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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

322 replies

Finetoday · 15/05/2025 19:42

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 ?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
Strawberriesforever · 15/05/2025 21:41

DrPrunesqualer · 15/05/2025 21:37

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.

Show quote history

You seem to have missed the part where the CF neighbour screwed his new fence into OP’s fence, damaging it in the process and probably making the whole thing unsafe.

TheQuirkyMaker · 15/05/2025 21:41

DrPrunesqualer · 15/05/2025 21:33

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

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He did not discuss the work with his neighbour.
He is trying to claim the "no mans land" to enlarge his property when the boundary has not been agreed.
He has damaged OP's fence.
He has probably made it likely both fences will fall in a wind.
Any fence higher than 2 metres probably needs planning consent.

DrPrunesqualer · 15/05/2025 21:42

Strawberriesforever · 15/05/2025 21:41

You seem to have missed the part where the CF neighbour screwed his new fence into OP’s fence, damaging it in the process and probably making the whole thing unsafe.

Show quote history

No I didn’t miss that
it
Still has absolutely nothing to do with planning enforcement

Mumtobabyhavoc · 15/05/2025 21:42

I'd have no issue with the size of the fence. Clearly, by your neighbour's behaviour and demeanour, you'd want a good barrier from his bat shittery.

Take the legal route though your insurer, or privately through a lawyer. Report to your council and police. That's the best way to deal with people like that. Take good pics and document everything.
I'd also invest in good cameras to cover the whole of your property just in case your neighbour tries some crazy retaliation.

Plmnki · 15/05/2025 21:44

lostinthesunshine · 15/05/2025 20:24

This is more worrying that anything else, if it the posts are not dug in then the whole thing is held up solely by your fence and is a huge (no pun intended) hazard.

I wouldn’t go anywhere near your fence until that is confirmed. It could all come down at any time, and literally could kill someone.

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That’s being insanely melaodramatic. Calm down dear.

OP, ignore ms flappy hands here and get practical.

buy or hire a Multi Tool (watch some You tubes on usage)

cut the dickhead neighbours brackets off your fence with the multi tool

i promise it will be very emancipating and joyful for you!

enjoy your fence’s freedom.

Oxo01 · 15/05/2025 21:44

Sounds a cocky pig
Is he a new neighbour ?

If he has done this without knowing you or if you have a partner etc, he most probarly will be the type to be agreesive to females and men regardless.

You say to the planning dept
you have issues with anything he has done even the height and want clarifying on PP etc.

Also say he has damaged your property so its on record.

Also as pepole have said damage to your property needs to be addressed via insurance advice or solicitor.

Ellejay67 · 15/05/2025 21:45

Post a letter through his door saying you are contacting your solicitor. He absolutely isn't allowed to do that and it's too high.

BurntBroccoli · 15/05/2025 21:45

Have you got CCTV? @Finetoday

Just worried that there may be some sort of incident when you do contact the council. I know as a lone female I would be.

I’m so angry on your behalf!

DrPrunesqualer · 15/05/2025 21:45

TheQuirkyMaker · 15/05/2025 21:41

He did not discuss the work with his neighbour.
He is trying to claim the "no mans land" to enlarge his property when the boundary has not been agreed.
He has damaged OP's fence.
He has probably made it likely both fences will fall in a wind.
Any fence higher than 2 metres probably needs planning consent.

Show quote history

The only relevant issue to the Planning enforcement is your last line
The rest is irrelevant to them and they have no authority to act.

In terms of the last line OP has said she’s not bothered by the height
Its also been noted the neighbours land is higher so may not be an issue anyway
Op needs to decide if the ht is an issue and if legally it is too. By measuring the level difference between herself and her neighbour.

lostinthesunshine · 15/05/2025 21:45

DrPrunesqualer · 15/05/2025 21:42

No I didn’t miss that
it
Still has absolutely nothing to do with planning enforcement

Show quote history

I think they might mean building control? A lot of people confuse the two. (That said, I have no idea whether it would fall under their purview either.)

