To not want to pay (or at least not as much) towards the cost of the neighbours fence?

[addictediam]

This is a bit complicated so i apologise, i also don?t want to be unreasonable by stealth so please bear with me.

Just over 2 months ago we moved in to a new house, it?s the first house we?ve owned so I?m not really sure how these things work anyway!

In the back garden the neighbour that backs on to us is responsible for the back fence. He has recently come to us and asked that we pay half the cost of replacing his whole fence (so the side that backs on to us plus the two sides that have nothing to do with us.)

There was nothing in the legal pack but he claims to have had an arrangement with the previous owners that they would do this every 2 years.

And here is the reason - the bottom of the fence is rotting, flaking away and it looks bad on his side. Around the whole of our garden we have a raised bedding plot and he claims the fence is rotting because the soil is against the fence.

BUT having had a closer look at the bedding plot and fence we have noticed there is a brick wall at the back (as there is at the front) along with a 2 inch gap so no soil is actually touching his fence from our side.

Here is the other thing. The fence is rotting on all 3 sides, not just ours. They have a dog that uses the fence to urinate. I think this is the reason for the rotting.

I have reluctantly offered to pay half of the back fence (we really can?t afford it right now, but to keep peace i will find the money!) but don?t want to pay any money towards the rest of the fence. He says this isn?t fair and i need to keep to an agreement that was made by the previous owners

So should i suck it up and pay what he wants, pay for half the back fence or just refuse to pay anything?

[SmethwickBelle]

Take some photos of the gap and brick wall, get them printed and pop them through the doors/hand them out to anyone who backs him up. Best to nip this in the bud now.

Bottom fence if it is shared might fairly be a shared cost for replacement but that would be the extent of it and I'd say a fence with a coat of treatment will last five years before it needs replacing, you should have a say on the timing.

Your deeds should indicate which boundaries belong to whom. Good luck with it, it's never nice to disagree with neighbours.

[LolaRennt]

Bollocks, but if it were your rotting fence being an issue, wouldnt the former owners just have changed their fence

[Sewmuchtodo]

I would be saving my pennies for nice garden furniture to enjoy a glass of wine at........shout cheers when he is out sorting his fence!

[JumpOnIt]

I can see why paying half towards a fence that borders your garden would be reasonable and it's good of you to do that. A lot of people would tell him to stick it.

Trying to bully you into paying for half of all of it is completely bollycocks. If the people who owned the house before you were stupid enough to pay half then fair enough, but no paper work, no deal. YADNBU by refusing to pay for half of all of it.

Personally I would tell him that despite what the neighbours think, your raised bed doesn't touch his fence and you aren't paying half of the back fence for that reason. You are simply doing it on this occasion to be reasonable. Then tell him it's a one off and you won't be doing it every again. If the fence rots so quickly he will have to find something more durable to mark the border.

Who on earth has to replace their fence every two years?!

[M0naLisa]

if he comes round again i would say its fine on my side so im not paying for anything you want doing. he replaces it every 2 years?? what a twat, why??

[crazycarol]

I can't believe a fence needs replacing every 2 years. We have had a fence for 11 years and it looks like it will last another 11 at least. It may need a treatment before then though. Surely you only have a legal obligation to contribute to a fence that is mutual. Any agreement with the previous owners to contribute to any other fences is a personal agreement with them (rather than the house-owner) and he should be chasing them for payment!

Alternatively someone is taking the p*

[Fifis25StottieCakes]

My council fence has been here since 1968