Neighbour's fence down - refusing to replace

[Joe5y]

CambsBill said:

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.

Yes, checked deeds etc as we were unsure when discussing.

[Trustmeimadoctor]

but this is why we always go 50/50 on ours its just nice to do

[Joe5y]

Piersman2 said:

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!

Luckily neither am I the sort of person to profit from other misfortune. Simply that's cost to replace the entire fence which he agrees needs doing. As stated above, more than superficial damage.

[Joe5y]

Trustmeimadoctor said:

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

Whilst I could quote for B&Q specials and the similar there are some flaws in your logic.

Previous posts were 125mm so will need replacing with the same or a gap will form at either end. You've priced the incorrect size in both height and width unless you plan on having 6" in the ground to support it all? Posts = £18.00ea

Panels are tantalized and pressure treated close board prefab panels @£28.99 from the supplier they were originally purchased from £144.95.

Gravelboards @ £7ea for 2x6 @6ft.

[motco]

Joe5y said:

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".

My last house covenants dictated a fence that was stock-proof along my side boundary and across the rear.

[Zetec-S]

OP, I appreciate as it's your area of expertise you want to do a decent job, therefore £350 is not unreasonable.

However, the neighbour sounds like they don't really give a st, so even if they were to fix it themselves they'd do a cheap bodge job and cross their fingers. Getting them to pay for the 'gold plated' solution is probably not an option.

If they're really not prepared to fix then I'd offer to do it/pay for it. But perhaps hold off until the spring/summer, they might decide once the weather is better that they also want some privacy and might be more open to contributing?

[Sheets Tabuer]

motco said:

Joe5y said:

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".

My last house covenants dictated a fence that was stock-proof along my side boundary and across the rear.

Many years ago I posted on here about a neighbour that wanted to replace my 3 foot brick wall boundary with a 6 foot fence, I consistently refused then luckily when I moved out for a few months the wind blew it over (so she said) and she replaced it with a 6 foot fence.

After seeking legal advice I found the part where it says you must maintain a boundary on your deeds could be satisfied by a piece of string.

[Joe5y]

Sheets Tabuer said:

motco said:

Joe5y said:

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".

My last house covenants dictated a fence that was stock-proof along my side boundary and across the rear.

Many years ago I posted on here about a neighbour that wanted to replace my 3 foot brick wall boundary with a 6 foot fence, I consistently refused then luckily when I moved out for a few months the wind blew it over (so she said) and she replaced it with a 6 foot fence.

After seeking legal advice I found the part where it says you must maintain a boundary on your deeds could be satisfied by a piece of string.

I think deeds can often differ

[Mgd_uk]

Can you put up your own fence on your side and let him worry about his side?

[Joe5y]

motco said:

Joe5y said:

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".

My last house covenants dictated a fence that was stock-proof along my side boundary and across the rear.

Ours state right only as left is neighbour's and rear is the opposite / reward facing neighbour's.

[Joe5y]

Mgd_uk said:

Can you put up your own fence on your side and let him worry about his side?

Yes but far from keen.

[Muncher]

If he says he won't pay there's not much you can do about it at all in practice, so I don't really think you have any option here.

[dickymint]

For starters I would chuck his fence onto his side of the boundary!

[dazwalsh]

If I had to go about replacing the fence muself they would get the ugly side, and all the old crap would be thrown onto their side.

Refusing to replace it is just poor neighbouring.

[V8RX7]

I've always ended up replacing all the fencing at my homes on both sides.

I typically buy tired homes which generally means elderly neighbours - I want a nice looking fence both for me and for when I sell - it's simply easier to do it myself.

[davek_964]

There are some pretty unreasonable people on this thread.

I'm sure it's annoying. Last year, my neighbours fence blew down and wasn't replaced for about 6 months.

But to some people, £350 is a significant amount of money and spending it on a fence will be way down on their priority list. If the biggest worry you have in your life is that your neighbour can't afford to replace his fence, then you really don't have much to worry about.

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

He's obviously taking advantage of you and the fact that you own a landscaping co.
i.e - he thinks you can just knock something up for him for nothing.
I hate people like him.

Just DIY and be done with it - he's probably the sort of person who could make your life hell if he decides he doesn't like you any more.

[steveo3002]

how about replace it but screw all his ugly broken bits to his side so he has to look at it

[Chrisgr31]

The needs say maintain a fence so all he needs is a foll of chicken wire and a few stakes.

[Vroom101]

The house behind me has been empty for a few years. A couple in their forties lived there. She died, he moved away and the house has sat empty ever since. The fence was their responsibility, but was just left to rot and looked a right state. Managed to get the owner round but he wasn't really interested in spending the money - he was far from skint, the guy drove about in a 996 Turbo. He was just being tight.

Unfortunately there was nothing I could do. Couldn't force him to do anything, but obviously didn't want to look at a scabby fence all the time. In the end I paid for a new one, just inside the boundary line. I lost a few inches of garden but it's worth it to have a nice secure fence in place.