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Original poster

Neighbour dispute / fence wars!!

24 replies

supermario10 · 28/03/2022 20:51

OK so I'm wondering if anyone can help or offer some advice on a potential neighbour dispute / fence issue . We bought some land at the back of our house from a neighbour to increase our garden size and over the past year or so have been landscaping our whole garden. Part of this landscaping including erecting (and paying for) a fence on the new boundary where we bought the land. We agreed with the seller that we'd pay for and maintain the fence..anyway around 8 months ago the house was sold and new neighbour moved in. We haven't met them as they are on another street and new fence makes it private. Anyway today got back from school run went out in the garden and new neighbour was painting his side of the fence. BUT the dark green paint has dripped down the back onto my side of the fence and looks awful. I'm gutted. We treated the panels as wanted natural wood look. What can I do? I obviously , clearly don't want a neighbour dispute but at the same time I feel really annoyed that someone did this without thinking to ask first. I'm sure I'll get a few 'get a grip ' comments and yes I understand 'first world problems' and all that but we spent a lot of time, effort and not to mention money on it. Really hope someone can help or advise what they would do in this situation 😕

OP posts:
IncompleteSenten · 28/03/2022 20:54

Sand the paint drips off and retreat the wood.

Trethew · 28/03/2022 20:59

If it is your fence they have no right to paint it or fix anything to it, on their side, without your express permission

Original poster
supermario10 · 28/03/2022 21:04

@Trethew

If it is your fence they have no right to paint it or fix anything to it, on their side, without your express permission
That's what I thought ... but what can I actually do? If anything. He's also screwed a bird box into it (only noticed that when I looked over today. Can't tell if that's off the panel or the post yet though). I just can't believe that someone wouldn't ask/mention it first? Maybe it's because we back onto them so don't really have contact with them in the same way as if they were next door.
OP posts:
Redeyed · 28/03/2022 21:26

Our neighbour has tied their washing line to our fence so it takes all of the weight of the washing. They've also screwed various things to the fence with screws that stick through our side by up to 2 cms.

I think that some people just don't know.

Blinkingbatshit · 28/03/2022 21:41

Firstly I agree that they may have not even thought as far ahead as to who owns the fence - genuinely may not have even occurred to them that it’s not theirs/they should ask. Can you sand down your side and re-treat? It’s prob not worth falling out over, particularly since it’s done now. If you feel incredibly strongly go have a gentle chat with them but I’d try to not to be confrontational. I’m sorry - I can totally appreciate how galling it must be!!

Trethew · 29/03/2022 08:03

You have to let him know, and I’d do it sooner than later. He might be planning a second coat.

I would put a letter through his door.

“Dear neighbour, I am very upset and alarmed at what you have done to my fence. The green stain has dribbled through onto my side and looks awful. You may not be aware, but the fence belongs to me, and you have no right to paint it or attach anything at all to it, even on your side. If you’d like to discuss this please get in touch”

I’d also include links to websites showing the rules about fences. He may not have any idea he’s in the wrong. He may come rushing round full of apologies and ask how he can put it right (I’m an optimist). But first of all you need to nip it in the bud.

Trixiefirecracker · 29/03/2022 08:05

‘I am ver upset and alarmed’ is a bit over the top!!!

Brideandprejudice · 29/03/2022 08:10

Hi neighbour, you have ruined my fence. Please let me know if you'd prefer to fix it yourself or if I should arrange it and send you the invoice.

Trethew · 29/03/2022 10:47

It happened to me. i was very upset and alarmed. I didn’t know what they would do next.

Trethew · 29/03/2022 10:52

In my current house I have a 4ft stone wall with trellis along the top. The trellis is covered with variegeted ivy which looks pretty and gives privacy. The wall and trellis are mine, clearly marked on deeds etc. I came home one day and neighbour had cut and picked off all the ivy leaving a clear line of sight into my garden and back of the house. I was not alarmed but extremely upset and f**ing furious. He did it as a favour, thought the ivy would rot out the trellis. Had not even occurred to him it was somebody else’s property.

GinIronic · 29/03/2022 11:25

Your neighbours need to be aware that it is your fence - this is your property and they should not be painting the fence or attaching anything to it. They wouldn’t paint your shed would they? They must repair the fence as they have committed criminal damage.

TalesOfDrunkennessAndCruelty · 29/03/2022 11:29

I’d communicate with the neighbour but keep it breezy (for now) - along the lines of you’re sure they didn’t realise the fence was yours, and so you’ll fix the paint drips, but please no more painting or fixing things to it.

deplorabelle · 29/03/2022 13:54

In our small/medium garden none of the fences belong to us. It is SO claustrophobic and annoying. I struggle for space and light so if the fences belonged to me I'd paint them white and grow climbers up. Because they are not mine I have to look at this big expanse of wood I didn't choose, which is garden space I can't grow in.

