strip of garden. Since then that house has had 2 new sets of owners. No one is now going to kick up a fuss, or even realise that the fence is in the wrong place.

No harm in the OP making using of the land and planting a bit of grass or something. Nothing lost if the neighbour does claim it back one day.

You and your sacred covenants! 🤣

You don't 'gain the use of it', you'd be using someone else's land, and when they inevitable move their fence back onto the boundary, they'd 'gain' any plants that you'd put there. It wouldn't change the legal boundary one bit if they didn't get around to it for a couple of years.

OP what it comes down to is that they are allowed to put up a fence, and they've told you their plans to put up the fence whether you let them take yours down or not. I don't agree with other posters that four foot fences make for gossip and nosiness, but six foot fences make for privacy, and that's obviously what they want. So there's nothing to be done really, you lose what you like either way and they gain what they like either way.

Well, if your neighbour love language is low fences then let's hope there are indeed restrictive covenants...

Ha! I get you and your meaning, but that’s exactly why I like living somewhere with a community feel. Because we all DO give two shits about each other’s feelings, despite “the absence of restrictive covenants”. And I’m certain that’s in part due to the fact that we don’t wall ourselves off from each other in little pockets of isolated privacy with six foot fences all around us.

but as I say, horses for courses.

I get why you don’t want it, high fences are ugly af and I don’t know why so many people get them, but it’s perfectly allowable as long as it’s on their land.

@Fencewoes the reality is, you're going to have a 6ft fence boundary on their side. Rather than an unsightly asymmetric double fence, surely better to let them replace yours as they originally suggested. It might feel like you're being managed to suit them not you, but you will have a much worse outcome if you stick to your guns.

I'm failing to see any benefit in the arguement of 'a nice new fence'

For starters the fence will match the neighbour house & clearly mark out their property not the OP's & depending on the style of OP's house/other fences will look out of place anyway ??????????

BUT I agree there's not much you can do about it (other then to remove your crumbling one so you don't end up with 2 fences) & look into planting bushes along the side of it...

You’d certainly gain use of it, unless they are going to suddenly remove and rebuild their new fence. Then over time that would become the established fence line and it would probably get forgotten about.

Trellis on top …

If they are going to leave a gap between theirs & your fence can you plant a climber/bush to cover up and soften the higher fence? Although if they are leaving the gap I guess technically the gap is still on their land so might not work out. Or put trailers on top of your fence and grow something

Because your feelings of alienation aren't going to make two shits of difference if you live in an area where people are allowed a 6 foot fence and exercise that right. Any more than OPs will, in the absence of restrictive covenants.

I'd be curious what you'd do if you lived next to us and refused a 6ft fence.

Our dog could clear 4ft with very minimal effort so no doubt you'd soon be knocking about the dog being in your garden.

"community feel" honestly sounds like a horrible nightmare. You're basically all just gossipy and nosey..

Not everybody wants to turn their garden into a stockade.

so do they climb over the low fences but not the higher ones?