You could hit it with some restoring wash and then stain it and it would look almost new. If your neighbor initially built the fence, then they are legally allowed to remove the fence. The punishment for removing your neighbors fence will vary between municipalities but you will most likely get fined by local authorities. Oregon law has specific provisions for such and while we dont debate that the fence needs maintenance, we do contest that it needs to be replaced in full. I had a fence that got blown over in a hurricane. Hello my partner's neighbour has removed a small dividing hedge between the two properties, . 596, 598 (Tex. However, an individual cannot remove or destroy a fence on another individuals land without his/her consent. Think Before You Remove That Hedge - Stephensons Solicitors LLP Terms and conditions The same holds true for fence maintenance and repairs. Boundaries and fences - South Australia If yourown fence has seen better days, find out more about our. If the tree is not yours, do you know who is responsible? When I built my fence, I had it surveyed and placed it 3" from the property line. My neighbour has moved the boundary fence on to my land. If you want to have privacy, you will have to put up a fence on your side of the property. The standard for measuring damages for such removal or destruction is its value at the time. I'm concerned that the tree [has a broken branch/is overgrown/is diseased/other concern] and may cause damage to my property if left unattended. In order for your neighbor to remove your boundary fence, they would have had to receive your permission first before they took down the fence, especially if you both signed a written agreement to share the responsibility of the fence. So, here are the five steps to take if someone tampers with your property: Organize your evidence and let the law decide. 1.2K Posts. Cities or property owner associations will often try to regulate things such as fence height but for disputes involving ownership or . According to my records, the [fence/hedge/other encroachment] is actually on my property. Your neighbor is not legally allowed to remove your boundary fence. One of you OWNS the fence. Two types of fences tend not to be allowed by most cities: barbed wire and electrified fences. You dont have to stand by as your next-door neighbor ruins your fencing. [choose one of the below or offer a choice to your neighbour], - Please would you move your [fence/hedge/other encroachment], [number] metres/centimetres, so that it is no longer on my property, - Please consider this letter written permission for you to "borrow" this strip of land. The issue is whether it needs to be repaired or replaced and thats the matter being debated. What happens when one of those neighbors decides they want to remove a boundary fence though? When in doubt, do good to thy neighbor even if they do not do good to you. If your neighbor removed your boundary fence, involving the law may not be your best solution in this case since boundary disputes can drag on for years and affect the chance of selling your house in the future. Your property is on a corner and has more than one frontage. 4 /9. The proof involves documentation of your property lines. For example, the neighbor's hedge or fence is encroaching on your property. Would you be annoyed if your neighbour removed a boundary garden hedge Additionally, if you don't have a . Rules for fences on boundaries | eHow UK Elements allowing punitive damages are[vi]: Generally, equitable principles and rules are applicable concerning the protection of rights and interests in partition walls[vii]. There would now be two fences along the boundary. Is It Legal to Have a Horse in Your Backyard? Fences are a part of the realty and become affixed to the land. hi as fat as I know the fence can not be higher than 6ft with 1 ft of gravel board so total of 7ft but it depends on the garden ei if on a hill or looking down ? [vi] Milner Hotels, Inc. v. Brent, 207 Miss. Resolving conflicts involving trees on properties. Try to be fair. If your neighbour owns the wall or fence. If you're in an argument with a neighbor over a property issue, follow these steps: 1. Stay civil. However, now that I have written to you regarding the matter, I would appreciate your swift action on this. If the fence is your property, it is illegal for a neighbor to attach something to it without your permission. Boundary Rules And Neighbour Disputes. But, you shouldnt go directly to just removing the fence. If youre on good terms with your neighbour, a friendly approach to point out the state of the fence and asking them what their plans are mightdo the trick. In this situation, you really need to choose your battles wisely. Can I Remove Utility Flags In My Yard: Is this Illegal? But other factors can affect the rules as well. You are obliged to disclose all information about your property before you sell it and having a boundary dispute can give the upper hand to the purchaser when it comes to negotiations. My Neighbour's Hedge Is Overgrown. We answer your questions about