Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

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:
RedWingBoots · 14/08/2022 14:54

SirChenjins · 14/08/2022 14:28

Bloody hell @RedWingBoots / that’s an insane way of approaching things. Seriously.

Yeah well if you decide to ignore your neighbours when they try to speak to you don't be surprised they get pissed off with you when you attempt to destroy their property.

Incidentally another neighbour who speaks to me and everyone apart from them - as they don't speak to anyone - scratched my car when it was new I just shrugged.

SirChenjins · 14/08/2022 15:05

Maybe they ignore you because you’re crazy. Or because your disdain for renters shines through.

MarmadukeSpillageEsquire · 14/08/2022 15:17

RedWingBoots · 14/08/2022 14:54

Yeah well if you decide to ignore your neighbours when they try to speak to you don't be surprised they get pissed off with you when you attempt to destroy their property.

Incidentally another neighbour who speaks to me and everyone apart from them - as they don't speak to anyone - scratched my car when it was new I just shrugged.

Show quote history

So you've got a vendetta against one set of neighbours then. I repeat: Jesus H Christ.

Original poster
tigger1167 · 14/08/2022 15:19

Really strong divided opinions on this forum with a lot thinking I’m rude.

The fence is single side not double sided. The top of the posts we can see from our side.

i was merely asking if it was unreasonable to ask if they kept a similar colour so ad tp not drip through.

The neighbours hasn’t actually asked if she can paint the fence, I think they might think it’s shared ownership but not.

personally, if it were the other way around I would not automatically think that the dividing fence was mine and just paint it without knowing it was my property but that is just me. I would also ask first.

I actually would like them to paint as it would save me doing it and secondly I wouldn’t want her to have a colour she didn’t like but surely if it drips through I’m going to have to touch up all the drip through which is something I’m trying to avoid and it’s certainly not something we are going to get into an argument.about.

thanks for all the comments and suggestions, some of them have been very helpful.. It’s certainly been interesting.

OP posts:
ArcticSkewer · 14/08/2022 15:56

So you have erected a fence partly on someone else's land and are now unhappy they want to paint the part that's on their land?

Or you erected a fence entirely within your own boundary?

RedWingBoots · 14/08/2022 19:19

OP the law is on your side.

RedWingBoots · 14/08/2022 19:22

SirChenjins · 14/08/2022 15:05

Maybe they ignore you because you’re crazy. Or because your disdain for renters shines through.

They ignore everyone including two of my most friendly neighbours, who can be relied on to take your parcels in for you, and other neighbours who rent.

RedWingBoots · 14/08/2022 19:23

@MarmadukeSpillageEsquire no vendetta.

I just ignore them unless they decide to destroy my property.

Original poster
tigger1167 · 18/08/2022 12:32

ArcticSkewer · 14/08/2022 15:56

So you have erected a fence partly on someone else's land and are now unhappy they want to paint the part that's on their land?

Or you erected a fence entirely within your own boundary?

@ArcticSkewer the fence was originally shared on the boundary line, since the fence was broken twice by the former new tenants who did not even offer to pay for repairing the fence. So and to your answer your point, we erected and paid for a new fence and moved the posts slightly back so they are on our land.

OP posts:
tiggergoesbounce · 18/08/2022 12:40

We have paid for the many fence panels surrounding our garden as we wanted a particular panel and noone was replacing the slightly damaged ones.

There is no way on this planet we would then dictate to our neighbours that they must sit looking at a fence of the colour of our choice, its just wierd. Providing they dont effect the colour on our panel, they have them all pink if they want.

Only on MN do i ever hear of things like this🤣

BasiliskStare · 18/08/2022 12:41

This isn't a hill I would die on. I would let them paint whatever colour they like on their side - ask them to be careful re drips etc & if you have to a bit of touching up - then so be it.

I'd rather have a neighbour taking good care of their property than worry about a bit of touching up to your side of the fence.

Original poster
tigger1167 · 18/08/2022 13:10

ArcticSkewer · 14/08/2022 12:06

Is it the boundary line or on your land, and so they can put another fence in on their (landlords) land?

If you built it on the boundary then it's a bit much to then expect to have a say in how the neighbours treat their side.

My back fence has two fences - one on our side and one on the neighbours. Presumably they had a similar issue at some point or another.

The ones on either side are boundary fences and we each paint our side as we wish

Question - if one owner erects a fence and a neighbour nails their new fence to to the existing posts - who then has the responsibility if the posts needs replacing - does it automatically become shared even though they didn't pay for the fence and would the neighbours be willing to replace the posts that was originally there ?

