NUISANCE NEIGHBOURS
My neighbour is entitled princess whose parents built orange fence on my boundary – I feel like I’m living in a Tango ad
Her neighbour's parents bought the house for their daughter
A DISGRUNTLED woman has taken to a Netmums forum to express her annoyance with her neighbour.
She said her neighbour, 22, moved in two years ago and replaced and painted their shared fence.
3
3
3
She said it left her feeling as though she was in a 'Tango ad."
The anonymous lady claims before her neighbour moved in, her mum and dad started renovating the house to get it ready for their "princess."
She penned on Mumsnet: "NDN [next-door neighbour] replaced the old dark brown fence with a bright orange one so our fences don’t match at all.
"They didn’t ask us before they did it. I don’t know who bought the original fence. Boundaries are shared responsibility and they’ve taken out the old fence and put the new one on the boundary.
READ MORE REAL LIFE STORIES
"Can we paint our side so the fences match?"
She added: "I don’t like it. It might not look as bad on their side because it’s not next to a dark brown one. Reminds me of Tango ads."
Someone suggested they put up another fence in front of the one her neighbour had put in and although she said she'd thought about it, to her it seemed 'unfair.'
"They’re entitled CFs [cheeky f******]," she ranted.
Most read in Fabulous
"When they were renovating they just did what they liked (like regularly coming into our garden from their back garden and the side of our house, leaving crap in our garden, mess from their side constantly blowing into our garden, etc), and told us all the work they were doing was better for us too."
She said she was told "she's our princess and she gets whatever she wants" and when she has tried to approach them about it previously they have told her it's better "for everyone."
She said they were not consulted about it beforehand and went away for a two-week holiday and came home to it halfway finished.
"They're proper cheeky," she said.
Summer neighbour hell
"They didn’t bother with a party wall agreement. We just came home one day from 2 week holiday and they were partway through the build. When we approached them her dad said he’s ’doing us a favour' by not building a full-width double-story extension because 'he could if he wanted to.’
"I don’t think he cares about the 45-degree rule. Her mum said their extension was good for us because it makes the houses look nicer so we should cut our trees down (at our expense of course) because it’s better for everyone too."
She added that when she asked them about the "party wall act' the dad responded they had 'permitted development' and so didn't have to tell the woman and her family.
According to Harding Chartered Surveyors, "Because the ownership of a party fence wall is shared, both owners have certain rights and responsibilities under the Act. As such, party fence walls are included in the Party Wall Act.
People were torn over the woman's predicament with some suggesting she go for legal advice, while others said she sounded "bitter."
"Paint it whatever colour you want. If they put it up without asking you they’ve got cheek saying you can’t paint it.
"Though I guess on the positive, they paid for it!" one user said.
Another asked: "Could you grow something like honeysuckle up the orange fence on your side to cover it up?"
"I would happily paint my side without any discussion under these circumstances," somebody else penned.
A fifth said: "Did they get planning permission for the extension? You would have been informed about the application if so.
Getting into a battle about fences is generally a pointless nightmare.
"I'd be inclined to get a bit of legal advice about your current situation, not to mention the permitted development, even though that's history.
"They'll continue to try and ride roughshod over you as some people are like that."
However, others weren't so willing to side with the woman.
One said: "If they have paid for it, it is theirs."
A second penned: "This is incorrect (as any two-second Google would tell you). You are not allowed to paint it or stain it. It's their property. They paid for it and they own it.
"If they removed a fence that you jointly owned with them then that is a separate issue. If they put up a fence on your land then that is also a separate issue."
The Top Five Reasons Neighbours Squabble
One study by Compare the Market revealed the top reason British neighbour's argue
- Broken fences - top of the board was broken fences and whose responsibility it was to fix it
- Parking: one of the leading drivers of neighbour disputes, with 54.1 per cent of people having issues with people parking in front of their house, parking bay or driveway
- Trees - complaints about a neighbour's tree cracking your garden path was also common with nearly half of participants finding it frustrating
- Bin wars - outdoor bin etiquette continues to ignite the most furious debates between neighbours
- Nosy Neighbours - some people have their eyes and ears at the ready to have a peek causing problems for others
They continued: "The best way to deal with this is to speak to your neighbours and keep things friendly. Getting into a battle about fences is generally a pointless nightmare.
"The orange-ness of the fence will fade extremely quickly. The easiest solution would be to say thank you to your neighbours and put up with the fence until next spring by which time it will have mellowed considerably."
"Of course, you can't paint something you don't own.
"By the way, I'm not sure I have ever seen a garden with matching fences/boundary treatment.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"Usually, because all boundaries are the responsibility of different people - why would they match? Grow some shrubs!" a third said.
Someone else wrote: "Honestly you’re starting to come across as envious and bitter. So what if her parents bought her house? Back off."