planning permission for fences: height, trellis, Conservation Areas, consequences of not getting permission and more. Whatever the case, try to avoid heated arguments with the neighbors. About 50% of the fence now has trenches under . jobs, Or, you could do a land swap. Generally, if you want to build a fence on a common boundary with your neighbour, or upgrade an existing one, you can expect the neighbour to go halves on the bill for an "adequate" fence. An owner of adjoining land can remove a partition fence upon formal notice to adjacent landowners. Editor, Marcus Herbert. But you cant establish the owner unless you can define the property lines. If you are dealing with a boundary dispute, you should contact a real estate lawyer to decide on the best option going forward. There was no survey as I suspect we both relied on the survey maps and fences dont show up on that. First of all, establish who is responsible for the fence on theboundary in question. Have your neighbor agree to acknowledge your property right. If this isnt successful and you and your neighbour cannot come to an agreement, there may be no alternative than totake legal action and commence court proceedings. However, this matter can be tricky to navigate so we . The documentation from my house puchase suggest the boundary is either shared or owned by me (documents differ). Although we disagree about this, we are neighbours andneed to resolve the problem. Can anyone advise my neighbours house is directly at the end of my garden he has removed 50ft trees the whole length of this garden and removed the boundary fence which my council inspector has said was ours my question is now he has erected a new higher fence the whole way along I presume that now becomes his boundary fence so can I paint my side as it looks ugly and imposing almost 3metres high ? Line Fences Act | ontario.ca For more information or to arrange an appointment please fill in the form below. Can a neighbor remove and replace the boundary line fence - Quora Fences are commonly involved in boundary disputes. This can be found in the deeds to your property. And, if you tell him not to, Neighbor cannot come onto your property without y. There are two main areas when it comes to boundary line disputes. As long as there is a visible demarcation along the boundary, your neighbour could string a length of wire between some posts and call it a day. A polite clarification might be all that is needed to . Welcome to /r/Legal, a community for discussing legal topics. My neighbour has just built an extension. They may not be aware that the fence was actually a boundary fence meaning that you both have ownership of it. The tree's owner has a legal responsibility to make sure it doesn't damage a neighbour's property, garden, drive or boundary fence. If youre prepared to put up with an eyesore for the foreseeable future you can, at this point, stick to the principle that the fence isnt your responsibility and decide to do nothing. Last year we removed the old wood fence and installed a new wood fence on the same line as original fence. If your neighbours hedge is growing in width and encroaching on your space, you are entitled to trim any part of it that crosses your boundary. Press J to jump to the feed. Sometimes a neighbor may build an ugly fence out of spite for a neighbor. You also cant cause a nuisance with your fence or put the neighbors in danger. They just want a new fence - admittedly its not the prettiest fence and is old and were fine maintaining it but dont feel like we should have to pay for a new fence just because they would like a new one. The owner of the fence is always responsible for fixing it. If this is causing problems for you, you will needto contact your neighbour in order to resolve the issue. I am writing regarding the [fence/hedge/other encroachment] which as you will see from the attached survey/plat map is actually on my land. The neighbours can agree on their contribution, or have this decided by an arbitrator. Is the replacement fence reasonably the same cost? You can quite easily trim back leaves and branches, and you can even trim back roots if they are invasive, however this may have a detrimental impact on the whole plant. Local fence laws assume that boundary fences benefit both homeowners, and so both owners must pay for the fence. Still can't believe we didn't discuss this properly before work commenced. Until the contrary is shown, the partition fence is presumed to be the common property of both owners. Fences & Boundaries - Neighbor Law - Guides at Texas State Law Library My neighbour doesn't want me to remove diseased trees on my land Until then, people cant tear up your property just because they dont like it. But, some common themes typically arise. Therefore, if a neighbor wants to remove the fence, they will have to obtain written permission from the other neighbor. 