What would you do - a neigbor / fence issue

[daughtersrus]

But how is placing it within your property lines going to stop your neighbor from destroying your fence

If they don't put up a fence of their own (and why would they when you have yours there) how will you stop them from using the strip of property that belongs to you behind your fence

Won't they just start to incorporate that piece of property as part of their own.

Will they tell the dogs not to go on that 2 or 3 foot piece of land because it does not technically belong to them?

If the back fence is inside the property line, the neighbors would have to fence in the back of their property line or the dog and kids will be able to get out of the yard because their fence would no longer be "tied in" to the OP's.

There would be a gap on the side where the OP's ends within their property line and where the neighbor's stops at their property line.

As for the OP, I don't think that the neighbor has any responsibility to pay for or help maintain your fence. For what it's worth, we fenced our yard and never expected our neighbor to pay.

 

[Cruisin]

There would be a gap on the side where the OP's ends within their property line and where the neighbor's stops at their property line.

not if all other surrounding properties have existing fences that are on the property line and are all joined together.

It sounds like that might be the case in the original posters situation.

 

[Skywalker]

I think you're wrong, OP. The neighbour has no obligation to help you repair your fence at all.

Also, you might want to reconsider petty things like this. I don't think it's worth creating hard feelings with your neighbours over a fence, especially if all else is good with them. You may need these people one day.

 

[ZachnElli]

We bought a 10 year old house with a wooden fence. About a year later a storm broke a post clean through. That part of the fence belonged to the next door neighbor and they fixed it, end of story. A fence post that is 20 years old is going to break because of age (you said in OP that the pickets were replaced 10-12 years ago, not the posts). It's your fence, you have to fix it. I've moved all over this country and we've had houses with fences tied into neighbors fences and no one has ever offered to pay to tie into a fence. Asked permission, yes, offer to pay no. We've personally gotten written permission twice to tie into a neighbor's fence without any problems.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

I would consider tearing it all down and rebuilding from the ground up but mention to the neighbor you don't want it tied in anymore. That you understand it was fine before but you own the house now and aren't comfortable with it because of the dogs.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Life is short. Pay for it yourself and don't worry about it.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I don't really care so much what the customs are in any different places...

If I didn't want the neighbors dogs/kids destroying my nice cedar fence... It would be placed within my property.

That simple....

They are not "customs" they are called rules and laws. My HOA requires that the fencing go on the property line.

 

[daughtersrus]

not if all other surrounding properties have existing fences that are on the property line and are all joined together.

It sounds like that might be the case in the original posters situation.

Maybe I'm not understanding it correctly. I thought that the OP had a fence that went down the sides of their property and across the back property line. By "tied in", I thought that meant that the back neighbor fenced in the sides of his yard but not across the back property line since the OP already had a fence there.

If that is the case, then if the OP takes down the fence along the back property line and moves it in a few feet onto her property as well as removing the side sections past where the new fence would be, then there would be a gap between where the new fence is (off of the property line) and where the neighbor's side sections end at their shared property line.

The neighbor would then have to put up a new fence along the back property line because they would not have any legal right to extend the side fencing onto the OP's property.

I know that I'm not explaining it very well (I wish that I could had a diagram) but I hope that makes sense.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'd take your neighbor up on the offer to help with the labor, assuming he may not be able to offer money right now and is trying to help in a way that he can.

 

[manning]

In our city fences have to be at least 3 inches off the property line.

Someone in our neighborhood put up their own and went into the other property and wouldn't move it. His neighbor waited until they left town for the weekend and took it down (only what was on his property). When the guy got back he threw a fit and demanded payment. City said sorry the neighbor was within his right to take it down as it was permanently attached to his property, thus the fence belonged to him.

The neighbor was nice in that he left the torn down fence in the guy's yard.

 

[Mickey's Minion]

Maybe I'm not understanding it correctly. I thought that the OP had a fence that went down the sides of their property and across the back property line. By "tied in", I thought that meant that the back neighbor fenced in the sides of his yard but not across the back property line since the OP already had a fence there.

If that is the case, then if the OP takes down the fence along the back property line and moves it in a few feet onto her property as well as removing the side sections past where the new fence would be, then there would be a gap between where the new fence is (off of the property line) and where the neighbor's side sections end at their shared property line.

The neighbor would then have to put up a new fence along the back property line because they would not have any legal right to extend the side fencing onto the OP's property.

I know that I'm not explaining it very well (I wish that I could had a diagram) but I hope that makes sense.

That would only be true if the OP convinced her two side neighbors to also move their back fence in. If the fences are all on the property lines then the two side fences of the neighbors would still extend to the end of the property line while the OP's back fence would tie in a few feet back.

 

[Cruisin]

That would only be true if the OP convinced her two side neighbors to also move their back fence in. If the fences are all on the property lines then the two side fences of the neighbors would still extend to the end of the property line while the OP's back fence would tie in a few feet back.

Exactly the situation that I was trying to describe.

Then the back door neighbor would still have access to the use of the new fence and also several feet of extra space.

Why would they bother to put up another fence

 

[Sleepingbooty]

All very interesting replies. But lots of people keep suggesting we just 'move' our fence in a few feet and then they'd have to build their own new back fence leaving a few feet in between. Like I've said several times, we are NOT allowed to do that here. You must have your fence exactly ON the property line. So that is not a solution to the problem of being battered by the dogs.

Many of you have suggested that I should just pay for it myself and forget about it, life is short, he seems like a decent neighbor, etc, etc - and honestly that makes a lot of sense to me and I'm sure is what I'll do.

But I do wonder why some people seem to think I'm being petty for even daring to ask the question of whether he might be partially liable. Yes, its my fence. But if his dogs have damaged it - how is that any different than if his kid accidently threw a baseball in my window? Or would you think that I should not expect recompense for that either - because its "my window"?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

All very interesting replies. But lots of people keep suggesting we just 'move' our fence in a few feet and then they'd have to build their own new back fence leaving a few feet in between. Like I've said several times, we are NOT allowed to do that here. You must have your fence exactly ON the property line. So that is not a solution to the problem of being battered by the dogs.

Many of you have suggested that I should just pay for it myself and forget about it, life is short, he seems like a decent neighbor, etc, etc - and honestly that makes a lot of sense to me and I'm sure is what I'll do.

But I do wonder why some people seem to think I'm being petty for even daring to ask the question of whether he might be partially liable. Yes, its my fence. But if his dogs have damaged it - how is that any different than if his kid accidently threw a baseball in my window? Or would you think that I should not expect recompense for that either - because its "my window"?

Because it is old. Cedar fences do not last that long and need to have boards replaced anyway.
Also sounds like your posts need to be reanchored.