Fence orientation

[AnthonyL]

My next door neighbour has today had a section of wooden fencing replaced. They guy who's done it has put the posts on my side so she has the "clean" face.

He's now turning it round so the boards are facing my side. I've just had a word with him to ask why he'd put them differently to the fence that was always there and he said "usually the person paying for it chooses which way round". First time I've heard this.

The old biddie next door is now irate that I even mentioned the issue and regards me as being "fussy".

Am I? Would you have mentioned it?

[Andy Burns]

I think (with no real source to back it up) that it's normal for the ugly rail side to face the owner. The hit and miss type fence has identical sides, so avoids the issue (and has lower wind loading)

[Chris J Dixon]

I think that the usual explanation is that the "outside" face is intended to be on the actual boundary, thus the posts are on the owner's land.

If the posts are on the outside, they should not encroach onto the neighbour's property. If erected this way, the owner is actually making their enclosed space smaller.

Chris

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Check the deeds to your house. You'll likely own the fence one side but not the other. Convention is the posts go on your side of the fence you own - to give you the maximum 'floor' area. If the neighbour wants the 'posh' side facing them on their fence, just make sure it is all, including posts, on their side of the boundary.

[Brian Gaff]

I think its one of those negotiation things but sense would I think dictate that you would want it to match what was already there. the only time I've had to reverse a fence was when the neighbour put a shed so close to the fence that there was no way to nail the boards on from their side any more, and short of faffing about on the ground then trying to drop it in and add arris rail extensions in a cramped space it was put the other way around.

However if you have the attitude which calls her an old biddy maybe she is merely acting to match your stereotyping? grin. Brian

[Chris J Dixon]

Trying to picture that. Your wall is on the boundary, yet his fence was over it?

Chris

[AnthonyL]

There is no argument about the ownership of the fence. It's hers.

[AnthonyL]

She's not been here long and already complained to the council about a car parked across the road which turned out to belong to a friend of the nearest house, but it interfered with her ability to turn her car around though I've not worked out why she needs to as she drives it forward into her driveway. Anyway she's called the friendly neighbour a "nasty man". Silly old biddy.

[pamela]

Seems like a cheeky neighbour. How did he build it without coming onto the poster's land?

[Chris J Dixon]

My mental picture is clearly different from what you are meaning.

You say that your garage has its wall on the boundary, ie there is none of your land beyond that wall.

Do you actually mean that your neighbour's fence is in line with your garage wall, not flush up to it? Instead of him working from his side of the boundary line, he has put it all on yours?

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Chris

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Neighbours can be a bit irrational. 'My' wall in the rear garden was made from cast in situ concrete. I'd guess original Victorian. Most of it was still good apart from the higher part between the two houses, which was leaning and rather scruffy. Had just that bit re-built in blockwork and rendered to match the good other bit. Neighbour didn't want my workmen in his garden to render their side. Which looks pretty odd as they used assorted odd bricks on the top to get to the right height.

[Chris J Dixon]

I'm not quite sure what that is, but my semi is about 5 bricks higher than my neighbour. We have happily agreed our boundary line on the ground is exactly on the geometric centreline of the party wall.

However, what I presume is my roof naturally overhangs the upward projection of the party wall, so is probably a good foot or so over this line.

If it ever comes down to maintaining the verges, I have two and my neighbour just one.

I suppose it is much the same for many terraces on sloping sites

- a sort of minimal flying freehold.

Chris

[pamela]

I have a feeling a neighbour is permitted (although I am not sure by who) to enter your land to repair a boundary fence.

However entering your land to build it in the first place is something else.

[AnthonyL]

I've just had a closer look and the nice preformed concrete post has been placed about on the centre line of the border so about half of it is now on my property. If I run a line between the ends of the old sections the new sections fall slightly into my property. It is probably not worth arguing about, we're talking inches but clearly the handyman who did the job was careless/ignorant.

Neither he nor the neighbour asked permission to come on my property which he did to do the fence and of course once he re-fixed it the right way round he was "trapped" in my garden. As I noticed this would happen I offered him a route through my garage (I don't have a path down the side).

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Glad I've not got you as a neighbour.

[AnthonyL]

The fence was already there before other workman broke a section of it knocking her trees out.

How far would you let them encroach before you'd consider it a problem?

[AnthonyL]

There are times a "Like" button would be useful, I guess you'll just have to have a +1

[DICEGEORGE]

as the party wall between me and the neighbors is 2 bricks wide, if i build an extension would it have to be inline with my bricks not theirs, staggered if you see what i mean? [george]

[Andrew]

Well this is completely wrong. Your neighbour is trespassing onto your property.

Boundary fences (or structures) do not cross the boundary. The entire width of your fence or wall occupies your own space.

If they are slotted concrete posts, then the outside face marks the boundary.

If it is a wall with coping stones that project, the wall must be set back onto your property so that the coping stones do not cross the boundary.

This is established boundary law.

[Andrew]

Where does the land registry place the 'T' marks ?.

Who ever has them on their side, has the right (but not the obligation) to erect a boundary structure.