Neighbours drive fence...

moneyistooshorttomention

Soph1988 wrote: »

It took all of my strength to be polite.... who behaves like that with new neighbours that you will have to live next too for the next few years :eek:

!

From my own experience (ie the deliberate vandalism nfh used to go in for here) - those that:

- don't think very logically

- think the length of time they have lived there (compared to "new neighbour" - ie yourself) gives them "special privileges"

- those that think they are "someone" in the locality and that that gives them "special privileges" (until they find out your attitude is "I'm not going to regard someone that runs our whole country as "Someone" - so you're definitely outa luck neighbour").

They find out they're wrong eventually - on all 3 counts:cool:

shortcrust

Soph1988 wrote: »

As me and my partner are in our early 20's and them their late 50's I don't think they'd pop over for tea and cake.... I don't know how I'd even start that conversation as she won't leave the house if she see's us outside...!

I will take some photo's, thank you. Anything else you can suggest?

What a topsy turvy world it would be if people in their 20s and people in their 50s had cups of tea and slices of cake together.:)

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Soph1988 wrote: »

Hi all, thanks for the advice

As it so happened, walking my dog home today the neighbour was also walking into our house. So I said hello a couple of times and she just ignored me, eventually I loudly said excuse me and she bothered to turn round. She said her sons got loads on. I made it clear that we are going to be neighbours for a long time, I don’t want to fall out with them over this and I also don’t want to end up claiming against them for damage to our property because of this.

I offered to get some quotes if she wanted them and she got stroppy and said she would speak to her son in law.

If nothings sorted in a couple of weeks I’ll put a note through her door with a couple of quotes and ask her to let me know when the work will be taking place so I can ensure our cars aren’t on the drive to allow access.

It took all of my strength to be polite.... who behaves like that with new neighbours that you will have to live next too for the next few years :eek:

I’ll take some photos tomorrow when the lights better also!

It's not up to you to get quotes or to talk about repairing the fence.

All you can ask the neighbours to do is make safe the fence so it doesn't fall on your car. They could do this by nailing a couple of pieces of wood across it, or simply tearing it down and leaving it.

What's the cheapest, quickest, easiest way this fence could be made safe so it doesn't fall on your car? That's the most you can ask for. It may be a lot quicker and easier, and no more expensive, to do something on your side to solve it.

DaftyDuck

Soph1988 wrote: »

Hi all, thanks for the advice

As it so happened, walking my dog home today the neighbour was also walking into our house. So I said hello a couple of times and she just ignored me, eventually I loudly said excuse me and she bothered to turn round. She said her sons got loads on. I made it clear that we are going to be neighbours for a long time, I don’t want to fall out with them over this and I also don’t want to end up claiming against them for damage to our property because of this.

I offered to get some quotes if she wanted them and she got stroppy and said she would speak to her son in law.

If nothings sorted in a couple of weeks I’ll put a note through her door with a couple of quotes and ask her to let me know when the work will be taking place so I can ensure our cars aren’t on the drive to allow access.

It took all of my strength to be polite.... who behaves like that with new neighbours that you will have to live next too for the next few years :eek:

I’ll take some photos tomorrow when the lights better also!

The whole summary you give is full of anger, irritation, lack of manners, and incorrect assumptions. You are (helping) building a neighbourhood dispute, and nothing will recover that.

Fences fall down. It takes people time to sort them out. Sometimes they actually are too busy/ill/whatever. Maybe they are broke at the moment, and keeping their fingers crossed. Who knows? New neighbours can be difficult, and old residents have earlier grudges that are difficult to dislodge. All you are going to do with your current approach is get them to dig their heels in!

If you park there, when you are aware the fence is a potential problem, no insurance company would pay up, if your cars were damaged.

Soph1988

I am entirely irritated and angered that we have moved into our first home, the neighbours have wrecked a fence in the first week of us moving in and then are rude to us about it. Too right I am p****d off. If you think you wouldn’t be in this situation, hats off to you.

I assume money is not an issue for them, they seem to be rather affluent. I may be wrong, but this seems to be more of a grudge against us moving in as opposed to anything else - we haven’t been here long at all.

