To be annoyed at neighbour not consulting us over shared boundary?

[Fuzzywuzzywasabear]

We moved into our house at the beginning of the year, both our neighbours are older and have lived here for 30 odd years, the previous owner was 83 and had lived in the house for most of her life.

When moved in there was only a small green wire fence between our two gardens at the back, our garden is quite mature with a lot of shrubs and bushes so there is a degree of privacy but not a lot, we had planned to erect a fence at some point in the near future however.......

A few weeks ago our neighbour knocked on the door at about 8pm and informed us they were putting 2 fence panels up in the space closest to the house where there is no shrubs so we have more privacy......we were a bit put out by this as it's our boundary to maintain and they didn't actually ask us they told us the night before so we couldn't really say or do anything!

We let this go and said nothing, but this week we noticed they have now painted the fence on our side, without asking!

Is it unreasonable to expect them to discuss these things with us?

We find them to be a bit passive aggressive and are not really sure how to bring this up with them? We really don't want them just making decisions which affect the shared boundary without asking us and we would also prefer them asking if they want to access our property!

It does sound a bit annoying but I'd probably let it go. I can't think that they were trying to be anything other that helpful by painting your side of the fence. And at least you have a bit of new fence and some privacy.
I think I'd leave this, and have words if/ when anything else happens.

(Unless there's another part of the garden you're worried they'll intrude on or change, in which case make some plans and politely inform them of what you intend to do.)

Really? Why do you even care about them painting your side of the fence? Saves you doing it!

Because they didn't ask or inform us that they would be coming onto our property, we have two dogs one is a puppy, it might have been nice to have some warning so we could keep them away from the area.

And like I said this the second time they just did something to the shared boundary without asking, we don't want to come home to find they've done anything else...

Oh get over it, you said you wanted a fence, now you've got one. What would be nice would be for you to offer a contribution

Did they paint the fence a colour or was it wood stain?

It's time you wrote a letter, perhaps complimenting them on their choice of fence panels (and for preserving them if they did) but hoping they have no further plans for your garden. If they thought anything had to be done on your side of the fence, it would be your responsibility.

Are you able to lock access to your side of the fence although they might climb over. Plant pyracantha against the new bits of fence and give it miracle-gro several times a year.

Another name for pyracantha is firethorn.

Actually I don't think you are being unreasonable , I would be very irritated at someone coming into my garden without asking.Its sounds like they actually want more privacy.I would let it go though for the sake of peace but I would ask them to ask me if they wanted to enter my garden again because of the dogs

It's their fence. If they bought and paid for it they can do what they like to it. In fact, it's you that isn't allowed to touch it at all. You can't paint it, nail anything to it, lean anything against it etc.

If you wanted a say in the colour etc then you should have paid for the fence. As it stands it belongs to your neighbour entirely so YABU.

Also to add, if this is a sliding panel they could have just removed it from their own side and turned it around to paint.

I do see your point, it's the lack of consultation. If it is any consultation my neighbour cut down several bits of hedging this weekend that were on our side of the boundary.

Admittedly they were dead and he is going to put a fence up but it was a bit of a shock to find a 24 foot gap on your boundary just appear.

I have made my point but want to keep relations on good terms. I'd do the same on your position. It

So you have lost some of your garden and you are more concerned about the colour of the fence?
You need to get the fence/boundary thing looked into more. Isn't there something in the land law about moving boundaries and if unchallenged for x amount of time, it's the new boundary? Then what about when either of you want to sell up. That's going to be a nightmare. You need to deal with it now, and if shrubs/bushes have to be cut back (taking in to consideration the wildlife aspect) then so be it.

we have two dogs one is a puppy,

there was only a small green wire fence between our two gardens

So do you keep the dogs indoors all the time?

How sturdy was the wire fence? I take it the dogs couldn't get through?

I would be annoyed if someone came in my garden, but at the same time want a good fence between my garden and my neighbours. Think I'd probably leave it and sort the rest of the fence out ASAP.

Haha Arabella I think we're thinking on the same lines!

Sturdy enough to keep both dogs in trust me!

They didn't take it out they painted it badly so the concrete posts and base board are covered in paint

If they had discussed it with us we would have offered to pay half and had the whole garden fenced off properly as we were intending to do, but they didn't

It's just the lack of consideration, we had some gates put up in the driveway which affected our neighbour on the other side, we told her what we were planning and she offered to contribute to one of the shared panels which we didn't accept as it was negligible compared to the cost of the gates, she is going to give us some left over stain she has from painting her gates so we can have them look nice next to each other it was all very neighbourly......which why I am irrated at the other sides behaviour

It also leaves us in an awkward position with regards the rest of the garden, they've put up ugly cheap panels which we wouldn't have picked, eventually we'll extend so they're panels will be gone.....it's going to look really weird if we get the nice panels to do the rest of the garden, I just think they've created an issue where there didn't need to be one?

We will own most of the fence and they will own 2 panels?

The fence is on the boundary so no issue there

It's their fence. If they bought and paid for it they can do what they like to it. In fact, it's you that isn't allowed to touch it at all. You can't paint it, nail anything to it, lean anything against it etc

Not so. If they choose to put a fence on the boundary that isn't theirs to maintain, then they have no right to go onto the OP's land to erect it, paint or repair it. OP is perfectly entitled to touch something that is on her land.

Just put the new panels in front of the other panels.

They are entitled to put up whatever fence they want to. When we put a fence up in our garden, we painted it to prolong the life of it, so that's probably why they have done that.
If you want to put up your own prettier fence in front of their ugly one, then you can do that.
I dare say it was significantly cheaper for them to put up their couple of cheap panels than it would have been to cover half the cost of more expensive panels covering a larger border.
They did tell you what they were doing, there is no real need for them to discuss it with you, though they should have asked permission to come onto you land to paint the fence or painted it from their side.

They did knock on your door and tell you and probably assumed you realised that the work might have meant they come on to your side. Honestly I really can't think why you are getting annoyed about this. They have saved you a job.

You can't own a boundary.

You can own the fencing on the boundary though. As they have now put the fence up it belongs to them and they can paint your side without asking. In fact, legally speaking though neighbours would have to be a bit peculiar to object to this, you would have to ask them if you wanted to paint your side.

YABU.

They should have put their fence up on their land not yours. I would ask them to move it back to their land, so you can have a matching fence on your land.

Oh please no.

I do not think I can bare another 'they painted the fence they owned' tale of woe, I really don't.

I am not annoyed they painted the fence, I am annoyed they let themselves into our garden without asking in order to paint it!

The polite thing to do is ask, it seems yes it is unreasonable to expect some neighbourly consideration..........

I remember the red fence thread. HH was apparently wrong to have leaned into the air space belonging to her next door neighbour, to paint her own fence.

If the fence is on the boundary, the deeds say whose fence and boundary it is. Each neighbour 'decorates' his own side of the fence. We have a white wall one side of our back garden. The neighbour the other side asked if they could paint their side blue. We said No.