Shred Boundary hedge / fence?

brewthebear

Moneytooshorttomention : stupid answer

AnotherJoe

brewthebear wrote: »

Moneytooshorttomention : stupid answer

A "stupid answer" would be one that didn't explain why it was a stupid answer.
Such as yours for example, which gives no reasons or backing for that statement.

Davesnave

brewthebear wrote: »

stupid answer

It's easy to offer no opinion of your own; just a playground taunt.


People here look at real life problems in different ways, and come to varying conclusions, but so long as they give reasons for what they say, their answers deserve more respect than you are giving.

AnotherJoe

Davesnave wrote: »

So, for me, it comes down to what I said earlier, if the neighbour has the physical capability or money, she ought to deal with the hedge and/or fence on her side herself.

In the spirit of debate, no personal criticism implied, do you think its OK to impose a cost on others through a choice of yours when other choices would not impose that cost? You would be happy if it was 10ft tall beech hedge that needed to be trimmed three times a year, and thats on them, because you have decided there are people there physically able to do so, or maybe not but the old biddy looks a bit flush so she can afford it?

12603taylor

Thanks for feedback. She’s in her early 70s so I would imagine too much for her (although we already do the hard part of cutting all the top of the hedge) but she is certainly financially comfortable and lives in a 700k cottage, with another small annex attaches she rents out, and we live in a well to do area. I agree if she was both older and financially struggling we would just morally help her out, but finances will not be an issue , it’s just that she believes we should still pay for 1/2 a fence the other side of our large hedge.

AnotherJoe

So it comes down to what I mostly said in jest "the old biddy looks a bit flush so she can afford it".
Will you be doing a means test if someone else moves in?



I think you should do what you feel like, and leave out the personal circumstances of the neighbour. Legally, and arguably morally you have no duty to install a fence. You may though decide you are imposing on her with a whacking big hedge, and/or that if there was no hedge you would pay for the whole fence anyway, so going halves seems reasonable.
Your choice.
For sake of argument as she has been benefitting from it over the years, has she been taking care of it, painting it, repairing etc?

12603taylor

I only eventually added the personal details about her as lots of people kept asking ! Not because I thought it was relevant.

12603taylor

..and when my husband went around to her garden he said it’s all overgrown by the fence which isn’t helping ...and a new fence could go up and we have the same issue, that it is not looked after by her properly and falls into disrepair quickly ...we will have no way of knowing until she presents us with another quote again.

Mojisola

12603taylor wrote: »

However the lady advises me that after our house was built in 1971 the first owner put up the hedge, and that the original party boundary was the fence and we therefore should share the cost of replacing this fence.

I have now checked our deed , thee is no mention of a fence, but a plan with a TT showing joint ownership of this party boundary.

You might both 'own' the boundary but you don't have to pay to put up her choice of fence.

You might be happy with the boundary being marked by some bamboo canes and string - if the neighbour wants a fence, she can pay for it.

Davesnave

AnotherJoe wrote: »

In the spirit of debate, no personal criticism implied, do you think its OK to impose a cost on others through a choice of yours when other choices would not impose that cost? You would be happy if it was 10ft tall beech hedge that needed to be trimmed three times a year, and thats on them, because you have decided there are people there physically able to do so, or maybe not but the old biddy looks a bit flush so she can afford it?

According to the OP this hedge isn't 10' tall and beech need cutting only once a year, but in the case of a long-existing hedge where both parties are probably gaining from its presence via landscape value,shelter and privacy, yes, I think a requirement for maintenance goes with the territory.


Poor, old codgers excepted.;)