Another fence problem

[shanetome]

I recently moved into a council house where the previous owner died, he was the father of the next door neighbour. When his father died, he built a fence between the two properties, and painted the fence. Now he tells me that I cannot put anything up against the fence, and I cannot even put any nails or screws into the said fence. Can this be right. The person next door has bought his house from the council a number of years ago. The neighbour by the way in a perpetual moaner. Seems to me he thinks we have trespassed on what for many years was his domain.

[cassa333]

So the next door neighbour moaning is owner of his council house?

Anyway if the fence is on his property then he is right you cannot fix anything to it, grow anything along it paint it or treat it in any way. It is his property. It would be criminal damage otherwise.

I would check with the council where the boundry is and who they say has the maintenance responcibility of the fence.

You can also download his deeds from the land registry for about a fiver to see what it says about fence ownership.

If it turns out that he has mistakenly put a fence up on your land/propery then it becomes the property of the landowner that it sits on.

Be aware though that exact dimentions for boundries are very difficult to know or enforce.

[Kristal]

The general rule is that, viewed with your back to your (and his) proprties, the left hand fence belongs to your property and is maintainable by you. If therefore it is on the left, you are at liberty to treat it as you wish. Best thing is to invite him for a cup of tea and explain what you want to do, ie put up a clematis or whatever, which will enhance both gardens.