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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:
BoomBoomsCousin · 31/05/2020 22:14

I would be annoyed at a neighbor who painted my fence without so much as a word when it had nothing to do with her property. Even if I liked the colour she'd chosen, the lack of boundaries on her part would make me concerned about what else she might take it upon herself to change to her liking.

If you want to move the bushes, do so and repaint the fence. If you don't really want to move the bushes I would leave them and try and ignore the fact you know the hidden fence is a colour you dislike. But in any case, I would go and talk to her. You need to point out to her that she hasn't got away with it, that you aren't happy about it and that she shouldn't do anything similar again.

If her stain makes it harder or more expensive for you to get it the colour you want you could try insisting she does the work at her expense, but I think that's likely to cause a lot more bad feeling and unlikely to be worth it.

YurtleTheTurtle · 31/05/2020 22:19

Op, in the gentlest way possible.... get a life! It's a fence! Spiders rub their willy's on it and seagulls shit on it. As long as it separates your gardens, it's doing its job! Don't cause drama over nothing, you will probably regret it later on.

Ipadipod · 31/05/2020 22:23

I fitted new fence panels and painted my side and my neighbour painted her side ( a different colour to mine) , I can’t see why this is such a problem for people, if a neighbour doesn’t paint their side then wouldn’t it be untreated and not last as long ?

RHRA · 31/05/2020 22:30

@Ipadipod
All very reasonable but how is that relevant to the OP situation? You’ve got the wrong end of the stick.

Endoftether2000 · 31/05/2020 22:31

I get that it is just a fence YurtletheTurtle. What I don't get is why somebody would think they are entitled to paint something which is clearly not theirs without asking?!? Especially when we don't even know her, is that not just wrong?

OP posts:
Endoftether2000 · 31/05/2020 22:34

And especially when it is not something I want or like. Thank you RHRA for clarifying if I ever post anything again I will try better 😆👍

OP posts:
GreyBird84 · 31/05/2020 22:39

Just paint over it. Say nothing to her unless she asks then say ‘we want all our fencing on our property same colour’. End of.

Endoftether2000 · 31/05/2020 22:43

Thank you BoomBooms cousin. If I was to change this deep brown stain I would have to paint over it with fence paint as it would not cover with stain. This will be another cost to accommodate. Then it will still look different to my left side fence. Lol😆

OP posts:
Windyatthebeach · 31/05/2020 22:44

19:26donquixotedelamanche
Lots more to living next to her.. Fence was a small matter in comparison..
Thanks for the lovely comment...

Ipadipod · 31/05/2020 22:44

RHRA yes I have Blush

Winterlife · 31/05/2020 22:47

I would paint the portion on your drive grey. Even if you cover it, it will always bother you, and it is your fence, on your property.

RedRed9 · 31/05/2020 22:49

This reply has been deleted

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Quornflakegirl · 31/05/2020 22:54

Has anyone else only continued to read this thread to see what windy's response will be? Grin

OtterBe4 · 31/05/2020 22:58

@Quornflakegirl
I think windy needs a thread as there must be a huge story behind it.
My neighbour and I chipped in to fence the front of our houses (houses are all open gardens) it was painted by the time I came home, not my choice of colour but it saved me doing it and I can’t be areas to repaint it!

OtterBe4 · 31/05/2020 22:59

*arsed not areas

lovinglavidaloca · 31/05/2020 23:00

Why would you ever paint any more fence than you absolutely had to?! Madness!!

We’re about to install a new fence and thank fuck it’s all ours separating the front garden from the back so if some random comes and paints it there will be hell to pay!

MaggieFS · 31/05/2020 23:00

Well this is a mn first for me... first time ever a diagram has made even less sense than an already indecipherable OP.

glitterbiscuits · 31/05/2020 23:01

Both Windy and the OP like grey fences.

Grey fence equals bad neighbours?

OtterBe4 · 31/05/2020 23:03

I’d give grey a miss, every second bloody house I pass has went nuts with grey paint; fences, decking, sheds, they’ll probably hate it by next summer.

strugglingwithdeciding · 31/05/2020 23:03

@windyathebeach how does that work ? You may be responsible for the fence but you can't tell your neighbour what colour to paint it surely ? It enter on there side of the property to paint it ? If you were my neighbour I wouldn't of allowed you on my land and why did it matter to you what colour she painted it ??

TheFencePainter · 31/05/2020 23:04

I am fascinated by the love of Brits for grey designs😂 Come on. 9 months out of 12 everyone is moaning about "the grey" weather. Actually 12 out of 12, because even when it's lovely there is that "Ugh. It will be grey again soon". I would honestly expect people to hate it and have colours everywhere 😂

TARSCOUT · 31/05/2020 23:09

Can everybody please stop painting things chav grey. I simply can't stand it any longer.

strugglingwithdeciding · 31/05/2020 23:10

Op I don't get your description either but if it is your fence then go and paint the colour you want
@windy I'm still shocked anyone would go to the effort of a solicitor over the neighbour painting a fence and as soon as you left I would of painted it again the colour I wanted and if that failed stick a hedge all along the fence In my garden

Endoftether2000 · 31/05/2020 23:13

Glitterbiscuits Bit of a sweeping generalisation. I am unsure how liking light bluey greys equates to being a bad neighbours 😆😆😆

OP posts:
HoldMyWeave · 31/05/2020 23:16

The drawing is terrible. The post next to is is terrible
Is Icedlatte Alsohuman a new Starbucks drink??

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