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AIBU?

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Original poster

IN thinking the fence posts are mine and CF neighbour shouldn’t be touching them?

109 replies

sweetkitty · 23/07/2018 23:46

Was discussing this with DH and I think I’m right, anyway
We stay in a detached house neighbours both sides, it was a new build about 18 years ago we’ve lived here for 12 years neighbours since houses were built.

CF neighbours paid to have posh 6foot fence put around all their back garden, everyone else has builders bog standard fence. The fence posts are on our side yet CF neighbours think they are theirs. The other side of our garden the fence posts are on the other neighbours side so it’s their fence so we don’t have a side fence IYSWIM.

3 years ago we moved our fence to move some of our front garden into the back this involved moving the fence 90 degrees on the post, CF neighbours wouldn’t let us do this as it beings to them, yes the fence does but not the posts in our garden. To save a fuss we moved the fence in a bit.

I’ve hung ropes for washing lines on the posts since we moved in, the other week CF neighbour had a knife and was trying to cut them down. The rope is around the posts not the fence.

I want to put a shed against the fence for our rabbit but I know they will moan. They moaned about DS kicking a ball against the fence even though their son did it for years. I want to put up a second fence now along their bloody fence against the posts.

So is it true that if the fence posts face your garden it’s supposed to be your fence? CF neighbours think the posts and the fence belong to them?

OP posts:
Saloubalou · 23/07/2018 23:49

Are you saying they paid for a fence but used existing posts? If they paid for the posts then they own them.

NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking · 23/07/2018 23:50

I think if the posts are on your side of the fence... the fence (and posts) are your neighbours. You always have the good side facing your garden if the fence is yours ime.

IWantMyHatBack · 23/07/2018 23:50

You're wrong, the fence is their property

NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking · 23/07/2018 23:51

Also... if I’d paid for a posh fence/posts I wouldn’t want the neighbours tying things round them either...

CluedoAddict · 23/07/2018 23:51

They paid for them therefore it's you who is the CF.

Buildabear · 23/07/2018 23:52

If they paid for the fence then they own it, and the posts and you shouldn’t attach anything to it

WarPigeon · 23/07/2018 23:53

Your fine, they’re arse holes. I wouldn’t let my son kick a ball against the fence though... but that’s just me.

Blizzardagain · 23/07/2018 23:54

Who paid for the posts?

WarPigeon · 23/07/2018 23:55

Actually I’ve drink too much and after a re read I’m not convinced who owns the fence. But to the lady above NO you don’t, the good side of your fence always faces your neighbour.

LucyFox · 23/07/2018 23:56

It’s irrelevant which way the posts face/ “good side of fence” what matters is what your deeds say - there should be a T on each boundary - the “tail” indicates who owns the boundary. If the posts are on your land though ...

Original poster
sweetkitty · 23/07/2018 23:57

I’m happy that the fence belongs to them. The builders would have put the posts in.

So which of the side fences is ours then because both neighbours claim each side fence is theirs so we have no side fences???

OP posts:
Buildabear · 23/07/2018 23:59

You need to have a look at your deeds, your fence should be marked on their, you can download them for a few pounds at the land registry and also neighbours if you wanted to check which fence they own

Buildabear · 23/07/2018 23:59

There not their

Fuzzywig · 24/07/2018 00:00

I was told that if you look facing your house from the front the fence on the left belongs to you.

OneEpisode · 24/07/2018 00:02

It’s entirely possible not to have your own fence!

Original poster
sweetkitty · 24/07/2018 00:02

Thanks I’m going to do that because according to them they own both their side fences and we own none. Ok they chose to put the posh fence up and they own it but they can’t dictate what we do with posts that are in our garden can they?

OP posts:
Original poster
sweetkitty · 24/07/2018 00:04

Why have they got two then and we have none?

OP posts:
ChasedByBees · 24/07/2018 00:04

If the washing line is wrapped around the post so it’s in their garden, that would be annoying. They shouldn’t have tried to break it however. Why don’t you find another way to attach it on your side?

There’s convention about fences but that doesn’t define who owns the fence. As others have said, your deeds will.

Kicking the ball against the fence is annoying and unneighbourly too.

categed · 24/07/2018 00:04

You need to check very carefully. If your neighbour paid for the fence and it is in their land not on the boundary then it is all theirs. If it is a shared boundary and they paid it is theres. If you own the bou dary and they own the poata then you need to chat.
I own all my fences they are all 2-3" inside my boundary. Due to prevopus neighboura treating my fences as theirs this way we avoid all issues, or should until i came home to 1 neighbour in my garden erecting a fence over my decking basically taking 4-5" of my garden. Same neigh our also dug out my fence post whilst i explained tbat the boundary was 2" from the edge of the concrete!! Some neighbours are odd at times...

Original poster
sweetkitty · 24/07/2018 00:06

When we got our extension built a few years back they said that they hoped we weren’t getting one of those conservatories at the back because they look terrible and would bring the area down.

3 years ago they got a new car and parked their old one in the communal space next to our house, it’s been there ever since it’s now got green mound growing on it, think that brings the area down more than any conservatory would.

OP posts:
categed · 24/07/2018 00:06

Sorry many typos. Theirs, boundary, posts.
It may be a shared boundary but you can't attatch anything to their posts without their permission if that is the case.

Original poster
sweetkitty · 24/07/2018 00:09

So why don’t I seem to have a side fence when they have two? I’m not disputing the fence belongs to them, they chose to upgrade it from the builders standard and that’s fine. It’s the posts in my garden I’m questioning.

OP posts:
ToadOfSadness · 24/07/2018 00:10

They are not always shown on the deeds.
It makes no difference which side the 'good' side faces.

None of our fences are on the deeds. One neighbour has just put a fence in because our garden was collapsing into theirs and we couldn't put one on our side (hill). There were some bits of fence on their side which belonged to them and some on our side which belonged to us, different ends of the garden.

Other neighbour also has no idea who owns the fence and has lived there for about 45 years. We share repairs although it may well be ours, but it is their plants that destroy it so we just share the cost because it is better than arguing and better than having gaps in the fence.

I would say that the person that paid for the posts is the owner of the posts. Same with the fences. Just get some washing line poles and have them cemented in on your side.

Storminateapot · 24/07/2018 00:10

It is possible not to own any of your boundaries, we are in a set of 4 houses built about 20 years ago. Our neighbours, the first house in the row, don't own any boundaries, the rest of us own the one to our right as we look out to the back garden.

Original poster
sweetkitty · 24/07/2018 00:11

If it is shared then they’ve also attached stuff to the posts hammocks and things, not that I mind, I do mind them trying to cut down my ropes.

OP posts:
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