Another Boundary Problem

henry24

My neighbour has got new neighbours who last weekend started to take down her 4 foot fence on her boundary telling her they wanted a 6 foot one, she stopped them but they wasn't happy about it. Her fence has the good side on her side and the posts on neighbours. This weekend they have put posts tight to her fence with boards on there side so a 5 inch gap.
My question is although there fence is just on there side of boundary my neighbours deeds say she has right of access to maintain her fence but she now can't get to it so what can she do?

moneyistooshorttomention

Is she sure it is her fence?

I say that because it's the norm in my home area to give the neighbours the good side and have the posts/bad side on the side of the owner of the fence. I know I was gobsmacked when I moved here to see how many people had done this wrongly - and given themselves the good side.

So they must have thought "We have the bad side. We have the posts = it must be ours then".

henry24

Yes it's hers, she bought it about 10 years ago, it's an old house and I think her drainage runs along the side of the fence so she bought it to keep everything on her land.

moneyistooshorttomention

I'm guessing the neighbours have the same norm as I do (ie "The it's antisocial to give wrong side or posts to neighbours norm").

That being the case - they probably genuinely think the fence must be theirs - ie because of a previous owner of their house putting it up the standard way.

I would think they've probably taken down the old fence because they thought it was theirs and had made the decision to replace "their" (as they thought) fence with one of their choice. I expect they don't want to have a row and have therefore left what they probably still think of as their fence in place and put up the fence they want on their side to ensure they don't get to see the posts/wrong side of the original fence.

They may possibly have a re-think if your neighbour explains to them/and provides proof that it is her fence. Followed by apologising for having put it up the way she did and offering to change it around - so that the posts and bad side are on her side. At that point - they may be prepared to take down their fence and your neighbour would be able to get at the other side of her fence for maintenance purposes.

That is what I see as her options. Either:
- provide the proof it's hers and offer to turn it round the correct way - so they don't have to face "ugliness" in their own garden and may be prepared to take theirs down if she's lucky

OR

- she'll have to accept she won't be able to maintain the other side of her fence any longer.

I don't think there are any other options. It looks as if she will have to choose one of those two options.

BrassicWoman

take down her fence and pant something nice in the exta 2 - 3 inches of garden she now has?

jennifernil

First time I ever heard of a standard way to put up a fence!

We have fenced our garden, all round, we paid for the whole thing, even though we have neighbours both sides, but none behind. Since we paid, we have the side without the posts showing, none of the neighbours were bothered, they were just pleased to get a free fence.

Under the conditions in our deeds, the fence had to be erected with the posts straddling the boundary, and had to be accepted as a mutual boundary, which up here means we all maintain our own side.

Norman_Castle

If you have the good side facing your garden you can nail the boards on without going next door.

moneyistooshorttomention

Norman_Castle wrote: »

If you have the good side facing your garden you can nail the boards on without going next door.

That may be another reason why that's the way we normally do it - so that the question doesn't arise of going into someone else's garden in the first place. There is a high level of acceptance one doesn't even think of going in someone else's garden (as it's their private property).

Red-Squirrel_2

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I say that because it's the norm in my home area to give the neighbours the good side and have the posts/bad side on the side of the owner of the fence. I know I was gobsmacked when I moved here to see how many people had done this wrongly - and given themselves the good side.

So they must have thought "We have the bad side. We have the posts = it must be ours then".

Literally never ever heard of that. Don't think its the 'norm' at all.

LateStarter

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

Literally never ever heard of that. Don't think its the 'norm' at all.

In my part of the country, that's how it's done; I've always assumed it's the same everywhere . Guess there's not really a national norm though.

Carrot007

"Posts"/"Good Side".



!!!!!!?


The posts are surely holding the panels up and not on one side. I mean what idiot would do that? It makes no sense and surely makes maintanance a pain? I cannot even consisder someone would do sure a thing.


And how can a fence panel have a bad side? They may not be exactly the same but there should not be a bad side. Maybe you all just get a spray can out and insult your neighbours and that is the bad side.


Disclaimer. Yes I know these both happen, however I think anyone who would do such a thing is an idiot on both counts. Don't try to save hardly anything on putting up something that really should be illigal!