Boundary Fence Law

[neilre]

Hi all,

Our privately owned end terraced house (Ex-council) shares a path at the front with our adjoining neighbour who is still council. The frontage of our property is block paved up to the shared pathway for off road parking. We currently have no front boundary fencing, its kind of open plan. We would like to install a fence between ourselves and our neighbour, to prevent all their many visitors from cutting across our driveway with cycles and scooters etc and generally using our property as their own playground, whilst leaving a trail of coke tins and bottles!

Ideally we would like to put the fence down the centre line of the path as this looks to be the boundary on our title deeds. Obviously we dont want to do this if it isn't the case. If we put the fence on our side of the so-called shared path, then that will leave around 10% of our front porch (Including window and outside light on the wrong side of the fence! This wouldn't be an issue if we had good neighbours (Wouldn't need the fence anyway) but as we have neighbours from hell a fence is definately needed, maybe even an electric one ;-)

We're a bit concerened that in this case our neighbours will claim the shared path as their own and be akward when we need to carry our repairs to our porch, clean the window or change the light bulb.

Any idea how the laws stands on this? Could we buy the strip of land from the council and have the path moved slighty?

Thanks

[Old_Jim]

If the path is shared, you each have a right of access over the other one's half of it. Putting a fence down the middle of the path would block this right of access. You might get away with it with private neighbours, but the Council are likely to send workmen round to take it away - then send you the bill.