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?

Also put up some big fast growing trees and report the company that dumped the trees on your property.

Do it.

When the hence is up make sure you take pics of it, before/after etc just in case they try and damage it which by the sounds of them, I wouldn’t put it past them.

Fence!
We had bloody chicken wire fences when we moved in here.
The old guy next door used to sort of lurk behind his trees and noiselessly move out into view, softly saying my name as he crept closer to my garden. He just liked to chat but it used to freak me out as he was quite intense. No privacy in the house either.
The fence went up within one day. Made all the difference...until our current horrible neighbours built a skydeck that overlooks our garden without a single word of warning... They sit up there and stare at our garden & house! Not for long as my trees and shrubs are coming along nicely now and I'll be letting them grow pretty tall on that side
Seriously though OP, I planted quite thickly in front of the fence with shrubs and trees etc, just to add another screening layer & reduce noise. You won't be able to hear the moany buggers huffing and puffing on the other side if you do this! Your garden, your rules.

They didn’t consider you when they took the trees etc out, put that fence up!

Another vote for a fence- can always add some trellis on top as well

I was under the impression that overhanging branches could just be put on the owners land

No. You have to offer the overhanging branches etc to the owner but they don't have to accept.

Plus get that fence up! Concrete posts are best.

Get that fence up!

Sorry, are you saying that the company employed by your NDN came onto your property and cut your trees down? Not just trimmed overhanging branches that extended over the boundary, which is permissible, but actually cut trees, through the trunks, that weren't on the land of the person employing them?!

They'd be getting a sharp letter from my solicitor if they did that to me. It's not legal. I can't actually imagine any bona fide company turning up to do a job and being directed to cut trees on a different property, just saying "Right you are" and cracking on. Surely there would be a flat refusal to cut trees that belong to someone else without that other person's consent? I know I wouldn't consider it for a moment. Think of having to explain to your insurers that you had knowingly destroyed the property of a random person who wasn't your client at the instruction of your client...

And dumping the cuttings back on to someone else's property without asking them... jeez, just no. Annoying enough if it was just overhanging branches, actual trees though!! Get angry OP and start reporting, you can't let them just ride roughshod over you like that?

Also with your new fence, if it has any rails, they should face inwards. It's not "nice side" or "pretty side", the rail-less side faces out to present a smooth, less climbable aspect. The side with rails is more likely to need maintenance, so for your convenience should be within your property. It's really nothing to do with aesthetics, it's pure practicality.

Another vote for the fence in the exact line of the current one.

Not read the whole thread just the first post....put a fence up as soon as possible

Cancel the cheque, wHile you're at it!

@TheNoodlesIncident

Sorry, are you saying that the company employed by your NDN came onto your property and cut your trees down? Not just trimmed overhanging branches that extended over the boundary, which is permissible, but actually cut trees, through the trunks, that weren't on the land of the person employing them?!

They'd be getting a sharp letter from my solicitor if they did that to me. It's not legal. I can't actually imagine any bona fide company turning up to do a job and being directed to cut trees on a different property, just saying "Right you are" and cracking on. Surely there would be a flat refusal to cut trees that belong to someone else without that other person's consent? I know I wouldn't consider it for a moment. Think of having to explain to your insurers that you had knowingly destroyed the property of a random person who wasn't your client at the instruction of your client...

And dumping the cuttings back on to someone else's property without asking them... jeez, just no. Annoying enough if it was just overhanging branches, actual trees though!! Get angry OP and start reporting, you can't let them just ride roughshod over you like that?

Also with your new fence, if it has any rails, they should face inwards. It's not "nice side" or "pretty side", the rail-less side faces out to present a smooth, less climbable aspect. The side with rails is more likely to need maintenance, so for your convenience should be within your property. It's really nothing to do with aesthetics, it's pure practicality.

Not quite. NDN mentioned to me a couple of months ago that they would be getting a small row of trees removed and showed me which ones. All clearly on their side of the fence. The company arrived, removed them, and put them on my side. NDN claims now that they WERE my trees, originating from my side of the fence and apparently growing through the fence to their side and therefore not their responsibility to dispose of. I've looked at the stumps and there's absolutely no part of them on my side of the fence at all.

