Can neighbours attach plants to your fence?

[Crackers321]

Attached to the fence with what looks like thick plastic washing line. It’s my fence I fully own it. CF to not ask first?

[Crackers321]

Jaysus. What a worry to have.

I like to think ahead, so in my mind I’m thinking what if it needs replacing? We’re looking to move soon so I also Don’t not want the new neighbours having to face any disputes and issues.

This would have been avoided if the had decency to tell me what it was and why and I would be okay with it. Isn’t is natural to wonder what’s going on in your own property and think ahead to any potential problems?

[HoneysuckIejasmine]

Our fences are all shared - i.e. deeds do not indicate who owns which, just where the boundaries are. No T indicators.

I have attached plants to the fence but if the neighbour decides the fence needs something which means the plant needs to come off (it's one plant that goes across whole fence) then I am A-OK with pulling it off. I keep it trimmed so it doesn't go over. It's a plant, it'll grow back. shrug

[SoloMummy]

@Crackers321

Thank you everyone. I think it’s a good idea to just leave it and deal with it when or if the fence needs replacing. I just find it incredibly rude to not discuss it beforehand.

I noticed more neighbour dispute threads on here too! What’s going on? To be honest my neighbours have always been thoughtless but I suppose I’m noticing things more now as at home.

@Crackers321
I'm not sure if it's rude per se, or more that often people are unaware that the fence that is on the boundary line on their side couldn't be used as they wish. Much like a shared internal wall, you would not expect to ask permission to hang a photo on your side....

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

Bare fences are horrible. Unless it’s something so heavy that it’s going to pull your fence down (e.g. way out of control ivy - but that’d take a few years at least) I wouldn’t see an issue.

[HappyDinosaur]

In the real world I don't think it is considered rude to support a few plants against a fence. In fact I think if my neighbour popped round just to ask if they could they do this I'd be rather surprised it's just such a nothing thing.

[viques]

My evil neighbour has just has a new fence put up, I'm calling it Donald because it's orange and ugly, I think if I even breathe heavily on it she will rip me limb from limb. I am hoping Donald fades down in time............

[Crackers321]

@viques

[RiftGibbon]

My garden has one fence the full length on one side. At the back it is bounded by a fence completely overgrown with ivy for the will length, which has grown down to near ground-level.
Along the other side, it has hedging and fencing where it meets the boundaries of 4 other gardens. Climbers are growing through one, the hedge encroaches into our garden, and of the remainder of the fence, two panels are damaged, waiting replacement.

We are planning work on our garden soon which means stripping loads out, up to each boundary. I shall inform all neighbours as their plants are going to end up getting cut.
One neighbour with a fence is replacing hers soon, so I shall ask if they object to me painting the side facing my garden.

[BeeBeep]

It would have been polite for them to ask, but it's not really a major issue (unless they're heavy and cause damage to the fence).

[Oldraver]

My house was built 25 years ago and neither we nor are neighbours are actually sure who owns the fence between us as we can't find any mention of it in the paperwork

We have the same here, house built 22 years ago, no indication as to who owns the fence at all

When I pushed the developer the only thing I could get out of them was ...'you have to asume it's jointly owned'

We also have a 200 year old Cotswold stone wall 'we have to assume is ours'

[saraclara]

@Crackers321

Thank you everyone. I think it’s a good idea to just leave it and deal with it when or if the fence needs replacing. I just find it incredibly rude to not discuss it beforehand.

I noticed more neighbour dispute threads on here too! What’s going on? To be honest my neighbours have always been thoughtless but I suppose I’m noticing things more now as at home.

It really isn't rude. 'Owning' a fence isn't about possession as much as being responsible for it. It's a responsibility thing, not a right. You have a responsibility to mark your boundary, and that's almost the sum of the legalities of 'owning' a fence (though of course your neighbours can't destroy it).

I've been a homeowner for over 40 years. I've never had a clue what my neighbours might be growing up my fences, and I've had things that grow up a fence that my neighbour's been responsible for. You don't have to have a bare fence in your garden because it's your neighbour's boundary. It has never occurred to me or to any of my neighbours to ask nicely before having a honeysuckle or a climbing rose up the fence.

If you need to change the fence panels, anything that's growing on them on your neighbour's side is not your problem. They have to live with the damage.

