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Original poster

Is the Neighbour being difficult or am I?

24 replies

RevGoatGirl · 24/04/2019 08:19

Hi

Our neighbours came over to ask us to fix our boundary fence as 4 panels at the end had blown over next to our shed and the panels were on her property. It’s a long garden and we hadn’t noticed straight away.
I got appointments for quotes from tradespeople but it’s not easy to see the damage from us as there’s a couple of trees and we have a shed next to the panels - there’s no way that we could acces the spot easily unless it’s from her side.

I’ve had 3 people try to come and she’s texted to tell me that she’s at work or won’t be back till 10 in the evening.
I’ve offered to let the tradespeople in to her side entrance and lock the door afterwards. Her Father lives 2 streets away and is retired and always doing her gardening etc and despite my neighbour saying that he can supervise - the last person who came to look was booked (Neighbour said her father wasn’t able to make it) at the allotted time her father turned up and was weeding her path at the front???

I’m tempted to just leave things as it’s becoming ridiculous me asking for quotes/trying to schedule works and her constantly changing/withdrawing access.

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 24/04/2019 08:20

Why don't you ask her when would be suitable?

mummmy2017 · 24/04/2019 08:21

Give her the number of your trades person.

Ask her to book them in to look at job ..
Then get quote sent to you.

MissBPotter · 24/04/2019 08:23

Just tell her she will have to get the quotes, (ask for three) and then go with one of them if it suits you. Sounds like she’s being a bit of a pain.

Original poster
RevGoatGirl · 24/04/2019 08:25

Ok
I’ve asked for when’s best for her
“Any evening just you book and if I’m not here I’ll ask my father to come”

2 of the trades had her number - she doesn’t respond.

I want to choose the person as the work is being carried out on my boundary.

OP posts:
AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 24/04/2019 08:45

She's being unnecessarily difficult Confused

If you were my neighbour then, in the absence of a history between the two of us, I'd just hand you the garden gate key and tell you if I would be in or not.

bruce43mydog · 24/04/2019 09:15

If I was you I wouldn't fix it now. If she wants to be difficult. Play the same game. Then when she asks what's the delay tell her you will sort it in your own time from now on cause when you tried to sort it.

She didn't want you to.

butteryellow · 24/04/2019 09:23

At this point I'd be clearing the blown over panels myself (when she's in) and leaving it at that (unless you've got kids/pets and need a fence?) - there's no requirement to have an actual fence, just to maintain a boundary.

Original poster
RevGoatGirl · 24/04/2019 10:04

I do have 2 dogs.
I will wait and when she enquiries again (it’s actually her parents who are being a bit pushy but I can only go on the availability of the tradesmen and I’d make time to be in if I was that bothered) - the parents I mean

OP posts:
bringthethunder · 24/04/2019 13:58

Agree with bruce43mydog - I would just clear the fence panels into your own garden, and advise her that she is free to get quotes for a new fence if it is important enough to her. From the sounds of it, your dog isn't escaping and the fence being down isn't having any impact on you, so I don't see why it should be your problem really. You offered, she was difficult - now it's her issue. She wants a fence, she can get a fence....

ohdearmymistake · 24/04/2019 14:16

Can't you just buy some more panels and slot them in yourself?

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 24/04/2019 14:28

I'd send her an email and put it in writing that as she has failed to allow access to contractors, you have been unable to repair the fencing.

Supply the numbers of three contractors and ask her to arrange a date for a quote with them for replacement of fallen panels, and have them sent to you.

The ball is then very firmly in her court.

I wouldn't take any major steps to stop your dogs getting into her garden unless there's a bite risk or they could escape beyond her garden.

EL8888 · 24/04/2019 14:31

I wouldn’t do much more now. You’ve tried to sort and she’s being difficult. Why should you have to chase her

ThatDeadlyJetty · 24/04/2019 15:20

Have you moved the fallen down panels fro her garden, and is your dog going into her garden?

Surely the shed doesn't cover 4 fence panels' width?

It does sound a bit like you want her to do more than she has to.

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 24/04/2019 15:24

Can you ask her father for his phone number and negotiate directly with him?

TheFuckfaceWhisperer · 24/04/2019 16:44

I'd send her an email

Am I weird because I don't actually have my neighbours email addresses? Is this a thing?

LIZS · 24/04/2019 16:49

Surely if the panels are blown over you can remove them from your side and take a look that way.

bigbluebus · 24/04/2019 17:05

She's being difficult. We've just had some work done to strengthen the posts on our fence on 2 sides of the garden. All the posts are in other peoples' gardens. Our neighbours at the side and at the rear (in another street) have allowed access to the tradesman to quote for the job and then allowed him to carry out the work over a number of days leaving piles of earth/concrete/concrete mixer in their garden whilst the work was ongoing. Every time I see a thread about neighbours on MN I thank my lucky stars for my neighbours (and we've recently had 2 new lots and they are as lovely as the last lot!)

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 24/04/2019 17:12

If not an email then a text... Just something so you can prove what you said at a later date if it's questioned

TheInvestigator · 24/04/2019 17:17

Have the fence posts been damaged? Because if it's just the panels which have blown over then you can put them back up or buy new ones and then put them up yourself.

If the fence post is broken then you can still do that yourself (I just cemented in 3 new fence posts myself) but it's a bit of a pain so fair enough that you need to pay someone.

Original poster
RevGoatGirl · 25/04/2019 16:53

I have Dads mobile as we needed to ask him a couple of years ago to be at the property when I needed urgent access for something else (which is shared and on their property) they didn’t like this one bit either.

Yes shed trees and a 6 foot wide shrub are in front of the fence on my side - panels have blown over into their side -the things that hold them in have rotted away (I did climb on a ladder and used a selfie stick to take a photo) the dogs would have a job to get over but who knows they might try next time they have a BBQ
Dh says we should just get panels removed and leave it like that with nothing.

OP posts:
TheSpottedZebra · 25/04/2019 18:54

Cut your shrub back and squeeze past! I'd not want to bend over backwards if a neighbour couldn't be bothered to do that.

BentNeckLady · 25/04/2019 19:00

At this point I’d be doing precisely fuck all. If she wants it fixed then she can fix it herself. How infuriating!

Original poster
RevGoatGirl · 25/04/2019 20:31

Zebra the shrub is massive and right the next to the fence- all the gardens here have deck and no lawn it’s taken 10 years to grow the shrub and most of the stuff on the outer edges - she has nothing her side just fence and she has deck all the way up to the boundary- I may be in the wrong but is it too much trouble to ask if it can be looked at from her side?

We cannot even see that there’s any damage if we look at it from our garden because of the planting and summerhouse/Shed in the way.

OP posts:
TheSpottedZebra · 25/04/2019 21:09

But you could cut a bit off the shrub and squeeze past to get your panels off her garden - but you just don't want to.

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