This has been ongoing for years. Weeds, bushes, anything they don't want they cut and push over to my side claiming to have grown under the fence.

But they also had other trees (from other side of the garden) removed at the same time and the company had a wood chipper in their driveway, so surely any rational person would just dispose of the lot rather than instruct the company to leave a selection in my garden for me to deal with?!

I see! I would certainly be asking the company why they thought it prudent to fly tip the tree debris onto a neighbouring property then, the idiots. Since it's clearly a long-standing issue with unreasonable people, I wouldn't blame you for putting in a nice, very high fence PDQ. A good solid one.

NDN do seem completely irrational, but I don't see why the tree company should feel it appropriate to dispose of debris over to next door? I hope you make a fuss about that to them, they should not have done that (especially when they had the means to dispose of it already!).

Nowt as weird as folks...

Put up the fence. Back in the 80's my mum had exactly the same set up and my dad put up a bigger fence. I was a baby and they wanted more privacy.

The neighbours never spoke to my family again apart from the odd profanity and throwing snails over the fence (they're now in their 80's). My mum still lives there and couldn't be less bothered.

Another one here calling for a fence. Before the final panel is fitted, be sure to chuck the remains of the trees back onto their land and then slap that final panel down quick smart!

Cheeky feckers so they are!

They wanted light, or so they say, and you want privacy. You are entitled to privacy, and a fence as you've described is perfectly legitimate. After the rudeness of dumping those trees on your yard, they have a nerve to complain about your plans for your nice new fence. They can throw a tantrum if they want, they don't get to have everything their way.

They sound awful - largest fence you're allowed ... add trellis and climbers too if you can 😋

Whack that fence up… and then put some trellis on top of it!

Fence! Fence! Fence!

Put up your fence.

Absolutely build your fence. It's the least you deserve!

Put up the fence and remind them that light comes when the sun is up in the sky, not 6’ above the horizon

Put up the fence and remind them that light comes when the sun is up in the sky, not 6’ above the horizon
Light comes all day long, hence it not being night :-)

@OoglyMoogly

I was under the impression that overhanging branches could just be put on the owners land

No. You have to offer the overhanging branches etc to the owner but they don't have to accept.

Plus get that fence up! Concrete posts are best.

This is absolutely correct. They have the right to chop the overhanging branches. You have a right to the wood if you want it. They cannot just throw the wood over your side of the fence or pile it onto your driveway. Its flytipping/dumping and obstruction. So request they remove it (and at their cost). This happened with 2 neighbours near my parents. A misunderstood old lady whose trees were overhanging her neighbours garden. The house next door to her wanted her to chop them all down (at her cost) and were very particular about how everything looked - manicured lawns etc whilst she was a bit run down. I think cost was the main issue for the elderly lady and she liked the trees. So her neighbours got cross and cut the overhanging branches down their side (making the tree unstable - part of it later blew/fell into their garden a later year, causing further arguments) and then piled the wood onto her driveway (out of spite) blocking her so she couldn't leave the house (and couldn't possibly clear it herself). Legal advice was taken. She made a 'polite' call to the neighbour (who was a solicitor!) and he came round and had to remove all the wood. It was ridiculous ! How can adults behave like this - it just caused antagonism and humiliation. Also the tree surgeons should know better. But be careful ....they are your neighbours, what followed for these neighbours affected the whole road neither house behaved terribly well- Tricky parking, blocking of driveways by endless teenage children, calls to police and council on cars/parking/obstruction/noise, dog barking/children heard crying triggering social services, signs appearing on the road. Lots of curtain twitching ( elderly people with lots of time can become v fixated and angry solicitors misdirect their energies). You have to live next to them you don't have to like them. Grit your teeth and find a peace offering - it could be well worth it in the long run. Call them, tell them to take the wood, let them think on it. Call them again - tell them you'll help them with the wood - things got carried away - lets discuss the boundary again - we want it to look nice too - you have such good gardening experience- what do you suggest - we'd like privacy. ANYTHING to avoid escalation. And if you do put up your fence, try to do it in a way that doesn't rub them up the wrong way. Things may become increasingly difficult.