Neighbour and fence?

[Rearingthestars]

I could genuinely be bring unreasonable, I don’t like my neighbours, they do strange things to annoy me … three random items into my garden, had their builders park in front of my drive, stole my bin etc. just very passive things but there’s a lot.

Now they’ve removed an entire panel of the back garden fence - photo included (I’ve drawn around the empty space as it’s not that obvious from the photo). They have a dog that can now easily access my garden and it’s a privacy issue too.

Before anyone asks I genuinely don’t know whose fence it is. It was there when I moved in and they moved in their house after me. Plus I have the ugly side of the fence facing me from both next door neighbours.

All that and I forgot to add the photo

I think, whether it is your fence or not, it is your responsibility to ensure your boundaries are secure so the dog can't get in. Of course it is also your neighbour's responsibility to ensure their dog can't get out... but if they're not going to do that you would have to confront them and you may not want to do that.

Aside from that there is the question as to whether they have damaged YOUR fence, in which case they should replace it, or their own, in which case they don't have to. If you have the 'ugly' side of the fence then it should be yours, but if you have difficult neighbours they may have put up the fence with the nice side their side.

Looking at the photo, it doesn't look like there's a gap where the dog could get through?

You need to check on the house deeds or with your landlord if you're renting, whose fence it is. If it's theirs, politely ask them to repair the fence as you don't want the dog getting into your garden.

A dog could easily get through that gap ..the gap is about knee height

No... it is the dog owners responsibility to ensure their dog stays on their property.

The OP has no obligation to use a fence to achieve that, it is not her responsibility to keep the dog out, the onus is entirely on the owner to prevent their dog from straying.

@Rearingthestars Do the deeds to your property indicate who owns the fence, the ugly side facing you suggests it is yours, but is not a guarantee. It doesn't really look like they've taken it down intentionally, it looks like the fence is deteriorating, possibly due to them resting stuff on it or their dog scrabbling at it.

I'd pop round, sweetness and light, enquire as to whether they're aware the fence is damaged and point out you have rat poison down your side and can't be certain their dog could not get at it if in your garden.

Don't make any definitive statements as to whether you believe the fence to be yours or theirs, find out who they think it belongs to. If they think it is yours, you can repair it (it will be futile expecting them to do so). If they think it is theirs, put something solid up your side.

I’d be an arse and put a roll of barbed wire in front of that hole…