Fence Dispute - Apparent Criminal Damage

AaronCurtis91

NameUnavailable said:

It's not clear who owns the fence (who paid for it in the first place?). If the neighbour has erected their own fence that would suggest to me that they don't beleive that they own the original fence, otherwise why wouldn't they just replace it? There must be a reason for their new fence - taller/different material/style they prefer etc.?

Ultimately though it sounds like a case of a nutter next door who's best ignored.

Both properties are new builds from 2014, my parents have lived there since new and the offending fence was the original and only fence. So both are aware they both have joint ownership/responsibility of the boundary fence.

When the neighbour moved in, he asked my parents if they could split the cost of a higher fence and due to financial circumstances, my parents said they couldn’t pay for a new fence. Weeks later he builds a 6ft fence on his property right next to the original 4ft boundary fence.

Mutton_Geoff

AaronCurtis91 said:

Unfortunately the neighbour will not communicate in person and will only do it by email.
Would it be appropriate for me to respond to his emails?

Don't bother. Someone who will only respond by email sounds like a spineless idiot. A large percentage of people like to huff and puff in writing (inc on internet forums) but face to face, they don't have the sphericals. Push for a face to face meeting, with arbitrator (ie another neighbour) if necessary. The idiot will soon back down.

Slinky

Sounds as though he's stewing about paying in full for a new fence, and is taking this final opportunity before they move to try and extract some money from your parents to pay for it.

AaronCurtis91

Slinky said:

Sounds as though he's stewing about paying in full for a new fence, and is taking this final opportunity before they move to try and extract some money from your parents to pay for it.

He can try, but won’t get anywhere. 

NameUnavailable

Definitely a nutter. Best avoided/ignored.

Alan2020

Why don’t you post a picture of the screw holes with respect to the fence. It might be cheaper to replace the panel than all the hassle.
Your definition of small hole may not be the same definition of small hole for the person who paid cash for their fence.

To give you an example if I were to put a bracket on your brand new car and remove it with four small holes and tell you you are overreacting because in reality it doesn’t affect the function of your car, how would you feel.
Remember your parents willingly caused criminal damage and they can easily resolve it by fixing it properly. I find these trivialising posts wrong morally, it’s a bit like pinching a woman on the bottom and then complaining it was a trivial pinch when they get reported for sexual assault 

AaronCurtis91

Alan2020 said:

Why don’t you post a picture of the screw holes with respect to the fence. It might be cheaper to replace the panel than all the hassle.
Your definition of small hole may not be the same definition of small hole for the person who paid cash for their fence.

To give you an example if I were to put a bracket on your brand new car and remove it with four small holes and tell you you are overreacting because in reality it doesn’t affect the function of your car, how would you feel.
Remember your parents willingly caused criminal damage and they can easily resolve it by fixing it properly. I find these trivialising posts wrong morally, it’s a bit like pinching a woman on the bottom and then complaining it was a trivial pinch when they get reported for sexual assault 

Absolutely see your point and they are not saying they won’t fix it. The problem is the neighbour isn’t saying specifically what the problem is and how he wants it resolved. I am more than willing to pay a carpenter to repair.

Would easily be solved by sanding it down.

AaronCurtis91

Alan2020 said:

Why don’t you post a picture of the screw holes with respect to the fence. It might be cheaper to replace the panel than all the hassle.
Your definition of small hole may not be the same definition of small hole for the person who paid cash for their fence.

To give you an example if I were to put a bracket on your brand new car and remove it with four small holes and tell you you are overreacting because in reality it doesn’t affect the function of your car, how would you feel.
Remember your parents willingly caused criminal damage and they can easily resolve it by fixing it properly. I find these trivialising posts wrong morally, it’s a bit like pinching a woman on the bottom and then complaining it was a trivial pinch when they get reported for sexual assault 

Also just to point out this is the boundary fence and not the fence he paid for. It is joint owned 

fiveacre

Alan2020 said:

it’s a bit like pinching a woman on the bottom and then complaining it was a trivial pinch when they get reported for sexual assault 

Really? 

Putting holes in someone's car or sexually assaulting somebody is not the same as hanging things from your neighbour's fence.

Alan2020

AaronCurtis91 said:

Alan2020 said:

Why don’t you post a picture of the screw holes with respect to the fence. It might be cheaper to replace the panel than all the hassle.
Your definition of small hole may not be the same definition of small hole for the person who paid cash for their fence.

To give you an example if I were to put a bracket on your brand new car and remove it with four small holes and tell you you are overreacting because in reality it doesn’t affect the function of your car, how would you feel.
Remember your parents willingly caused criminal damage and they can easily resolve it by fixing it properly. I find these trivialising posts wrong morally, it’s a bit like pinching a woman on the bottom and then complaining it was a trivial pinch when they get reported for sexual assault 

Absolutely see your point and they are not saying they won’t fix it. The problem is the neighbour isn’t saying specifically what the problem is and how he wants it resolved. I am more than willing to pay a carpenter to repair.

Would easily be solved by sanding it down.

It is indeed fixable as you correctly pointed out, I would get a dowel from a piece of timber, hammer it in, sand it down and touch it up with whatever you painted it with.
If they do complain, then there won’t be much to do as you have fixed it