Fence etiquette update post #44

[twinboysmom]

If I were the neighbor I wouldn't pay half of $8000 so you could replace your fence. If you don't want them to have use of it then put it over further on your property than theirs. One wall of a fence shouldn't cost $8,000 and I have to agree with a PP, what kind of fence costs $8,000? If you were fencing in 3 or 4 acres I could see it costing that much but not just for a backyard. I would laugh in my neighbor's face if they asked me for $4,000. But then again I don't have a neighbor so it is not an issue. I would get some other estimates on the fence. Seems like someone is trying to break it off.

That is for the entire fence, not the split wall. The split wall is about $1400 total. So no, I am not trying to "break it off". And yes, we have a huge yard, as do they. You must have missed the part that they have mooched off of my fence for 6 years and that they, not me, are required to have one. I just want one and was looking for others thoughts on what they would do about not so easy to work with neighbors. I am by no means looking for them to pay for any of "my fence", just a shared wall.

 

[mumom95]

I guess this is why the saying goes: Good fences make good neighbors. Cause it looks like Bad fences make bad neighbors. Not meaning you OP, but your neighbor.

I guess you could just ask them to help pay and if they say no, either pay for it yourself or tear down your fence. In my opinion it doesn't matter what the law says, if a fence is between two properties, then both people help pay to fix it. It just seems like the right thing to do, whether you are legally responsible or not. But that's just my opinion, I'm sure a lot of people feel differently.

Good luck OP.

 

[dfchelbay]

Ok everyone. WWYD? Six years ago we purchased our home. Our neighbors to the left also purchased at the same time, moved in the same day. We put a fence up first even though we were fully aware they were waiting us out. They had dogs and a small child and have a small pond to the left of their property. We felt like we had to have it so up it went. The day after ours was up they had the fence people over giving them an estimate and theirs went up the next week. Of course, they came off of our existing side. Fast forward to now, our fence needs to be replaced. It is beyond repair. They have now put in a pool and city and county laws require that they maintain a fenced yard. I woukd like to ask the neighbors to split the cost of that wall. DH just wants to put it up and not worry about them. We are not friendly in any way with them, they don't wave back, we have very rarely spoken. The wife stands on our property line when she waters grass and if even a smidge of water crosses the property line she moves the sprinkler. Me, I just water the entire piece between our houses. The total price for the fence is $8000 so not a small amount of money.

Part of me feels that if they won't split the cost of the wall to not put it up and wait them out. I want a fence but am not required to have it. I know that's ugly but it is a huge chunk of change and they have had one entire wall of their fence free to them for 6 years.

I would nicely inform the neighbors that your fence is beyond repair and before it falls and hurts someone, you are going to have it taken down and not going to replace it. Tell them that you wanted to give them advanced notice of you doing this in the near future, so that they have the opportunity to be within the law/codes for their pool. Say thanks for understanding...then just wait them out. Maybe even tell them that you are not financially able to put another fence up...it's just not in your budget. Save your $8000. They HAVE TO have a fence, not you...wait them out.

 

[DeniseinNS]

Ask them to split the cost of what the part of the fence between your properties is. If they don't to split them put up your own but move it over a few feet over onto your property so they cannot connect to yours and they can be responsible for having to put their own up.

 

[ChristmasElf]

What happens if you take out the fence altogether, wait them out and they end up putting in some god awful looking fence that you can't stand the sight of?

Then when you end up putting your fence back in, you are then stuck with a mismatched fence?

I know someone this happened to. The neighbor put in a chain link fence that had a turqoise color coating on it . The neighbor had a nice wrought iron fence on the other 3 sides. Looked ridiculous from the front yard IMO to see the 2 different fences at the same time.

 

[twinboysmom]

I guess this is why the saying goes: Good fences make good neighbors. Cause it looks like Bad fences make bad neighbors. Not meaning you OP, but your neighbor.

I guess you could just ask them to help pay and if they say no, either pay for it yourself or tear down your fence. In my opinion it doesn't matter what the law says, if a fence is between two properties, then both people help pay to fix it. It just seems like the right thing to do, whether you are legally responsible or not. But that's just my opinion, I'm sure a lot of people feel differently.

Good luck OP.

Thank you. Your thoughts are my thoughts. We have paid for the maintenance to have the fence fixed as well, not much money but it was out of our pocketbook. Our shared wall is the worst side. If they asked to replace I would fully expecto pay half. Maybe things will go easier than I think they will.

 

[twinboysmom]

What happens if you take out the fence altogether, wait them out and they end up putting in some god awful looking fence that you can't stand the sight of?

