Garden Fences

[bluebird34]

I own the fence between my neighbour's house and mine. He has suggested that it needs painting and i am aware that it does, but am i responsible for painting his side, because the way he said it I think he assumes I am, and if that is the case fine, but my neighbour the other side has never painted my side of his fence so I am not sure. Thanks in anticipation, Janet

[Old_Geezer]

I would have thought that the owner of the fence had the incentive to ensure it was done. I don't think you have to paint it at all if you don't want to, but is that in your interest ? Take it down if you wish. Or paint it, as you see fit.

[The Builder]

As far as I know Janet, if it's your fence, you decide whether or not to paint it. In your position, I would paint both sides as a courtesy, even though your neighbour is really just being tight-fisted.
Your other neighbour probably has the more pragmatic approach .......... let everyone just paint the side they can see, as they please. I should imagine your only legal responsibility is to keep the fence from falling over and causing damage.

[cassa333]

If it is your fence then it is up to you what you do with it.

As already said as a curtesy you may feel you should paint/stain it but unless otherwise stated in your deeds you don't have to.

In fact unless you own pets that need to be kept in you don't have to fence at all.

Unless you give permission your neighbour cannot paint or stain your fence, they cannot attach anything to it including climbing plants etc. Unless the boundry is a retaining wall they cannot pile things against it. In fact if it is yours they cannot do anything with it except look at it.

[bluebird34]

Thank you all for taking the time to answer. You have helped me to see it is in my best interests to paint both sides and anyway, these days good neighbours are hard to find so the last thing I want to do is to upset him. Thanks again, Janet

[alavahalf]

Sounds as though he's a good neighbour as long as you do as your told.
Think I would go round to his side, with my pot of pink paint .. and tell him you have come to paint the fence.

Tell him it's going to be pink as it's your fence .... If he want's it any other colour, then he had better get on with it ..!

[SlackAlice]

checkerboard pink and black would look nice :)

[paddywak]

my boundry is made up of slotted concrete posts with wooden panels I find it's easy and cheaper to lift the panels out every couple of years and do both sides, then have them rot. Our old neighbour was quite up set when I did this as he did not like the Red Cedar colour I used or the fact that I removed all the bits and pieces he'd hung on it, but as I told him if he was prepared to pay for new panels I was happy to let him paint it the colour he wanted till then he got what I wanted. Needless to say he didn't take me up on my offer

[Twenty20]

Well, it's your fence so it's up to you whether you paint it or not, and it's completely up to you whether you paint both sides or not.

Personally, I probably wouldn't take it too well if a neighbour suggested I might like to paint my fence. Depends on how it was said I suppose.