My neighbour put up his own privacy fence – now I’ve been left with all the problems
A HOMEOWNER has been left stunned after their neighbour put up their own privacy fence.
Despite there already being a small fence separating the two properties, it seems the neighbour wanted something a bit bigger.
Taking to Reddit, the homeowner, who is based in the US, shared some snaps of the new fence and wrote: “My neighbour wanted to put up a privacy fence, did it all himself.”
The pictures show the original fence with the larger wooden fence right next to it.
After sharing the snaps on Reddit some suggested that the homeowner should just take down the original fence down and enjoy the free new one.
“Just take your fence down and your yard gets a little bit bigger,” one said.
But the homeowner explained why they wouldn’t be doing that, despite it being their first thought too.
“The reason I didn’t let him take my fence down is because the HOA doesn’t allow privacy fences, and have seen his handiwork before and this fence was no surprise,” he explained.
He then went on to clarify that his HOA does allow privacy fences, but not near ponds, which the news fence is.
A homeowners association (HOA) is a private organisation that governs residential communities, meaning they have the final say on what is and isn’t allowed.
After sharing the post, people were stunned not just by the unsightly fence, but the strange HOA rule.
“Whao, what?” They dictate when you can have in your back yard? America sort your sh*t out, we’re worried about you,” one commented.
“We had a friend who lived in a HOA who was fined for not picking up dog poo fast enough in their own fenced garden,” someone else wrote.
Meanwhile, others were more focused on the strange addition of a privacy fence.
One pointed out a future problem the homeowner might face because of the two fences.
“That small gap you now have between fences? Yeah, rodents and insects love to get all up in there make homes, just an FYI,” they said.
“I can’t wait to see what this looks like in a few months when everything starts to warp,” another said.
And someone else chimed in: “First storm and that new fence is coming straight down.”
If you want to put up a privacy fence up here in the UK, you should know the rules before doing so.
The council can ask the resident to retrospectively apply for planning permission for any completed work which needs it.
This normally happens when someone complains to the council about the new work.
The same considerations will apply and permission only be granted if it is deemed suitable by the local authority.
Retrospective planning applications are not automatically approved – around one in five are turned down.
If the application is turned down, the homeowner may have to tear down whatever they have built.
But if it is approved, the retrospective planning permission is just as valid and legitimate as permission granted before building work starts.
What are your rights over a fence row?
IT'S very important to know your rights if you are embroiled in a fence row with a neighbour.
How do I know which side I own?
A boundary feature can be a fence, wall, hedge, ditch, piece of wire, or sometimes even just the edge of a driveway.
The only way to know for certain who owns what side and to avoid any neighbour disputes, is to refer to the title plan or Land Registry.
In this, the T mark is used to indicate who the boundary belongs to and therefore who is responsible for its upkeep, say pros at Jacksons Fencing.
Larger developments tend to have some indication provided by the builder, but there are no hard and fast rules
People often think they are responsible for the left (or right) hand boundary wherever they live, but there isn’t any legal basis for this.
You can check with HM Land Registry to see which boundary feature you are responsible for.
Often households can’t get hold of the paperwork but experts say they shouldn’t panic.
Homeowners can guess who owns the fence by checking where the rails are.
Pros say: “The fence is typically facing away from their property so that their neighbour gets the ‘good’ side.
“This is the most secure way of facing fencing so there are no rails for anyone to use to climb into your garden.
“This is then repeated with the neighbour on the other side to ensure that each home has both a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fence side.”
Walls and fences are often built on the land of the boundary’s owner with the edge of the wall marking the limit.
While professionals agree a glimpse at the fence can give you a hint, it’s not foolproof – so you can’t be certain.
Fines and punishment
It is recommended to always check legal documents before making changes to avoid hefty fines.
There is no law that the neighbour has to get the good side of the fence, so it’s completely up to whoever owns the fence.
Fencing pros have suggested: “It may be worth selecting a double-sided panel with no ‘bad’ side as both sides look the same and rails are concealed within the fence panel.”
If one boundary backs onto a road or footpath you can install the panels with the rails on the inside
But if it’s installed on the outside, it can provide an “easy ladder for burglars to enter your garden”.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Property Litigation Association have created a mediation service to help neighbours resolve disputes over their property boundaries without resorting to court action.
RICS also provides a list of surveyors who could assist in boundary disputes.
If a dispute continues, it is ultimately a court that makes decisions, but they do not like such disputes being put before them.
Changing a boundary
If you want to change an existing boundary, such as replacing an old fence with a new one, we always recommend discussing with your neighbour first and making sure it is all agreed.
The registered titles can help you to reach an agreement, but only if this information has been added.
In terms of decorations on a fence legal advisers recommended asking around over who actually first installed it.
But they also urged caution before getting to work on amending the fence without getting more certainty yourself – since there is a danger of actually being prosecuted for criminal damage.
How high can a garden fence be?
The height of the fence is measured from your ground level, this can have an impact when, due to slopes in the ground, your garden may be at a higher level than your neighbours‘.
A garden fence can be as high as 100m but you need to get planning permission if it’s over than 2m.
However, there are some complications to this.
If you are thinking about front garden fences, restrictions state that fences alongside a driveway can be a maximum of 1m or 3ft.
You would need to get planning permission for putting a trellis on a fence of 2m.
But, if any plant that you grow on that trellis exceeds 2m, you do not need to obtain a permit for the growing plant.