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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Neighbour has painted our and I mean our fence

303 replies

Endoftether2000 · 31/05/2020 19:04

Would I be unreasonable to go out and paint my fence. Scenario approx a year ago husband decided to replace all fences on both sides the original posts were wooden and had broken causing our garden to have props holding the right fence up. He went round to the neighbour who was relatively new and advised that he was replacing the fence with concrete gravel boards and posts. She advised that her side of the fence was OK to which my husband responded that if he removed the props that were straddling our garden the fence would fall down and was surprised she didn't know as the old neighbour was aware and advised my husband he would make the new buyer aware (as if he was going to stay he would have gone half's with us) so he agreed times and dates when the fence would be removed to no inconvenience to her or her garden. Fence was removed she then asked if she could have the fence for her wood burner so husband and people that were helping took the old fence round. She then knocked at our door and said that she had too much wood now and could he dispose of the excess which he did. She then paints said fence (we stained our side grey) she painted hers with dark brown stain which has ingressed but not too badly but painted the top of the fence brown when I had stained it grey which can only be seen from the bedroom so I could live with that. Then she hammers things to it only one screw yes screw not nail can be seen so can live with that. We are on the front garden today and notice behind the overgrown bushes which is our next project to tackle she has dark brown stained the section of wood that is the size of a tall gate that connects from our house to her garage and the small fence that is our border in dark brown stain on both sides the small fence being on our land. The section of wood and the fence are on our land so is this trespassing? I am tempted to go out and paint over it even if due to the colour I would have to use garden paint? Opinions appreciated. By the way I hate dark brown stain! Smile

OP posts:
Windyatthebeach · 03/06/2020 11:55

My side was grey as was my preference on my fence. Why would I want brown paint dripping through the gaps and be happy looking at that?

Windyatthebeach · 03/06/2020 12:01

Actually it did happen. After a time of the ddogs going over and shitting in each other's garden and her bf knocking for me to go pick it up ASAP - likely when I was bf a new baby. He liked to be standing with his hands down his pants when I went into their garden. She was harassing us in many ways not mentioned in a post about a fence...
Last thing I needed was hassle with a new baby no?

Somanysocks · 03/06/2020 12:49

Well if my neighbour forced me to have grey fence panels in my own garden there would be a paint-off, hate grey, and they would be repainted each and every time in the colour of my choice.

So there.

RedRed9 · 03/06/2020 17:45

Why would I want brown paint dripping through the gaps and be happy looking at that?

Why would you have brown paint dripping though - did a child paint it? My neighbour and I both have different colours on our boundary fence and neither of us have each other’s paint dripping through: I can’t tell what colour her fence is unless I’m in her garden. And from in her garden you can’t tell what colour mine is.

Alizzle · 11/07/2020 03:17

If they are sloppy painting it there would definitely be drips through the panels. The op wasnt disputing the neighbours painting their side, just hoping over and painting the OP's side. That's mental! Who would do that!?

Anordinarymum · 11/07/2020 05:26

Better she paints the fence than leaves it IMHO ...anyway it's on her side and not yours.

RedRumTheHorse · 11/07/2020 05:55

@Anordinarymum it is criminal damage to paint a fence you don't own without permission from the owner even if it is the side facing you.

People have been taken to Court over it though most end up with warning letters from solicitors. Fence painting and the location of fences are very common boundary disputes.

The owner of the fence is allowed to enter your garden to paint it the colour they want.

The neighbour in this case clearly decided she owned the fence as she painted both sides when she didn't as she didn't pay for it.

Anordinarymum · 11/07/2020 05:57

Fair enough but it all sounds really petty

Whenwillthisbeover · 11/07/2020 06:16

I would be really annoyed if I had paid a lot of money and the neighbour contributed nothing, painted my property a colour I didn’t like, including the tops and nailed things into it.

That said, I hate coloured fences, I firmly believe they should be brown Or green, you know the colour of the landscape, so I have a small amount of sympathy for her.

Had it been me, I would have run a new fence next to yours and painter it luscious brown 😀

Thesuzle · 11/07/2020 06:24

Punctuation would help...

