Front garden wall - can I paint my side?

[sequinednostrils]

Hi,
I've just had a weird note through my door from my neighbour- they recently tore down the lovely dividing bush between our driveways, and put up an ugly breeze block wall. Without notifying me. But I get on ok with them, so made the best of it. It's left of my property,so their wall iyswim.

Anyway, they painted it cream on their side, but for nearly half a year mine was horrible grey ( and lumpy )
So a couple of days ago, I painted it a lovely sage green like the rest of my fences/ walls out back.

Letter says please refrain from painting wall, the plan was to paint my side cream too so cease and desist.

I thought I could paint my side what I want?
Any help welcome thanks

I'm not sure on legality of this, someone else will come along who will know.

I painted my side of a fence during lockdown that belongs to my neighbour. It was looking really tatty. My neighbour didn't care. He chatted away while I was out painting.

I was worried about drips getting on his side but he didn't care/didn't say anything. I am lucky.

Can you put a hedge back on your side or a fence to block the wall?

No matter what the legal side of things are if they want to paint your side of the wall they will need permission to come on your property I would have thought.

Good luck! I hope you get it sorted.

Thanks. It's just really weird- a lot of the front gardens are enclosed and so you wouldn't even know what the other side looks like. I just happen to have an open drive.
I'd got some lovely bunting to put on it too, as it looked so horrible and now it really cheers me up.

Plant something in front of it .

@Chumleymouse I had before, they cut away all my plants to build the wall. I came home to cement everywhere.

Pity they left it 18 months and then decide to tell you they want to paint it cream lol! If they enter your property to paint it without your agreement they are trespassing but you shouldn't have painted 'their' wall without letting them know first OP.

As pps suggest perhaps planting your own hedge in front of the wall if there's enough space.

They cut down your plants?

Ah, I see. They didn't ask permission to come onto my property to build the blumming thing in the first place. But it's not worth falling out over.

I'll get some nice plants after they've done it.
I'm almost tempted to put up a small fence on my property and paint it but that is too passive aggressive ! I really liked what I'd done. Poo pants and fiddlesticks. 🤪

Legally it's 'their side of their wall' and 'the other side of their wall' so yes, you should have asked permission, as must they to access it.

@StitchInTimeSavesNine yes, tore up and covered in cement. I gritted my teeth as they are pleasant people most of the time. It was a rough home made job with the roughest bits on my side.

Oh well,I'm nearly over it now. It's helped coming on here. Just need to breath. And have another biscuit . 😀

I see a hedge of pyracantha in your future!

Haha yes. In the meantime I've ordered some lovely freestanding small trellis planters, I'll paint those so I can still have a bit of colour. Phew. I feel less persecuted now! 😆

I'd be raging about my plants! Well done for you for being so nice about it.

Good luck with the new planters. It's the right time of year for bulbs as well if you wanted some spring colour beside the potential new hedges/plants.

Depending on where the actual boundary is, they probably acted illegally in getting rid of the plants that were there. Legally you do need permission from them to paint their wall but it's really fucking petty of them to complain about it.

Sadly you do need permission because it’s theirs, and you can’t paint their stuff without asking them. In the real world no one usually gives a shit about this, but sadly you live next door to someone who does.

if you feel like it, you can erect your own fence or wall 1 tenth of a millimetre inside the boundary, and paint it any colour you please.

I would be sending them a letter saying if they pursue this then you will billing them for your plants and the damage they caused to your side. Hate pettiness like this.

@PigletJohn

if you feel like it, you can erect your own fence or wall 1 tenth of a millimetre inside the boundary, and paint it any colour you please.

Bonus points if it’s taller than their walls and makes theirs look ugly

@PigletJohn that was my immediate thought! But I think it would be taken as passive aggressive as I think they just don't like the colour choice. It does feel rather petty. But I have to live next to them. Ho hum.

Wait, hang on - is this wall all on their side of the boundary? Why did they remove your plants without your permission. I would be fuming. The wall belongs to them so legally you would have to ask their permission to paint it. You can put a fence, trellis, another wall on your property right next to their wall and paint it any colour you like, or replant right up next to their wall. They have a cheek to remove your plants, I think I would be a little passive aggressive here

I wouldn’t do anything. What’s the plan- they take you to court?

Why are you so invested in maintaining the relationship? The relationship is a bad one. They cut a hedge, built a crappy wall, let you look at the crappy wall for years- then, instead of having a friendly word with you when you painted the wall, they sent you a cease and desist?

They are not friendly neighbours. They don’t mind about putting you out- why do you mind about them?

So your version of getting on with the neighbours is letting them do whatever they want to your garden and not doing what you want in case it looks passive aggressive?

Are you this much of a doormat in all your dealings with others?

@Mamette yeah, true. I have been looking at fences.

@CatherinedeBourgh no, I just don't think it's worth falling out over. They're thoughtless, not vindictive. But I have made my mind up to put in my own fence.

Get busy with lovely planters and make your side look better than theirs.

I wouldn't have been happy they had ripped up your plants, but I am like you and dislike confrontation. We moved into our house in Feb and I painted the fence between us and next door with no thought. I've always painted my side of the fence!