To ask for fence etiquette?

[cannotchillout]

Asking on here as really don’t want to upset our scary violent alcoholic neighbour.
There’s a fence in our garden. It runs between our house and scary neighbours house. The fence on the deeds belongs to scary neighbour.
Previous owners of our house have painted it, but we want to change the colour as it’s pretty garish.
Are we allowed to paint our side?
What happens if some paint goes through onto their side of the garden? Previous owners have painted the front of each of the upright posts too, so the half facing our garden is garish colour and their half is brown still.
Do I need to ask permission?
Our neighbours at the bottom of our garden have just painted their side of the fence we own and have sloshed brown paint through the cracks and it’s ran down our side. I’m not hugely bothered as want to paint our side anyway, but worried scary neighbour will kick off if any paint runs down their side.
Advice please!

Are we allowed to paint our side?
The fence on the deeds belongs to scary neighbour.

No, its his fence.

Im pretty easy going, put up a new fence and NDN kreosoted their side, I had all the drips. Pissed me off no end. I was tempted to turn the panels round so they would have to paint it again .

We have a good relationship so I didnt say anything - but if I didnt have a good relationship and my fence had ghastly painted drips, I would go garrity and seek legal recourse.

Hhhhmmm I thought as much.
Although in previous houses my neighbours have always painted their side of the fence without ever asking me.
Not sure what I can do to rectify this horrible garish paint then. I can’t put up my own fence next to it, as there is decking and a pond and water feature so couldn’t add a fence of our own.

Wouldn't have thought painting it back to the original brown would be a problem tbh.

Could you paint it the same colour as they have on the other side and then it wouldn't matter about splashes

Can you paint your side the same colour as the scary next door neighbour's side? That way any paint would not be seen on his side. Brown sounds better than a garish colour.

I'd paint it! I have done in my old house and I will in this one!

I have never not stained the fence on my side but then I have never had such awful neighbours!
Could you jet wash the garish off?

There is a garden law site

www.gardenlaw.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9082

I know you said the neighbour's awful, but can you really not ask them? If their side is ok then ask what they painted it with and say you want to do the outside to match. I can't see why they would refuse.

the law is, it is there fence and you can't do it.

Having said that, very few people stick to that, as even on this short thread people have said they painted their side.

I would suggest talking to scary neighbour, and asking him if he would like you t return the fence to a sensible colour, in other words, phrase it as you offering him a favour. If you are desperate, you could say that you'll do his side as well. can't imagine he would refuse and you get to have a nice fence.

Failing that, I would sand off the paint as then there are no drips to go through the fence, and very very carefully repaint it the same colour as the nieghbour's when he is out.

I think the most sensible thing to do if budget allows is build your own fence in front of it and paint that so you aren’t touching his fence, there won’t be any drips etc

Recread and see you can’t put up a fence.

In that case, is there space to squeeze in a baby climbing plant?
Like a honeysuckle or something to cover it?

Just ask nicely. And if you paint it the same colour as theirs or carefully there should be no drips.

You need permission to paint or stain someone's fence and you cannot attach anything to it. Can you put up some screening or plants to hide it if theres no room for another fence.

I’ll have a think re what to do.
Wonder if I offer to buy a paint sprayer that there may be less drips and runs?

You could just ask scary neighbour if he minds you paint your side of the fence

Think it would be wise to ask in this case.

We agreed to take the panels out and paint them when they were lay down on a sheet so all the drips went on that and there were no runs. Once dry put them back in.

Unless the fence is clearly new and has yonks left in it, would offering to replace it work? What exactly happens when you try talk to them?