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Original poster

Neighbour ruined our fence...

209 replies

Scottishgirl85 · 27/05/2022 20:44

Our neighbour has painted their side of our fence, and it has seeped through to our side... As you can see, it looks ridiculous! This affects about 50foot, but we have about 150foot more of the same fence around other parts of our garden. It's a very open garden so I think we'll need to paint the whole lot. I could cry, we're busy working parents with young children so could really do without this. Do you think neighbour should offer to compensate us? Will be speaking to them tomorrow...

OP posts:
eggsellentwork · 28/05/2022 10:01

i think more trellis and some reasonable sized clematis is your best solution here.... that is quite spectacular leopard spots!

Aquamarine1029 · 28/05/2022 10:07

If I were you, the only acceptable resolution is that they pay for new panels. They had absolutely no right to paint your fence. Honestly, the gall of some people is unbelievable.

Gawdimold · 28/05/2022 10:40

My neighbour did this to me with a horrible rust colour. Also covered my washing, all of kids toys, my decking etc. was furious as he had used a spray gun

stuntbubbles · 28/05/2022 10:42

You give yourself the “bad” side as it all needs to sit in your land, and if you have the “good” flat side with the posts on the other side you effectively give your neighbour a couple of inches of garden.

In any case I prefer the “bad” side as you can use the posts for vine eyes and end up with plenty of air behind the wires to keep your roses healthy.

It looks bloody awful, OP, I’m sorry. Glad the neighbours are mortified and coming round to sort it. I wouldn’t settle for anything less than replacement of the panels – back to exactly as it was. Painting the whole lot isn’t an option as you didn’t want it painted, did you? Plus who funds the future maintenance?

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 28/05/2022 11:02

Who'd do this you ask? www.mumsnet.com/talk/gardening/4544363-paint-the-fences-black-or-not?
People really don't seem to understand the idea that you don't paint other people's fences.

AgathaX · 28/05/2022 12:42

That looks really awful. They've responded very positively though, so hopefully they will sort it properly.

longtompot · 28/05/2022 13:05

As it's your fence on your boundary they should not have done anything to their side without speaking to you and getting your permission first. I hope you get it resolved amicably on Monday.

I think the 'rule' of giving your neighbour the good side of the fence if it's yours is so you, as the fence owner, can maintain and fix it if it needs it.

Rollercoaster1920 · 28/05/2022 13:11

Have you ever tried mending fences from the 'bad side? The feather edge planks are nailed on from the 'good' side!

dworky · 28/05/2022 13:33

They're not meant to do that although I wonder if they think it's theirs as the posts are unusually on your side.

alphons · 28/05/2022 13:36

Honestly, given how much has seeped through, I would ask your neighbours to pay for new back to back fencing just behind your existing trellises. They basically keep your old fence, maybe move it 6” into their garden, and install new panels for you where your new ones used to be. Or, depending on how the fencing is fitted, they can remove all the existing horizontal panels and replace them with new ones.

Your fences will age at different rates, but at least you’ve a little pergola and big trellises to cover them eventually. After a while it won’t matter so much.

Cheesecakeandwineinasuitcase · 28/05/2022 13:40

It looks awful and I would be livid if that was my fence.

alphons · 28/05/2022 13:43

I e just had a closer look at the photo: the base panels are pretty much all black!! What HAVE they done?!

I see they’ve got scaffolding up, are they renovating/ do they have builders etc around? Perhaps they just got their indoor painter/decorator in to do this job, rather than a landscaper. Good news for you, as your neighbours might be able to pass it onto the building firm to fix (one side of fencing won’t cost much on what looks like quite a large project).

CandidaAlbicans2 · 28/05/2022 14:21

Glad your neighbours are mortified, and good news (I think) that they hired a decorator to do the work as hopefully they have insurance. Personally I'd want the panels replaced rather than powerwashed/sandblasted etc as that may affect it's condition(?), and you specifically chose that fence as it would weather to a nice colour and wouldn't need painting. What a shame! 😬

Mellowyellow222 · 28/05/2022 16:26

I never understand giving the neighbours the good side - particularly in a back garden.

if anything go halfers and double board it.

but how rude - your neighbours build you a lovely fence - they get the ugly side, you get the nice side. You them paint it a monstrous colour without considering how that will impact on your wildly generous neighbour!

I would never face a fence to a neighbour- I would speak to them and get it double sided if they were willing to contribute.

RockAndOrRoll · 28/05/2022 17:09

The bad side IS the good side, to me. It's the side you can easily attach climbing wires to and grow plants up Grin

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 28/05/2022 17:14

RockAndOrRoll · 28/05/2022 17:09

The bad side IS the good side, to me. It's the side you can easily attach climbing wires to and grow plants up Grin

And next doors kids can’t use it climb up and over quite so easily!

toomuchlaundry · 28/05/2022 17:23

Bearing in mind neighbours shouldn’t be adding climbing wires if it isn’t their fence!

mumieone · 28/05/2022 17:30

Just see bright yellow panels?

toomuchlaundry · 28/05/2022 17:34

Who can just see bright yellow panels @mumieone? what about all the black splodges?

NotMushroomInEre · 28/05/2022 17:50

Rather than restoring the panels on their side as someone suggested, you could ask them to compensate you with panels on your side. When my partner built our fence, he panelled both our neighbour's side and ours. They can paint theirs whatever colour they want, whilst our side is natural. Granted, it wasn't 200ft worth of fence.

PigletJohn · 29/05/2022 07:22

Please get hold of a jet washer and try it.

Once you have cleaned off one panel all this nonsense about new fencing will evaporate.

Magenta82 · 29/05/2022 08:17

NotMushroomInEre · 28/05/2022 17:50

Rather than restoring the panels on their side as someone suggested, you could ask them to compensate you with panels on your side. When my partner built our fence, he panelled both our neighbour's side and ours. They can paint theirs whatever colour they want, whilst our side is natural. Granted, it wasn't 200ft worth of fence.

Wouldn't they then be moving the boundary and losing part of their garden? This could cause issues if either party moved.

MagratsDanglyCharms21 · 29/05/2022 08:28

Scottishgirl85 · 28/05/2022 08:07

@KatherineofGaunt @ballsdeep you are meant to give your neighbours the good side when you fit a fence. It's good etiquette 😀

Nope. Incorrect. You fit the bracing bar side 'down wind' if you typically have wind blow more violently from a certain direction. (Yes I know how wind amd weather works but trust me, due to local geography around us, the wind is only an issue when it sweeps from the one main direction, and when it comes from a different angle, due to trees / houses / hills its not such an issue!)

ZarquonsSandals · 29/05/2022 08:36

We had fence replaced recently. We have started painting it but carefully, and gave our neighbours a heads up that we were doing it. So far, very little has seeped through. Our side is black, theirs dark brown.
However, our other neighbour has asked us not to paint the trellis (on our fence). Not sure about that as otherwise its going to look weird. Planning to take the trellis panel out to paint it to minimise splashing/bleed.

Your neighbours should have told you they wanted to paint the fence, and are very likely unaware that paint has come through. Hopefully they will be amenable to fixing it.

MadeForThis · 29/05/2022 08:39

Hope they offer a fair solution.

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