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?

It is what it is... no you can't ask for money when it's your fence.

@detectivebird
"for the sake of argument, let's say each side cost £300 so i've paid £900 and was perfectly happy to do so. three days later both neighbours have theirs done and, because of me, only have to pay £600 each. they couldn't have mentioned they were getting it done, so we split the cost? i dunno. maybe i'm a mug but i'd feel a dick doing that to them."

That's exactly what I was trying to say (not very clearly obliviously!)

Well one of them was your side so the neighbour you informed you didn't need permission from. The other that you informed was the owner of the fence that was taken down, so they benefited from you replacing their fence. If they paid for the other fence to be replaced then they have paid for their neigbours fence to be replaced.

Silver lining, you got to pick the fence that everyone else in the street has decided to match so it didn't stick out!

Might have been worth looking at the deeds. Ours show shared ownership so the neighbours contribute

I understand your pain here but I think if you really want all the neighbours to contribute fairly then you should have consulted before the work was agreed. You have picked the type of fence the company who did it and the cost. They are just following on the back of that to have their gardens look even.
I would speak to the fencers and see if they can offer you something for the extra work you gave them, it also maybe interesting to compare prices.
Saying that I think the money you may get back, if you get any at all, will not be worth the hassle and stress.

you still need to find this out as you may have to supply paperwork to one of the neighbours if they own one of the fences you've replaced.

This is really basic home ownership stuff.

will do @CassianAndor thanks.

Why should they? If they both paid for half of yours; they’d pay for one and a half each, and you’d pay for one in total.
You can’t negotiate after the event.

yes @HeadintheiClouds i'm not going to. that's not quite right anyway, there's seven sides in total, i've paid for three. each of them has paid for two. if we'd split it it would be two and a bit each. but as i've said i'm not going to be raising it with them.

I can why you think it is cheeky, at least it will all match maybe they thought it looked really well.
Is the back of your fence on their side, maybe they don't like it, I dont know? I personally wouldn't ask for money.

The back bit is irrelevant, surely, as it doesn’t appear to be shared?

So you paid three and they paid for two. I think yabu so.

Whoever owns the boundary paid. It's possible that you've replaced a fence that isn't owned by you. In which case your neighbors could justifiably be pissed off with you.

I'd like to see a picture of the fence or a description. How tall, material and is it solid? Not sure why I want to know, just curious.

oh my goodness. all neighbours were asked for and expressly gave consent. so they won't be pissed off. and i'm not asking for money from anyone.

wishing i hasn't posted now!

They’re only obliged to pay for two, op. As Lucie says, you’ve appropriated a boundary that isn’t actually yours. You really should have spoken to both sides before pulling the fences out in the first place.

@HeadintheiClouds as i've said, i did. i asked before i got quotes and once dates had been confirmed. i've also seen them both since it was finished and they've commented how fab it looks.

Oh, you did, sorry. Well then you won’t get into trouble (!), but you’ve definitely taken responsibility for an extra boundary that isn’t yours.

I do see your point, as I'm the sort of person to be fair and moral and I'd have offered to contribute.

BUT.

You decided to get your fence replaced, at your own cost, and lucky they agreed and you're going ahead. The fact they're doing what they're doing is beside the point - with neighbourly stuff like this you have to suck it up and pick your battles, for the sake of sanity.

It's definitely unreasonable to ask for a contribution, but it's a bit shit of them not to offer to contribute beforehand.

Most people are takers, sadly!

But do enjoy your new fence :)

@TumblingTumbleWeeds it's five foot with vertical panels, solid wood.

The OP won't get into trouble but needs to know that the actual owner of the fence can change it any time time they like, without her permission.

But it sounds like her neighbours are either as clueless as she is on the subject of fence ownership, or happy to take advantage of her ignorance and get a free fence out of her.

OP Thanks. It sounds nice.

Curiosity oddly satisfied lol.

You need to find out which fence belongs to you. You have replaced somebody else's fence with a fence of your choice, making them update the rest of their fencing at a time which may not have been opportune for them. I'd be pissed off with you if you did that to my fence tbh.

We actually own all three fences around our garden (which sucks) but I'd have no objection if we replaced them, if next door chose to upgrade their other two sides.

Would have nothing to do with me really

Do you mean own as having installed the fences, Sorry? Being responsible for your entire boundary is extremely odd.