Neighbour being awkward over new fence

MikeL93

My house was built in the 60's, when me and my girlfriend moved in 3 years ago there was no gate going down the side of the house from the driveway into the garden, so as soon as we moved in I had a gate installed to make the garden more secure. The fence that also ran down the side of the house between me and my neighbour was only 2 feet high but I didn't do anything about it. I didn't really have a problem with it only being that high apart from the fact that mine and my neighbours side doors face each other and he chain smokes daily so whenever I go into the garden or take rubbish to the bins he is always there so it gets awkward saying hello seven times a day.

Fast forward to now and we have a baby and with Summer coming up we are wanting to make the garden a bit more secure so I mentioned to my neighbour about replacing the fence with something higher. Everyone on our street has no idea whose fence is whose so everyone just splits the costs 50/50 for any upkeep. However as it is me wanting the fence to be higher I told my neighbour I would pay for all of it. He however at first wasn't too happy with me asking as he says he would feel slightly claustrophobic with a higher fence but I told him that 1. it is for added security for my son and 2. I would only be putting in a four foot fence maximum. At this point he sort of relented and said okay but I can tell he is annoyed.

How should I approach this going forward? I am going to ring the company in the next few days to come and measure up but I don't want him being awkward or difficult once the fence goes up.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Existing fence belongs to whoever paid for it (or if the previous owner of your house paid for it belongs to you and vice versa). 

If you want 100% trouble free just put your new fence in front of the existing. 

(Very simplistically, specifics in link) Permitted development allows 2m when not next to a public highway

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/fences-gates-and-garden-walls/planning-permission

I don't see a 4 foot fence as being intrusive at all, if the neighbour ends up being funny with you over a 4 foot fence chances are it was inevitable over something or other  

MikeL93

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

Existing fence belongs to whoever paid for it (or if the previous owner of your house paid for it belongs to you and vice versa). 

If you want 100% trouble free just put your new fence in front of the existing. 

(Very simplistically, specifics in link) Permitted development allows 2m when not next to a public highway

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/fences-gates-and-garden-walls/planning-permission

I don't see a 4 foot fence as being intrusive at all, if the neighbour ends up being funny with you over a 4 foot fence chances are it was inevitable over something or other  

This is the thing, neither of us knows who paid for the current fence. The people who lived in this house before me rented it off their parents and my neighbour's house belonged to his parents and he moved into it after they died 20 years ago. When I look on Google street view the current fence was up in 2009.

In regards to the 4 foot fence I said I'd go to that height as a courtesy to my neighbour so he doesn't feel as claustrophobic, if however he does start being funny I will just put up a 6 foot fence on my side and he'll be worse off.

Flugelhorn

a two foot fence is hopeless - he may feel claustrophobic but it will be like living in a goldfish bowl if you do anything else - even at 4ft he can still look over easily 

MikeL93

Flugelhorn said:

a two foot fence is hopeless - he may feel claustrophobic but it will be like living in a goldfish bowl if you do anything else - even at 4ft he can still look over easily 

Due to the way my street is my house is about 3/4 of a foot higher than his. So when the new fence is up he wouldn't be able to look over but I would be able to look over to him.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

MikeL93 said:

This is the thing, neither of us knows who paid for the current fence. The people who lived in this house before me rented it off their parents and my neighbour's house belonged to his parents and he moved into it after they died 20 years ago. When I look on Google street view the current fence was up in 2009.

In regards to the 4 foot fence I said I'd go to that height as a courtesy to my neighbour so he doesn't feel as claustrophobic, if however he does start being funny I will just put up a 6 foot fence on my side and he'll be worse off.

In that case it might be best just to stick your fence in front of the existing, it would cost a small strip of garden but save any further claims that the fence you took down was theirs. 

Don't know the exact layout but as an alternative to 4 foot all the way along can you do 6 foot reducing to 4 foot in the place where 6 foot might block the neighbours house in? 

MikeL93

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

MikeL93 said:

This is the thing, neither of us knows who paid for the current fence. The people who lived in this house before me rented it off their parents and my neighbour's house belonged to his parents and he moved into it after they died 20 years ago. When I look on Google street view the current fence was up in 2009.

In regards to the 4 foot fence I said I'd go to that height as a courtesy to my neighbour so he doesn't feel as claustrophobic, if however he does start being funny I will just put up a 6 foot fence on my side and he'll be worse off.

In that case it might be best just to stick your fence in front of the existing, it would cost a small strip of garden but save any further claims that the fence you took down was theirs. 

Don't know the exact layout but as an alternative to 4 foot all the way along can you do 6 foot reducing to 4 foot in the place where 6 foot might block the neighbours house in? 

The only place I want the 4 foot fence is where the fence goes between my house and his, I have said I'd go to 4 foot as a courtesy to him.

I'd only do a 6 foot fence if it was on my own land in front of the current fence and I'd basically do it as a middle finger to him.

teaselMay

I'd stick with 6 foot personally, or 4 foot and a trellis on top.

kempiejon

I thought fence ownership was a deeds thing? At our places 3 gardens border 2 of my fences so when some neededd to repair I was pleased the easier was my responsibility, however it meant my neighbours can just let theirs fall down. My fence had a T on the plans pointing into my garden for ones I fix. I can imagine it being a pain to have a party fence (apparently an H on the plans) if one had to chip in whenever the neighbour wanted to repair or vv.

Albermarle

kempiejon said:

I thought fence ownership was a deeds thing? At our places 3 gardens border 2 of my fences so when some neededd to repair I was pleased the easier was my responsibility, however it meant my neighbours can just let theirs fall down. My fence had a T on the plans pointing into my garden for ones I fix. I can imagine it being a pain to have a party fence (apparently an H on the plans) if one had to chip in whenever the neighbour wanted to repair or vv.

Some deeds do not have these symbols on them .

kempiejon

I assumed that was a thing, oh well no point bringing it up. That would be annoyinging.