Neighbour being rather ridiculous/arrogant

[hendriQ]

I got home from work today to discover workmen (not my workmen) in my garden, putting up a fence in what I believe to be the wrong place. Nobody asked me permission, they were just there. My neighbour’s choice of fencing is also bizarre to say the least. Legally, it is his fence. There is about 45m of it, running all the way down the side of the house and continuing to the end of the garden. About two years ago, shortly before I did my own renovations, he replaced about half of his fence. He used a particular style that did not match the existing fence he was replacing and did not match my fence either. I asked him if he was going to do the rest and he said he was, but he was going to wait till I finished my works. I thought fair enough. He’s now started to replace the remaining panels, and instead of matching the other panels to what he had previously installed  two years ago, he’s installed something very different. So all along our garden we now have type A, followed by type B, followed by type A again. It looks bloody awful, with type B being vertical feathered wooden fence between wooden posts and type A being horizontal wooden fence installed between concrete posts. Because of two contrasting styles the type B sits 4cm further forward than the type A, which just emphasises the heterogeneity of it all. 
 

The colour is also completely different. Technically, as it’s his fence I understand I can’t complain about its appearance, just it’s location. I did this, first raising it with the workman direct. I was polite, but he got very defensive when he realised I’d picked up on an easily avoidable issue.  I pointed out that if he had fitted the brackets to the wooden posts 4cm further away from my property, he could have made the position of the Type B panels the same as the existing Type A panels. He was then incredibly rude to me, which I really wasn’t expecting. I took it up with my neighbour, and he was just bullied by this idiot of a work man.

 

All very unsatisfactory, and completely silly given that had he consulted me in advance of buying anything, I could have at least shared my concerns for him to take into account. Why do neighbours behave like this. It just beggars belief.

 

Am I right I’m thinking that as it is his fence, I can’t even paint my side of it?

 

[Jilly]

Gosh that sounds awful. Not sure about the legality, but if you paint it, drips will likely run through to his side and look terrible, which might well inflame the situation. The workman is probably stressed because he didn't consider this issue and doesn't want to take it down. I might attempt to politely insist to the owner without the workman present first... it's your land they are encroaching after all.

 

Moving forward, to disguise it, how about considering quick growing shrubs to make an informal loose garden edge? A neatly trimmed hedge might draw attention to it. Something which will grow quite quickly and sprawl a little at the junction between the two different fences would help disguise the different parts.

 

[SteamyTea]

This neighbour, is he called Boris?

[Carrerahill]

Does he work for the council?

 

Put up your own fence on your side?

Edited July 7, 2022 by Carrerahill

[SteamyTea]

1 minute ago, Carrerahill said:

Put up your own fence on your side?

That is a brilliant idea.  Cover the problem over.

[Carrerahill]

2 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

That is a brilliant idea.  Cover the problem over.

I do detect the sarcasm but it is the sort of thing I would do. 

[SteamyTea]

3 minutes ago, Carrerahill said:

I do detect the sarcasm but it is the sort of thing I would do. 

Not at all, I like that idea.

I have a mirror hanging on  my neighbours fence.  It reflects light onto the back of the bamboo, where an echium if growing.

Edited July 7, 2022 by SteamyTea

[Vijay]

2 hours ago, Carrerahill said:

Does he work for the council?

 

Put up your own fence on your side?

not sure I would do that, it could potentially move the boundary line if say they removed their fence. Also what a cost to do

 

[Carrerahill]

22 minutes ago, Vijay said:

not sure I would do that, it could potentially move the boundary line if say they removed their fence. Also what a cost to do

 

It could, but I think with delineation pins it would be fine. 

 

Cost is one thing, but I am stubborn and do things like that...

 

[Dreadnaught]

Boundary disputes are very tricky. Having just come out of one myself, I agree with the most common piece of advice. Seek an amicable solution with your neighbour without involving specialists or lawyers.

 

On what basis are you asserting your interpretation of the position of the boundary line?

 

A fence should always be completely upon the land of the person installing it (technically even including the concrete around the base of the fence posts). As said, there is nothing whatsoever to stop you erecting another fence entirely or your land adjacent to it.

 

[Iceverge]

Taking a slightly different tact here. Might I suggest that your neighbour potentially isn't a bad character at all. 

 

Perhaps he was slow to have the works  completed due to covid worries and felt a duty to accept a pushy contractors "take it of leave it" offer and he went ahead out of a duty to you to reinstate the fence. 

 

Almost all disagreements are due to physiological effects, ( pain, tiredness, fear, hunger) combined with narrow communication channels, (e.g forums!) when the meaning gets lost.

 

Pop round with a cuppa coffee and a few buns, chat face to face and importantly listen to the neighbours thoughts before you go any further. 

 

This will ensure you have all sides of the story to make a reasonable plan to rectify the situation. 

 

Remember the saying " a good neighbour is better than a far friend". 

 

With a consideration you might be able to use this situation to improve life both sides of the fence. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SteamyTea]

57 minutes ago, Iceverge said:

Remember the saying " a good neighbour is better than a far friend". 

I thought it was 'high fences make for good neighbours'.

 

 

[Pocster]

2 hours ago, Iceverge said:

Taking a slightly different tact here. Might I suggest that your neighbour potentially isn't a bad character at all. 

 

Perhaps he was slow to have the works  completed due to covid worries and felt a duty to accept a pushy contractors "take it of leave it" offer and he went ahead out of a duty to you to reinstate the fence. 

 

Almost all disagreements are due to physiological effects, ( pain, tiredness, fear, hunger) combined with narrow communication channels, (e.g forums!) when the meaning gets lost.

 

Pop round with a cuppa coffee and a few buns, chat face to face and importantly listen to the neighbours thoughts before you go any further. 

 

This will ensure you have all sides of the story to make a reasonable plan to rectify the situation. 

 

Remember the saying " a good neighbour is better than a far friend". 

 

With a consideration you might be able to use this situation to improve life both sides of the fence. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with all of this .

Failing him being ‘ co operative ‘ you may need to go down the party wall act . But you need to be careful here . The threat/ mention of it may help on its own .

P.s all neighbors are (expletive deleted) 

[Temp]

Unfortunately the Party Wall Act doesnt apply to fences, only walls. Confusingly it calls them Party Fence Walls. 

[Pocster]

28 minutes ago, Temp said:

Unfortunately the Party Wall Act doesnt apply to fences, only walls. Confusingly it calls them Party Fence Walls. 

Really ? . I didn’t know that . Assume a boundary issue is a boundary issue ( regardless of fence or wall ) .