Then when you end up putting your fence back in, you are then stuck with a mismatched fence?

I know someone this happened to. The neighbor put in a chain link fence that had a turqoise color coating on it . The neighbor had a nice wrought iron fence on the other 3 sides. Looked ridiculous from the front yard IMO to see the 2 different fences at the same time.

I think I am ok on this one. We can only have one typemof fence per our subdivision covenants. They also have nice taste, just weird (or maybe it is us). The fence we have to put up is similar to a good neighbor design, a little more detailed. Has pieces cross over for decoration in the walls, is pretty. It is also 40% more costly now than we had it put up 6 years ago which is frustrating.

 

[aprilgail2]

I'm not a kind and sweet DIS'er. Assuming I didn't need the fence, I'd tear down the one that's beyond repair, including the shared wall, and wait for them to replace it. They need one for their pool and why should you pay for it? Then, once they replace the fence, I'd put the rest of mine in. Like you said, they had free use of the fence for 6 years, now it's their turn to fund it.

If I needed the fence, I'd suck it up and pay for the whole thing without worrying about asking them for the money. You know they will be difficult, so why bother?

I agree--if you are not the one required to have the fence I see no reason to replace it. I would wait them out. My neighbors have pools like I do and we always have split fences with the ones on each side and the people behind me. But we all are friends so there was never an issue.

I used to live in MA..and now in MD and have been told numerous times that the following applies..you can't put a fence ON the line..you have to be, I believe. 3 feet inside your own property line. I could never figure that out..cause if you both put up fences..there would be a large strip of land/grass in between them.. Luckily here, our neighbors have dogs and have a stockade fence around their entire property, so that's the only side we have a fence on..good luck resolving this one
!

Thats crazy- what do you do with the 6 feet of nothing in between the two fences. I could see that becoming an overgrown mess! Our fences go right on the property line and you always just tie into the neighbors existing fence. You wouldn't put up an extra pole right next to theres where they connect, just connect onto that post that is there.

 

[goofy!]

The replacement cost is $25 per foot and no, it is not gold plated. I think it is a lot of money but it is actually the going rate. It is also for the type of fence our subdivision allows, nothing fancy. DH actually says the fence sits slightly onto our property line.

320 feet for just one side is one big yard! A square acre is only 208.71 ft on all 4 sides.

Just remember, that if you ask them to pay for half, they get to make half the decisions.

They get to review your choice of contractor, choice of materials, choice of fence, etc. You will have to come to a compromise on everything.

If a neighbor came to me with a $4,000 bill for a fence they had already decided on, I would say no. I would let them put up their own fence and then put up mine for considerably less than $25.00 a foot.

 

[goofy!]

That is for the entire fence, not the split wall. The split wall is about $1400 total. So no, I am not trying to "break it off". And yes, we have a huge yard, as do they. You must have missed the part that they have moochedd off of my fence for 6 years and that they, not me, are required to have one. I just want one and was looking for others thoughts on what they would do about not so easy to work with neighbors. I am by no means looking for them to pay for any of "my fence", just a shared wall.

Ok, so you are really only asking them for $700.00.

For that amount, I would just do it myself. That way I get to make all the decisions for the fence without having to run it past the neighbors. I would get to choose the contractor, etc.

 

[twinboysmom]

320 feet for just one side is one big yard! A square acre is only 208.71 ft on all 4 sides.

Just remember, that if you ask them to pay for half, they get to make half the decisions.

They get to review your choice of contractor, choice of materials, choice of fence, etc. You will have to come to a compromise on everything.

If a neighbor came to me with a $4,000 bill for a fence they had already decided on, I would say no. I would let them put up their own fence and then put up mine for considerably less than $25.00 a foot.

It's actually around 60 foot of shared wall, once again $8000 for total fence. Yes, our yards are very large and this is just the back yard. We have large fronts. I have no issue with them helping to pick the contractor. We have gone with the best estimate and it is who did their fence. We have not gotten an estimate from who did our fence as I am not pleased with it. As for style of fence, they have their choice of modified good neighbor, or modified good neighbor cause thats what our subdivision says we can have. But they are certainly free to get other estimates. I woukd be thrilled if they can find someone to do it cheaper.

 

[gracie1]

I'm not a kind and sweet DIS'er. Assuming I didn't need the fence, I'd tear down the one that's beyond repair, including the shared wall, and wait for them to replace it. They need one for their pool and why should you pay for it? Then, once they replace the fence, I'd put the rest of mine in. Like you said, they had free use of the fence for 6 years, now it's their turn to fund it.

