Next doors dog damaging fence

catzooo

Can anybody advise on this please.
6 years ago I replaced the fence along my garden as I got 2 miniature poodles. Fence is Lap type 4 ft high panels. I own my house.
Approx 6 months ago The neighbours got a dog, a Labrador. Dog is very bouncy and wants to play with my 2 dogs, All 3 of them bark and jump at the fence at each other.
Labrador has made holes in the fence, and 2 panels are now giving way, leaning over towards my side, won't last much longer.
Fence has lasted fine up,til now, no damage at all with just my poodles, but the Labrador is so heavy and bouncy, the fence is giving way.
I have spoken to the neighbours (tenants) who are very reasonable we agree the whole fence needs replacing to be higher and a more solid construction. They say they will ask their landlord to pay half the cost to replace the whole fence. I would be happy with this.
Landlord is a local chap, bought the house last year as a buy to let, retired chap, this is his only rental property. I met him when he was doing up the house when he bought it. I do not have any contact details for him.
Is there any responsibility for the neighbours or their landlord to help fund the new fence? I am not sure legally who actually owns the fence, but I did replace it myself 5 years ago to keep my dogs in. Fence would have lasted many more years if neighbours dog hadn't appeared.
If it comes to it I can fund it myself, it needs doing! But it would be nice to share the cost.

Fishingtime

I know that where I am living I own the fence on my right, as I look out of the back windows.
And on the left if I look out of the front.
My neighbour owns the other part of the fence

I think it says what fence is mine on the deeds

KatieDee

I can't comment unfortunately as I have no experience with fences and landlords, but just a bit of a side-question...would the landlord still be liable for the cost of the fence even though the tenants dog caused the problem? It's not like it's a disrepair issue with the property, it's directly down to the bouncy labrador.

Again, sorry to go a bit off topic, I'm just interested in the answer :-)

jjlandlord

If you replaced the fence, I guess that it is yours...

If the tenants' dog damaged the fence then they are liable, and the issue has nothing to do with their landlord.

catzooo

I guess it's my fence as I paid for it to be built 6 years ago.
I agree that it is not "wear n tear" damage. So not really the landlords problem.
The neighbours could argue that their dog would not have damaged the fence if it were not trying to get to my dogs. My dogs do jump at the fence as much as next doors dog, just mine are much smaller so don't damage it.
I would be happy to share costs with the neighbours, or their landlord.
I don't want to fall out with the neighbours over this.

dodger1

Have to be honest but I've never seen a fence that is too weak for a Labrador to jump up and down on or jump against, providing of course it was erected properly in the first place. Any chance of some photos?

KatieDee

catzooo wrote: »

I guess it's my fence as I paid for it to be built 6 years ago.
I agree that it is not "wear n tear" damage. So not really the landlords problem.
The neighbours could argue that their dog would not have damaged the fence if it were not trying to get to my dogs. My dogs do jump at the fence as much as next doors dog, just mine are much smaller so don't damage it.
I would be happy to share costs with the neighbours, or their landlord.
I don't want to fall out with the neighbours over this.

Perhaps you could just have a polite word with them about the damage, say that you're thinking of replacing the fence before it gives way completely and were wondering if they would mind putting something towards it. I'm sure if you're amicable then they won't mind. You've already said that you don't mind covering the cost if need be, so there's no need to fall out if they refuse.

whalster

Six years is a fair age for l fencing , I have been replacing lots of panels I have in rentals with the strong winds , I always put concrete posts in though so they can be replaced easily .
Lap fencing is cheap will not last long , I have some with solid boarded panels that are still going strong after 12 years though .

Slinky

whalster wrote: »

Lap fencing is cheap will not last long , I have some with solid boarded panels that are still going strong after 12 years though .

Depends on how you look after them though. I've got lap fences which have been in 18 years with concrete posts and on gravel boards lifted clear of the ground by some bricks underneath and are still going strong. Dad used to paint them with a mixture of creosote and oil, since you can't get creosote any longer, we found something called Creocote which is very similar. Painting fences with stain seems to do little to protect them.

catzooo

Can't work out how to add pics. Fence is 4ft high Lap style. You can buy the panels for approx £20 from any DIY store.
It looks like the Lab has chewed thru the top piece of wood ( my dogs can't reach up that far). The main body of the fence panel is thin stuff kind of woven through. Looks nice but not very strong.

trollopscarletwoman

Could be prohibitive on cost grounds (possibly planning permission as well) have a block wall built.

Would end the problem forever.