They’ve attached a GIANT fence… to MY fence !!

[Finetoday]

Exactly that !

Neighbour behind has a 6 foot old wooden fence.
I have a 6 foot fairly new 6 foot fence of the concrete posts and board variety.
There is a 2 foot ‘No man’s land’ in between that the builders of my house/estate left when they erected this perimeter fence (we are on edge of development).

Came home today to find neighbours erecting a fence with 12 foot posts and 10 foot panels ! It’s flipping huge !

On Inspection, I can see he’s attached said monstrosity to my nice fence by drilling holes in my concrete posts, and attaching wooden battens which form a framework with metal brackets that bridge the 2 foot gap !

I asked him to take it off my nice fence - he turned his drill on and turned his back to me and carried on. It’s now fully installed.

I’ll try and upload photos for you all to appreciate his workmanship.

AIBU to contact Council ?
AIBU to saw the metal brackets half way ?

@Finetoday if no luck with council (which you should have ) I’d be going to civil court he has damaged the posts . That’s the worst part for me . Total disregard for your property and the entitlement .

This is shocking, it’s like the house that Jack built. That monstrosity is only staying up based on the strength of your concrete posts. Like others have said, a few windy days and the whole lot will be down. Your posts are there to slide your fence into, they don’t support anything other than themselves.

the man is an idiot, a selfish, reckless, idiot.

Check your house insurance, they often include a legal advice service.
If he has drilled into your fence posts then it will be considered damage to your property and there will be a liability.

Infuriating for you, OP. What is wrong with some people?!

If they’ve got decking there, then a higher fence is probably a benefit to stop them spending the whole time overlooking your garden.

The issue (apart from cfuckery) is that it may not be safe if it’s that high & hasn’t been concreted in. If the wind blows it down it will damage your fence too. Also it’s very ugly from your side!

The gap between the fences is probably good for insects & hedgehogs etc

That's ridiculous 😳

And what happens when you are upgrading your fence?? He totally can't do what has done, it will be interesting to see what the council say. It looks like he is quite high, do you think he has mad a higher decked patio area and that's why he is putting up a higher fence? Even so, He can't just take the land between the fences as his own, and he can't attach anything to your fence. And if its top heavy and they have not dug it in it could take your fence over with it in high winds. What a tool!

I'm guessing they've piggy backed onto your concrete posts.

@mycatismyworld You really don't need to guess, it's literally in the OP.

Drilling into concrete fence posts can weaken and break them.

Police first, get an incident number. They may or may not get involved
Council next with the incident number as others have said.

You need to take the long road with this as I'd be wanting to make damn sure not only is the fence removed but he also pays for the damage done to yours.

This is beyond belief, I am really sorry that you are living next to this neighbor. COULDN'T HE PLANT SOMETHING IF IT IS FOR PRIVACY.

Just to add if thay comes down in a storm and on your side it won't only damage your fence but it will fall on your shed too potentially causing damage to that.

I’d happily pay someone to take it all down, including my fence, just to wipe the smile off his face. Then put my fence back up without his “additions”

Oh wow, please let us know how you get on!

But yes I think the legal route for damaging your property and getting him to buy you new fence posts plus install is the best route!

Garden law.co.uk is a very helpful site.

@Finetoday

I feel your pain! We have a miserable, mad old mare living next door to us who randomly erected a massive 8ft fence along our shared boundary line - problem is, she did on her side of the boundary & it doesn't touch our fence at all.

However, it does look utterly hideous, because our view is obviously the 'back' side with all the framework, it sticks up ridiculously & when she painted it, the bloody paint drips that have come through are an awful brown colour which looks disgusting.

We lodged a complaint with the council but they couldn't give a shit & despite multiple chasings, have never even come out to look at it or speak to either of us.

It annoys me every single time I look out there - our only option now is to try to match the height & disguise the shit by tagging on some sort of trellis affair to our fence.

We've tried talking to her many times over the years but you can't argue with crazy. 🤷‍♀️

It's so ugly. What is he hiding ?

I am wondering if there is any back story to this. Who in their right minds wants a 10 foot fence?

Do you have children? Do their footballs keep going into the neighbours garden? Do you have a trampoline or climing frame near the fence?

I wonder if they are planning to install a hot tub there which would be a nightmare with the humming noise on the raised decking. Hence the massive fences to the left and the OPs garden.

That is fucking awful.
and fighting that is worth having to declare on your sellers form when you sell.
it’s not even a good job

I'm surprised they got planning permission for that, or did they just not bother.

You can't fix, paint or attach anything to a neighbours fencing without their permission....hedging you can cut over hanging back to boundry but must offer cuttings back.

Not read all replies but I'd have a quick look on Garden law forum, pretty good advice on there from people in the know.

The gap may have been intended as a wildlife corridor, is there anything marked on the original planning permission for the estate? It's not his anyway so that will probably be of interest to the council too.

Definitely no back story I promise !

I don’t have small children, or footballs, or a pack of wolves - I’ve literally seen them to talk to twice in 9 years and pleasant both times !