[Standrewsschool]

If it’s something lightweight, such as ties fir a trellis, it wouldn’t bother me at all.

[Crackers321]

i don’t particularly like these neighbours so maybe that’s what is adding to my over annoyance. To those who are saying it’s not a right it is as it’s against the law to do anything to neighbours fence without asking first.

[lazyarse123]

My neighbour, who we don't get on with, tied her washing line to one of her posts so we asked her to take it off. She did then put it back so dh waited until she took her washing in and cut it off. We don't speak now for various reasons and she has a wirly washing line.

[lazyarse123]

MY post fgs

[BrightYellowDaffodil]

Technically they should ask your permission.

In reality you’d have to be a particularly small minded arsehole to stop them growing plants up it/painting their side etc as long as they aren’t damaging it.

[seven201]

When my neighbour put up a new fence I put some horizontal wire up and am growing a couple of climbers. It never occurred to me to ask permission! If she ever wanted to do anything to her fence I'd happily upclip the climber and sort it out. I think you're overreacting, but maybe I just didn't realise I am a selfish neighbour!

[Silvercatowner]

Id really struggle to give a fuck

This, seriously - is it really the hill you want to die on??

[Longwhiskers14]

We want to replace our boundary fence but we know our neighbour has loads of plants growing against it, so we're going to wait a little longer until growing season is over as that's the neighbourly thing to do. However, we are going to ask that she doesn't reattach a few of the bigger plants (blackberry bush) directly to the new fence and uses some wire/trellis as support as our fencer says the weight of them is what's caused the current panels to buckle, and the wood's rotted too. Reaching a compromise is far better than a falling out, OP! So if the wire is attached a panel, ask them to attach to a post instead as it's less likely to cause damage.

[m0therofdragons]

How are you seeing how their side looks? I can’t see the neighbour’s side of the fence without serious, non-discrete snooping. They might have a naked lady painted on it for all I know. I can’t see why it matters unless they damage it.

[Ginfordinner]

@emilybrontescorsett and @emilybrontescorsett it is the same with us. Our lovely neighbours are keen gardeners and have a beautiful garden. I also love gardening and have tied my climbing plants to their fence (with their permission). We get the benefit of their honeysuckle and climbing roses, and they enjoy our clematis – win win for both of us.

OP, unless the fence needs replacing in the near future I would just leave it. You may get to enjoy the fruits of their labours in time to come.

so I also Don’t not want the new neighbours having to face any disputes and issues

Having a neighbours climbing plant growing up a fence would not cause a dispute or issue with most people. I really can’t see the problem with this. I also agree that bare fences are ugly, and really don’t understand why you have a problem with this. This is really a non issue.

In reality you’d have to be a particularly small minded arsehole to stop them growing plants up it/painting their side etc as long as they aren’t damaging it

This ^^ with bells on. Stop overthinking it Crackers321. It is such a petty thing to get your knickers in a twist over.

[GreyGardens88]

Theoretically they should ask permission, but realistically no one cares and you'd look really petty raising this with them. It's not worth the potential aggro

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

I can understand people not wanting their fence damaged but the pettiness of refusing to allow people to paint the side of the fence that faces their property blows my mind. The problem comes when their paint or stain leaks through to your side, patch painting your side of the fence, floor etc.

Things tied to it, hung over it will all cause additional wear and tear or damage that only one person will have to pay for. So, sometimes, it does make sense to make a bit of an issue of a neighbour not being polite and checking the owner of a fence is happy for them to use it.

Again, it seems weird to me that anyone would feel put upon if the owner of something asked them not to use it in a certain way! Takers take and owners put up and shut up for the sake of neighbourliness!

[GetOffYourHighHorse]

'I've been a homeowner for over 40 years. I've never had a clue what my neighbours might be growing up my fences, and I've had things that grow up a fence that my neighbour's been responsible for.'

Yes I've lived in many places where I've no idea what's going on on the other side of the fence.

The only way it would be an issue is if they attached something heavy like wooden trellis that then caused the fence to lean.

Whether you like them or not op just let it go. If the fence ever blows down and needs replacing then just replace it.

[saraclara]

Painting is the only thing that would annoy me, and a neighbour should definitely ask before doing that, if it's your fence. Because as a pp said, the paint will always leak on to your own side.