am i being a cheeky fucker?

[detectivebird]

we've just had our back garden fence done last week. we informed neighbours on both sides (garden is three-sided, so the left and right sides are facing into their gardens iyswim). we didn't expect them to offer any money to split the cost and indeed they didn't.

turns out when the fencers were here, both neighbours arranged for their back gardens to also be fenced on the remaining sides. it's being done this week. so we've paid for a side each for them!

dp and my mum reckons we should ask them for a contribution but this feels really cheeky to me. am i just being a scaredy-cat?

@dollydaydream114 point taken!!

Yabu. Presumably it’s your fence to replace. What they do or don’t do in their gardens is nothing do with you.

Perhaps the fencers approached your neighbours to drum up some business or perhaps it just made them realise that their fences need to be looked at.

detectivebird look at it from their perspective.

Your neighbour pays to have one side of your garden fenced. they don't ask for any money towards this.

Now your other fences look out of place in comparison.

However, the company who did the new fence are available to come and fit new fences next week. Even better the other neighbours are also interested, meaning there's a chance the company are doing it at a discounted rate.

Would you really be happy with the neighbour coming round asking for a contribution?

Oh now it makes sense to my brain

No I don't think that you can ask for a contribution now. Annoying though.

The thing is they are probably only doing it now because you having your done make the remainder of their fence looking like it really needs done, if you hadn't done it they wouldn't have.

I had my fence repaired which desperately needed done but it left the neighbours looking really bad in comparison! Even though before they matched quite well before so it likely been the same with your neighbours

if you had informed them they may well have said ok let's see if fence guy can do the rest of mine too and we can split the cost of the shared side.

@WaterSheep honestly, i'd probably offer. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Ginkypig i did inform them, before we got quotes and after the dates had been arranged for the work to be done.

That is very cheeky of them, I can see why you'd be pissed off. If I were getting my front boundaries done I'd definitely ask for a contribution. The fencing firm should have given you a discount for a referral.

I've only ever got my own side of the fence done so wouldn't contribute to a neighbour's side. In your circumstance neighbours paying a third each would have been fair. It's too late for a contribution now but I'd definitely say something.

Ask your DP and mum how long the neighbours would have had to have waited before doing their fences in order for them not to have to pay a contribution. Or would it have been acceptable if they’d used a different company? They’re being daft.

You do now actually own the fence though so they are not allowed to paint, even on their side, without your permission. Also they cannot grow plants, attach washing lines etc without your permission.

You'd only be able to ask for a contribution from one neighbour anyway (i.e whoever's side you're not responsible for) and even then if you'd already asked if you could replace their fence at your expense you can't then go back on that because they'd decided that unmatching fences looked a bit crap. Your DP IBU.

Where we live we 'own' the back fence and the one on the right hand side. Our neighbour 'owns' the left hand fence. If any blow down/get damaged we are responsible for what we 'own'.

If you decided to replace all 3 without checking anyone wants to contribute before the work is done and without them NEEDING to be replaced, then you have to pay.

If once they've been done your neighbour thinks 'Oooh, that's so much nicer now, I'll get the rest done' or 'Hmm, the old ones look tatty now, I'll get the rest to match' then that's unfortunately their decision. You can't then ask for money for the fences you replaced on their side.

Well who owns them!?

Well-played neighbours, well-played.

indeed @TSSDNCOP

Looking at it from the other side, your lovely new fence has probably ignited the need to update the other neighbours remaining fence(s). Makes sense that they use the same style from same supplier. This will probably have a knock on effect down and up the whole street! ( I'm in the wrong job, should be selling fences, as they clearly sell themselves!)

honestly, i'd probably offer

Whilst that's very kind of you, I suspect you'd be in the majority by doing so.

NOOO You cannot ask money afterwards. You never ask for contributions before the work started.

@666onmyhead funnily enough another two houses on the row are indeed having the same fence from the same company! knew i had good taste in fencing

It would prob only be one side or the other on the deeds anyway. You're not usually responsible for both sides.

@WaterSheep you're probably right. i would just think, they've saved me a bit of money. i'll offer a contribution in return to mean everyone is a little better off.

Fences are not shared. Usually one belongs to you and one to next door. The one at the bottom may be yours or belong to ppl on the other side. Unlikely that both your neighbours own the fence they are paying for, one is likely to belong to the next house along. You should have checked your deeds or with land registry

It really does depend on who owns the border on each side. Normal practice is however owns the border pays, if it’s a shared border and the fence is down then usually you share the cost. If it’s a shared border and one side decides they want to update the fence for cosmetic reasons then they ask for consent and then find it themselves.

*fund

i would just think, they've saved me a bit of money.

Equally it could also be argued that replacing the fence has actually cost more money. As without the new fence, the old ones wouldn't look out of place hence the desire to replace them.