New fence

Lou12

Well the neighbour's fence has finally all blown over mostly onto my beds and he has failed to come out out and remove it from on top of my plants. I have bitten my tongue for the sake of neighbourly relations.

However he has "kindly allowed" us to take this opportunity to prune back all his overgrown shrubs that have pushed the old rotten fence over and dig up his bindweed and ground elder for him and erect a new fence which is not going to be cheap.

I finally got sick of it and just thought we'd bite the bullet and get a new fence up and hang the cost even if it's not our fence.

The poor retired lady at the end of his garden is at her wits end as there has been no fence there for over a year and she has no way of keeping her dog in now, she has had to resort to hedging plants  to keep her privacy.

I shall be "pruning" the darned shrubs to the ground. It will be worth it though, by Thursday this week we will have a lovely tall new fence and our privacy back and we will be able to really plan new improved beds for summer.

 

 

Fairygirl

Before you start the fence Lou - get a quote in writing (if not doing it yourself) show him it, and tell him he's jointly responsible for the boundary and liable for half the cost, as the situation isn't acceptable as it is. If the fence was his property originally, he's really liable for all of it. You can point that out to him as well and let him know that, out of the goodness of your heart, you're paying half. If you go ahead and build it, and pay for the entire thing, make sure he doesn't take liberties with putting 'stuff' on it. He's taking the p*** because he knows you'll just do it for the sake of your garden and your privacy. 

I don't know what distance you have to fill, but it's not cheap to do it properly, especially getting 'a man' in 

B****y neighbours. 

pansyface

I'm with Philippa - give him his boundary fence with tuppence worth of wire and treat yourself to a nice fence of your own. And make it plain that it's your fence and his wire.

He sounds like a real chancer. Even got you to do his weeding and pruning for him.

Fairygirl

A b****y  parasite is how I'd describe him pansyface....

Lou12

I know, I know, I've just got to the point where I just cannot bear the thought of going out and dealing with any more rotting fence pieces and the lack of privacy. I'd quite like to entertain some friends in summer without everyone being able to see into my garden.

I will be carrying out a shrub massacre, rather than pruning Well he doesn't care.

Fantastic idea about the posts and wire, thanks for that. Then it will be our fence.

He will not contribute half - he simple doesn't care and has said as much - he keeps going on about his high maintenance payments to his ex wife and 4 kids and says he has no money despite having a large house and garden with a massive mortgage - you do wonder why he didn't just buy a flat with no garden as the children are not allowed to come up and stay with him.

The fence guy is coming to start on Tuesday so I'll ask him to mark off the boundary with posts and wire. I suppose there is about 80 feet of fencing but we've got a really good price from someone we know well.

 

Lou12

We looked into the legal aspect of fence maintenance together with the other affected neighbour and legally there is nothing we can do about it. he doesn't have to have or maintain a fence on his property and we have to ask his permission to encroach upon any part of his land AND ask for permission to remove the old fence. As you say we can mark the boundary and have a fence our side that is ours.

I am just looking forward to the lovely new beds and the climbing roses I plan to grow.

Fairygirl

I think it's understandable that you don't want any hassle Lou. I hadn't thought of the fence and wire that pansy and philippa suggested, but that's undoubtedly the best thing to do. You want a proper fence for your own privacy - totally understand that too. It's infuriating how people just don't care about anyone around them though. 

Get your nice fence in and get back to enjoying your plot, full of good things for your own pleasure 

From your description - it's easy to work out why he's an ex husband... 

Bee witched

Before you prune his shrubs to within an inch of their lives remember that old saying ..." growth follows the knife"

Might be worth being a bit less brutal but pruning to buds all facing into his garden.

Lou12

Lol you are wickedly practical Bee witched and Fairygirl yes we had all this silliness with the neighbour the other side for about 10 years.

He used to storm round and demand we put up a new fence and I would say yes no problem when you've dug up the foot thick ivy roots your side so the fence isn't demolished when we put a new one up like the old one was!

He once shouted at me that the ivy roots his side were my job to dig up because we were putting up the new fence.

When he left to get married (?) we danced a jig and hung out the bunting. The new neighbour who is a lovely practical single man dug up all the ivy roots for us and we put up a lovely new fence straight away.

Lou12

Let's hope his new wife doesn't expect him to maintain the garden

 

Fairygirl

Re the other neighbour - God loves a trier Lou 

Why are people so ignorant sometimes.

At least you'll have it all the way you want it. It's a pity we can't pick our neighbours isn't it?