Neighbour has just lowered the fence!

[draxdomax]

We are end of terrace and are responsible for the fence to the left of us.
Having trouble with the neighbor to the right.

Bit of history: We started off alright but then we caught them spying on us (we are a F+F couple and I guess they find us interesting or disagreeable).
The police got involved and caught them with cameras illegally set up.
There was also evidence they were following us around the street and taking pictures and posting to channels (those pictures eventually reached us).

We didn't talk for 3 years.
Then, a common friend has died and we simply started talking again after meeting at the funeral.
Even started greeting each other and being somewhat pleasant.

Few days ago, neighbor approached and said he's having the fence between us changed.
It is indeed an old fence that would probably crumble this winter.
We asked him how high the new fence is going to be - he answered "as high as the old one".

Today, their fencing worker came with the fence panels and, not only that they are much shorter but they also have a "see-through" top section...
We've gone from 2m cover to 1m cover and feel naked, especially these are unpleasant and conflictive people with VERY keen interest in us.

My partner went to talk to them and the wife just laughed in her face "haha we don't care, it doesn't matter what we said"...

So, we are enemies again :/

1. Can we do something about the fact they promised a certain fence (verbally) and then installed a different one?
2. Can I attach something from my side on their fence? Thinking to get some sort of sheet material that will cover up to 6"... Or at least cover the see-through part of the fence

Any ideas, discussion, suggestions welcome.

We have had exactly the same issue with our neighbours and the same type of fencing put in which lowers it more /see through pattern
From 6ft to 4.5ft
Our patio area was all exposed totally and not private any more I was so upset.

So what we have done is (on our own boundary)
Get bamboo in pots the clumping umbrella type it's very effective as it branches out (I'd post a photo but don't want to be identified)

Bought an expensive tall red Acer in a pot

We actually moved an established forsythia from the end of our garden and it's taken well after transplanting and is getting leaves😊. Forsythia is good for privacy hedging as its covered in flowers from early spring and full of leaves in summer until November. It also gets tall and wide. You can prune and shape it well so easily controlled .If you can get a big one or look on market place for someone getting rid of one get it. Also I recommend maxicrop seaweed fertilizer it really perked it up and really feeds plants well

The bamboo at either side of the forsythia look lovely and once it's full of leaves we will be totally hidden on our patio. The rest of our garden is still quite exposed but we've planted more shrubs which will eventually get bigger.

We haven't touched their fence at all.

You could also buy a clemantis planter and put a jasmine tracholspernum white star jasmine on it. It grows fast for coverage is beautiful and smells divine we have one under our window
Sending hugs .

I hadn’t thought of that risk. OP you could put small escape holes for hedgehogs, cats in case one did get stuck.
I’d be very tempted to put 6ft fence panels up, a beautiful colour on your side and shabby/graffiti looking facing them.

Ours did a similar thing years ago.

We had a 6ft closed board fence put up on our side. I can’t imagine how crap it looks in his side, was worth every penny!!!

If you can afford it, plant some pleached aerial hedging above their fence line. Will eat into your garden space at ground level less than leylandi.

This sort of thing:

https://majestictrees.co.uk/pleached-trained/4161-cornus-mas-pleached

How big is your garden OP?
You could do something like this:

I would put in 8 foot posts or taller
and screw narrow panels at the top of the 6 foot limit , then run a rope looped from post to post at 8 foot , grow climbers over it
if they remove their fence you can simple
add smaller panels to the bottom of the posts
meantime growing honeysuckle, clematis roses on the ropey bit, I’ll give you extra screening anyway!

You can put up your own fence. It will just need to not touch theirs, so you'll lose maybe half a meter of your garden. I know someone who had disagreeable neighbours who did this - it solved the problem.

Our neighbours had a 4 ft fence and we wanted more privacy so we put up on our fence inside the boundary. We spoke to them first out of courtesy, but if you are putting it up inside the boundary there’s nothing anyone can do about it anyway unless it breaches the maximum height for your local area.

Ours sits very close to theirs but not touching so we haven’t lost hardly any space.

Heras fencing would be ideal, lightweight and easy to attach massive pride flags too, you can rent it or buy the panels quite cheaply second hand, if you know any tradeys they might be able to get you a couple free

This stuff
https://safefence.co.uk/used-3-5m-round-top-mesh-panel.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwjaWoBhAmEiwAXz8DBWQ-c0bGovrRg3fNMRrHvgjiR8Txx1huJ6UrsmrRu-W1kxG3Db1o9BoC_H4QAvD_BwE

You can get it in varying heights.

If you can afford it,

Papillon Premium Willow Hurdles Garden Traditional Fencing Woven Fence Panel 1.82cm x 0.9m (6ft x 3ft) https://amzn.eu/d/byUFuvq

For a quick solution I'd put wooden posts up, then put 2 stainless cables (along the lines of this https://www.s3i.co.uk/cablesystems.php) in a band at the top covering their see through part & taking it up to 6ft.
buy a roll of marine canvas/vinyl, plus the thread. (https://www.marinevinylfabric.com/products/marine-vinyl-fabric) & put a hem in top & bottom thread cable through.
It will wear out after a while, but won't cost a fortune, but maybe they will be arrested beforehand.

genius

I'd go leylandii too - loads of them!

I rather thought it was illegal to plant leylandii now?

Also as Heras fencing is temporary, I am not sure it would be covered by planning regs ?

These and thread them with rainbow tape to obscure their view.

What do your other neighbours think of the camera episode?

Fortunately none of my 3 gay adult children have every had this sort of shit to contend with.

all the best.

Plus for extra points think how many windchimes you could hang off a heras fence, they are simply crying out for adornment

No. Willow is very thirsty - that's why you often find them by riverbanks

Be terrible for the foundations

I'm another who would move house. I couldn't stand to live next to people like that.

I absolutely love this.

Is the garden paved or does it have grass / soil borders? How sunny is it?

If the wall that you would put trellis against is south facing (and not too shady), I would plant jasmine (the real one), clematis and honeysuckle. It would be great for bees.

Leylandii is a terrible plant to inflict on yourself and bamboo is not much better.

They sound awful. Block them out with a seven foot fence on your side, perfectly permissible.

Low fences don't make for good neighbourhood relations, I learned that with children and balls. Always above head height in a back garden is best unless you are particularly pally.

I forgot to add this in to my reply above, but there is a type of dwarf willow called salix flamingo we have put in too, which is a fast grower but a lollipop type tree and another good for privacy . Lovely colour in spring have a Google. Not the huge weeping variety lol

How do you manage to secure this and keep it in one piece in our climate?