To ask what our rights/responsibilities if neighbour removes fence panels?

[victoriasnotsecret]

DH and I are wondering what our legal rights are? We had a dispute with the neighbour they behaved illegally and we had to report them to the police. Yesterday the neighbour removed three panels of their fence leaving their garden open to ours. They know that we have two dogs who use the garden. I actually spoke to the neighbour and he told us that he taken them down because we've had to report him to the police.

So we know that he's being underhand but the same time we can't put our dogs out in our garden. He hasn't got the problem with the dogs per se but he has behaviour really aggressively towards us about various things and he's even told us he wants us to move because as he said to me yesterday "a lot our generation messed up his pension ". He then told me he was well off and didn't need to work. He is in his 70s we are in our late 40s and have only just become homeowners- beyond devastated.

I've not reported it to the police!!

OP you dont seem to be listening to what people are saying to you- taking down his fence isn't illegal (and sounds like he's only taking it down to paint it anyway? So literally a non issue), and by reporting him to the police you will have made your property harder to sell when the time comes.

He certainly sounds a bit antagonistic but tbh so do you by going in all guns blazing.

If people knew what this guy had done - and had compassion - they would be helping me with the facts and not conjecture- he's going to be . There's no question what he's done broke the law.

Well, we won’t know unless you tell us?

The thing is, even if he’s been growing a full-blown cannabis farm, or he’s been bashing kittens with a spade, the removing of his fence panels is still completely not illegal. Not sure why you sought legal advice.

Haven't reported taking down the fence to the police...
Thanks to advice here we are getting a new fence but it might be a while before we can get it put up.
Thanks all

I am sure your fencing contractor knows this but just in case, don't use the existing posts that once supported the now-taken down fence. You'll need to get your own posts put in, on your land, up to your boundary only.

Sorry OP, when you said "We will have to mention it to the police" I assumed that you were mentioning it to the police.

I can see you originally reported them for something else, but as you haven't said what that is we can only go on what you've asked here which is what your legal rights are if your neighbour took down their own fence- the answer is there are none.

Why's he being prosecuted?

Actually a lot of posters on here a factually incorrect not matter how confident/ rude some of them appear to be. You need to understand what harassment constitutes. Its not only a criminal offence but also a civil one. Removing fence panels to cause alarm or distress to your neighbours could be considered an act of hareassment. You would need to show a few instances of such behaviour as you need to prove a "course of conduct". I know this for a fact as this was one of the stupid petty behaviours one of my neighbours engaged in before the police and solicitors got involved. My nightmares neighbours are about to have to sell their house to pay for the damages they owe me.

Personally I would check the garden before letting the dogs out because there is more than one way to harrass someone even if its just fat balls in your garden (gives a dog diarrhea) rancid meat etc etc