Neighbors and Fences

[DVCLiz]

I have a chain link fence around three sides of my yard. It's marked on my survey and deed as my fence. I want to replace it with a wooden fence.

The fence on either side is a little inside my property line but across the back neighbor's lot it is about 4 feet inside my line on one corner - exactly on the property line on the other corner. Obviously, whoever put the fence up just guesstimated where the corners of the yard were.

I'm going to put the new fence about 6 inches inside my property line, but it requires cutting down some scraggly bushes in order to do so.

Should my neighbor be having a problem with this? She was a little snippy to my contractor when he came by earlier to have the line marked. I don't know these neighbors well - their house is on the market and they are separated.

The new fence will be much prettier than the rusted chain link now, and they haven't done any work to this part of their yard - it is woodsy and they have allowed vines and overgrowth to take over this side of their property. It's also the area behind their toolshed and my garage - not likely to be seen by anyone from either house.

I think she's just being irritable but honestly, it's my property and I can replace the fence, can't I? Even if the current fence is well inside my property?

 

[C.Ann]

You might want to check with your town, but it seems like it should be okay..

I do have a question though - if you're putting up a wooden fence, will you have enough room on the "other" side of the fence (neighbors side) to maintain it without them getting cranky about it?

If you can afford it - and you like any of the styles - I would go for the maintainence free vinyl fence..

 

[loveWDWalways]

I'm sorry, I don't mean to make light of your situation, OP, but at first I misread the thread title and thought it said, "Neighbors and Feces." Then I thought to myself, I know this is the CB and I've seen some pretty bizarre posts here, but now I think I've seen it all.

 

[DVCLiz]

You might want to check with your town, but it seems like it should be okay..

I do have a question though - if you're putting up a wooden fence, will you have enough room on the "other" side of the fence (neighbors side) to maintain it without them getting cranky about it?

If you can afford it - and you like any of the styles - I would go for the maintainence free vinyl fence..

I don't intend to do any maintenance - it will be a wood fence that will weather and it won't need any maintenance as far as I'm concerned.

I wouldn't choose a vinyl product - I'd much rather have wrought iron but none of these neighbors seem to care about ivy, etc. creeping over and through the fence so I want something solid I can use to keep the plant life on the other side of - I want my fence and planting beds to be pretty bare, with only the few bushes I've planted and mulched beds.

 

[DVCLiz]

I'm sorry, I don't mean to make light of your situation, OP, but at first I misread the thread title and thought it said, "Neighbors and Feces." Then I thought to myself, I know this is the CB and I've seen some pretty bizarre posts here, but now I think I've seen it all.

All four families have at least one dog - there are 6 between the 4 yards - so I think we could probably hold our own in that category!!!!

I meant "compete", not literally hold...

 

[loveWDWalways]

All four families have at least one dog - there are 6 between the 4 yards - so I think we could probably hold our own in that category!!!!

I meant "compete", not literally hold...

(I bolded the sentence)

I wonder what the neighbors would think then!

 

[C.Ann]

I don't intend to do any maintenance - it will be a wood fence that will weather and it won't need any maintenance as far as I'm concerned.

I wouldn't choose a vinyl product - I'd much rather have wrought iron but none of these neighbors seem to care about ivy, etc. creeping over and through the fence so I want something solid I can use to keep the plant life on the other side of - I want my fence and planting beds to be pretty bare, with only the few bushes I've planted and mulched beds.

Well that makes sense then..

Seems like I remember something about fences, additions, etc., having to be "set back" a certain distance from the property line though - at least in 2 of the neighborhoods I lived in.. I'd call the town to be certain..

 

[sorcerormickey]

You really want to check with your City/Township before you do anything. I know in Michigan, you had to have permission from your abutters, and the abutters of the abutters to put up a privacy fence.

Here in FL we live in a HOA community, so they have to approve something like that.

 

[kim929]

When I put a fence up in my old yard, we had the yard survyed then just put the fence on the line. If you put the fence inside the line eventually the small amount of land that is on the other side of the fence would become your neighbors, unless you go around the fence keep that area maintaned.

 

[DVCLiz]

When I put a fence up in my old yard, we had the yard survyed then just put the fence on the line. If you put the fence inside the line eventually the small amount of land that is on the other side of the fence would become your neighbors, unless you go around the fence keep that area maintaned.

My contractor suggested we come in about 6 inches or so - that's what he usually does. I don't really care about the amount of land the fence comes in - just that the line is straight from one corner to the other. Having it crooked has always driven me crazy!!

 

[kim929]

My contractor suggested we come in about 6 inches or so - that's what he usually does. I don't really care about the amount of land the fence comes in - just that the line is straight from one corner to the other. Having it crooked has always driven me crazy!!

A crooked fence would drive me nuts....