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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed my neighbour has painted their side of their fence?

107 replies

cheesersqueezer · 16/06/2022 18:08

... without telling me? My side looks awful now. If they had told me they were doing it, I would have arranged to get my side done too. Its a totally different colour and the the top and sides are the new colour, as are all the drips on my side. They did this a few years ago as well but it was the same colour and I still had to promptly paint my side because it looked so bad with the drips. I probably said nothing at the time. I will need to get my side painted the same (neighbours choice of colour again)- I don't know whose fence it is, if anyones, it was here before we both moved here, but it maybe is theirs. Just annoyed because I think we usually have a good neighbourly relationship. I have a family party planned at the weekend and have been getting the garden looking presentable and it now looks, well, shoddy and horrible

OP posts:
FourTeaFallOut · 16/06/2022 19:57

I won't do anything of the sort, settle down, it's just a thread about a fucking fence, not a call to arms.

Everydaydayisaschoolday · 16/06/2022 19:57

If I went to a garden party and the fence had paint drips I'd leave. You can't expect your guests to put up with that sort of thing.

seriously - I have had no fence at all for two years as the houses behind me were demolished and it's now a building site. In that time I've had a few outdoor gatherings (all that was allowed during lockdown). I'm grateful my guests didn't judge me for the tatty boundaries and had a good time anyway.

ivykaty44 · 16/06/2022 20:05

They surely don't need permission?

if its not their fence, they do indeed need permission

SmartCarDriver · 16/06/2022 20:06

ivykaty44 · 16/06/2022 20:05

They surely don't need permission?

if its not their fence, they do indeed need permission

The title says it is their fence.... but then confusion ensues!

MajesticElephant · 16/06/2022 20:07

My neighbour stained their side of my brand new fence so I turned the panels round so their lovely handiwork was facing my side! Saved me doing a third of the garden! 😁

Floydthebarber · 16/06/2022 20:08

It's a shame they didn't let you know but you also said nothing to the the first time it happened. You can't be annoyed at them for doing it again if they didn't know it was a problem.

ivykaty44 · 16/06/2022 20:08

this page shows how to determine ownership of fence

www.boundary-problems.co.uk/boundary-problems/fences.html

ivykaty44 · 16/06/2022 20:10

www.gov.uk/get-information-about-property-and-land/copies-of-deeds

you can download your deeds here for £3 so you can check the boundary

Cuckoo48 · 16/06/2022 20:11

There was a thread on here las than a month ago when something similar had happened and everybody was up in arms for the OP. See photo, neighbour had painted a newish fence black on the other side.

Why the vitriol for this thread's poster?

Would you be happy if your fence looked like that when you'd put a lot of time and effort getting the garden nice for an event?

To be annoyed my neighbour has painted their side of their fence?
ivykaty44 · 16/06/2022 20:12

www.boundary-problems.co.uk/boundary-problems/fences.html

SmartCarDriver

from the link

Fences as supports: Can I hang things on my neighbour's fence?

Fences as supports: Can I use my neighbour's fence as a support for my own plants?

Fences, appearance of: Can I paint my side of my neighbour's fence?

Only if your neighbour gives you permission to do so.

Leaning things against your neighbour's fence, hanging things on your neighbour's fence, even using your neighbour's fence as a makeshift retaining wall, will place a much heavier burden on the fence panels and supporting posts than they were designed to bear. The consequences of such actions are easy enough to predict and you will be liable for the cost of any repairs. On top of that you will still have to do, and pay for, the work that you did incorrectly and which resulted in the damage to your neighbour's fence.

In short, anything you do to your neighbour's fence without your neighbour's permission

  • including staining, painting or applying preservative to your side of your neighbour's fence -

amounts to criminal damage.

doomoon · 16/06/2022 20:12

Fuck me, I never knew I was transgressing by painting my side of our fence (which legally belongs to the neighbours). Maybe it's because they are nice and reasonable, like most people IRL, and haven't made a big fuss about it? Or maybe my paint isn't drippy? Who knows? And why can't you paint your side a different colour? Why will a fence ruin a party?

So many questions.

Terfydactyl · 16/06/2022 20:15

Snowflakes1122 · 16/06/2022 19:15

Look at your deeds. It will say who owns the fence.

YANBU if it is your fence.

