CF new neighbour

[toomanyplants]

House next door to me up for sale, previous owners emigrated.
Yesterday I had a knock on the door, couple stood there, around my age (say 40-50).

So he says hello I'm about to buy the house next door, and then immediately launched into how he dislikes the walls surrounding the back garden and wishes to replace with wooden fencing. "I have a thing about concrete" he said.

I was stunned and just replied "I can't make a decision about that until I speak with DH"

The walls are like concrete posts with the long slabs, ours are painted cream and look great, very secure and offer privacy to a good level.
AIBU to think that this is not how you introduce yourself to a new neighbour?

I always seem to disagree with you @Bluntness100.

I think it is CF to appear at a neighbours door abd the first thing you do is announce you’ll be removing their fence. I mean honestly who does that and expects to remain on good terms. It’s something you might discuss with your neighbour after you’ve moved in and when you’ve consulted the deeds and satisfied yourself the fence is yours.

He didn’t say he would be though, he said he wished to and we still don’t know if it’s the ops or his,

If it’s his then I’d be pleased he told me as soon as, because frankly he doesn’t need to. It’s common decency to do so. If it’s the ops then it depends on how he phrased the wishes to but it’s cheeky,

It really doesn’t depend on who owns it, for me, anyway.

Well either it’s your responsibility and it stays, and it if it’s his he will have to bear the brunt of the entire cost of removal, replacement and gardening work on your side to resolve any damage. I bet his interest in changing it goes when he realised that.
Wonder if he assumes the bill will be split?
A wooden fence on top of the concrete is actually his best option and will last longer than a normal wooden fence.

He sounds nuts!

And I love the “I am” rather than “we are” buying

As others have said, he can just put a fence up on his side - imaging moving in and telling established neighbours that they have to have a different fence!

Tell him he’s free to put up a wooden fence in addition to your solid, expensive and superior fence. He will lose a few inches of his garden but that’s his problem.
No way would I remove a solid fence for a higher maintenance, shorter life span wooden fence.
He’s an idiot.

It is cheeky, but if the fence on his side turns out to be owned by him he certainly can replace it. However your garden might look odd.

Update.....
so after a call to estate agent, then sourcing online (£22) 🙄
The wall in question is indeed ours!!!
I'm so relieved
No offence to new neighbours, but I'm so glad that I can tell them it won't be touched.
Thanks for comments and being the ears I needed!

Is the house they are buying on the left of your property, if so, the fence is yours. We had a similar experience with our neighbours when they moved in. To be honest we've had nothing but hassle from them since they moved here. Be warned, sounds like a complete and utter arsehole.

Is the house they are buying on the left of your property, if so, the fence is yours.

Not necessarily!

That's great news! Hopefully if they do buy it he won't make a huge fuss when he finds out it won't be coming down!

Let him know Before he buys the property. With a bit of luck he'll change his mind and look for more doormat neighbours

It is on the left, but after a bit of googling I've found that that means nothing!
The house has been now taken off the market, I can't see it listed anymore at all, so I'd assume he has progressed regardless.

Last thing I want is a feud, but safe to say I can't see us being best of friends.

I'm not keen on that boundary/fence. It's far too prominent. All depends who owns it. But he hasn't got off to a good start. It is quite cheeky of him though since he hasn't even bought the house yet.

I hope you told the estate agent that the fence will be staying; perhaps the CF will change his mind about buying the house.

People always site rules such as the one on the left etc on these threads but unfortunately there are no such general rules.
Some estates & houses do have rules like this which should be explicit in their deeds but most don't in fact a lot of the time the issue of who owns boundary fences can be very muddy.
First place to check is like the OP has done always your deeds but especially on older properties these aren't always explicit and the plans are of such a scale it's hard to see exactly where the boundary is. Sometimes it requires coming to an agreement with neighbours which can be hard or making sure that your boundary treatment is definitely on your side of the line which can mean loosing a bit of garden.
Glad OP has managed to clarify it.

Oh good. He can get fucked then 👌

No, that’s the fence he bought. If he wants different he can build it inside on his property.

Great news OP! What a relief. He can disguise it however he likes, but it's staying. I own all my boundary fences and one has rotted after just six years. Yours are so much better.

Some houses have the fences demarcated on the deeds with a T. Some houses have no marks as to who owns a fence and then you have to sort it out (squabble about it) until you find a resolution (or don’t).

Ha good job OP, he can bugger off now!

Quick, you need to borrow several dogs, children and footballs to come and play in your garden. Make your new neighbours appreciate the solid walls.

The fact the concrete fence/wall continues all round your garden suggests that they were erected by the previous owner of your garden so they belong to your property. No way do you want to take down just one wall and neighbour has to realise that. Do a bit of research around neighbours who have lived there longer than you. Or, can you contact previous owners?

Pleased to hear it's yours OP. I like it and unlike us no pesky hedges to cut on a regular basis.

Hopefully knowing it's yours will put him off buying if he hasn't already completed.

If you like them, don't change them. Even if they pay for the fence on their side, you would still have another side or sides to your garden to pay for.

Let us know how it go when you tell him it's your fence and its staying, would love to know what he says.

It's probably asbestos and not concrete btw...Mine was. Very expensive to remove as you need a specialist. (And if it isn't, you can still suggest as much to him...)