AIBU to put up a fence against neighbours' wishes?

[bigbluecup]

Long story short, I've wanted to change my 4' flimsy wire fence for a 6' solid wood panel one for a while. I finally have the funds for it, and an even bigger falling out with neighbours next door recently has led me to seriously go for it. I currently have no privacy in my garden, and after they have removed all of the trees and hedges on the other side of my fence my dog is now more than capable of jumping over the 4' wire fence. I would also love to be able to sit in my garden without them staring at me as they currently do (retired couple who seem to live in their garden)

The current fence is 100% mine, no doubt about it. I've looked up rules and I'm perfectly allowed to put up a 6' solid fence without need for planning permission.

However, they witnessed someone I had over to give me a quote for this new fence and they went BALLISTIC. They're claiming that their garden will be darkened and that the only reason they just cut down all the trees and hedges on their side of the fence were to give them extra light.

AIBU to still be strongly considering putting up this fence?

I cannot believe you have allowed a company dump on your property?
Photograph and tell them you will report them.
Stick it up on local pages.
Why would you accept that.

Your neighbours do what they want with their garden and go ballistic when you decide to do something perfectly reasonable with yours.

Report them on 101 for dumping and that they are aggressive over you doing someth perfectly legal on YOUR property.

Never engage with them again.

Get some camera's up covering your property.

Offer the wood free for collection to people with log burners, fire pits etc. Let them know if they’ll need to cut it smaller for removal. It will be gone in no time. Logs are expensive.

OP why on earth are you hesitating? It's your garden, your fence, your land, your privacy, and your batshit crazy, nosy, inconsiderate neighbours. At this point, there is no single reason to NOT put up a bloody great wall.

Up the fence goes 👌

@Douchebaggette

They cut down trees? I hate them already

Me too. The world seems full of people determined to remove any tree they see - as if the world needs them sat for a couple hours a week in the sun more than it needs a mature tree.

Trees save and sustain human and animal health and life. We should be preserving them and chopping mature/semi-mature trees down should be much harder than it is now.

OP: build the fence and plant more trees

^ 1000% this!

Blame it on the dog

Fence Fence Fence! Seriously......a 6ft fence is going to deprive them of sunlight? Go higher OP.

Fuck them, put up the fence and paint it a colour they'll hate too

Also get the fence erector to come at the most inconvenient time for them to make a nice loud racket

Gardener here, if they cut down your trees on your property they have committed criminal damage (tree disputes are one of my favourite things). If they dumped trees on your land they are fly tipping, speak to the company involved as soon as you can. You have a right to trim overhang onto your own property, you do not have a right to remove the source of the overhang. Their trees- Their problem.

Then put the fence up. Option on fence mounted cannon...

You can have a nice little cutout in the fence for hedgepigs, I'd also recommend planting some alpine strawberries for them. They love a tiny strawberry.

Well you are right that overhanging branches after being cut on your side must be offered back to the owner of the tree as legally they belong to them. But if I remember rightly if you Chuck them over the fence without prior agreement then that it could be classed as fly tipping. If the owner doesn’t want branches back then it’s up to you to dispose of them.

But as your neighbours have put ‘their’ cut trees in your garden then they they have effectively fly tipped into your property. So I would take photos first then promptly return branches to them over the fence (as they ‘are’ the legal owners). If they kick off, report them for fly tipping!

Then put the fence up quick smart!

There was a rotting and badly maintained fence in between my house and NDN. NDN told me it was "their" fence so I left them to maintain it. My house is an end one so I maintain the fence bordering the street.

NDN decided to replace the rotting fence but they did so with recycled panels some of which did not fit between the concrete posts. Workmen employed by NDN were in my garden without permission grinding the concrete posts to make the panels fit. No safety gear, warning notices or permission. They vanished smartly when I threatened them with the police.

Cheeky NDN then asked me to go halves for the cost of the fence. I told NDN that the "new" fence is not to my taste, I was not consulted as to the design, and the panels are not new. Therefore I will be providing my own fence to match my other fencing runs, which is did. The new fence is 6 ins over my borderand completely shuts out NDN on that side

High fences make for good neighbours.

@Douchebaggette

They cut down trees? I hate them already

Me too. The world seems full of people determined to remove any tree they see - as if the world needs them sat for a couple hours a week in the sun more than it needs a mature tree.

Trees save and sustain human and animal health and life. We should be preserving them and chopping mature/semi-mature trees down should be much harder than it is now.

OP: build the fence and plant more trees

I hate them, too. This obsession with cutting down trees... Madness. Uglification. And almost as bad, removing 'mature' trees and imagining that they can be 'replaced'. No, they can't.

People are insane about trees, who are our very good friends, cleaning the air for us and giving us beauty as well as shade, and bringing birds into our lives. Down with tree cutters!

Think you need special fencing for neighbours like yours.

@MissM2912

I personally don’t like wooden plank fences like that. Think a bit tacky. I would put up posts and wire and shrubs.

I personally don’t like posts and wire, they’re a bit council. I’d get a troupe of swans to put up a beautiful ancient dry stone wall then decorate it with twinkly fairy lights and Morris dancers.

Leave the worse fence up and put your new fence on your side of it. Then they can't claim it to be a shared boundary.

We've just put up a new fence, it's 6ft with 6' gravel boards underneath so very private

I think you need to tell them that the reason you're putting it up is because they keep staring at you and don't allow you any privacy.

@Blackcat333

They cut down trees? I hate them already... Fence and some trees please, the big ferns that grow fast and tall 😂.

@Blackcat333 please tell me the name of such ferns? Really need fast growing things to give me sense of privacy

My horrible neighbour did this to us but our only windows face her fence and so it blocks the light there is literally just two inches of window above the fence line. The fence is six inches from the windows. Our house is really dark. We have fallen out on a permanent basis.

You really won't enjoy falling out with your neighbours so if you can, try to accommodate them at least a little.

This must be very common and personally know 2 different people currently having the same issue. I find it really weird that people who don’t get on with you want to have full view of your garden and love sitting out for a good staring session of people they don’t like.

When challenging your fence however they will only say that the light they lose is the issue, but they are too embarrassed to admit that the only reason they care is because they will lose their fave hobby of watching you.

I’d get a troupe of swans to put up a beautiful ancient dry stone wall then decorate it with twinkly fairy lights and Morris dancers.

Let them go ballistic all they want. What you do on your own property (within reason and planning) is none of their business.

We did this as soon as we moved in to our property. There had been a flimsy wire one before and straight away we put up a proper wooden one. Saw no reason at all to ask the neighbours

They were cross because they had been in the habit of chatting to the previous owner through the fence and popping over it if they fancied. It was the time I arrived home from work to find the neighbour unexpectedly in my garden that made me realise we needed a proper fence.

They were not happy at all and said we were mean and not community minded but I would never have been able to enjoy my garden at all with them gawking. At first he still used to stand on something and put his head over until he finally got the message that it was not welcome. Many years later they have got over it and we have a normal cordial neighbour relationship ie take in parcels, warn them if we are having a BBQ etc

Definitely get the fence. You are 100% within your rights. Just ignore any objections and don't even argue back. It's your property and your choice what boundary to have.

Tell them the sun is in the sky, not your garden. Your 6ft fence won't affect their light. Put up your fence.