Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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
YearOfYouRemember · 27/01/2018 16:41

Our neighbours painted their side of the fence and we now have horrible rust coloured paint running down our side.

If you look at your garden, the fence to your right is theirs, the left yours. With us, the fence on our right side runs down three different houses so that's been fun. We replaced one panel ourselves as the home owners wouldn't and told us it was our problem if my toddler got into their garden and drowned in their pond ShockAngry. The panel was ordered within minutes and dc kept in unless I could be with him until dh fitted it.

We currently have a neighbour wanting us to lop off six feet from the top of the tree so he can have more light.

Lovesagin · 27/01/2018 16:49

What? She's mad. Have fence however you want it. You paid for it.

Cheeky mare!

MonumentalAlabaster · 27/01/2018 16:51

I've learnt something today - mainly that I'm glad we have a walled garden

Spangles1963 · 27/01/2018 16:57

I can remember my brother,who used to be a gardener for many years,saying that the owner of the fence usually has the not-so-nice side facing their garden. I remember years ago when my late DM's NDN put a new fence up,it had the fence posts on my DM's side,and the nicer side facing his garden,and I remember my DM and brother talking about it. But then the NDN always had been a total arsehole.

Spangles1963 · 27/01/2018 16:58

But I don't think there's any law about it OP! It generally works like this to keep goodwill between neighbours.

Spangles1963 · 27/01/2018 16:59

Not saying you are an arsehole for doing this OP!

SoupDragon · 27/01/2018 17:00

If you look at your garden, the fence to your right is theirs, the left yours

Only if that’s what it says in the deeds.

twilightsparkles · 27/01/2018 17:03

Hope it sorts out !!

BendydickCuminsnatch · 27/01/2018 17:05

What kind of weird fences do you all have?? Confused our fences go panel, post, panel, post. There is no 'nice' side (also it's a bloody FENCE, how nice can it be???). The panels attach to the middle of one face of a a 4-sided fence post.

Tringley · 27/01/2018 17:05

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

Just choose fence panel with near identical sides and slot the panels between the posts. Then both sides are equally nice.

redfairy · 27/01/2018 17:06

I've always thought neighbours get the good side and that you have the posts for maintenance.

YearOfYouRemember · 27/01/2018 17:12

Soupdragon - I thought it was the law. Oops.

Petalflowers · 27/01/2018 17:18

Never heard of this before and why would you pay and have the poor side.

We put fences up in our old house and had the nice side.

Fence ‘laws’

SoupDragon · 27/01/2018 17:19

I think it’s common that that is the way the boundaries are allocated but it’s not always the case at all. It is all down to what the deeds say.

Thiscantreallybehappening · 27/01/2018 17:21

If you look at your garden, the fence to your right is theirs, the left yours.

Ah no, not always it depends on the deeds. In our road the fence to the right is ours and to the left is NDN

SoupDragon · 27/01/2018 17:22

Bendydick there are fence panels that look like this so one side is plain and “nice” and the other has posts on it.

To not acquiesce to neighbour's request?
RaspberryPi1 · 27/01/2018 17:28

YANBU. Every house we've lived in you have the nice side of the fence when it's on your side... Why on earth would you pay to have the posts on your side...?!

NorbertTheDragon · 27/01/2018 17:30

Even with the photo examples I'm still failing to see that the "horrible" side of the fence is anything to get worked up about. Do whatever you like.

The only reason I can see for putting the nice side out is on SoupDragon's pic if you faced onto public land to stop people climbing it. Other than that, why get wound up?

Thiscantreallybehappening · 27/01/2018 17:32

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

says who exactly. It is very clear from this thread that people are split down the middle on what you should or shouldn't do but there is NO WRITTEN LAW about this.

We have had 2 fences erected in 2 houses and both times the company installing the fence have told us you are paying so you get the nice side. We used a different company for each fence and they were consistent in the advice they gave us. We live on a long road and this is how everyone has done it.

These posters that are saying your NDN is right and you should change it are wrong. You don't have to change it OP, only if you want to. You stated you have replaced it like for like so that was how it was before, tell your NDN that and don't worry about it. After all, your NDN now has a new fence.

McPie · 27/01/2018 17:32

So you replaced a damaged fence with no financial input from your neighbour and they are not happy because they got the "bad side"! You really cannot please some people can you?

Rewn7 · 27/01/2018 17:34

Not round here. If you pay you get the good side. All neighbours here do that and it seems totally fair if they pay.

Tbh that’s the incentive for paying isn’t it... that you get the nice side and can choose design etc.

thegreylady · 27/01/2018 17:34

When we replaced our fence we paid for the materials and ndn did the work. He paints both sides every other year. We pay for the paint. This arrangement suits us all very well.

Thiscantreallybehappening · 27/01/2018 17:45

From Fence Laws

*Fences, appearance of: Must the smooth side of my neighbour's fence face towards me? My neighbour is in the process of erecting his new fence, and he has started putting it up so that the smooth side faces towards his own house. Is he allowed to do this?

There is no law that says the smooth side of the fence should face the neighbour.*

If your neighbour pays for a fence that he erects on his own land (even if he builds the fence so that the outer face of it, as seen from his land, runs along the boundary) then he is entitled to choose the style and colour of the fence, as well as whether he places the smooth side of the fence to face in towards his own house or out to face your house.

Thiscantreallybehappening · 27/01/2018 17:45

From fence laws

*Fences, appearance of: Must the smooth side of my neighbour's fence face towards me? My neighbour is in the process of erecting his new fence, and he has started putting it up so that the smooth side faces towards his own house. Is he allowed to do this?

There is no law that says the smooth side of the fence should face the neighbour.*

If your neighbour pays for a fence that he erects on his own land (even if he builds the fence so that the outer face of it, as seen from his land, runs along the boundary) then he is entitled to choose the style and colour of the fence, as well as whether he places the smooth side of the fence to face in towards his own house or out to face your house.

Thiscantreallybehappening · 27/01/2018 17:46

Apologies, posted twice and bold fail

Swipe left for the next trending thread