Yassnass145 · 15/05/2025 21:45

Oh gosh it is a bit of a monster fence :/

50lbstolose · 15/05/2025 21:46

Wtf!

Doris86 · 15/05/2025 21:46

You need planning permission for any fence over 6.5ft. Report it to your council planning department and they’ll make home take it down if there is no PP. Highly unlikely there is PP, if there was the OP would have received a letter informing them of the application when it was made.

DrPrunesqualer · 15/05/2025 21:48

lostinthesunshine · 15/05/2025 21:45

I think they might mean building control? A lot of people confuse the two. (That said, I have no idea whether it would fall under their purview either.)

Show quote history

Nor does it have anything to do with building control.

OPs only recourse is a letter from a solicitor asking them to remove all fixings from her property.

DrPrunesqualer · 15/05/2025 21:49

Doris86 · 15/05/2025 21:46

You need planning permission for any fence over 6.5ft. Report it to your council planning department and they’ll make home take it down if there is no PP. Highly unlikely there is PP, if there was the OP would have received a letter informing them of the application when it was made.

The neighbours land is higher.
The height is taken from their land, not OPs

doodleZ1 · 15/05/2025 21:50

Finetoday · 15/05/2025 21:35

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 !

That’s another reason why he shouldn’t have attached his fence to your panels as you paid extra money for concrete posts so that the individual fence panels can be removed and replaced easily if they are damaged. He has denied you the right to do that. That’s something else a surveyer or lawyer would pick up on. The guy is a moron. Make sure you phone the police and tell them exactly how he responded to you. I would do community police as well. You can normally email them.

Bollindger · 15/05/2025 21:51

If you can’t remove it add some baskets aling the top and have some fake flowers and vines so it looks pretty.

Flyswats · 15/05/2025 21:52

I'd plant a row of trees in front of the "fences" personally.

GoldLash · 15/05/2025 21:56

Omg

that’s completely illegal

contact council - an email is quicker but call also them - contact planning dept and buildings control - latter being quicker)

illegal to touch your fence without your consent

plus you asked him to stop and he carried on regardless

contact a solicitor to send them a letter - possibly a conveyancing solicitor if you’re not sure - I’m not sure

Original poster
Finetoday · 15/05/2025 21:56

The 2 original fences are the same height as each other - see second photo.
I think he does has a slight elevation his side. I don’t know if there’s decking there.

OP posts:
Ydkiml · 15/05/2025 21:57

So he must be stood on a ladder and his house must be on stilts ! It’s obvious his land is higher than yours so it’s prob a 6ft fence from his side . Which he is allowed but wasn’t allowed to attach to your posts .

DrPrunesqualer · 15/05/2025 21:57

DrPrunesqualer · 15/05/2025 21:45

The only relevant issue to the Planning enforcement is your last line
The rest is irrelevant to them and they have no authority to act.

In terms of the last line OP has said she’s not bothered by the height
Its also been noted the neighbours land is higher so may not be an issue anyway
Op needs to decide if the ht is an issue and if legally it is too. By measuring the level difference between herself and her neighbour.

Show quote history

Not sure why you think it’s funny @spunkysquid I deal with planners and building control and boundaries etc all the time as an Architect
The Enforcement officers will do nothing unless OP has discovered a planning contravention and only then if she has will they write to the neighbours and ask them to put in a p perm, if they need to but OP hasn’t said the ht of the adj land so ….who knows.

Fixing to her property ( fence) hasn’t got anything to do with planners 🤣 obviously. When did that become a planning issue 🤣

zenai · 15/05/2025 21:57

His land might be a bit higher than OPs, but from the pic of (I think it's) him standing it could be that he has built a raised deck also. Would the legal height of his fence start from the deck up, or from the ground up would anyone know?

GoldLash · 15/05/2025 21:58

They will absolutely have to remove it

PLUS. They’ve damaged your property ie your newly erected fence and posts

bloody hell this neighbour is an idiot how did he not check this all. I suppose he knows the regulations and clearly didn’t give a shit and did it anyway.

GoldLash · 15/05/2025 21:59

If his land is lower or higher he has to stick to the regulations with regards to height affecting the neighbours