Asking neighbours not to grow plants on our fence

Can't believe the amount of ridiculously incorrect answers on the first page.

Your property, on your land. They cannot attach anything or alter it . Just because a fence faces your land does not mean you are entitled to one side of it.

If you don't want the plants on it, tell them to take them off.

Yes you legally ‘in the right’ but why get into a war with your neighbours over some tomato plants .. wouldn’t it be better to get on with your neighbours rather than look at ways to go to war with them ? It’s nice to have friendly relationships with your neighbours.. I had my neighbours each side and their neighbours over for a bbq last week .. we all look out for each other , feed each others cats when we are away , give each other excess produce we’ve grown .. a much much happier environment to live in !

It's not even really about neighbourliness - it's about simple pragmatism. Why start a fight about it? The neighbours weren't unpleasant, they just refused to contribute financially. We know the reason they gave, we don't know anything else. Why start throwing legal stuff around when it's not certain if the fence will even be damaged? It takes two to tango but only one to create a pointless conflict.

Boundaries and responsibilities aren't always clear cut, as so many responses here show. And it's all very well quoting civil/criminal law but we all know the police aren't going to give a monkeys and nor should they. They barely have the resources to deal with actually important crimes. And anything civil will probably cost more than the fence did for even a couple of hours of a solicitor's time!

If you definitely own the fence then legally your neighbour can't paint, grow or attach anything to it.

I think essentially we agree. I'm not sure exactly what you mean in your first sentence.

Basically, if the fence belongs to the OP (and not just because she paid for it, but because it is officially marked as hers) then the neighbour can't attach anything to it or paint it.

I've never seen an attractive fence, they are hideous unless covered with plants. Walls are much nicer and more robust

What is actually attached to the fence OP? You said leaning pools but are they attached or touching it?

Meanwhile in the real world no one is bothered unless actual damage is inevitable. You're just salty as they didn't go halves!

Noone can grow anything up it touching, nor can they paint it, attach anything to it. Its your fence.

Tell them to move it

Sorry, this would only be correct if the fence was on the neighbours land (as you say), in which case the OP would be committing trespass. It still does not provide the neighbours with the ‘relief’ that they can ‘damage’ it.

There is no requirement to have any fence between neighbours at all, of course.

If it's your fence and you paid for it, you can request that your neighbour doesn't attach anything to it

We had the situation where a neighbour had a shed close to the fence we were responsible for and the neighbour was shoving things between the shed and the fence, old cardboard boxes being the main thing. Over the winter months the cardboard was wet/damp most of the time and contributed to what was a new fence panel rotting within a couple of years.

A builder offered to replace our back fence. We refused as we’d recently landscaped and fenced to the edge of our own land. The builder was well aware of the boundary, but wanted uniform fencing for the houses behind us they were constructing. It meant that they had to put up their own fencing within their own boundary. They knew the law prevented them attaching anything to our fence posts etc so were very careful tbh.

No need for a bare fence. Just plant some plants but do not attach anything to the neighbour's fence. There is no need to. If you want to grow climbers grow them on your own fence. It's common courtesy and good manners.

The only point I would highlight is that even if you (general you) pay for a fence it does not automatically make it yours.

My neighbour had to replace and pay for my fence (after running into it with his car) but it's still my fence even though he paid for it.

But in this case, that does not apply because the OP said the fence is on her land and therefore it is hers.

Just to add: I don't see how you had a case for asking the neighbours to help pay for it, OP, because you've said it is on your property.

Not necessarily although its often stated. Sometimes fence ownership is marked on the deeds but often not. I have got an L shaped garden and apart from the side gate and a short run of fence in one place, all the fencing belongs to my 6 other neighbours

Doesn't always work like that. My neighbour on my left is responsible for the fence on my left, neighbour on the right is responsible for the fence on the right. I only have the one at the bottom of the garden to worry about. It really annoys the neighbours as they are both responsible for three fences and I just have the one.

My neighbour leans right over and clips my hedge a few inches in so it doesn’t touch his boundary. Very annoying.

nope. Not if they don't own the fence or wall.

Not to mention the poor wildlife that would come into contact with it! Sometimes comments on here really leave you wondering about the people who wrote them.

If some tomato plants are going to damage the fence, then I suggest you get a new one as it’s likely a pile of shit and will soon be blown away by the time autumn comes

Neighbourliness is a completely separate issue.

The OP prefaced their neighbours attitude in their post. They could have gone 50/50 on a new shared fence, and this thread would not have been posted.

It takes two to tango, agreed?

This would be wrong and potentially criminal. You can't attempt to poison your neighbours' plants, especially their edible plants.

OP, you are not being ridiculous or petty, despite what you're being told here.

If it is your fence it is your property. Your neighbour is not allowed to attach anything to it or paint it without your permission.

The post by Mountainbetweenus today at 17:32 is correct.

It doesn't matter if it "looks weird" or your neighbours have to stare at a bare fence (!) They can grow something in front of it on trellis, stakes, obelisks etc.

I'm not saying whether I personally think this is wrong or right, but this is how it is.

How petty.

If the fence is yours, it's yours to replace. They'll be responsible for the one the other side of their garden and if you have neighbours the other side of you they own the fence that side. Have you got anything growing up that one?

doesn't matter, its still what the law says.

absolutely correct.