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AIBU?

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Original poster

To not acquiesce to neighbour's request?

390 replies

FelicityMorange · 27/01/2018 14:03

We spent this morning installing a new fence in our front garden. After 4 hours of back-breaking labour, I was sweeping up when our neighbour comes out and says she's not happy because we've got the 'nicer' side of the fence facing our way and not hers. She actually wanted us to turn each panel round so the flat side was facing her garden.

I thought she was joking at first so sort of laughed it off but no, she was being serious. I just muttered something about 'speaking to my husband' and went indoors.

Have I made a misstep in neighbourly etiquette or something?!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
Myddognearlyatethedeliveryman · 27/01/2018 15:46

By law they have to give you permission to enter their garden to paint /maintain the fence also!! Expensive solicitor had to write to our neighbour before she would agree a day /time though.

KathySelden · 27/01/2018 15:48

Your choice its never been a rule here, used to work for a company that supplied and fitted fencing.

codswallopandbalderdash · 27/01/2018 15:50

Alas we had to replace our fence and the neighbours got the (very expensive) nice side. They would've complained bitterly otherwise. way I look at it is that it is only a sodding fence and I'd rather keep my neighbours sweet

expatinscotland · 27/01/2018 15:51

YANBU

Kentnurse2015 · 27/01/2018 15:52

Wow! So much trauma from a fence!

I think usually the fence posts in your garden signal that you are responsible for that fence. To us it is to the left. I have never heard of a person putting the pretty fence in their garden. Surely it’s a fence?!!!

You must know which side of the garden you are responsible for?? You need to confirm that. Did your neighbour know of your plans? Contribute anything to them?

Kentnurse2015 · 27/01/2018 15:53

Amazing that so many ‘fence’ companies are minimising what is usually a planning etiquette

Knittedfairies · 27/01/2018 15:53

Moanaohnana my dad always insisted that the nicer i.e. patterned side of curtains should face outwards - it used to drive me nuts. When he asked me to make curtains long after I'd left home I did it my way. He never mentioned it again.

suzy2b · 27/01/2018 15:54

My fence was put up by builder i don't have the post on my side

Moanaohnana · 27/01/2018 16:02

Oh no Knitted - I was joking! That's so funny.

gillybeanz · 27/01/2018 16:04

Yes, your fence so you should have th nice side facing your neighbours.
YABU and should swop it round.

melj1213 · 27/01/2018 16:06

I always just assumed that the "nice side" faced out for practical reasons rather than any law.

If you put the fence on your boundary then you want the panels to be on the boundary line and therefore any posts should be on your side, which puts the "nice side" facing out ... if you put the nice side facing in then you have to pull the panels further into your land so that the posts are on the boundary line, therefore cutting off a bit of your land. Also, if the posts are on the boundary and there was any issue with them then you would need to either take down the fence or go on to your neighbour's property to get access to them.

HotelEuphoria · 27/01/2018 16:07

I thin this used to the old done thing but as long as you aren't on her property you can do as you please. I did and my lovely neighbours asked if we minded them fastening slats to the old side so they also had a good side. We didn't and we were both winners.

Oldraver · 27/01/2018 16:10

When erecting a fence on a property boundary, the party erecting the fence should put the 'nice' side on the outer facing.

But why ? this is just convention from years ago, and used to be a marker of who owned the fence ie if the posts were on your side and the good side to the neighbour, it was assumed to be your fence. This was never law though, and nowadays people seem to want the good side to themselves.

My neighbours paid £3000 for a fence...so think I would want the good side if I was forking out this much

Nanny0gg · 27/01/2018 16:11

Is it even your fence? I believe I am responsible for the fence on the left as I look out to my back garden, while the neighbour is responsible for the one to her left. I was told that normally you can tell which fence you are responsible for because the posts will be on your side.

Not necessarily. You need to check the deeds

BewareOfDragons · 27/01/2018 16:21

I think that only applies to 'boundary' fences, where the fence sits on the boundary. The side with the posts is the person who has responsibility for it.

If the fence is entirely on your property, so your responsibility anyway, I would think you could put it up any way you like, tbh. Nothing to do with your neighbours.

grannytomine · 27/01/2018 16:23

I live in a small cul de sac and am the middle one of 3 detached houses. My neighbours each side are responsible for the fences on both sides of the gardens, I'm not responsible for any. It really annoys them but they both bought the houses new and that was how it was done. We are the third owner of our house so nothing we could so about it. Oh and the posts are on my side, don't think it would go down well if I asked them to change it.

SoupDragon · 27/01/2018 16:25

YANBU.

There is absolutely no law that states which way round the fence panels go. You can put them whichever way you like.

And you’ve put them back the same way the old ones were anyway. Leave them.

Cake20189 · 27/01/2018 16:26

Yup you should have the ugly post side facing you if it’s your fence....

FitBitFanClub · 27/01/2018 16:29

For crying out loud, this is turning into "Cancel the cheque."

There. Is. No. Law!!!

Tringley · 27/01/2018 16:29

I know this is too late for the OP but why, when erecting a fence, not use fence panels that look the same back and front and slot them between the posts. That way there is no nice side and ugly side, just two identical sides. It's the only way I've ever erected a fence.

Tumbleweed101 · 27/01/2018 16:32

My neighbour put the fences up post side on our side but I don’t actually mind as I have been able to put hanging baskets and trellis on the posts.

WandaWitch · 27/01/2018 16:33

I don’t understand this - if you are putting a fence up with the nice side facing your neighbour, then you would have to stand in your neighbours garden to attach the vertical planks to the posts?

You couldn’t hit the nails in from your side? Our nice side of fence faces us, posts are in our garden, so neighbour has gained an extra couple of inches in sections between posts I suppose?

But cannot see any other way of putting the fence up from our side?

Plus if a vertical plank of wood (sorry - cannot think what it is called?) becomes loose then it would need to be nailed back again. Could only do it if the posts are the other side of the fence to us and the vertical plank?

WandaWitch · 27/01/2018 16:36

This is the type of fence I am thinking of - you couldn’t have the nice side facing away from you unless you stood in their garden to put it up?

To not acquiesce to neighbour's request?
RavenclawRealist · 27/01/2018 16:36

So by me fences are all shared 50:50 so who gets the nice side or should the panels alternate?? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Tara336 · 27/01/2018 16:38

I had a new fence last year and was advised by the contractor if it’s facing public land you have to put nice side outwards but the bits going to neighbours is discretionary

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