to ask the neighbours to put their fence back up

[yawningprincess]

we had an extension out the back last year and it is about 30cm within our borders. Our neighbours rent the property and are moving out so the property is up for let.

the landlords took their fence panel down about a month after we had the extension just as our neighbours moved in. the current neighbours have used our exposed wall as a place to put their bins which is fine however we have had rats pass through our garden in the past month and had to have the concil out which charged a fee to lay poison.

I'm not blaming them as the nest was found in another propertys garden, however there is a run through between the garden and I'm not happy with it.

what should i do??

A fence wouldn't stop a rat. I can't remember what it's called, but rats and mice can squeeze through teeny holes (as big as your thumb, I think). Our neighbours have one and our fence doesn't bother it at all.

i figured that they can climb too can't they?
i don't know, just feel a bit put out as they are within our boundries by not having the fence up

Can't you just put up your own fence?

Why don't you put a fence up on the edge of your property?

we live in a terraced house, we have the middle property, so there are three fences dividing the properties, its not my fence and the way it is positioned i would need access to their property in order to do it, so i think it would be better to start with asking them to do it and if they say no suggesting i do it maybe?

by the way its only the one fence panel if you see what i mean, trivial i know but its just bugging me

If you feel really strongly about the rat, you could get a cat. Haven't seen the rat since we got ours.
Don't see they'd have a problem with allowing access for you to put up a fence.

Yes you can ask them and if they don't want to then you do it, presumably you could say that you want your garden secure because at the minute it's open to theirs?

but why should i do it, when they own that fence and they took it down in the first place! agree about cats but dh is a cat hater!

cargirl just the logic i needed! i think i shall do that, thanks ladies, having one of those days!

Of course YANBU to ask, but YABU if you insist.
They're under no obligation to put a fence back up, or to provide one in the first place. If they won't do it, just ask if you can put your own up and take it from there.

Are you sure it's their fence? This whole idea of fences belonging to one property or another is largely an urban myth. Unless it's specifically stated in your deeds then it's a shared fence in the eyes of the law. Just whack one up.

A cat wouldn't stop a rat anyway (digressing). Adult rats may try to attack a cat if they are cornered. And our stupid cat actually caught a small one and brought it in to the house alive, whereupon it took up residence in our boiler cupboard, unbeknown to us. It used to come out at night and scratch round the kitchen gnawing a hole in the plasterboard behind the washing machine trying to get out.

I only discovered it after about a week when I suddenly noticed what I thought was a thick string hanging out of a gap at the bottom of the cupboard. I peered really closely at it (didn't have my glasses on) and nearly pooed myself when the bloody thing twitched and I realised it was a tail!

Isn´t it up to the landlord to put the fence back?

Fencing wont stop rats.

Nor will cats. These things can be huge.

Stick a letter in everyones doorbox saying there is a rat problem and could they please check their sheds etc. The person with the infestation should be the one paying the cleanup costs.

With respect to the fence panel - if you just had an extension done, does the old one still fit cleanly? (as in from remaining fence panel to your extension wall). The neighbour landlord may have taken the fence down as its no longer needed - your extension wall now marks the boundary between the properties. If there is a gap from where your extension ends and the fence now starts, then you could offer to have it fenced closed properly.