Storm - Neighbour's fence panel just collapsed into my garden...

[Greenseawitch]

I live in a terraced house.

I noticed a couple of weeks ago that one of the panels in my neighbour's fence was coming loose.

The elderly owner is in a care home and the house is for sale so I informed her son who said he would look into it during his visit to the house.

The panel has now collapsed into my garden because of the strong winds, causing damage to plant pots, plants and a garden lantern.

My deeds state that I am only responsible for the fence on the right side of my garden so this repair (on the left) is my neighbour's responsibility.

I have texted them and will take pictures of the damage tomorrow.

Frankly I am angry that they just let this happen although I had warned them of the problem but hope it can be resolved amicably.

Can anyone give me some advice on the right steps to take/ the best approach?

I live alone and don't have the strength to lift the fence back I think but should I try to push it back in their garden once I have taken pictures? what can I do if they are slow in repairing this?

Give them a break. Its hard dealing with an elderly parent/ medical issues/ care homes etc. Especially if the son is also trying to hold a family and job together.

Give them a chance to get it sorted.

One panel?! My entire fence fell down one year, cost us a lot of money and a weekend’s work in winter to replace it.

I imagine the son is busy caring for his mother. You equally could’ve moved your pots if you were that worried.

It’s a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, isn’t it?!

These things happen. It's a pain for you, and them to sort out but their circumstances mean it probably wasn't the top of the priority list.

Give them a chance to fix it and compensate you, I'd say at least a few weeks.

I agree, this has just happened. Give them a chance. These things happen. If they aren’t able to fix it quickly then you could offer to do the leg work and send them the bill. If they agree.

Has he visited the house since your first message and not sorted it? It’s not his house, he’s helping deal with it as his parent can’t, he clearly has other stuff going on so jumping straight to anger is a bit much. You’ve text him so jsut want and see what happens next. If he’s slow to respond I’d politely explain you need it fixing.

Was also going to agree and say I think you need to be amicable and understanding that it’s not his house and his parent is in a care home. He’s likely to have a huge load so give him chance and have a bit of compassion

Bloody hell, calm down. Its a fence panel. Last big storm i had a total of 80 meters of fence down as did several people on our street. Just let them know and im sure they will sort it. To be honest the fence was probably the last thing bin the man's mind if his parent is in a home and he has the added stress of trying to get the house sold. You are overreacting big time.

Compensate you? Fence panels come down in the wind moving the pots and lantern would have been sensible asking for compensation in this situation is really unpleasant

What a hassle for him. Be pleasant.

Loose panels and a storm coming, moving your pots would have been a good idea surely. I would fix the fence but I wouldn't want to compensate for any damage

Storms take even the best maintained fences down.

it’s howling at the moment and in the morning everyone will be ringing the fencing people.

make it safe and leave it.

You are really overreacting. He’s probably busy. You don’t even have to have a fence so it’s probably not a great idea to aggravate the son.

If the house is for sale and the elderly neighbour is in a care home, this really will be low priority for the children. They are potentially dealing with a distressed parent who didn't want to leave their home, cost of financing care demanding selling of the house and likely near end of life situation. they really won't give a shit about one fence panel or some broken pots.

It is currently very difficult to get fencers to come to do small jobs so even if their intention had been good they would struggle to find someone to do it.

If you knew it was a risk, you should have moved stuff out of the way - at least the latern. We've all had a lot of notice of this storm and high winds so it isn't a shock.

It's not worth you getting angry about because it doesn't matter really. It's irritating and a cost but just money in the end and it will be sorted even if you have to wait a bit. Worst case scenario its why you have insurance.

Goodness me why are you so upset? It’s not big deal. Of course you just push the fence back onto their side.

If you’re this upset now wait until you realise they don’t need to put a new fence up!

Fences come down in the wind. Mentioning compensation straight away makes it pretty clear you don’t actually give a shit about the fence…

Borders between houses don’t need to be boundaried by fences at all by the way, so if he decides just to move it out of the way and not replace it that’s his choice.

I went into my garden as soon as I got home from work and moved everything into one corner. I didn’t leave things in front of a fence panel I already knew was broken. And if somebody tried to make me pay for damage for stuff they had left vulnerable to a fence that they themselves had to,d me was broken, I’d say no.

Some rather unpleasant responses on this thread.

Also the elderly relative has been in a home for about a year and the property has gone on sale a couple of months ago so they are not dealing with a sudden crisis with a parent having to be looked after. The son is retired and not having to deal with a job either...

I am disabled and live alone so it is not easy for me to either the fence panel (impossible actually) or to move heavy plant pots and trees.

Frankly what a sad place Mumsnet has become.

One panel? And it's just happened?

Time to get some perspective I think!

I’m fit and healthy and an owner occupier and I wouldn’t be able to deal with a fence panel.

It would wait until I have the resources and someone who can repair it has the availability.

We’re not all waiting to leap up and repair our own fences!

I think most people just think you're overreacting!

You can leave the fence panel. Why does anyone need to do any of it as a matter of urgency?

Oh well, maybe he will have it removed now. He doesn’t need to replace it.

Do you have anyone you could ask to lift the panel?

It's an annoying turn of events but not worth stressing over. Being combative is not likely to get the situation resolved faster.

Good grief. We’ve just had a driver plough through and flatten 30 feet of 30 year old six foot hedging in our garden at 4.30am, damage a tree and demolish our bins. Enough damage done to have had him tow his car away and flee the scene necessitating police involvement and the local council come to clean the lane.
I wouldn’t be losing sleep over a fence panel.

"Frankly what a sad place Mumsnet has become."

Another poster who turns petulant and drip feeds when a thread does not turn out the way they hoped....