YABU if it is not your fence.

Whoever it belongs to can do as they please with it.

The deeds might say who owns the boundary, but it's unlikely to tell you who owns the fence.
The fence belongs to whoever put it up.
In my own home, before we bought it, the ndn installed their own fence on our boundary. Because the previous fence was falling down and the previous house owner could not afford a new fence. The boundary is still mine, the fence is theirs.
Since moving in we have put up two more fences on other people boundaries. The old lady behind us actually did offer to pay some but I felt that was taking the piss and then she would have had a say in what type of fence, so we just paid. It's her boundary still but my fence. And the other next door neighbour was adamant he wasnt having a fence, the falling down post and wire thing was fine, until we told him it was at our expense, then he could not wait for "our" new fence.

SmartCarDriver · 16/06/2022 20:15

ivykaty44 · 16/06/2022 20:12

www.boundary-problems.co.uk/boundary-problems/fences.html

SmartCarDriver

from the link

Fences as supports: Can I hang things on my neighbour's fence?

Fences as supports: Can I use my neighbour's fence as a support for my own plants?

Fences, appearance of: Can I paint my side of my neighbour's fence?

Only if your neighbour gives you permission to do so.

Leaning things against your neighbour's fence, hanging things on your neighbour's fence, even using your neighbour's fence as a makeshift retaining wall, will place a much heavier burden on the fence panels and supporting posts than they were designed to bear. The consequences of such actions are easy enough to predict and you will be liable for the cost of any repairs. On top of that you will still have to do, and pay for, the work that you did incorrectly and which resulted in the damage to your neighbour's fence.

In short, anything you do to your neighbour's fence without your neighbour's permission

  • including staining, painting or applying preservative to your side of your neighbour's fence -

amounts to criminal damage.

@ivykaty44 whose fence is it ? OP doesn't know but does state in the title that it's her neighbours fence?

So why are you tagging me in that?

ivykaty44 · 16/06/2022 20:15

Fuck me, I never knew I was transgressing by painting my side of our fence (which legally belongs to the neighbours)

well there you go - it is could amount to criminal damage

ivykaty44 · 16/06/2022 20:16

So why are you tagging me in that?
you tagged me so I replied

ivykaty44 · 16/06/2022 20:18

The fence belongs to whoever put it up.

if its not your boundary, can you actually put the fence on the boundary?

SmartCarDriver · 16/06/2022 20:18

ivykaty44 · 16/06/2022 20:16

So why are you tagging me in that?
you tagged me so I replied

To point out to you, the OP doesn't know whose fence it is!!

So all that nonsense about criminal damage is irrelevant until ownership has been established.

Maybe she should log it with 111 in case it forms out it is her fence?

toomuchlaundry · 16/06/2022 20:21

On the other thread that someone posted a photo of the hence, I’m sure someone suggested to pressure wash the fence and it would get rid of the drips. Although I guess if you have painted the fence it would get rid of your paint too!

ivykaty44 · 16/06/2022 20:24

To point out to you, the OP doesn't know whose fence it is!!
which was why I wrote if in the first post you highlighted, I knew OP didn't know who owned it

Maybebabyno2 · 16/06/2022 20:24

Do you need permission to put a hook for a washing line into a fence? I'm not sure who owns the fence, newbuild so was here when we moved in.

User57327259 · 16/06/2022 20:25

@Snowflakes1122 some people are so full of their own importance and entitlement that even if they have been told what is in the title deeds they still go ahead without consulting the neighbour.

BungleandGeorge · 16/06/2022 20:32

If they don’t paint their side the fence will rot though?
ehat paint is everyone using to leach through and drip that badly?

SlashBeef · 16/06/2022 20:39

Well this turned into a shit storm in record time 😄

Tilltheend99 · 16/06/2022 20:39

WetWilly · 16/06/2022 18:21

How awful they didn’t consult you first to marry up dates.
It will be utterly distressing for your party guests and will ruin the evening.

Grin
NumberTheory · 16/06/2022 20:41

If I was garden proud I'd probably be a bit annoyed that they didn't mention it. Especially if you generally chat a lot or if you might have saved a little bit if paying someone to do it together rather than separately.

But it's not really a big deal. It's not going to wreck your party. Or be anything other than a passing irritation.

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