Jellybeansincognito · 11/07/2020 07:43

knowing that a full set of fencing can be as little as 2.5k, I fully understand that it would annoy some if neighbours tamper with it, because let’s face it... if they want a fence, they’re welcome to buy and put in their own.

nobody should be painting fences and hanging stuff to them without asking the person they belong to, it’s not irrational to be annoyed by this- it costs a lot of money.

FortunesFave · 11/07/2020 07:48

Grey fences are on a par with twiggy shit in vases. And pebbles. And signs that read "Love" "Cook" and "Sleep"

userxx · 11/07/2020 07:56

@FortunesFave I disagree. My dad painted his fences grey well before it was a thing and it still looks fabulous, his garden is amazing and the grey really shows up the different colours and shapes of the plants, It wouldn't look half effective in bleak brown.

FortunesFave · 11/07/2020 08:04

Well different strokes and all that user I think it looks tacky.

Dkr23 · 11/07/2020 08:05

Lol! I just posted a fence related one. I’m just plavemsrnung to read later. Hope you okay OP I know it can be a build up of things that have happened over the years. I will post later a more thoughtful reply

Charleyhorses · 11/07/2020 08:12

Literally only on mumsnet have I ever heard any issue of fences.
Every house I have ever lived in.
You determine which is your responsibility.
You replace/maintain it as needed.
You give all the bits of fence you can see inside your garden a coat of fence paint every couple of years.
You hang any hanging baskets/put up trellis/grow plants up any fence in your garden
If you need to replace a fence panel that is your responsibility, you knock on the neighbour so they can tell you about any special plants/trellis/move it before you start.
I swear there is a whole parallel universe going on.

Charleyhorses · 11/07/2020 08:14

And has any one ever actually seen 2 fences side by side so each neighbour doesn't put anything on the others fence?

bettsbattenburg · 11/07/2020 08:21

The owner of the fence is allowed to enter your garden to paint it the colour they want.

I didn't know that. It'd be so tempting to go and paint the other side of my fence a really annoying colour to irritate my annoying neighbours Maybe alternating red, orange and pink stripes? Grin

fluffiphlox · 11/07/2020 08:35

I would always try my damnedest to be on good terms with my neighbours. I would let them paint their side whatever colour they like.

Soontobe60 · 11/07/2020 08:43

@FortunesFave

Well different strokes and all that user I think it looks tacky.
Why?
sueelleker · 11/07/2020 08:51

And has any one ever actually seen 2 fences side by side so each neighbour doesn't put anything on the others fence?
Not for that reason, but my neighbour over the back built a second fence; just so that he could dump his rubbish between it and our fence. We ended up having a wall built, because our fence started rotting.

nitsandwormsdodger · 11/07/2020 09:00

windyatthebeach

Please come back and tell us all why you chose that course of action as we are all gobsmacked that you chose to actually PAY a solicitor and then achually STOOD in another couples garden for hours paining their fence

Just the awkwardness of the hours of fence painting is making my skin crawl... did they come out and offer you a cuppa???????

OrangeCinnamon1 · 11/07/2020 09:02

@Jellybeansincognito

knowing that a full set of fencing can be as little as 2.5k, I fully understand that it would annoy some if neighbours tamper with it, because let’s face it... if they want a fence, they’re welcome to buy and put in their own.

nobody should be painting fences and hanging stuff to them without asking the person they belong to, it’s not irrational to be annoyed by this- it costs a lot of money.

Exactly this ! Unless on deeds there are no shared fences. Neighbour's fence is not great to look at and a bit gappy. I would love matching fences on all sides but legally I can't just do it. So i've added screening that side..no problem ...attached to my posts.

It's not difficult. You don't do anything to soneone elses property without their permission. They don't have to give you permission.

OrangeCinnamon1 · 11/07/2020 09:06

@Charleyhorses

And has any one ever actually seen 2 fences side by side so each neighbour doesn't put anything on the others fence?
Yes Charleyhorses we don't all live in lovely, friendly areas like yours unfortunately.

It is a simple solution to existing/ potential disagreements.

EvilPea · 11/07/2020 09:08

More importantly op
did you put hedgehog holes in your fence?
www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/link-your-garden/