OP posts:
Original poster
tigger1167 · 18/08/2022 13:12

BasiliskStare · 18/08/2022 12:41

This isn't a hill I would die on. I would let them paint whatever colour they like on their side - ask them to be careful re drips etc & if you have to a bit of touching up - then so be it.

I'd rather have a neighbour taking good care of their property than worry about a bit of touching up to your side of the fence.

I'm in full agreement with you which is why I said I was more than happy for them to paint the fence. I should have explained myself better at the time re painting and to just ask them to be careful re drips etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
tigger1167 · 18/08/2022 13:13

tiggergoesbounce · 18/08/2022 12:40

We have paid for the many fence panels surrounding our garden as we wanted a particular panel and noone was replacing the slightly damaged ones.

There is no way on this planet we would then dictate to our neighbours that they must sit looking at a fence of the colour of our choice, its just wierd. Providing they dont effect the colour on our panel, they have them all pink if they want.

Only on MN do i ever hear of things like this🤣

I didn't dictate.

OP posts:
Original poster
tigger1167 · 18/08/2022 13:15

BunsyGirl · 13/08/2022 14:13

You’re being ridiculous OP. In most cases, people only own the fence on one side of their garden. The neighbours own the other. Unless everyone in the street agrees on the same colour, people are going to end up with different colours at each side of their garden!

It's a single sided fence not double sided so no the neighbours don't own the other side of the fence and it's actually inside the boundary line.

OP posts:
Original poster
tigger1167 · 18/08/2022 13:18

22fgjiyt · 13/08/2022 11:25

Would it make a difference to you if your neighbours had "bought"?

OMG ... it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the neighbours haven't bought. The same issue would apply if the owners were bought, the fence is single sided and inside the boundary line.

OP posts:
Original poster
tigger1167 · 18/08/2022 13:21

Anniefrenchfry · 13/08/2022 11:30

And it is better the fence is painted both sides to preserve it, they are doing uou a favour. Don’t be so utterly rude and petty as to then dictate the colour. Just as long as no drips your side then let them paint it any colour they wish.

If I was so utterly rude I would have said NO you can't paint the fence.

Honestly, I think certain aspects of the conversation get picked up on and not others.

Once again, I said I was more than happy for them to paint the fence, that is not being utterly rude! I should have asked them just to be careful when painting so as not to have the paint drip through.

OP posts:
Lesterjosephgale · 18/08/2022 13:36

I can’t believe anyone would be so petty as to try and dictate what colour a neighbour paints their own side of the fence, regardless of who owns it. I think you are massively overestimating how much is likely to drip through. If a neighbour was getting arsey about it I would bloody well leave it unpainted and exposed to the elements.

Original poster
tigger1167 · 18/08/2022 14:46

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?

Yeah, in hindsight, I should have just said if they could be careful when painting to as not to have any drip/leaking come through like maybe use a sponge roller instead of a brush. Quite happy for them to paint it as it will preserve the fence.

OP posts:
Original poster
tigger1167 · 18/08/2022 14:57

Just found this relating to boundary fences dated 3 March 2022 -

Law firm Brown Turner Ross said: "If your neighbour owns the fence then you are not permitted to make any changes to the fence, even if it is on your side of the property boundary, without their permission.

It's from article in the sun - not sure if you are allowed to post links on here.

OP posts:
ArcticSkewer · 18/08/2022 15:55

Did you ask the other landowner's permission to build a fence on the boundary line?

ArcticSkewer · 18/08/2022 15:59

tigger1167 · 18/08/2022 12:32

@ArcticSkewer the fence was originally shared on the boundary line, since the fence was broken twice by the former new tenants who did not even offer to pay for repairing the fence. So and to your answer your point, we erected and paid for a new fence and moved the posts slightly back so they are on our land.

Show quote history

ah, missed your earlier reply. So your Sun link doesn't matter either way as it isn't relevant. If you built on your land then they can just build on their land if they want to paint the fence a colour to suit them. I think I said earlier, my back fence is like thus. It's weird but kind of handy because I can do what I want, hang stuff on it etc and not worry.
Just tell them no, it's on your land, they need to sort their own fence

bellabasset · 19/08/2022 18:42

I'd go to the neighbours and explain that the fence is my responsibility and I was appreciative of their offer to paint it and I'll buy the paint for you.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page