If I needed the fence, I'd suck it up and pay for the whole thing without worrying about asking them for the money. You know they will be difficult, so why bother?

I would do this as well. You paid the first time around, let them pay this time.

 

[RachaelA]

I'd just tear my old one down and put the new one within the property line so they can't mooch of it. You have been nice enough letting them mooch off of yours for the last 6 years especially if their kid has been damaging it and you've been paying to fix it!

 

[happygirl]

I'd just tear my old one down and put the new one within the property line so they can't mooch of it. You have been nice enough letting them mooch off of yours for the last 6 years especially if their kid has been damaging it and you've been paying to fix it!

Did I miss where OP said the kid had damaged her fence

 

[poodlecamper]

Have to tell my fence story. Moved in, neighbors on both sides and ballfield behind us had chain link---our house connected on each side with picket fence (already there when we moved in). Several years later, we moved one side back a few feet--lo and behold, we get a letter from neighbor's lawyer that we are on his property. Our lawyer responded "Prove it". So this idiot neighbor has the yard surveyed and HIS fence is 1 3/4 INCHES onto our yard!!! And the part that's over is under the ground, part of the cement. DH and I had a good laugh over it, and that was it. WELL.......a couple of weeks later here comes a fence company, and he has the entire side moved over about 3 feet. Now there's a 3 ft gap and my 2 little girls can get out of the yard. So when we were outside, I placed a garbage can in the gap (this was not visible from inside his house) but didn't leave it there. Another lawyer letter from him--"it's my property" We had to put up a fence with the 3 ft gap and so we wouldn't have to look at the grass that grew between (but couldn't be mowed) we put up a 6 ft stockade fence, with the "good" side towards us (in our area, the courteous thing is to face the good side to your neighbor) So he ended up with a mess on his side. So I guess I'm saying just put up the fence yourselves and forget about it. We finally moved.

 

[RachaelA]

Mississippi rain, heat, and hurricanes have destroyed the wood, despite it being pressure treated and stained. Their child also throws balls on it etc, kids stuff. The fence is currently on our property line. I am considering bringing it in to our property 6 inches if they will not pay for it and not allowing them to come off of it. BTW, we are not going to use the same company that put it up originally. I think the construction is pretty bad and it should have lasted another year or two.

Did I miss where OP said the kid had damaged her fence

It was in a separate post.

 

[lsyorke]

I just did new fencing in my backyard. My neighbor approached me trying to figure out who actually owned the old chain link that separates our yards. The old fence was mine, but I was very interesting in replacing it. We split the cost of the "common" section. (I love my neighbors, which makes it so nice! )

He did all the legwork getting estimates and I just approved and signed the check! Worked for me!

 

[Tink888]

I think the whole thing sounds petty. You originally chose to put the fence around your yard. You put it on the property line. You chose to put your fence up first. If the fence is in bad condition and you want a new fence, pay the money and put it up.

If you are worried about your neighbors mooching off of one side of your fence, put the new one a few feet in on your property and be done with it. They can pay to fence the now open side. You'll have spent money, they'll hav spent money and everyone will have their own fence eliminating the need for any future fence drama. And if they decide to leave an open gap, it's not your problem.

Sure you can ask them, but from the vibe you give off as to how you feel about them, it doesn't sound like it would go well no matter what they might agree to.

 

[HelenePA]

Gosh I miss my old neighbor... my old neighbor came to me one day and said.. I'm getting a new fence for us between our house... I said what do you want for it? she said nothing smiled and walked away... she just wanted to warn me because of the dog and the fence would be down for a day or so...

 

[Feralpeg]

I was in a similar situation years ago. I needed a fence because I had dogs. I put up a six foot privacy fence. The neighbors behind me weren't happy about this. They wanted a picket fence.

I put my fence up on the property line. They put a picket fence about three feet inside their property. In the end, it did not work out well for them. Weeds grew up in the area between the two fences. It didn't bother me because I had the privacy fence. From their side, it looked horrible. It made them very angry and we were never on good terms from that point forward.

OP, if you decide to move your fence in on your property and your neighbor puts up their own fence, who will maintain the area in between? It should be your neighbors because it will be their land, but there is no guarantee that they will do so.

To me, it would not be worth the aggravation this could cause with your neighbors. I would tell your neighbors politely that the fence section needs replacing and how much just that section will cost. Ask them if they will go half with you on that part of the fence. If not, tell them that you will be taking the fence down. Wait to see what happens. In the end, you can always put up your fence, but don't bite your nose off to spite your face by moving it when it could create an eyesore just to spite your neighbors.