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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this person has an absolute cheek and not to pay up?

135 replies

Otheregos · 29/08/2012 13:58

Good afternoon everyone,
I am a long term lurker, but this has really bugged me so just thought I'd see what others opinions/views are

Here goes... We rent out a house,have Very nice tenants. Received a call yesterday from our tenant to say they have got an invoice for us from next door ( adjoining semi ) for the fence? Wtf? We spoke for a while and it appears our neighbours have gone ahead and ripped down our boundary fence( and the rest of theirs) and replaced it, he is now expecting £400 for this fence...way over priced, it's only about 20feet. This neighbour has had no communication with us or the tenants, the first we knew about it was from the phone call yesterday.

Been to pick up said invoice...which is actually just a typed letter no proof of purchase for the fencing..and if you've not fallen asleep yet reading this post,this is what they have written

Sir/ma'am, due to the recent bad weather and poor maintenance of the fence panels at said property, I have found it necessary to have these replaced prior to contacting you. As you are probably aware the weather has been quite bad of late. This has resulted in said fence panels for the said property which as landlord you are responsible for becoming severely damaged and a health risk due to them being at a state where they could fall down at any moment. as a father of 2 young children I felt that these needed replacing as a matter of urgency, along with my fence panels which I also replace at the same time. The total costs of replacing your fence panels are split into £250 for parts and transportation and £150 labour. The total sum that I request from you is £400 to recompensate me for the costs of having your fence panels replaced at such short notice. I would appreciate payment by cheque of bacs transfer to blah blah account. If you can settle this sooner rather than later that would be very much appreciated as this has left my finances considerably short for this month.

I'm picking now but he spelt panels pannels!

So my problems are,
A) our tenant said the fence was actually ok, we had previously about 4 months ago replaced the other side as our tenant had contacted us about it and like normal people we spoke with the neighbours ( other side) and an agreement was made to go halves and get 3 quotes...so this is what I would have expected from these people.

B) you cannot go asking for money with no proof of costs etc.its a rented house and we have to keep records like any other business

C) even if we are responsible for that boundary( not sure yet as I need to check the deeds) people can't just rip down your fence...surely this is classed as criminal damage ?

I realise I am completely rambling now, but any comments or what you think we should do most appreciated...

Thanks for reading if you've made it to the end! Smile

OP posts:
HeathRobinson · 29/08/2012 13:59

Any photos to prove it - maybe the tenant has some recent ones?

LaurieFairyCake · 29/08/2012 14:02

I might pay a good will gesture of 100-150 along with a note saying the panels were fine and if there was any issue he should have contacted the agents.

I wouldn't pay at all if they weren't 'my' side without prior agreement.

NCForNow · 29/08/2012 14:02

YANBU. We rent and our landlord offered to re-do ours recently...he took on the full cost as he said the neighbour was too elderly to bother and that it was his choice and not hers. She was very pleased when we told her his plan.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 29/08/2012 14:03

I doubt he has any power to enforce his invoice. You haven't agreed for him to do this work, nor have you agreed to pay any money.

You may want to discuss it with him for the sake of good neighbourly relations but he would have to prove the costs.

LoopyLoopsOlympicHoops · 29/08/2012 14:04

No, YANBU. They sound like chancers or nutters.

TheMonster · 29/08/2012 14:05

Don't pay! Ask for proof of costs, proof of them needing replacing etc etc. also mention criminal damage and theft as he has removed your property. What a cheek!

BlackberryIce · 29/08/2012 14:06

Labour costs...... Who put them in? A proper company or him? Are the posts dug in deep?

What 'bad weather'?

If it's legally your side, you are now responsible for the upkeep. So if they aren't properly erected, the next string wind could put you all back to square one!

thebeesnees79 · 29/08/2012 14:07

he should have asked before getting the work done if you would be happy to pay half. you can't go ahead with work and then bill someone, that's ridiculous.
I would if it were me have a little look at the work and if your happy offer some money towards it. I certainly would not pay the neighbours demands as you never agreed for the work to be done in the first place.

Princesslovelyboo · 29/08/2012 14:07

You do need to check the boundary first, then in writing ask to see receipts for the fence and labour, also the delivery cost or proof of distance traveled to collect them. Only then will you consider paying for your percentage of fence. Also check with cab to see if removing your 20 feet without permission is considered criminal damage.

Trazzletoes · 29/08/2012 14:08

YANBU. My neighbours replaced our fence panels which had blown down, without asking us and then invoiced us. I paid because it wasn't toooooooooo much more expensive than if we'd done it ourselves, and to keep them sweet but I am extremely pissed off at them. If they had over-charged or replaced a perfectly good fence I would not have paid.

