Neighbour wants to replace MY fence, I don’t want them to!

[Fencewoes]

We have recently had new neighbours move in next door. A month ago they said that they would like to replace all of the fences around their garden (sides and back) which includes replacing mine. They said they will pay for this as they want their garden to look uniform. At first I was on board with this, actually quite pleased at the thought of having a brand new fence as mine is quite old, however they have now said they will be replacing my current 4ft fence with a 6ft fence instead.

I have told them I do not want them to replace my fence with anything higher than 4 ft. They’ve now said that in that case, instead of replacing my fence, they will just build another fence against mine in their garden. So basically, I will retain my current fence, then there will be another in their garden, but I will have double fences on my side! Is this even allowed?

Oh and if the adults really wanted to talk over the 6ft fences they grabbed a stool
or chair for a mutual chat not a you must have because I can see you chat.

An adult would shout over after hearing kids playing. Is your mum/nan free for a chat, kids go running nannnyyyyyy mummyyyyy Mrs blah blah next door wants to know if you free. A simple sorry cooking dinner or whatever. Or Doreen or Mavis would pop out with her stool and pack of fags for a chat.

A new fence will look much better than a double fence.
It's gonna be 6ft high anyway, so you'll just have to accept that.
Try not to fall out with them over it though

My neighbours did this as they wanted my new fence to match their other fence and I was delighted!

At my old house there was a fence that was 6’ on my side and only 3’ on the neighbours side due to their drive being raised up. They sat by the fence watching everything I did. I wasted no time raising the fence so it was 6’ on their side.
Then they would stand at their landing window snooping.

I think people on here need to realise that not everyone wants 4ft fences in their gardens. Not everyone wants to be close to their neighbours, some people are private and don’t want any relationship with their neighbours.
Some people are just like that and that’s their right to do so.

Its still possible to live in a close knit community but neighbours can still have boundaries.

Apart from anything, 6ft fences are more secure than 4ft, in the event of burglars hopping over people’s gardens. Especially with young children in a property, I want them to be safe.

This thread is a hilarious summation of Englishness. “Community feel?! Are you MAD?! Why on EARTH would you want that in a garden?!” “Privacy!!! Not community!!!”, “My home is my castle is my kingdom.” Etc.

Global reputation for coldness encapsulted in one thread. Sorry OP you don’t need to move house - you need to move country! 😂

Surely it depends on the neighbour? We get on really well with ours but we can both be in our respective gardens without continuously talking to each other. We say hi and then crack on with what we were doing. If it was someone who appeared every time we went out and wouldn't leave us alone then a higher fence would be necessary. That's not cold, it's just not wanting to talk all the time.

whoah....judgy mc judgeface

Are we all English now? News to me.

We don't all see it like that. Did you ignore those of us who have a fantastic community and are friends with neighbours without them being able to see into our gardens?

If someone offered to replace my old fence with a brand new one offering me more privacy I’d jump at the chance. Maybe they don’t want people poking over the fence into their garden

Not English, or even British. Not the last time I checked anyway.

As someone who has been considered downright icy, I can state with some confidence that wanting a private back garden doesn’t even hit ‘chilly’ on that particular scale.

I’m with you op on the four foot fence we love our low fences in our new place, we chat to neighbours in the yard all the time, except the neighbour on one side… with a 6ft fence 🤣. Looks like they’ve cornered you, I’d accept their offer to replace your fence, a double fence is going to look horrible and you have to live with them, so concede and start off on the right foot. If they can’t see the value in a smaller fence then they’re not going to be saying hello over it anyway

Either way you are going to end up with a 6ft fence on that side whether you like it or not. It's their money so up to them if they want to put up a 6ft fence on their property and not the current 4ft one that is on yours. You may as well have agreed to it because by the sounds of it, it's going ahead anyway and won't look as nice with your shorter fence, the gap and then their fence.

If they want a higher fence that’s their choice.
Theyll loose, I think you said, half a metre of their garden and it won’t align with their property but it’s their land so their choice.

Just as whatever goes on your land, ie your boundary, is your choice.

Its nice that they haven’t been rude or aggressive about it OP and that they have respected your wishes.

In terms of how their set back fence will affect your property tbh not much, 2ft higher and half a metre back even in the middle of the day south facing will only cause an extra 100mm or so shadow. You won’t even notice it.

I would also say it makes the boundary situation legally more difficult if the neighbours put their fence on your boundary.
You own the boundary, they paid for the fence so technically if you sold your house the new owners could chose to take down the fence the neighbours paid for
It is therefore much better that your neighbours are putting their fence on their own land and not disrupting the legality of boundary ownership.

Having just seen this thread it's reminded Me - if theyre looking to replace 'your' fence - is it sldo on your land ? As they might have to move it back half a metre anyway onto theyre property/the boundry line hence the double fence

My BiL actually went to a solicitor and had the responsibility of the boundary set up legally. I suppose it clarifies matters if you sell. He wanted uniform fences. Maybe if OP insisted on this then they might be reluctant due to cost?

It won’t make any difference if the fence is entirely on their own land not the boundary , they can do what they like unless there is a covenant that says a maximum fence height .

Which is the issue really.
OP hasn’t come back but generally people do not own both sides of their boundary. So as OP states it’s ‘her fence’ then it will sit on her boundary.

The neighbours won’t own her boundary even if she agreed to allow someone else to build on it.
I would find the legal problems here far too messy to agree with this making it much more preferable for the neighbours to do whatever they want but on ‘their own land’ not mine.

However this would require both sides agreeing to the neighbours ownership, your bil would not have been allowed to remove ownership from his neighbour just because he’s spoken to a solicitor about it. If OPs deeds currently state she has ownership of the boundary why would she agree to loose that, although I suppose with financial compensation she might.

I know😩

We have this:
Unless you local rules state a lower fence maximum height, yes they can put a 6 foot fence inside the boundary without your permission. To be honest though, why do you like a 4 foot fence? Like that means you and your neighbours being able to fully see into each others gardens - why do you like this??

There seems to be some divide in opinion here. Some gardens including front gardens suit a lower fence to obtain an open feel. We have a steep narrow garden, so having high boundaries just makes it feel like a tunnel and blocks views and light. Regarding privacy, having a neighbour lurking 3 feet away from you behind a closed board fence can almost feel worse than seeing them. I personally find closed board fencing pretty repulsive. I don't so much mind more open fencing like hit and miss, or weaved, ranch, wired or green hedging. Choice planting can give you privacy in areas in your garden, even small ones. Many of our neighbours don't even have fences. It's only really a pain when someone gets a dog and doesn't secure their boundaries. Good neighbours help, and there is some merit in the saying good boundaries make good neighbours. In the past we've had some stinkers, and in that case you do want to batten down the hatches. Security can be a concern in some areas and people end up boxing themselves in. A good 4 foot picket fence with roses ain't bad or a bed of brambles.

Of course it's allowed! They can put a fence up within their own boundary line if they like & 6ft is the standard acceptable height for domestic gardens. They presumably want it for privacy. There's nothing you can do about it.

I love trees taller than my house on at least 2 sides to block neighbours - 6 feet is tiny, 4 feet would be unacceptable!

On double fences if possible it is better just to have one. On one side I have one a neighbour put up which is tall and fine but he chose to put it against the metal existing one so on his hand which means he loses a bit of land and the new one is not quite the boundary which seems a bit pointless to me.