The neighbours the other side are very friendly and approachable, thank goodness.

If I had new neighbours and smashed down their fence, I’d get it repaired to ensure the neighbourly relationship didn’t become strained and I would sort it out - or at least let them know when I would / could etc. Maybe I’ve just been brought up with better morals.

There isn’t an option to not park on the drive - it’s hard to explain, but the way the road is, it is impossible to park on the road within 1/2 miles of the house.

I won’t bother her again, and prop the fence my side with some things to make sure it won’t drop on my car. But it won’t be forgotten.....



I have been very polite to the neighbour.

DaftyDuck

It doesn't read like you have been polite, and many others on this thread have suggested something along those lines.... Maybe you have, but it doesn't come across. Not least, your neighbours didn't "smash down" or "wreck" the fence, they caught a pillar with a car, it still has the metal support within, and it's still standing. It's actually a moot point if they have to replace it at all. They probably do not, and are equally probably not responsible for damage to your car, should it land on it, as you are aware it's a risk.

As you haven't been there long, the fence hasn't been damaged long.

I repeat, do not build this up into a dispute - it will get you nowhere...

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Soph1988 wrote: »

I am entirely irritated and angered that we have moved into our first home, the neighbours have wrecked a fence in the first week of us moving in and then are rude to us about it. Too right I am p****d off. If you think you wouldn’t be in this situation, hats off to you.

I assume money is not an issue for them, they seem to be rather affluent. I may be wrong, but this seems to be more of a grudge against us moving in as opposed to anything else - we haven’t been here long at all.

The neighbours the other side are very friendly and approachable, thank goodness.

If I had new neighbours and smashed down their fence, I’d get it repaired to ensure the neighbourly relationship didn’t become strained and I would sort it out - or at least let them know when I would / could etc. Maybe I’ve just been brought up with better morals.

There isn’t an option to not park on the drive - it’s hard to explain, but the way the road is, it is impossible to park on the road within 1/2 miles of the house.

I won’t bother her again, and prop the fence my side with some things to make sure it won’t drop on my car. But it won’t be forgotten.....

They haven't smashed down your fence! They have smashed down their fence. Why don't you see the difference?

They don't have any obligations to provide you with a nice fence. They might be liable if the fence collapses into your land and damages your property, but if they are happy to take that risk, you can't do anything about it until that happens.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

I would also add that probably the reason they are in no rush is that they don't believe the fence is liable to collapse. In which case, they needn't ever do anything about it at all. And, if the neighbour's son is self-employed and intends to do it himself, is he in the building trade in some way? I don't know what you do, but if so, maybe he knows a bit better than you as to whether the fence in its current state is stable.

dunroving

Neighbours and fences ...

When I moved in here (2007), the fences fell down within weeks, if not days, with the first strong wind. Turns out the seller had propped up the fence panels with bits of wood, and the fence posts were rotting in the wet ground.

So, wanting to be a nice new neighbor, I decided to install a brand new, hand-built fence left, right and back side of the property, with all fence posts installed on my side of the property line. Consulted with all neighbours, everyone happy for me to do it (surprise).

I also have always trimmed the hedges on both sides (front garden), also trying to be neighbourly.

Year 2 or 3, I greet neighbour on left side (who was born next door and inherited from parents, via right to buy) on the street and he points towards the house and asks, "When are you going to do something about THAT?!?"

Turns out he was pointing at the hedge which was due its first trim of the spring. Long story short, he was of the opinion it was "my" hedge, due to the fact the original owner (who was a keen gardener, and who died leaving the house to his son, who I bought it from) planted the hedge.

About 6 months before this incident, neighbour had been made redundant and was still unemployed. I could have got all arsey (in a "polite" way), but I thought, "Why kick a man when he's down?", even though I knew I was in the right to be slightly offended. ;-)

I also have chosen to never mention the dandelion farm he has cultivated in his front garden, and which of course provides me with a lovely crop each year, via the westerly winds.

Not even sure why I am retelling this story, but seems kind of relevant.