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Bloody neighbours!

28 posts & 23 voices | Started 2 years ago by surfer | Latest reply from lookmanohands

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surfer - Member

When we moved in the fence in our garden on the right hand side was on its last legs. I spent a few days digging out the rotten posts (that had been buried in concrete!) and replaced with steel spikes, in concrete, new post and panels. Guy next door on the right is a good bloke and we are good mates. Job done.

The fence on the other side the following year (also built to the same standard as the other one) also started to fall to bits. On the left live two pensioners, nice couple. I offered to do all the work if they were happy to pay for the stuff. They agreed I did a good job and they give me the cash and were grateful.

Anyway at the bottom of the garden we have another fence. That started to fail about 2 winters later and the people at the back expected us to go halves and get a builder in! (£600!!!)
I explained that it was not my responsibility but in the spirit of neighborliness I offered to help and go halves on the materials. That was no good because he was (apparently) hopeless. In a moment of weakness I offered to do the work for them if they paid costs. They bit my hand off and I did the work while they went to Ibiza (grrrr) I gave them a breakdown of the costs when they returned and they paid and then asked me for a receipt!!!
I was a bit pis*** to say the least! Took a dislike to them since then.

Anyway, got home from work tonight, a note through the door to say that 2 of the panels had blown down in the storm last night!
I think they now expect me to go round and put them back up (they are fastened with small steel brackets that fail before the post or panel gets destroyed, so only a 15 min job)
Maybe I should re-decorate the lounge when I am round there?

Posted 2 years ago #
ton - Member

ask his wife to pay you in kind..............

Posted 2 years ago #
project - Member

They paid you to do the job,so the job is your responsibility ,even if you die or move,you will be remembered as the chap who built the fence that blew down.

Posted 2 years ago #
bassspine - Member

do the job, give them a bill. never get asked again.

Posted 2 years ago #
rs - Member

You didn't build it well enough in the first place, i'm sure there's plenty other fences still standing after the wind that cause the damage Bet you would complain if your bike was designed to fail given a certain level of abuse

Posted 2 years ago #
ridethelakes - Member

Why is that fence not your responsibility and the other two are?

I'm genuinely interested as I'm shortly moving in to a place where I (officially) own two of the boundary fences and on the other side the neighbour owns it. I would have guessed joint responsibility for all fences between neighbours.

Posted 2 years ago #
avdave2 - Member

If you free at the weekend you don't fancy popping down to Brighton do you as my back fence needs looking at. I could do it but I want to get on with building a raised deck. I've got all the materials and you won't even have to mix any concrete by hand as you can use my mixer.

Posted 2 years ago #
nuke - Member

I would have guessed joint responsibility for all fences between neighbours.

Nope...if you are the owner, you are responsible for it.

Its a good and a bad thing really...you get to decide what should form the boundary (hedge, fence etc) but you'll have to pay.

I prefer to be responsible as , like the OP, when it's not yours and it starts deteriorating, the actual owner may not care where as you may want a decent border so you end up paying, doing the work or both!

Posted 2 years ago #
flippinheckler - Member

Nothing worse than a DIY man pretending to be a professional fence builder, I hope your neighbors take legal advice. What are you after sympathy, the fence panels that fell down could of hurt a child or pet or even worse ruined their shrubbery.

Posted 2 years ago #
spooky_b329 - Member

Be careful replacing a fence that is technically a neighbours...apparently by maintaining or replacing the fence, you can become responsibile for its upkeep in future! I spose if the neighbour employs you then thats fine...you just need to supply materials and charge labour rather than the other way round!

Posted 2 years ago #
surfer - Member

Interesting comments.

Yes I will be remembered as the amateur who built the fence that failed! In my defence I simply followed the general standard around the other gardens, except I buried steel spikes in concrete as oppose to many that just buried the post in concrete, meaning mine are a simple job of post replacement.
More miffed at the bottom neighbours attitude. The fence cant be seen from my house as it is behind bushes and trees, they get the benefit of the fence more than me. When it originally failed I didnt even notice it for a week!

