Fencing shared cost

chrislee_88

Hi,
We've moved into a house a few months ago and last week our neighbour started putting up fencing as part of their garden project (it's a new build). Their was no mention of costs before hand but now that it is fully up he's now said that they want to split costs 50/50. As we've got other financial priorities then having a fence up we aren't in a great position to pay.
Is it fair to say this once the fence is already up and without having any say in type of fencing etc?

Thanks

kev25v6

Tell them no chance, should have asked beforehand.

Silvertabby

Surely the builders would have put up the garden fences - ours certainly did. If your neighbours wanted something better, then that's up to them.

flashg67

A bit naughty - they should have asked first - I did with my neighbours and we all came to an amicable agreement. However, there is an argument to say that you'll benefit from the fence, they've done the hassle of organising it etc, so in the interest of neighbour relations, a contribution might be in order, if the price is fair?

mysterymurdoch

I think your neighbour is chancing their arm, possibly a ftb with no experience of owning a home. It's their fence to buy, install, maintain...

TheCyclingProgrammer

What a cheek.

We just had our fence replaced and agreed with our neighbours to split the cost and have the fence right on the boundary (our deeds do not say who is responsible for the boundary). We agreed this up front.

I'd politely tell your neighbours to sling their hook, if they wanted to split the costs they should have asked.

TheCyclingProgrammer

And in case they start mentioning boundaries and deeds, it's completely irrelevant. Even if your deeds say you're responsible for that boundary (or even more specifically say you need to maintain a fence) if your neighbors have chosen to put up a fence without asking the cost is their liability.

DTDfanBoy

Just tell them you are planning to build a brick wall on the boundary, and instead of you paying them half of the fence cost you'll use that money to cover "some" of their half cost of the brick wall

It would probably only be neighbourly to at this point warn them that the brick wall you intend to build will cost x amount more that the fence you "mutually" agreed to pay for :eek:

Davesnave

They have a nice fence and it belongs to them. It's not what you would have chosen, nice as it is.

You intended to mark the boundary with a pretty pink rope and some yellow posts, but didn't liaise with them either, so it's just your hard luck that won't be happening now.

C'est la vie!