32 However, if you put up the fence accidentally on your neighbors side of the property line then you are actually encroaching on your neighbors property. Neighbour is taking down MY fence! MoneySavingExpert Forum Even if youve established that the problem fence is your neighbours responsibility, take some time to consider your options before you approach him or her. If you are looking to put up a boundary fence, then you will have to obtain your neighbors permission first. This case shows the importance of checking your legal position before you remove any boundary . Thank you for your cooperation on this matter. If the fence is directly on your property line and you have both been maintaining the fence and the area around it, then your neighbor cannot remove the boundary fence. Boundary disputes involve your neighbor using your property without your consent. dig up the root and cut a tree root back to the boundary or fence line of your property. In one instance, you may have an issue over where the boundary line of the property actually sits. Moreover, the defendant is liable for damage or loss which is the direct, proximate, and necessary consequence of his/her act[v]. (Heres Whats Required)Continue, So, you have an event coming up, youre excited about it, and you want to let everyone know as, Read More Is It Illegal to Put Flyers in Mailboxes, Cars, and Doors?Continue. We were happy enough for them to do this and agreed verbally. Ct. App. As for painting the fence I cannot see a problem at all . If your neighbor is willing, ask them to sign an agreement that establishes new property lines. England: We have a boundary fence that is owned by our "neighbour" (the deeds say it is their responsibility). Line fences are fences that mark the boundary between properties and are often referred to as boundary or division fences. jobs, It has really helped clarify the situation. If neither neighbor put up the fence, then the ownership is shared. For example, most places say your structure cant exceed a certain height. My concern is regarding [select appropriate from below], - The tree is leaning to one side and appears likely to fall over, - The tree looks like it may be diseased/dead, - The tree has a large, broken branch which looks like it may fall onto my property, - The tree has overgrown and is now encroaching on my property. London Member since 20 Apr 2011 Maybe call the building department and ask them to look for a permit for a fence? Neighbour has removed my boundary fence - MyBuilder If the fence lies at least two feet inside their property line, the neighbor has the freedom to remove the fence. Neighbors can make the choice to put up a boundary fence if they both want to provide privacy to each other but there is no law that states you have to have a boundary fence. Whenever there is a fence that is in all respects such as a good husbandman ought to keep on the line of any land, and the person owning or holding a lease for one or more years of the land adjoining thereto makes or has an enclosure on the opposite side of such fence, so that such fence answers the purpose of enclosing the latters field, meadow, lot or other enclosure, the latter shall pay the owner of such fence already erected, one-half of the value of so much thereof as serves as a partition fence, such value to be determined by the parties. There are two main areas when it comes to boundary line disputes. This maydepend on the nature and the seriousnessof the situation and your current relationship with your neighbour. We've just had about 9k of . While it might annoy you to pay for something you consider is your neighbours responsibility, its best to be pragmatic in a situation like this. When it comes to laws on boundary fences, they vary from city to city and each state has different views on the laws. Registered in England No. Neighbor cannot replace a boundary line fence without your permission. While this may give you some satisfaction in the short term, its unlikely to give you much long-term comfort. I understand you wouldn't have done this on purpose, so I'm writing to you to see if we can clear this matter up. But what happens when fencing becomes the source of a dispute? Due to the added importance placed on these areas of real property, the legal aspects of fences in the state of Florida have taken on significant importance. ), with fence ideas that look great, too. Or see if your landlord can give you more information. you disabled cookies on this website - some functions will not operate as intended. A final option is to erect a new fence on your own land at your own expense, alongside your neighbour's old one. If you have questions about who owns the boundary fencing in your yard, you can also ask the neighbors. Your neighbor cant tamper with your boundary fence unless they have a legal right to do so. You will only earn a small fine and a bad neighbor reputation. Forcing a Neighbor to Remove an Ugly Fence . You can both try to be sensitive. 1956). Falling out with them is likely to prove even more stressful; pursuing legal channels is only really an option when your neighbours fence is causing a safety hazard. Is It Illegal to Walk Through a Gated Community? Your neighbour has 30 days to respond from the day they receive the Fencing Notice.