Neighbour's fence down - refusing to replace

Neighbour's fence down - refusing to replace

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Discussion

Joe5y

Original Poster:

1,501 posts

182 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
Afternoon PH,

Our neighbour's fence came down in the wind yesterday. No biggy, it happens.
When it fell it also broke 2x slate pots and a ceramic pot of ours (c£100.00) - not great but again, act of god (don't believe in god!).
However, the neighbour has said that he "hasn't the money to repair and therefore won't be doing so anytime soon if at all".

Now, I own a landscaping company and could do it for c£350 (materials only) and would take a day but obviously don't want to pay for something that isn't mine.

What should I do?

Sheets Tabuer

18,898 posts

214 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
Buy a large dog and let it out so it shts on his lawn.

or;

A) offer to do it as a good neighbour
B) Offer to go halves
c) Sell him the parts at cost price
d) ignore it and have a huge hole

He says he hasn't got the money, I really don't see what you can do.

Joe5y

Original Poster:

1,501 posts

182 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
Sheets Tabuer said:
He says he hasn't got the money, I really don't see what you can do.
True dat!

Picture for reference



Neighbour is a bit of a sausage.

Option E: offer to do it and set him up on my company payment plan!

Joe5y

Original Poster:

1,501 posts

182 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
Joe5y said:
Sheets Tabuer said:
He says he hasn't got the money, I really don't see what you can do.
True dat!

Picture for reference



Neighbour is a bit of a sausage.

Option E: offer to do it and set him up on my company payment plan!
For clarity, 4 posts are down

Sheepshanks

32,530 posts

118 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
Joe5y said:
For clarity, 4 posts are down
£350 for materials (presumeably "trade" to some extent) seems a bit OTT?

Chainsaw Rebuild

1,997 posts

101 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
Doesn't he have to maintain his fence?

Sheets Tabuer

18,898 posts

214 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
Chainsaw Rebuild said:
Doesn't he have to maintain his fence?
You'd be surprised but no, he doesn't even have to have one.

minivanman

262 posts

189 months

Friday 24th February 2017
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Do it yourself, it'll look better than anything he'll have done, it'll be better materials than someone who does it as cheap as possible and you can set it with the good side looking towards you. I'm lucky enough to own all my fences so I've done them all with concrete posts and gravelboards and decent panels. Much better than having to rely on having your tightwad neighbour bodge it together.

8-P

2,756 posts

259 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
minivanman said:
Do it yourself, it'll look better than anything he'll have done, it'll be better materials than someone who does it as cheap as possible and you can set it with the good side looking towards you. I'm lucky enough to own all my fences so I've done them all with concrete posts and gravelboards and decent panels. Much better than having to rely on having your tightwad neighbour bodge it together.
He sounds like a tool, he'd probably get all upity if you did this and take it down/moan/do some other daft thing

WindyCommon

3,354 posts

238 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
minivanman said:
Do it yourself, it'll look better than anything he'll have done, it'll be better materials than someone who does it as cheap as possible and you can set it with the good side looking towards you. I'm lucky enough to own all my fences so I've done them all with concrete posts and gravelboards and decent panels. Much better than having to rely on having your tightwad neighbour bodge it together.
This. It'll take away any potential future problem for you.

Life rule #something-or-other: always take every opportunity to insulate yourself from numpties.

FourWheelDrift

88,381 posts

283 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
Can't you put the old fence back in place with a few joining flat plates and screws for now?

£10 + 15mins = privacy.

DapperDanMan

2,622 posts

206 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
Is it not salvageable? Can you and your neighbour do some kind of temporary repair until such a time as they have the money? Use it as a way to get to know your neighbour better.


Joe5y

Original Poster:

1,501 posts

182 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
Joe5y said:
For clarity, 4 posts are down
£350 for materials (presumeably "trade" to some extent) seems a bit OTT?
4 post are broken. 1 is very wonky. Postcrete for each post. Total = £160.
Wall baton & fixings = £15.
3 panels are broken. 2 split. 5 panels = £145.
Fixings = £5.
Gravel boards = £35.

Total £360.00.

Joe5y

Original Poster:

1,501 posts

182 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
Sheets Tabuer said:
Chainsaw Rebuild said:
Doesn't he have to maintain his fence?
You'd be surprised but no, he doesn't even have to have one.
Deeds state that he (and I on my own) have to "maintain a sufficient boundary whether it be hedge, fence or wall".

Joe5y

Original Poster:

1,501 posts

182 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
DapperDanMan said:
Is it not salvageable? Can you and your neighbour do some kind of temporary repair until such a time as they have the money? Use it as a way to get to know your neighbour better.
2 posts have snapped clean off and 2 are supported by some rope his side. 3 panels are in more bits than are usable. 2 gravel boards are in 4 halves.

Piersman2

6,596 posts

198 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:
Can't you put the old fence back in place with a few joining flat plates and screws?

£10 + 15mins = privacy.
This.

Not sure where you get £350 for materials (plus day rate!) from when the panels look perfectly re-usable. Possibly a couple of new posts from Wickes, can't be more than £50 in materials.

When I've wanted to replace/repair fence panels around my garden I've just done it myself, and the neighbours have always been grateful. But then I guess I'm just the kind of person that doesn't try and profit from a neighbour's misfortune.

Frankly, I'm not surprised your neighbour told you to jog on, I'd have told you I was going to leave it like that as well, if only to wind you up! laugh

FiF

43,960 posts

250 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
minivanman said:
Do it yourself, it'll look better than anything he'll have done, it'll be better materials than someone who does it as cheap as possible and you can set it with the good side looking towards you. I'm lucky enough to own all my fences so I've done them all with concrete posts and gravelboards and decent panels. Much better than having to rely on having your tightwad neighbour bodge it together.
Tbh this ^^^

It may grate a bit, but sfw. Worse things happen at sea. If you insist he does it, then will be a bodge done with bad grace at his own pace.

CambsBill

1,909 posts

177 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
OP, are you sure it's his fence? I only ask because I thought the general rule was that you own the fence on the left as you look down the garden.

Emphasis on 'general' of course, there's no absolute regulation.

Trustmeimadoctor

12,525 posts

154 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
Joe5y said:
Sheepshanks said:
Joe5y said:
For clarity, 4 posts are down
£350 for materials (presumeably "trade" to some extent) seems a bit OTT?
4 post are broken. 1 is very wonky. Postcrete for each post. Total = £160. 10.99x4 7' £44 + 25 for postcrete
Wall baton & fixings = £15. ok ish
3 panels are broken. 2 split. 5 panels = £145. 20x5 6ft £100
Fixings = £5.
Gravel boards = £35. 12.99 each concrete 17.99 for wood x4

Total £360.00.
total 201.99

Trustmeimadoctor

12,525 posts

154 months

Friday 24th February 2017
quotequote all
also why replace gravel boards if the are concrete?