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 ?

Can I second a previous poster? Those posts were never designed to be drilled into, and the reinforcing metal will undoubtedly rust. When metals rust, their volume increases and this will stress and eventually crack the concrete of the post. This will let more water in and constantly make the situation worse until the outer skin of concrete falls away. This is often referred to as concrete cancer. Those fixings need removing and the holes sealed and waterproofed.

I'd be absolutely stark staring berserk if I were you. I would be on the path of planning enforcement and solicitors as soon as they were open in the morning.

He's a cunt, and he needs to be taken down a peg.

What a cheeky bastard he is!

Bc we didn't want to run the risk of bring accused of crim damage, my DH chopped our own fence, which was a bit shonky, in half so neighbours fence which was resting on it fell over and we carefully placed their bit back on their land.

They got the message eventually.
I believe you are within your rights to notify them to remove and cease and desist (we consulted free solicitors) and if they don't move it, to give warning you will have it removed and bill them.
Bit it's complicated in some places so get advice. Some jobs and house insurers offer free legal consultations.

Beware, our neighbours lost the plot and tried to kick our door down. Record any interaction..

He must get permission from you in order to attach anything to your property ie your fence.

Phone the council and speak to the planning enforcement officer/manager. Email them tonight as well. We did that and it speeds things up as complaints go to them eventually anyway. Email the CEO of the council tonight with your pictures. Phone the police and say he threatened you. He did as he put his drill on as his only form of reply when you asked him to take everything off your fence. He put you a lone female into a state of fear and alarm. Let’s face it he wouldn’t have done that if it was another man especially a larger one. Use that against him. To be a pain in the bum I would also contact a surveyer and ask for an immediate visit to get an impartial expert list of all his damage. Then small claims court with your pictures and the surveyors report. Lawyer to tell him you are doing it and will go for costs. Can’t stand aggressive pricks that think they can do what they like. I’m actually incensed looking at what this man has done. Make him regret it. House insurance if you have legal cover.

Council and Small Claims Court.
CF.
And dangerous I would think in a storm.

Omg he’s a bastard!

You should take your fence panels and posts down for “maintenance” and treat them/paint them. It’s a great excuse to take all his shonky shit off and just place it in his garden. Then put your fence back up. I’d happily pay someone for the joy of it.

Great advice!!

Get some windchimes too

Please let us know what happens. Has he really not fixed his posts with any concrete?

It’s been mentioned the neighbours land is higher. So the height may not be an issue I’m not aware of OP stating the height difference. So this isn’t a council / planning issue unless OP can measure the land ht difference and prove it is.

Putting your drill on isn’t threatening. The police will do nothing

Why did you let him continue to add it to your fence? I would of got a drill and taken his posts off your posts while he was there.

I’ve emailed Enforcement in the council with photos. I’ll ring them in the morning to discuss further and let you know what happens - thanks for all the brilliant advice 😁

It’s not even the size of the fence that really bothers me (PP is right in saying there’s no great view - they’ve done me a favour 😂), it’s not even the damage that the pasty git has caused to my property (although I am fuming!), it’s the complete disregard when I tried to discuss it like a decent, REASONABLE neighbour that’s really annoys me - @doodleZ1 nailed it when saying if I was a man, he wouldn’t have had the balls to do it !

Phone the police and say he threatened you. He did as he put his drill on as his only form of reply when you asked him to take everything off your fence. He put you a lone female into a state of fear and alarm.

Unless I missed it, OP hasn’t said she was threatened, or in a state of fear and alarm.

I don’t think it’s a good idea to lie to the police, particularly about things like this, as it just makes women look bad.

Good that you have both the tools and the guts to take on an aggressive man but I really don't think many women would be doing that, I'm assuming you're female. It's not usually advisable to get into physical altercations like that.

So if you don’t have an issue with the height why are you contacting planning enforcement

Yeh I’m on my own with no tools or any idea how to use needed tools !

I could probably lift panels out but the battens are attached to the concrete posts so I literally can’t get them off !

Why are people such dicks ?!

Since he has attached a 12 foot fence to your 6 foot fence, the post settings will be too weak and will probably fail in a high wind, bringing all the fencing down.

Because the cheeky twat doesn’t deserve a reasonable neighbour like myself 😁

The council will have to come round to see that for themselves. It is aggressive behaviour to a lone female, that’s why he did it. That was his response. I would phone the police tonight. Violence against women and children is endemic and we can’t let them away with it. Tbh if they did ignore it I would go above them and inform your council representative and MP. Again not similar situation but twice I contacted my Councillor over the lack of police response and they fell over themselves to deal with the situation all of a sudden. OP don’t assume no one will help. It’s their job to help you.

That’s not my point

This has nothing to do with planning enforcement

They will do nothing, and can’t. Unless there’s a planning contravention.

There is always my old favourite

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/anti-social-behaviour-asb-case-review-also-known-as-the-community-trigger

Where did he get 12 foot fence panels? Has he stacked two on top of each other? Im shit at DIY but that really is next level.

OP - did you clarify about whether his garden is at a higher level than yours?