I paid for new Fence and neighbor refuses to pay

Le_Kirk

^^^ and then you will still be living next door to them!

moneyistooshorttomention

Le_Kirk wrote: »

^^^ and then you will still be living next door to them!

Some people don't think that logically:rotfl:.

27col

Why do you think that he has an obligation to pay anything. You made the decision and paid for it. The fact that he shares any advantage that it might bring, is his good luck.
Not saying that I agree. I have always shared the cost of fencing.
It is no-ones responsibility to maintain a fence.
If someone has a need for the security of a well maintained fence, ie, dogs, livestock or kids. Then they can always make suitable provision from their own finances.
As far as I know when a plan says that the boundary is the responsibility of a particular landowner. All that means is that it is their responsibility to mark the boundary.This can be done simply by having a line of fence posts and perhaps some wire strung between them.

PasturesNew

All the above.

A boundary is an imaginary line. A fence is something that one side or the other (or both) might choose to delineate by putting up a fence.

You decided a new fence was needed, for your aspirations/lifestyle (loose kids). You chose the type, the fitter.

You might've had a conversation with a neighbour who might've agreed, in passing, that it seemed a good idea to share costs....but without something in writing, or your neighbour being part of the decision-making, choices and choosing of the amount that's reasonable, he might then have thought "HOW F****** MUCH?.....thought it'd be £200" and have now put their foot down because you arbitrarily went ahead and bought the most expensive fencing known to mankind.

Loops2112

Did you discuss costs beforehand with the neighbour? PasturesNew could have a point - maybe next door thought it was going to be cheaper.

It was only a verbal agreement and therefore no proof.

You could speak to the Citizen's Advice about it - not sure what they would say, but it's a free service and you never know, they might be able to help.

However, you've still got to live next to the people so possibly worth putting it down to experience and moving on (however, I don't think I'd be giving them a Christmas card this year!)

Hintza

Just for interest just had a quote of £1,750 for a post and Rylock fence with appropriate strainers, top and bottom wire of 310m long (ex. VAT).

pendragon_arther

societys_child wrote: »

This^ . . . and did the neighbour know how much you were going to ask him to pay to protect your child?

I'm glad I'm not your neighbour with that kind of attitude.


OP, they've renaged on the deal but there's not much you can do about it, you just have to accept you're living next door to an rsole.

edwink

I am only guessing here but perhaps your neighbour was willing to pay for half the fence originally (as per your verbal agreement with them) but when you told them how much the finished job was, it was probably then that they decided they were not going to pay any money towards it.

I really think you should have discussed everything fully with them right up until it was fitted and it was time for them to pay their half.

Not really sure there is anything you can do to be honest.

We had our left hand fence replaced several years ago and approached our neighbour about it first. They were happy to pay half the cost, thankfully. We kept them up to date with everything to do with it. When it was fitted and payment was due we paid the whole amount and our neighbours paid their half to us the following day. Job done and everyone happy.

Furts

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Playing devils advocate - did you give the neighbour the standard 3 written quotations from firms you had in to investigate the cost of the fence?

In your position - I would have given the neighbour a letter stating words to effect of "As per conversation between us of x date regarding fence replacement and your agreement to cover 50% of the cost of this - I enclose herewith copies of the 3 written quotations I have received from firms tendering for the job. I would like to suggest that WE employ Firm B for the job. Can I have your agreement to this please?"

If you didn't follow that procedure - then your neighbour could easily argue that he agreed in principle to pay 50% of the cost of the fence, but you had stated you thought it would cost around £1,000 (for the sake of argument) and he is now refusing to pay half because you went ahead and booked a dearer firm without his agreement.

Did you discuss the various written quotations with him? Or did you think "I'll have that firm" and then tell him he will pay half of that?? In which case - I can sympathise with your neighbour - because mine are trying to quote an "over the garden wall" conversation that I wasn't even a part of to get money out of me. If they had done it all properly and I had had my fair say in all respects and fair share in choosing which firm to use - then I would have paid up. As that wasn't what happened then......

Which is exactly where I was coming from but this is far better worded. Good on you Money!

Furts

Hintza wrote: »

Just for interest just had a quote of £1,750 for a post and Rylock fence with appropriate strainers, top and bottom wire of 310m long (ex. VAT).

A good point. But my post #7 referred to a more legal principle of "reasonable costs", "what would the average person do" and "mitigating losses".

A Judge is an intelligent person used to dealing with disputes. There would be a library of volumes available to consult, one of which could be the B&Q catalogue. This will show the largest conceivable fence panel, that is 1800 by 1800, at £19. The response could then be why did the job cost £1200?