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Original poster

Neighbour wishes to paint our fence?

123 replies

tigger1167 · 13/08/2022 08:54

Thoughts please. We are in a bought house and we have a fence which we paid for and had put on.

Our new neighbours who are not bought are slowly doing up the garden. In conversation, she said the other day that she would like to paint the fence, to which I replied do you mean our fence which I have been painting. She said yes. I said I didn’t mind as long as she painted it the same colour.

I could tell she perhaps didn’t like our choice of colour but her oldest son yes we will pick something close.

I’m not sure that they realise that we have paid for this fence and that it isn’t a ‘housing’ fence and therefore she can’t just decide to paint it without us agreeing.

is it wrong of me to say I’d like the fence to be painted in the same colour or something similar that that will blend in?

OP posts:

ItsSnowJokes · 13/08/2022 08:57

Are they the slide in panels? If so slide them out one at a time and paint it yourself so you get the same colour. We painted both sides of our fence when we had ours put in.

KangarooKenny · 13/08/2022 08:59

If they don’t know it’s your fence they will do whatever they want. You need to tell them.

VioletToes · 13/08/2022 09:03

What? Surely no one can dictate what colour fence you have on your own side? You paint your side what you want and they paint their side the colour they want?

SoupDragon · 13/08/2022 09:04

VioletToes · 13/08/2022 09:03

What? Surely no one can dictate what colour fence you have on your own side? You paint your side what you want and they paint their side the colour they want?

Of course you can't paint someone else's property!

ChubbyCaterpillar · 13/08/2022 09:06

You need to tell them it's your fence.

RainbowsMoonbeams · 13/08/2022 09:08

VioletToes · 13/08/2022 09:03

What? Surely no one can dictate what colour fence you have on your own side? You paint your side what you want and they paint their side the colour they want?

The fence is owned fully by the OP. Both sides of it. This means no hanging things in it or painting it without permission of the person it belongs to.

Sometimes the fence paint leaks through and you get drips on the other side too, which adds insult to injury when you have paid for it.

ItsSnowJokes · 13/08/2022 09:08

VioletToes · 13/08/2022 09:03

What? Surely no one can dictate what colour fence you have on your own side? You paint your side what you want and they paint their side the colour they want?

Depends who owns the fence. If the person who owns it doesn't want it painted or wants it a certain colour then it's tough to the neighbour.

midgetastic · 13/08/2022 09:12

It would be nice if you could let them paint the side they see the colour they want - provided the don't do the top / edges/ dribble onto your side

Quite tricky though in practise

LadyEloise1 · 13/08/2022 09:22

How come if a fence divides 2 houses only one house "owns" it ?
When the houses were built surely there was something dividing the gardens ?

Itsnotwhatitlookslike · 13/08/2022 09:23

As long as it didn’t drip through I really wouldn’t have an issue with a neighbour painting their side a colour they wanted to look at, I mean this is from a previous thread-how awful! I would feel so miserable if I had to look out onto bloody battleship grey every day.

We were in the same position op. Our fence. We painted our side grey. Ndn painted her side brown. We had a solicitor instruct her not to touch our property.. She legally had to allow us onto her property to maintain the fence. I went round and painted it grey

I get that it is your fence, but they are the ones that have to live looking at it. Could you just have a discussion with them and come to an agreement?

MotherOfCrocodiles · 13/08/2022 09:31

They possibly don't realise the fence is yours, or how much they cost.

Since they have asked just explain to them and say they would need to use the exact same colour as you or it will trickle through and look a mess.

SoupDragon · 13/08/2022 09:32

LadyEloise1 · 13/08/2022 09:22

How come if a fence divides 2 houses only one house "owns" it ?
When the houses were built surely there was something dividing the gardens ?

Responsibility for fences is usually defined in the deeds for the house with each house being responsible for one side. If you have paid for the fence, it is your property.

