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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Fence painting...annoyed with neighbour

27 replies

brightwell · 08/04/2013 18:20

I've had a new fence put up in the garden, terraced house but the fence is my responsibility. It is a nice natural colour & doesn't need any treatment for 10 years. Neighbours have painted "their" side an interesting lavender colour which has splashed through the trellis & has left me looking onto a splatted mess. No idea how to get it off....or do I ask them to sort it?

OP posts:

TreeLuLa · 08/04/2013 18:21

Paint your side?

Original poster

brightwell · 08/04/2013 18:23

No...that would mean painting 3 fences and it was a nice colour that doesn't need anything doing to it for 10 years.

OP posts:

nocake · 08/04/2013 18:24

If the fence is entirely on your property they have no legal right to paint it. That may mean you can sue them for a replacement or it might be better to talk to them and ask for them to repair the damage (if it can be repaired). Do be careful about getting into a dispute over it because it has to be declared to future buyers if you sell the house.

ivykaty44 · 08/04/2013 18:29

They are not allowed to paint the fence unless they ask you first.

There is a website somewhere about these matters
here

So really they need to now put right the mess they have made, I doubt you would be able to ask them for a new fence but they need to put right some how the mess of all the painting.

everlong · 08/04/2013 18:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ujjayi · 08/04/2013 18:29

Do you generally get on with your neighbours? Would a jokey conversation about it give them the hint they should offer to resolve the splattered paint issue? ( tbh I think other than painting over it you may be stuck with it....except extensive sanding may shift it).

Otherwise you have to be more direct and ask them to resolve it.

I understand your annoyance so YANBU but consider effect on neighbourly relations before acting.

dexter73 · 08/04/2013 18:30

Just googled and found this:
In short, anything you do to your neighbour's fence without your neighbour's permission
- including staining, painting or applying preservative to your side of your neighbour's fence -
amounts to criminal damage.
Still not sure what you can do about it without causing a falling out though.

countrykitten · 08/04/2013 18:31

If it's your responsibility then they should have asked. Not sure how to resolve it though - do you get on well?

WestieMamma · 08/04/2013 18:32

If the fence is ready made panels and you own it, flip the panels around so the nicely painted side is on your side.

ShesAStar · 08/04/2013 18:33

I wonder if you can just sand the bits the pain has splashed onto? It's probably worth talking to them, but not worth arguing - I have had a neighbour who I have rowed with and almost nothing is worth being on bad terms with someone you have to see a lot!

Original poster

brightwell · 08/04/2013 18:34

Unfortunately no I don't get on with them, so think I'll pen them a letter asking they rectify the damage.

OP posts:

BenjaminButton172 · 08/04/2013 20:12

Has this not been posted about before?

GrendelsMum · 08/04/2013 20:14

I have been the neighbour in this case - painted our side of the fence so that I could get all three sides matching, and ended up with smears going through onto the neighbours side. (It was a jointly paid for fence). I was very embarrassed, but there didn't seem anything I could do, except offer to paint her side as well, which she didnt want.

How do you actually want them to rectify the damage?

digerd · 08/04/2013 20:16

I read in the newspaper, that a neighbour did that and they were arrested for Vandalism. It is illegal .
If it was their fence and your side looked awful, it's hard cheese, I'm afraid.

chandellina · 08/04/2013 20:23

My neighbour has put up the nastiest, cheapest fence available. I was thinking of painting, glad I read this. But how to cover up the hideousness?

EchoBitch · 08/04/2013 20:25

Knock down the fence and build a wall.

hedgefund · 08/04/2013 20:27

my neighbour did similar and offered to paint my side but in the end the slodges just faded away

ShesAStar · 08/04/2013 20:33

Chandellina - Virginia creeper or Ivy would do the job. Or a climbing rose would be nice, I read the other day that you can train small fruit trees to grow against a wall or fence - not sure if this would take a lot of work though.

BadgersRetreat · 08/04/2013 20:33

Chandellina- put a nice one up on your side of their nasty one that's just a wee bit higher. Will cover up the hideousness!

CoolaSchmoola · 08/04/2013 21:38

You can't grow climbing plants up a neighbours fence without their permission either Chandellina. If they say no to painting or climbing plants all you can do is put in your own fence directly next to theirs or grow non climbing plants in front of the fence.

ivykaty44 · 08/04/2013 22:02

But how to cover up the hideousness?

with shrubs and other plants that grow to around 6 foot

CautionaryWhale · 08/04/2013 22:31

We replaced our fencing with panels and varnished both our side and our neighbours. Although we did not need their permission we checked in advance they were fine with it and we checked how they felt about the varnish colour. They were delighted with both and voluntarily paid half towards the costs.

I am aware this is too late for you but for any others reading I do think it is the easiest way to go where everyone is happy in advance. Our neighbours had a bloody awful terrace thing in terracotta when we moved in. Putting a new fence in and varnishing it the same awful colour ended up making it all look blended and matching.

I liked the original fence panel colour and I also liked other varnishes better but sometimes just going with something you don't like ends up looking better than you thought it would.

In your case I would find out what lavender paint was used and paint the panels the same ... if I was upset that dribs meant my side looked worse I might swap them round (but in our case we gave our neighbours the better-looking side, twas subjective anyway).

If they have spare paint left over I might ask them for it. I would then get some lavender gloss, paint my back door and get some lavender pot plants from ikea or use the excuse to bed some purples - bluebells, heathers, lavender, croci etc it could look really really lovely and smell beautiful.

Good luck with whatever you decide x

CautionaryWhale · 08/04/2013 22:41

There are always leylandii but their side roots are a pain if less than 10m from a house and following rules in 2005 cannot block neighbours' light or go over 2m.

CabbageLeaves · 08/04/2013 22:54

Hmm I think you are within your rights to complain but I'd recommend you think about hoped for outcome and the stress of living next door with out and out dislike. It's very wearing.

What can you achieve and what will it cost?

Original poster

brightwell · 09/04/2013 07:20

Don't quite know what to do....the fence can probably be sanded but the trellis is going to have to be painted a colour that matches the original. They've obviously gone to a lot of trouble poking the brush through the gaps to get the maximum coverage of vile purple while I was at work.

OP posts:

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