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Original poster

Should we just half the cost of the fence to keep the peace?

32 replies

VivaLeBeaver · 23/04/2011 17:37

Saw our neighbour today and he says he wants to replace the fence dividing our gardens and would we pay half. I said I'd check with DH but that I was fairly sure its his boundary. He did a bit of a cats bum face and said as far as he was concerned it was a shared boundary and we'd both benefit and the people who lived here before us had paid half for the first fence, etc. Have checked the deeds and it is marked as his fence.

Part of me thinks we should just pay half for an easy life - will probably cost us £60 of panels.

DH is a bit more pissed off, especially as this is the neighbour who on his extension has put a kitchen extraction fan blowing into our garden right by our back door. So we get the noise of hte fan and all their cooking smells. Neighbour said (years ago) he'd move the fan and now DH is threatening to make payment of the fence conditional on the fan being moved. I see problems ahead. Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 23/04/2011 17:37

Or even halve the cost of the fence - isn't it? I blame the heat.

OP posts:
LadyCornyOfSilk · 23/04/2011 17:38

I'd probably just pay it but would make it clear it's his fence so he's responsible if it gets blown down or damaged etc

cat64 · 23/04/2011 17:42

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IngridBergman · 23/04/2011 17:43

Yes I think you should mention the fan, very politely and make it clear without actually saying so that it is conditional on that being moved.

How is your other side boundary - will you need to replace that soon? Would you ask your other neighbours to pay half?

More to the point does this fence actually NEED replacing or is it just a hobby of his? Sounds like he already did it fairly recently.

Meow75 · 23/04/2011 17:43

I think your DH is RIGHT. So he got lucky bullying the previous neighbours into contributing to his fence?! Silly bugger.

Esp. as he was such a PITA over the fan. Refer him to your DH at all times.

IngridBergman · 23/04/2011 17:44

Cat, if they seem awkward about it I would mention that you are thinking of knocking it down because you can't afford to replace it. See how that goes down with them Wink

cat64 · 23/04/2011 18:05

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Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 23/04/2011 18:15

Fence is ten years old and he's never painted it afaik so it does need replacing. There is a hedge the other side that were thinking of replacing it with a fence. Asked other neighbours if they objected. They said fine but made it clear we,d have to pay it all. Which i expected as its our fence.

I did mention that to this neighbour today.

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IngridBergman · 23/04/2011 18:17

Well I think he is rude to expect you to cough up for his, then.

Seriously - you're being responsible, he's being a cheeky beggar.

Especially with the blooming fan. I am starting to dislike your neighbour intensely!

IngridBergman · 23/04/2011 18:18

I think a 'I'm sorry, we are about to replace OUR boundary and have not asked our other neighbours to contribute, so we cannot afford to pay towards yours at present.

I think both the new fences will improve the surroundings as a whole, don't you?' will do nicely.

Blu · 23/04/2011 18:25

What Ingrid said!

Or "We'd like to stick to the letter of the deeds as regards boundaries are concerned, so that we can be clear what our responsibilities are and make sure we plan enough maintenance to meet what are our legal responsibilities. And as it happens, we are about to replace our fence on the other side...what Ingrid said..."

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 23/04/2011 20:39

I think saying something like what Ingrid's suggested is what DH wants to do. I just don't want a bad relationship with the neighbours so would rather pay the money. But it does piss me off that we're in this situation. £60 is a day's work for me and it sticks in my throat that I have to go to work to pay for next door's fence.

They've just landscaped their front garden and the neighbour was saying how expensive the gravel, etc is and I was just thinking that we'd love to sort our front garden out but can't really spare the money at the minute.

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Blu · 23/04/2011 20:42

They are trying it on. There is NO reason why it should lead to a bad relationship with the neighbours simply to stick to the legally stated norm. It is pretty outrageous of him to even ask you to contribute. And, you can't afford it. So don't , and don't worry, and don't feel bad.

Hassled · 23/04/2011 20:45

Don't do it. It's his fence, his boundary, you have your own to worry about. He's pushing his luck.

WorzselMummage · 23/04/2011 20:48

Well, we are replacing a fence between us and our neighbour and as it was us that wants it doing we were prepared to pay the full cost. However, since we ran it past our neighbour he has offered to pay half, which is great but we wouldn't have asked him to and certainly not expected him to

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 23/04/2011 20:51

Right, am going to stop being a doormat. I did tell neighbour earlier after he looked pissed off that I'm sure we'd do it, etc, etc. But when he comes round with a price etc we're going to say no.

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Dropdeadfred · 23/04/2011 20:58

Just say no, as if would mean you were jointly responsible for HIS boundary should it then need replacing or worse, break and cause injury to anyone.

IngridBergman · 23/04/2011 20:59

You could blame it on your other neighbour, saying they've asked you to sort out your fence. Actually that's fibbing but you could say you owe it to them really and you're just sorry you can't contribute at the moment.

cat64 · 23/04/2011 22:25

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ivykaty44 · 23/04/2011 22:33

I think you brought up abut the fan by your back door before - I am I right?

I would possibly say

we would like to share the cost of the fence as it would be a gesture of goodwill, but we asked you as a gesture of goodwill some many many months ago if you could move your fan as it has caused us problems. As yet the fan has stayed where it is and therefore we are very hesitant to contribute to sharing the cost of putting a nee fence up. Hopefully we can all help each other and come to some arrangements in the very near future

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 23/04/2011 22:58

IvyKaty - thats perfect!

I have brought the fan thing up before. DH propped a garden cane up against it so it couldn't open and the neighbour realised what we'd done and wasn't impressed. We haven't blocked the fan up since then as the neighbour promised that they'd soon shift it. That was ages ago though.

About 6 years ago neighbour also promised that they'd increase the height of their stench pipe so it complyed with building regs and he still hasn't sorted that out either.

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IngridBergman · 24/04/2011 06:37

Neighbour is a wally, then. you seriously can't comply with his cats bum face request in the light of his total disrespect for anyone else. He sounds like he thinks nothing is his problem and it's Not Fair that he has to pay for or sort things out.

i'd refuse on those grounds if it weren't perfectly reasonable to refues on legal, logical and moral grounds in the first place.

Yes you might get the fan moved but paying 60 quid for it, well it's up to you! It might never happen otherwise i suppose.

kreecherlivesupstairs · 24/04/2011 06:42

If you can get him to agree to moving the fan I think it would be worth 60 quid. I would make the offer conditional on moving the fan though.
With regard to the stench pipe, wouldn't the council be interested in that?

LoveBeingAbleToNamechange · 24/04/2011 06:51

He's never goes do those things you want him too, do not pay he is trying it on.

IngridBergman · 24/04/2011 07:41

yy only pay towards fence AFTER he has sorted the fan.

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