We get lots of disputes about fencing due to the shared cost. It's not a council issue but a legal one. We have a specific form to complete, called a notice to fence, that neighbours have 30 days to respond to before we can just go ahead and replace the fence and issue them with their share of the invoice.
Yes we had to pay out last year to get one of her massive conifer trees cut on our side. It was worse for the neighbours adjacent who suffered really badly from the same tree blocking out all their sunlight. They had suffered for years from her being difficult and were totally intimidated by her. They were thrilled when we supported them and shared the cost getting the work done.
I suspect she wouldn’t pay her share if we had a similar arrangement here. I also suspect there is no money (although she drives a smart newish Volvo) as the house looks very neglected. The houses here are lovely and everyone really makes an effort except her
We won‘t now unless the whole fence falls down which it well might in these strong winds. F boarded up the gap where they came through to stop it happening again. I really don’t want them in my garden. I hate saying this as it’s not their fault but they are not nice dogs. She has been reported many times by others letting her dogs loose and running amok on the green area around the corner. They snarl and are aggressive
Conifers are a real pain! Fortunately I have good neighbours. The neighbour to the left used to live next-door-but-one before moving to the house next door about three years after we moved in (a long time ago!). The garden was hedged all round and there was a privet hedge between our two gardens but part of it died, so the original neighbours planted about three conifers - even though it was our fence. We had put chicken wire all round the garden inside the hedges to keep the dogs in. We didn’t realise then how large those conifers would grow and over the years they have grown to such a height that they were keeping the sun off much of the garden by late afternoon. Eventually last year I asked my neighbour if she would mind me having the tops cut off, as although I’d had the branches cut back on my side it hadn’t solved the problem (or killed the trees!). Fortunately she agreed and it‘s my fence so I didn’t expect a contribution, but I was a bit peeved that we hadn’t even planted them! She has another conifer that’s not on the fence line, probably planted by the same original neighbours, but there’s nothing I can do about that.
F and I have talked about that today and not ruled it out. Nothing has happened today and fortunately the mega high winds haven‘t finished the fence off. Also the boards F put up over the gaps have stayed firm. Tomorrow he will try again to talk to her but I’m not optimistic. The fence looks really unsightly (it’s 6 foot high panels so will be difficult to disguise) which makes me sad as I love my house and garden. She will have to replace it, it’s not repairable and it’s a big length. If she was a reasonable neighbour she’d have been round here yesterday apologising and telling us she would get it sorted like we and everyone else would but she has mental health issues and has caused difficulties for the neighbours in her road that have involved the police. Sadly those people if they wanted to sell their homes would have to declare that they had been in dispute with a neighbour - we want to avoid that at all costs. Last year I had to endure her swearing when her dogs snarled and made Red react by barking. I kept very quiet and we kept up the training of Red not to react. We also never let Red in the garden unless one of us is with her. I’m tired of her now after 14 years of her anti social behaviour. Why is it that one person can spoil things for others?
You can report her to the council for this
Wow! Will it maintain?17C and sunny this afternoon! Snow is disappearing fast!
No, we’re not quite done with cold yet. Probably another month of up and down. But the ups are higher and the lows not as low. Temps will be on average above zero but around 10? Next Sunday snow is predicted again. We can get some vicious spring storms with wet, heavy snow.
It's just after 5.00am and I'm cold!In my experience, Australian cold is not rest of the world cold. If it's less than 20 degrees I'll eat my metaphorical hat
