New Fence should we help pay?

moneyistooshorttomention

sparkiemalarkie wrote: »

It's our fence and we had no intension of changing it since it's very tidy and simply needs re coating with preservative.
The new neighbour wants it replaced with a higher fence to keep his dog from getting over


sparkie

Since it's your fence - why on earth are you even letting him change it in the first place? #puzzled 'r us

I'd be telling him there was no way he would be changing MY fence and, if he wanted a higher one, then that's down to him and he puts up/pays for a second fence his side of my fence.

Bear in mind that, if you let him change YOUR fence, you would have to keep a close eye on it to make sure it didn't mysteriously get placed a bit nearer to your house and, in the process a bit of your garden "transferred" to his side of your fence.

Add that, in law, it's his legal responsibility to ensure his dog cant get into your garden.

He has got a nerve to ask to replace your fence with one of his own choosing.

tea_lover

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Since it's your fence - why on earth are you even letting him change it in the first place? #puzzled 'r us

I'd be telling him there was no way he would be changing MY fence and, if he wanted a higher one, then that's down to him and he puts up/pays for a second fence his side of my fence.

Because the OP won't be any worse off afterwards, they'll still have a decent fence.
Because they can see it's in everyone's best interests to have a secure area for the dogs
To be a good neighbour.

I can't really see why anyone would object so long as the new neighbour is paying (which he is).

Mojisola

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I'd be telling him there was no way he would be changing MY fence and, if he wanted a higher one, then that's down to him and he puts up/pays for a second fence his side of my fence.

If the dobermans are anything other than very well trained, I'd quite like the security of two fences between me and them.

krlyr

pigpen wrote: »

what would I fix a fence to on my side? there is nothing there! Literally.. nothing..

You would do the same as if you were putting a fence up on the other side..install posts to fit it to

If the posts and fence is on the neighbour's property then it is the neighbour's fence. They have no obligation to keep the fence (bar certain circumstances, e.g. bordering a railway is one, I think), and unless it's become dangerous, it could be in any state they like. If you want a nice, new, shiny fence then you can ask the neighbour to update it, perhaps offer a contribution as incentive, but they don't have to say no. If you are that desperate for a new fence, then you are able to put in posts on your property and fence right alongside theirs.

Boundaries are a whole different matter, and not what was being discussed.

Gloomendoom

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Add that, in law, it's his legal responsibility to ensure his dog cant get into your garden.

Isn't that precisely what he is trying to do?

moneyistooshorttomention

Exercising his responsibility means doing it himself - ie his fence on his land at his expense. Not his fence on someone else's land - even though its at his expense.

Gloomendoom

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Add that, in law, it's his legal responsibility to ensure his dog cant get into your garden.

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Exercising his responsibility means doing it himself - ie his fence on his land at his expense. Not his fence on someone else's land - even though its at his expense.

Sorry, I must have missed that bit of legislation.

Can you post a link to clarify.

bugslet

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Exercising his responsibility means doing it himself - ie his fence on his land at his expense. Not his fence on someone else's land - even though its at his expense.

If I was this guy and wanted to secure the garden so that my dogs didn't escape, being a responsbile owner, I would do as this guy has done and ask politely if it would be OK.

The OP doesn't have to have a new fence, in this instance they don't seem to mind though. If they did, as you presumably would, then a second fence would be built behind the other one.

If I was the OP though, I'd go along with the new fence probably because a) we all have to get on with each other and b) I get a new fence and c) generally speaking I think two fences look pretty rubbish, one usually looks nicer.

Last year I had my very large hedge taken down and replace by a fence. I am at the end of a row. My neighbours weren't happy ( not grumpy, just preferred the higher hedge) about the perceived lack of privacy. I had intended to repair the fence between us, mentioned what I was doing and they said as it was old and 'their' fence, they would replace it. I did offer to contribute but they said no, it was OK.

We all have to live with each other; life's a lot smoother if it's done in a spirit of rubbing along rather than being defensive.

pickledonionspaceraider

I think the new neighbour is being very reasonable - he forsees that his dog will escape and is doing something to stop that happening - at his own cost. I would let him crack on with it and no I would not offer him any money towards it, as the way I see it is the fence was fit for purpose before he moved in, so any changes are to accomodate him and his pet

Rotti

I think what everyone is missing here is that even a 2m fence (the highest allowed without planning permission) will not contain a determined Dobermann! Have you seen how they scale walls and fences as if they weren't there?? Police dogs do it all the time.

At least if a second fence does go up it will be for a good reason unlike my new whacky neighbour who is planning to put up a 2m featherboard fence her side of the existing 180 expensive,pretty wavy-topped fence because "she thinks everyone is looking at her"! In doing so she will not only make it look ridiculous but will be removing an 80 year old slow growing Japanese maple that has just reached the top of the boundary fence. Our rotti is too old to consider jumping anything higher than the sofa these days but I originally enclosed my garden to house an afghan hound so went 6' all the way round. On our 1937 deeds BOTH sides are party fences but I have never seen a penny from either side towards the cost so I consider both fences mine and just deal with the maintenance and replacement myself. I can take my wood panels down to treat both sides on one side of the garden and have just done the other side with a concrete fence that requires zero maintenance and will never blow down. We have the pretty rockwall side, the neighbour has Colditz. They never did a thing to help with preserving the wooden fence and in my book - NO PAY, NO SAY! The posts on both sides are squarely on the boundary line where they always have been and the panels/gravel boards are fitted between them so sit right on the line.
Unfortunately nothing has yet been invented that can block out the noise of uncontrolled children at 8 in the morning!