You are within your rights to talk to your neighbour about this, but please be considerate, especially if your garden space is much bigger than theirs

HotnSunnyRainbowRoses · 29/03/2022 18:00

People on this thread are fucking mental. Truly.
Just sand the drips off and re treat the fence.
It’s a non issue.

On MN everyone is appalled he didn’t ask for permission, in the real world, pretty much no one asks for permission to paint the fence on their side Hmm

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 29/03/2022 18:02

@HotnSunnyRainbowRoses

People on this thread are fucking mental. Truly. Just sand the drips off and re treat the fence. It’s a non issue.

On MN everyone is appalled he didn’t ask for permission, in the real world, pretty much no one asks for permission to paint the fence on their side Hmm

This! Never met a single person in my life who gives a shit about this. Only on here!
GinIronic · 29/03/2022 19:32

Is it really acceptable for someone to spend £k on a new fence and then their neighbour paints it on “their” side. Cannot you not understand that if it’s not your property - you cannot paint or change it?

GinIronic · 29/03/2022 19:33

Can you

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 29/03/2022 20:08

@GinIronic

Is it really acceptable for someone to spend £k on a new fence and then their neighbour paints it on “their” side. Cannot you not understand that if it’s not your property - you cannot paint or change it?
No I honestly can't. I'd want my neighbours to enjoy their garden as much as I enjoy mine and having up to 3 different coloured fences would do my head in
HotnSunnyRainbowRoses · 29/03/2022 20:25

Is it really acceptable for someone to spend £k on a new fence and then their neighbour paints it on “their” side. Cannot you not understand that if it’s not your property - you cannot paint or change it?
Well, I’m in this position currently actually, I’ve spent £££s on a brand spanking new fence.

I was really looking forward to painting it this week actually before the forecast changed and it’s now a week of rain Angry

And no, I do not care one bit if my neighbours want to paint their side.

I wouldn’t care if they chose to grow plants up it either, nor attach trellis if they were careful either.

This is such a alien concept to me, honestly, I see it all the time on MN but literally nowhere else.
It’s a fence, everyone knows you paint your fence (carefully so it doesn’t drip onto your neighbours!) and grow lovely things up it.
No one cares who owns it unless it gets blown down in the wind.
Or at least that’s how it’s always been wherever I’ve lived 🤷‍♀️

MrsBertBibby · 30/03/2022 10:30

Depends on the fencing. We have "hit and miss" fencing on two sides, and it would be impossible to stain or paint one side without wrecking the other side.

Our rear neighbour put the first lot up (and it it gorgeous) but I mentioned to them straight away that if either side want to paint, we'll need to co-ordinate.

We put another stretch to one side, and I mentioned the same to that neighbour when we were picking it.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 30/03/2022 10:52

@HotnSunnyRainbowRoses

Is it really acceptable for someone to spend £k on a new fence and then their neighbour paints it on “their” side. Cannot you not understand that if it’s not your property - you cannot paint or change it? Well, I’m in this position currently actually, I’ve spent £££s on a brand spanking new fence.

I was really looking forward to painting it this week actually before the forecast changed and it’s now a week of rain Angry

And no, I do not care one bit if my neighbours want to paint their side.

I wouldn’t care if they chose to grow plants up it either, nor attach trellis if they were careful either.

This is such a alien concept to me, honestly, I see it all the time on MN but literally nowhere else.
It’s a fence, everyone knows you paint your fence (carefully so it doesn’t drip onto your neighbours!) and grow lovely things up it.
No one cares who owns it unless it gets blown down in the wind.
Or at least that’s how it’s always been wherever I’ve lived 🤷‍♀️

Same here. I just thank God I don't live in the land of MN
APurpleSquirrel · 30/03/2022 12:41

@HotnSunnyRainbowRoses same!
Our back fence blew over in the storms. We weren't sure of ownership, so checked deeds & found it was ours. Had a nice chat with our neighbour (who'd only recently moved in), agreed we'd pay for it & she agreed access.
I wouldn't dream of telling her she couldn't paint it, grow plants, hang a feeder on it - it's her garden.
If she decided to attach a pergola or something we'd talk to her about strengthening it etc at her cost etc, but no way would I be dictating what she can do in her garden.
And by the by we're currently painting our side of all 3 fences too. We haven't told any of our neighbours this. Wouldn't even occur to.

inheritancetrack · 30/03/2022 13:08

I paint the fence panels i don't own a dark brown and neighbour has never moaned. Either sand them down, or pain them a similar shade as before. good opportunity to be adventurous.

viques · 01/04/2022 18:21

Paint wouldn’t bother me, or a bird box, but I would be frothing at a washing line, ask/tell them to move it, they can put up a pole. I might have to file off the ends of screws, but only if they hadn’t removed when asked.

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