PicklesThePottyMouthedParrot · 29/08/2012 14:09

Look at the panels. Find out how much it would reasonably cost to repair said panels at said property, and if your happy with said work offer half of what it should cost?

Also Tell him without said receipt for said works he can kiss your said ass.

diddl · 29/08/2012 14:09

It´s not even an invoice?

Hahahahahahaha!

He replaced (possibly) your fence without contacting you at all?

Tough titties would be my answer, I´m afraid!

aquashiv · 29/08/2012 14:09

Check who is responsible for the fence and go from there. YOu can do this on line through land registry.
£400 for a twenty foot fence? Rather excessive did they get a private contractor in?
Was the fence dangerous had he mentioned this to the tenant before that he was worried?

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 29/08/2012 14:10

If he entered your property to replace the fence then that may also be trespass to land (but it is possible that the right of action sits with your tenants as they are in possession of the property under the lease).

wannabedomesticgoddess · 29/08/2012 14:10

No one can do any work to your property without your express permission. I would be in a good mind to tell him to reinstate the old panels.

As for paying. No. Get legal advice but Im pretty sure he cannot ask you to pay for a service you did not request. And sod his finances. He should have told you to do yours and left it at that.

Shock at the cheek of it.

nannyl · 29/08/2012 14:11

OMG

YANBU. I wouldnt be paying a penny after that!

cantspel · 29/08/2012 14:11

He should never have touched your fence without your permission and no ways should you be paying his so called invoice.

You dont even need to have a fence if you dont want one.

Loie159 · 29/08/2012 14:11

tbh you mention that you repalced the other side fence a few months ago. Im guessing you are terrace / semi and therefore there are 2 fences - one on each side. i would check your property deeds as almost all properties in these set ups, one person owns each fence. so in our case all the properties in our road on the fence to the left of them when looking out the back window. check your deeds. If you dont own the fence you dont have to pay anything. if you do own the fence then he had no legal right to remove it without communicating with you prior to doing so.

ShiftyFades · 29/08/2012 14:11

Wow!!! Overcharging?!!!
Don't pay.
Ask for proof of poor repair. If they were that bad he should have taken pics
Ask why he didn't contact you "urgently".

Look up basic cost panels, work out half the price to replace yours - offer that.
If he's painted them, offer half the price of the paint you would use cheapest creosote

He did this without your prior knowledge or consent.

He shouldn't have done that. If a panel was dangerous he could have removed it and then contacted you. That's what happens in "normal" life.

Cheeky bastard!!! Angry for you

CookieRookie · 29/08/2012 14:12

I wouldn't pay the fucker a penny even if he did have a proper invoice, proof of costs etc!

He took it upon himself to destroy your property. It matters not one little bit if he thinks the new fence is better. For all he knows you liked the character the older fence afforded the property.

Mum has had to deal with a similar twat of a neighbour.

albertswearengen · 29/08/2012 14:12

He didn't ask you. You don't have to pay. You could say you didn't want the fence replaced and you'd like the old one reinstated at his expense.

ShiftyFades · 29/08/2012 14:12

Oh, ask for receipts of purchases and receipts from contractor they employed to do it as I'm sure the average householder doesn't charge themselves £150 labour!!! Confused

monsterchild · 29/08/2012 14:13

At most I would pay what the other side cost, as that was reasonable. However, I agree that you need to see the fence, and see invoices. He can't charge you for HIS labor, that's crap. We had a fence issue with our rental, and the LL there did what normal people do, he called, we discussed, it got fixed at a price everyone was ok with.

If he has no actual invoice from a licensed builder, you don't pay.

Itsjustafleshwound · 29/08/2012 14:14

It seems strange to just unilaterally go ahead and do something like this and send a letter without quotes or invoices.

Also, who is really responsible for the boundary fence - usually the deeds give an indication.

Saying this, fencing is a bloody rip off. For the price of a really standard untreated panel fence on one side of our property, we have been able to pave our penny stamp of an outdoor area and fix our bathroom for the same amount.

BerthaTheBogBurglar · 29/08/2012 14:14

  1. Check the deeds and find out if it is your fence or not - normally you're only responsible for one side. If it isn't yours, tell them you're not paying.

  2. Ask the tenant if they've got any recent photos that happen to show the fence, and get them to give a description of the condition fence. If you agree that the fence didn't need doing, write to the neighbour expressing your outrage that he has vandalised your property and demanding the return of your stolen fence panels.

  3. If it is yours and it did need doing, get a couple of quotes to find out how much you could have got it done for. Then write to the neighbour and ask for receipts for the work done. Point out that he was way out of line to get it done without consulting you first as you have a family member who would have done it at cost and that you would be within your rights not to pay at all. Tell him to leave your property alone in future. Once you've seen what they actually paid, have a think about what you think is reasonable to pay.