Crazy neighbour and fence (DIAGRAM!)

[LittleMissGiggles1980]

First time poster, long time lurker. Hoping the lovely mumsnetters can give me some sensible advice. Bear with me its a bit long and rambly (in the interests of not drip feeding). Also - diagram!

Our outwardly seeming mid 60s middle class respectable neighbour has a long history of being batshit crazy and has fallen out with everyone around her and all of her neighbours (including previous owners of this house).

We fell out 8/9 years ago about a 30 year old fence between the gardens (amongst other things) I painted my side of it green thinking it was our fence as per the deeds. She kicked off saying it was her fence and we were to remove the green paint and restore it to its original colour. Apologised etc, explained we didnt know, its difficult to remove paint, offering to paint over it etc. None of this was good enough for her and it got to solicitors letters and surveyors stage. (At one point I was gaffer taping up my letter box as every time I went out I came home to a nasty letter) Eventually the solicitors must have persuaded her to drop it and it all fizzled out, though she continues with low level annoyance - clanging gates in the middle of the night to wake us up, mowing, strimming or sanding when we have people in the garden etc. Eventually we put up our own fence inside our boundary that was 2m high.

Last year she had her old fence removed and replaced by another fence, higher than ours, which I argued with the installers was over the legal height and should have planning permission. It looked a mess as it was poking up above ours and screamed neighbour dispute (we want to sell our house soon so trying to avoid having to declare anything) In the end I didn't pursue it as we needed access to her side for some work we were having done so decided to leave in the interests of good will.

This summer we have had a new fence at the back and decided to take out the fence we had erected inside our boundary to make it all match up and look nice, (plus gain back the foot or so of land lost from moving our fence inwards.)
On seeing we had done this, she has waited until I have gone out then, leaned right over her fence into our garden to messily paint the top third of her fence on our side, letting it drip/splodge down and ensuring it looks a mess, just out of sheer spitefulness.

Obviously its her fence, legally I can't touch it or change it and she is entitled to make it look awful on our side if she wants to.

WWYD?

I could paint the rest of it the same colour but it will start all the nasty letters up again.(She leans over and checks it to make sure I havent done anything about it, I have video evidence of her doing this)

If I leave it it looks awful though will probably fade over a few years but we want to move sooner than that.

I could put our old fence back up but you would still see her fence above it and it would still look suspect to potential buyers with it being a double fence.

I could try and jet wash it off but she would probably just re paint?

I could string razor wire across to prevent her leaning over? (I have kids but it would be high up)

I could grow bamboo or similar to hide it but then thats expensive.

Any suggestions on what to do?

I like the idea from a PP of asking her if she wants you to finish painting the fence for her, at least it would then look less of a mess!

If she says no I wouldn't push it any further as she clearly wants you to be annoyed. Not sure I would paint it without her permission as that's just going to ignite her craziness even further. Put up your own fence up, maybe with trelice along the top to grow some climbers.

I bet you can't wait to move!

I don't think buyers will be bothered about a double fence, we have our own fence all the way round so we can maintain it ourselves instead of waiting for neighbours to do it. I think many buyers prefer it tbh, as it solves any neighbour disputes over fencing! I would put your old fence back up, and when you do eventually move, report her to the council for failing to get planning permission for hers 😉

I don't think buyers will be bothered about a double fence, we have our own fence all the way round so we can maintain it ourselves instead of waiting for neighbours to do it. I think many buyers prefer it tbh, as it solves any neighbour disputes over fencing! I would put your old fence back up, and when you do eventually move, report her to the council for failing to get planning permission for hers 😉

She's only done it to annoy you and/or make a point.

I would do as per pp and ask if she wants access to finish painting it. If she says no, then I'd just leave it. If you do anything else to try and rectify it (if you plant anything she'll complain the fence is being damaged) she'll just kick off and her sad little world will become interesting again. Some people just need constant drama in their life.

I think one way to make it look less "neighbour dispute-y" would be to put your own fence back up and perhaps paint it with blackboard paint / affix a large blackboard (don't have to be black, can be blue or red I think) for your DC to use. Then there's a simple and clear explanation for the double fence situation should a buyer raise it, and your DC get the benefit despite having lost a foot of garden.

Either that or grow stuff up your old reinstated fence for the same reasons; as long as your fence is at least 2/3 of the height so there's no need to see the stripe effect she has kindly created!

What a nutter!

I think I would paint the rest of the fence to match. I know you don't like the colour but it will look better one colour and it'll fade.

Take photos of it as it is now and keep a note of who did what when. If you paint it, what can she do? It's not like she can remove the paint.

