Neighbours Fence falling down

4Chickens

Thanks for all your thoughts and comments, you have all been very helpful. I shall talk to Mr 4Chickens tonight and see how he feels about offering to pay for 50% of a new fence and see how the neighbours respond to this offer.
I don't want it to come to the stage where the fence is down and we are at a standoff. Hopefully they will appreciate a new fence as much as us and at half price too.
Cheers peeps.

Cissi

4Chickens wrote: »

Thanks for all your thoughts and comments, you have all been very helpful. I shall talk to Mr 4Chickens tonight and see how he feels about offering to pay for 50% of a new fence and see how the neighbours respond to this offer.
I don't want it to come to the stage where the fence is down and we are at a standoff. Hopefully they will appreciate a new fence as much as us and at half price too.
Cheers peeps.

Just don't be surprised if they turn down this offer as less attractive than you expect! Rather than seeing it as "at half price" they may well consider that they're being asked to pay half of something that should be your responsibility to start with, since the fence posts are on your side...

chris_m

red_devil wrote: »

yes chat face to face. I dont there is any legal requirement for a neighbour to put a fence up and even if they did might not be what you want.

Even if there is an obligation to have a fence that defines the boundary, which I doubt, there is certainly no obligation for them to put up a stock-proof fence. After all, someone could put up a 3-strand wire fence that is fine for a boundary, possibly even cattle - if a neighbour then decided to keep rabbits would the onus be on the fence owner to upgrade it to keep smaller animals than cattle from getting through? Of course not.

Afraid it's down to the OP, IMO.

sunshinetours

As others have said if the posts are on your land it may well be your fence regardless of deeds. As you have the anuimals really this is probably down to you to replace.
Have a friendly chat with the neighbour and see if you can find out the history. It may be that the previous owner to you put it up so its nothing to do with your neighbour (although they may offer to go halves with you of course)

Whatever you do I would not turn up saying you will pay half towards their fence as that would immediately get me off on the wrong foot if someone said that to me.
We ahve asome nice neighbours and one of them asked us last year to cosider reducing teh heightof some of our trees and we chatted with them and decided to cut down some completely as it improves their light hugely. However we are expecting them to return the favour by replacing the fence with a foot higher one to regain some privacy until we can re grow something more appropriate. Its all about compromise and talking to each other regardless of what the legal position is

silvercar

Our neighbours weren't interested in repairing their fence. They acknowledged it was their responsibility but said that they didn't care it had blown down. After leaving it a while we decided to pay the costs of a new one. They didn't even say thank you.

mlz1413

In my old house the fence had broken and my old dog could get out onto the road as neighbours gate was also broken.

The fence was about 6 or 7 panels lenght, I got on well with the neighbour but she said she had no money so as I wanted it done for my animals safety I paid, I insisted the posts stayed on her side (the builder was very unhappy about this) and then painted my side with a chestnut colour preserviate.

My neighbour (who also never said thank you or that looks better) then painted her side black and it all dripped through, I was furious that I had black smears and runs on most on my side and on the fence I'd paid for. But in all other respects she was a good neighbour so I didn't say anything. But if I ever do that again I will have a chat about us having the same colour both sides!