My attitude is you work together and I am happy to help all of my neighbours and if I noticed this failing I would have simply fixed it. I suppose its the note and the assumption behind it and my irritation stems from the request for a receipt from the original work.

Ton, she is a munter!

Posted 2 years ago #
CountZero - Member

Storm damage? Act of God, innit. Send them an estimate, detailing costs, etc, with a good hourly rate, maybe £75/hour, and see what happens.

Posted 2 years ago #
nickc - Member

Is it worth getting in a paddy about it? It'll take, what 10 minutes or so to fix, job done. Life's too short.

I understand what you mean about their attitude, but that's life, some people are like that, or come across like that...C'est la vie..

Posted 2 years ago #
ski - Member

I would return the note with a estimate to do the work

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

From what I remember at my last place all the boundaries were shared and everyone went halves on repairs. As for deciding the boundary type, well the easy solution is to erect whatever type of boundary you prefer, regardless of what the neighbours put. But you might lose a few inches of your own property to get that.

Posted 2 years ago #
stumpy01 - Member

I'd probably repair it (begrudgingly) in this instance, but then explain that you did the initial work as a favour to them and you aren't there to sort out running repairs on their fence.

I'd also request that in future they actually spoke to you, rather than leave notes through the door.

Posted 2 years ago #
jahwomble - Member

Is there not something about which side of the fence the posts are on that dictates who is responsible for the fence or something like that? or have I made that up or dream it?

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

Is there not something about which side of the fence the posts are on that dictates who is responsible for the fence or something like that? or have I made that up or dream it?

Which side of the boundary, you mean? Surely the posts are smack bang in the middle of the fence?

Posted 2 years ago #
samuri - Member

replace the fence with a great big cock painted on their side.

Posted 2 years ago #
ernie_lynch - Member

Surely the posts are smack bang in the middle of the fence?

Not normally

Posted 2 years ago #
Pook - Member

My dad's boundary has a trellis running down it which seperates his driveway from next door's side path. It's on dad's side.

Anyway, they built a chimney onto their house behind the trellis covering half their path, and to get into their back garden (if they come that way), they have about 1 1/2' to get past.

It's a care home for special needs adults, and they leave two or three clinical waste bags up past the chimney now for collection. Only once a week, and dad's checked it's nothing hazardous or unhygienic.
Anyway, the fellas who come and pick it up using a luggage trolley which is a squeeze to fit between the chimney and the trellis.

Their solution? Hack a one inch recess out of the supporting post roughly large than the height of the wheel of the trolley to fit past instead of carrying the bags all of five feet to load the trolley.

They've since fixed it after my dad had words with them.

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

ernie - not noticed that fence type. These are the fence types I'm familiar with:

My apologies, I'd not considered other types of fences. However in the presence of centre-posted fences is the ownership in dispute ?

Posted 2 years ago #
Dobbo - Member

Should have used chainlink fencing.

Posted 2 years ago #
Jamie - Member

What? No 'taking offence/a fence' jokes?

For shame STW!

Posted 2 years ago #
surfer - Member

replace the fence with a great big cock painted on their side

:lol:

Posted 2 years ago #
surfer - Member

Is it worth getting in a paddy about it? It'll take, what 10 minutes or so to fix, job done. Life's too short.

I understand what you mean about their attitude, but that's life, some people are like that, or come across like that...C'est la vie..

Nick your spot on and thats the approach I will take, just wound me up a bit thats all. I'm a bit more mellow now!

Posted 2 years ago #
flatfish - Member

your not a pro fence installer so no guarantee was given.
as other people have said offer a quote for repair, if it's behind your bushes you wont see it, they do, they'll get pissed of before you will and they'll have to pay for it.
fek 'em

Posted 2 years ago #
lookmanohands - Member

Boundry fences are owned by different parties, if you are standing out in our garden facing the end the fence to the left is owned by the neighbour to the left and the fence to the right is owned (and maintained) by me. So Is the fence at the end of the garden. Check your deeds for who owns what boundry.

Posted 2 years ago #