You can plead ignorance and say you were trying to be helpful and neighbourly, in a passive aggressive fashion.

Clearly painting the top half was designed to get you riled. What a nasty piece of work.

do not finish painting it wihtout her permission, dispute will start over

Russian vine. Plant and fertilise.

The dispute can't start over if the OP says nothing - it takes 2 people to have a dispute

Since half the fence is painted there is no legal reason not to finish it off

Oh OP sympathies. She does sound like a nutter plus too much time on her hands. If you painted the rest of it the same colour, Would she then re-paint hers (plus top third of yours again - messily!) in a different colour just to piss you off? Worth bearing in mind, putting your own Fence back up might be the best option.

Thanks for all the responses, will reply shortly, just off on school run, setting the video camera first!

I wouldn't do anything right away op - nothing frustrates someone more than trying to work out what you might do next. Leave her waiting..... and wondering... and waiting a bit more.

So...
You are responsible for maintaining the boundary according to deeds
But she put the fence up and owns it
Did she put it inside the boundary ie on her side or is it where the boundary should be?
If the former then you need to put your fence back up with trellis
If the latter then surely you can threaten to replace it and give her 'hers' back which is going to cause more work for her than simply letting you finish off that shockingly PA paint job

If you are about to move, then I think trellis panels to a normal height (about a foot below) would look quite nice as a 'second fence' with some climbers that like e facing sites like honeysuckle and jasmine (they used these on the twilight patio on Gardener's World last night)

It would look less like a second fence then, and the neighbour's artwork would be less outstanding as you would not see the join.

If it is not going to happen for a while yet, I would just live with it. The paint will fade in the morning sun, then put up the trellis closer to the time (with cctv if poss).

How does she paint the garage. Is she likely to start suspending herself from the roof and abseiling down?

What a horrible woman.
I'd just put your fence back up. I think lots of buyers like double fences, makes everything clearer.

I'd be putting up a fence alongside to the maximum height allowed...

She sounds batshit.

I would also check if the fence is 'on' the boundary or on her side of it ... and act accordingly.

I wouldn't go the razor wire route. I'd probably go the sickly sweeet route.

Pop round, say that you notice she's chosen to weathercoat her new fencing. You would like to continue the weathercoating on your side of the fence to make sure her fence is protected and therefore can she let you know they paint type and shade name.

And then paint the whole damn lot so it looks the same.

I must say I didn't realise you weren't allowed to paint someone else's fence if it faces into your garden...

Burn it down.

Let the 'wind' blow it down

Failing above to options maybe put your own fence up and try to disguise the crazy ladys ugly fence

There is a very good legal reason not to paint the fence.

The fence belongs to neighbour, you have no right to touch it, paint it or grow anything up it. If you plant anythign it must be on your land and supported by your trellis/wires poles.

You are not allowed to paint someone else's fence, even your side of it, even if it is half painted!

Now obviously most neighbours are pretty relaxed about it and don't mind, but if there is an issue, then you cannot do anything to the fence, even finish painting it, without her express permission.

Our neighbour has that orange fence colour. It looks awful when first done but does fade after a winter to something much more muted.

And a double fence is totally standard round here? Like a pp said it's so both gardens have the 'good' side.

Thanks everyone for all of your responses, some great advice...

I am tempted to let it die down a bit and then just quietly paint it the same colour but am loathe to kick it all off again, especially all the hassle we had with the old fence that was there, she clearly told us in writing she classed it as damage and trespass. Appreciate the small claims court or a solitor would likely write it off as unreasonable to paint half a fence but it will be stressful and bring all the dispute stuff back up again...

I will investigate trellis and the plants suggested, thank you.

Possum - its not your mother as I am pretty sure she has never been touched - maybe thats her problem?!

Yes 'technically' we should probaby declare the dispute if we move but the formal letters were 8/9 years ago, never went to court and our full and final offer never responded to and all interaction has been verbal since. Would you declare it?! No one declared it to us! (A whole other WWYD)

I can't do the nicey nicey approach, there is too much bad feeling and she brings out the worst in me, I'd never keep it up. She will def say no to me 'finishing' the job off if I ask her!
Interesting lots seem to think a double fence wouldn't put buyers off, I think I am just super sensitive to it looking like a neighbour problem. Blackboard idea is a nice one, or maybe say its so I can fix lots of planters to it?

Rizlett - waiting a while is probably a good option just to mess with her mind a bit.

And yes the garage is her side of the boundary and garage is brick so no abseiling required!

Thanks all, wish me luck! And if you have good neighbours, be thankful!

But is her fence directly on your boundary?

^ not that anyone legally owns a boundary but you know what I mean.