Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Neighbours painting our fence?

148 replies

CherryStoneTree · 02/05/2020 12:14

We are in a new build, fence is ours and marked on both deeds as such. Neighbours are aware it’s ours. Both owners.

They’ve started painting their side today. I know the law states they should have asked our permission first, but we can’t exactly go and speak to them/go near the fence today. Do we let them do it in spirit of keeping things civil/haven’t had an issue with them before. And as long as the paint doesn’t bleed through it’s protecting the fence?

OP posts:
FairfaxAikman · 02/05/2020 13:09

But it's not THEIR side of the fence, it's the side of the OPs fence that faces them. Big difference

Itwasntme1 · 02/05/2020 13:09

Another neighbour also backed my fence without asking. I was sitting in the garden and their builder actually said you might want to check wit you neighbour and she said no! I would have said yes but just thought it was a bit of a cheek. People are funny about what they think they entities to do.

CoronaMoaner · 02/05/2020 13:11

Our garden is a really funny shape and has the back gardens of 5 other neighbours bordering it.
They all have different fences up. Several different types of wood, styles, paints. In all honesty it looks a right mess from out side but I’ve never considered painting our side as it’s not our property, it doesn’t belong to us and if we damage it or the paint bleeds through the neighbours would be annoyed.
YABNU OP.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Home improvement
Original poster
CherryStoneTree · 02/05/2020 13:14

Legally it’s our fence on our land. They aren’t allowed to paint it/or attach anything to it. Just wan the d to gauge reaction about whether it would have been polite for them to give us a heads up first to check the paint spills coming through. We didn’t want it painted, but if paint comes through we will have to paint it now.
If it falls over it’s our fence to replace. Like others said they can put one up on their side if they want to change it, this is wholey ours on our land, not a boundary fence.

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 02/05/2020 13:15

Can’t believe how many folks would get arsey about this, honestly not sure how some folks get through the day. Honestly unless it leaks through why would anyone remotely give a shit if their neighbour painted the side of the fence facing them?

Itwasntme1 · 02/05/2020 13:17

Could you nip out and say something like

Oh I see you are painting my fence. I would have preferred you didn’t do that- I hadn’t planned on painting it - but it’s probably too late now to stop. Can I ask that you be very careful. It’s not a colour I would have chosen and it will easily heels and dribble on my side. I would be grateful if in the future you could ask before you paint any of my property.

Itwasntme1 · 02/05/2020 13:20

Bluntness the problem is it can cause a huge mess. I spent several hundreds of pounds on a new fence on my land: it was a beautiful shade and I lived it. I can home from work to find blue paint slapped all along the top, on the posts and dribbling down the panels. Despite lots of sanding and staining it had never looked the same.

People can be very selfish

Hedgesfullofbirds · 02/05/2020 13:23

Another good reason not to have a fence - hideous, high maintenance, light reducing works of the Devil (shudder).
Replace with a nice hedge of mixed native species, much more wildlife friendly, asthetically pleasing and absorb Carbon Dioxide too, so better, all round, for the environment.

Unravelingslowly · 02/05/2020 13:28

That poor woman in the puddles thread also has a long running live parking thread going too on a different name, she must be drained at the end of the day!

I haven’t seen the parking one. How did you know it’s the same op?@imhuntinghighandlow

CherrtStoneTree You actually would rather they put a fence up-next to your one-rather than paint the side they have to look at?

amber763 · 02/05/2020 13:31

Gods sake. How petty would you have to be to check the deeds and be quoting the law because someone painted their side of a fence.

oohnicevase · 02/05/2020 13:31

I'm confused what you mean by the fence is not a boundary fence on a new build estate .. that doesn't make sense ? All fences are boundary's aren't they ? You wouldn't put a fence inside your boundary and make your garden smaller !!
Is this your first house because it's perfectly normal for next door to paint the inside of the fence that is facing their garden !!

daisypond · 02/05/2020 13:32

You wouldn't put a fence inside your boundary and make your garden smaller !!
Well, to be fair, people do do this. Double fences. Each neighbour owns one.

PhoneLock · 02/05/2020 13:33

How petty of you
Does it really matter?

It happened to me once while I was out at work. The paint ran through the gaps and dribbled all down my side of the fence. It mattered to me.

grafittiartist · 02/05/2020 13:34

We can't paint one of ours, as it belongs to our neighbours. We won't either, as it matters to them and we like them.
Hope it doesn't show on your side too much.

InFiveMins · 02/05/2020 13:34

It's unlikely to be YOUR fence. Is it between both of your properties? Has a solicitor confirmed it for you?

Also - grow up. It's a fence. Confused

QuillBill · 02/05/2020 13:38

@InFiveMins you don't need a solicitor to confirm who owns a fence, it's on your deeds. Most fences are owned by one side or the other side. I would say all fences in new build estates are owned by one side or another.

Weekday28 · 02/05/2020 13:39

It would have never crossed my mind to not paint the fence that faces into our garden.

PhoneLock · 02/05/2020 13:43

It's unlikely to be YOUR fence. Is it between both of your properties? Has a solicitor confirmed it for you?

It has to belong to the OP or her neighbour. So, it's as likely or not her fence.

SunFleck · 02/05/2020 13:45

It wouldn't even have crossed my mind to stop a neighbour painting the fence side facing them

InMySpareTime · 02/05/2020 13:46

I painted my side of a fence, careful not to let any paint drip through, then the next day the neighbours posted a sheaf of Googled legal stuff through the letterbox. Apparently it should have been obvious to me that while the fence at the back is along the boundary and should be painted by us both, the fence at the front is 3cm over to their side and even touching it is considered criminal damage.
They took the fence panels out and spent the next month paint stripping and jet washing the panels to unpaint our side, then slotted them back into place.
I watched the whole saga, amused at the pettiness of it all.
Years later, residual paint still shows in the edges, grooves and knots, which cheers me up whenever I look at it.

cacaca · 02/05/2020 13:51

@imhuntinghighandlow nooooo! Poor lady having to deal with all that Angry

kissmelittleass · 02/05/2020 13:52

Jesus really!!?? With what's going on in the world right now 😳 don't sweat the small stuff does it really matter

Itwasntme1 · 02/05/2020 13:52

In my spare time - did you not think to mention to them before you painted their property? It just seems quite rude.

I also reckon it is impossible to stain one side of a fence without it showing through - having a chat first can establish if the fence is actually a boundary fence (mine isn’t - there is a small trip of land between my fence and my neighbours fences that isn’t owned by either of us and neither of us want).

Neighbours can also be alerted to try and remove dribbles before they dry and permanently stain their fence.

BeetrootRocks · 02/05/2020 13:53

We and the neighbours have no idea whose fence is whose having checked deeds.

I couldn't give a toss about someone painting a side I can't see.

Fences cause massive ructions don't they.

Have never seen a double fence garden in my life!

Itwasntme1 · 02/05/2020 13:55

I have double fences along the side of my property. Think it’s a timing issue. Some houses are older and had their fences up before my house was built. I put up a fence to run the full length rather than having to look at five fences of different heights and colours.