Garden fence problem

[user1471600203]

Looking for advice, please! I live in a semi detached house with a longish garden (around 25 metres). Neighbour has lived in their house for approximately 60 years and done lots of work themselves on their garden. When we first moved in the fence between us was in a bit of a state, it had been sat in the ground on bent up pieces of corrugated iron roofing that was rusting and jagged. The fence was also beginning to bow into our garden as neighbour had piled around 2ft of soil against it. I brought up the possibility of a new fence, as I had just had my first child and was hoping to make the garden a little more child friendly, offering to pay half the costs but neighbour was insistent that the fence would ‘outlast her’, and she would never replace is as her deceased son had build it for her.

I left it at that but a few years later a storm did damage several panels and she said that she would replace the fence. Whilst it was being replaced she made a point of jokingly telling me not to steal any of her soil that was tumbling into my garden. Now the new fence is bowing once again into my garden, around 110 degree angle, damaging plants and generally looking shit.

What can I do? She absolutely will not replace the fence, or let us do it. Garden is quite narrow (5 metres ish) and I’ve spent a fortune on plants growing in that border to make it look nicer, so I don’t really want to sacrifice my garden to put up my own fence, which I’m certain hers would lean on. Would wedges work, hammered into the ground? Any other suggestions very welcome. Thank you.

How many panels are affected by the bulging? Is it all the way along or just one spot?

I’m not sure wedges in the soil wouldn’t be much use.
You mention wanting to keep your garden as wide as possible and keep the border plants in place, I’d add my own fence posts at the worst points where her fence is leaning.
that way you won’t have to sacrifice many plants or have the cost of fence panels but if you space the posts the width of a standard panel you could always add them to the posts when you need to/sick of seeing the broken fence.
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@Bandina It’s 5 fence panels affected, about 9 metres long

So is her soil pile encroaching on your land? If not and the fence is leaning in, I'd have to put up reinforcements on my side. You don't really want to get into a notifiable dispute with her.

@Clemmie4 I think part of the problem is that they’re just sat on soil, there’s no foundation. they’re splitting already. Hopefully you’ll be able to see the photos…

@Dotto The soil is piled up behind the fence, causing it to bulge and tip.

Are the gardens sloping and that's why her earth is a higher level than yours?

Is it the panels, posts, or both that are leaning? In one of your photos it looks like the post is leaning - was it vertical to start with? How old is that part of the fence? If it's just a few years the posts shouldn't be wonky yet.

Wedges wouldn't be strong enough. A long piece of wood at an angle, buttressing the post would work.

If you or anyone you know are strong enough, just push the fence back up, they do move even if they are concreted in, I did with my dads that was leaning. Then dig holes next to the posts and cement some thick wooden posts up against hers. If that’s not possible, get her over and kindly explain the issue and offer again, if that’s still not good enough for her then learn to live with your imperfect garden, plant more stuff and hope for the best. Good luck though op, neighbours can be hell.

how about growing climbers along that side of your garden?
I mean yes, the fence will still be wonky but if you were to add 3/4 fast growing clematis such as Montana then at least that will distract the eye from the fence and disguise the angle of it.
Morrisons sell them for a reasonable price and they won't take up much space in the borders.
If you plant them in now next year would only look like photo 1 but the years after you will have good coverage.

The only way to stop the bulging is to replace the posts with concrete ones and put concrete gravel boards at the base and slide wooden panels in. The fence panels will last twice as long and the fence is much easier to replace when the panels eventually rot.
You can get wooden gravel planks fairly cheaply and use metal stakes to secure them until you are ready to replace the fence.
You could offer to share the cost.
Our NN has just replaced the fence but hasn’t used concrete posts. I used gravel boards to stop the panels bowing into our garden.
They are £3-4 each and treated. When they rot they are easy to replace.
Our neighbours garden on the other side is higher so the concrete gravel boards stop the soil migrating although there are two panels at the end of the garden that haven’t got gravel boards and they will fail soon due to the type of plants he’s planted against them. I am slowly treating any growth on our side with weed killer. NN is clueless when it comes to planting. He liked our clumping bamboo but chose to plant a spreading one next to it. We recently removed the clumping one ( it was over 70yrs old and had never spread or sent out a runner in 30 yrs we have been in the house) then all of a sudden we noticed runners. As we dug it up it was very obvious that all the runners came from under the fence. He also has a Virginia creeper that you can actually hear growing. It’s very pretty but it seems to prefer our garden over his.
I’ve been waiting for dry weather to treat it all. I may have to go out in the dark though.

I've used successfully

Yep! They're brilliant for rotted broken fence posts as I've just fixed mine as tight wad neighbour won't cough up on shared boundary until I get round to replacing the whole run of fencing with concrete posts and gravel boards. Or you can put concrete spurs in to prop up the posts but they'll need concreting in with post concrete. Op, doesn't look like you have gravel boards either that would help keep the soil at bay especially if concrete.

Thanks so much everyone, lots of ideas to help and hopefully make it a bit safer. Honestly, some neighbours! Our non attached ones are brilliant though and have a wonderful fence 🤣

I'm more interested in those Phlox!!! They look lovely. What varieties are they?

I’m not sure, sorry, they were here when we bought the house 15 years ago, I can vouch for their lovely fragrance and incredible hardiness though. If you’re local to South Lakes you’re welcome to a chunk of them.

I'm nowhere near, but thank you! They are very pretty!!!