Some fences are deemed to be shared responsibility but you can still end up with one homeowner having bought the fence and therefore owning it.

SoupDragon · 13/08/2022 09:33

like a PP, I personally wouldn't have a problem with a neighbour painting the side they see whatever colour they like provided they ask first and it doesn't drip through.

VioletToes · 13/08/2022 09:36

SoupDragon · 13/08/2022 09:32

Responsibility for fences is usually defined in the deeds for the house with each house being responsible for one side. If you have paid for the fence, it is your property.

Some fences are deemed to be shared responsibility but you can still end up with one homeowner having bought the fence and therefore owning it.

Show quote history

So can paint one side of your back garden fence the colour you want, and the other side will be the colour the neighbour wants. Interesting...

Bindayagain · 13/08/2022 09:36

My neighbours have painted their side of our fe be a different colour to ours - it has come through in a couple of places. They asked, while painting it, in a kind of breezy "I know it's your fence but do you mind..?" It's better that the fence is painted to preserve it, and I did't want the bother of doing it myself - the different colour is a bit annoying but our side is grey and I know that isn't to everyone's taste.

FreudayNight · 13/08/2022 10:23

Yes if you can slide them out/in do that.

But also have a think about why it feels so important to have your color.

would it really be a huge loss to you if it was painted a colour that you didn’t like? Because it sounds like it’s because they asked that you want to say no-!just to show them.

WeAreTheHeroes · 13/08/2022 10:34

Responsibility for fences is sometimes defined in the title register and shown on the title plan. If it isn't then responsibility is assumed to be shared, unless one neighbour owns the fence.

Madamecastafiore · 13/08/2022 10:37

Jesus if everyone were as difficult as you none of us would have matching fences either side of our gardens unless we all got together and chose one colour for the whole street!

SoupDragon · 13/08/2022 10:39

VioletToes · 13/08/2022 09:36

So can paint one side of your back garden fence the colour you want, and the other side will be the colour the neighbour wants. Interesting...

Show quote history

That depends who paid for the physical fence.

Technophobic · 13/08/2022 10:40

What would you say if she wanted to paint your car? You paid for that too.

5zeds · 13/08/2022 10:45

Pop round with the name of the colour you painted your side, explain that the fence is yrs and cost £XXX so you really don’t want to have paid all that and len have drips of another colour coming through your side. If they are renting you could also send a letter to the landlord explaining exactly what is and isn’t ok.

Dotcheck · 13/08/2022 10:51

But they are painting their side?
Will you actually see it?
I don’t understand why you wouldn’t let them paint their side. I understand it’s your fence, but if you don’t have to look at it, and it doesn’t affect your side, what is the issue?

Waterfallgirl · 13/08/2022 10:55

Meanwhile back in the real world people paint the fence on their own side and neighbours paint theirs. I have never in my years of home ownership - both owning and not owning fences - heard of someone insisting on the neighbours having the same colour on their side / let alone actually taking the panels and actually painting them or going round to next doors to do it.
I am sure my neighbours would think I was batshit if I either told them what colour to pain on their side or went around to paint it!
I get it that you don’t want colours to bleed through but its just about having a good conversation surely and making sure both parties are careful
Just seems odd to me what’s being suggested here.

Honeyroar · 13/08/2022 11:09

It sounds odd to me too. Who would be so rude/cruel to their neighbours as to insist on a colour scheme! Thankfully I live rurally and don’t have adjoining fences (apart from the fields!). I’d hate to have to look at someone else’s shade of fence on one side of the house. In the days when boundaries were created people probably all creosoted and it wasn’t an issue! Couldn’t people just agree to a different colour as long as it was professionally done and didn’t leak through to your side - and was corrected if it did? Or agree to a trellis being attached to hide your colour?

Bindayagain · 13/08/2022 11:13

Yes it's worth saying you're worried about drip throughs so they would take extra care. But is it worth a fight with your neighbours over this?

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