fencing

Hi. I have a firm of landscape gardeners in at the moment and after cutting back a very overgrown garden, they have exposed a very delapidated panneled fence. It really is an eyesore !!!! It actually belongs to my neighbour. Am I within my rights to insist that he renews it ????

 

Probably not.

It depends on your neighbour, how well you get on with them, and how house and garden proud they are. Even so anyone who insists is likely to get up their nose.

It might be worth approaching them saying that your contractors have told you that the fence won't last long. And that you think that now might be a good time have a go at it. I think you ought to offer to pay part. I have known this to prick the concience of a neighbour who then insisted on paying for it all himself. But you might well end up paying for part of it.

If you really want it badly - you might have to pay for it all yourself. I did this and am very pleased I did. My neighbour was away for a year. I removed my very poor hedge and put up a fence. This way I got exactly the fence I wanted. The cost has been forgotten, but the pleasure remains.

Keep your neighbour as sweet as you can. Give them plants and encourage an interest. The hassle of a bad neighbour could wipe out all the benefits on a nice garden. I am very lucky with both my neighbours, which makes life a pleasure. In fact I am off to a garden centre this afternoon with one of my neighbours - who is not really a gardener.

Edit: Just to make clear that although he was using a hedge that was mine, he was responsible for the boundary.

[ 11. January 2006, 01:16 PM: Message edited by: PeterS ]

 

Yeah I agree, keep friendly with your neighbours at all costs if you can because living next door to neighbours from hell can have a nasty affect on everything including your health sometimes. If it was us and we wanted it that bad we would offer to pay for the lot. When we had new neighbours move in a few years back they came and asked if they could cut down a very large tree that seeds everywhere, think it was a Sycamore, has those propeller seeds that rotate when they fall and they said they would pay, we always wanted it gone so happiness all round, oh and they are lovely neighbours, in return we keep an eye on their place when they go away.

[ 11. January 2006, 06:21 PM: Message edited by: lisa0307 ]

 

A few years ago I decided to replace a dilapidated fence between our front gardens. It wasn't very high but the neighbour had created a raised bed the other side and not put any back panel in so it was supported just by this little picket fence!!! So after asking their permission I replaced it.

A couple of years later, the council came and replaced all the fences in the area that bordered on their properties - which included my neigbour!!! I'd no idea they were still tentants. They'd put in new bathroom, new windows, all sorts - who wouldn't think they were owner/occupiers?

So I got two new fences out the back for free but my little fence remains, I'm pleased to say!

 

All our fences are shared and we are fortunate that one of our neighbours erected high fences his side of our hawthorn hedge. He did this at his own expense without asking for us to pay half which we though rather odd. We thought it was a good result until we discovered that he and our next door but one neighbour were boarding cats in the garden. The fence was to keep out prying eyes.

 

If they are running a business from home - and are boarding cats, so there are probaly quite a few cats - they would have needed planning permission for it from the council....

 

anth 440.I would have thought a friendly converstaion..at the very worst put your own fence up or privet hedge. I personally like a privet. If you do go for a panel fence use concrete profile posts, 3x3" timber are a waste of money and you will be renewing the posts quite soon.

 

Hi anfh440 and hans, you can also buy recycled plastic fencing posts now which look better than concrete and last just as long.
Md, I have always had rented properties, council and private- I have always when financially able improved the properties, even if you don't own it, it makes life more pleasant. I would never have been able to garden if I didn't take this attitude.