I sent the neighbors a demand letter as they would not answer the door to us for several months of trying (nearly a dozen times). Under BC law, either neighbour can apply to court for a resolution. To further answer your question as to what constitutes a valid reason to replace the fence in the first place, the fence must absolutely be beyond repair and failing. I disagree with you fully due to one small issue, what other way can you go about the situation should your fence need to be replaced immediately and your neighbor refuses to pay. Who Can Claim Property Based on Adverse Possession in Texas? Your neighbour's fence will undoubtedly fall into further disrepair but at least you won't have to look at it any more. Thank you, we try and post informative blog articles as much as we can but with the workload lately, sometimes it just isnt possible. We both want to replace it. This is so mainly because the law considers boundary fences to be joint property that is owned equally by adjoining neighbors. The neighbor also has a pool. I would send them a letter certified mail with return receipt requested (for proof should you need it down the road) to immediately stop[ all harassment against you, state that you will not be paying them a dime as you were not the homeowner at the time of replacement, and should they wish to take you to court, go ahead! You can state you will fight them in court. The sides of our yard are 6 white vinyl. In fact once you file the small claims suit and he is served most people will end up paying then because they dont want the hassle of going to court and they realize they will likely lose anyway. I have no contract with the men who put up my fence since there both Nccrc union works who pick this up as a side job. An individual is only allowed to trim a neighbor's tree up to the property line. The fence completes the enclosure of her property and I feel she has as much benefit of it as I do. This was attached to the existing sideyard fence that was part of the developments construction. If you live in Texas and a neighbor will not pay half of the fence consider the circumstances first. Everything you need to know about the California Good Neighbor Fence Law! Hes going forward with it and we will get the framed side. If you approach your neighbor with the idea to build a new fence that separates your respective properties, and your neighbor agrees that its a good idea and that hed like a new fence too, then common sense dictates that the cost should be split equally. You do not want to be caught by surprise. If your neighbor says no to your informal approach, the next step should be to get an estimate of the cost of the fence from a contractor. Still proceed to have the fence repaired and then take her to small claims? If your neighbor refuses to pay for his share then you could do any of the following: Put it in writing - send him a well written letter describing the issue. Neighbor Disputes: What to Do When Your Neighbor Invades - LegalZoom What options do I have? Can I build a fence on my side of the property line? ( I had 300 to 500 in mind) He mentioned that was very nice and most neighbors would not do this. In some jurisdictions, there are rules directly prohibiting the erection of fences that block light from getting into neighbors homes. Good luck with the whole situation and please come back and let us know how everything turned out once the ordeal is over! Do we owe anyliability and responsibility to the neighbors? No! Practical, easy-to-understand answers to questions about common legal issues. If you want to fence in your property, you can't require them to pay for half the fence. The rulings in these cases provide the basis for fence regulations in the state of Texas. While I understand the question is a general legal question and the contractor area of expertise does not matter, I would still feel more comfortable directing you to a knowledgeable attorney in your area! No he won't even listen to me. Fence companies usually install a foot inside the line, to be on the safe side. neighbors. The fence was not leaning and still standing up and was holding up to natural elements such as wind but the neighbor claimed he or his dog could break the planks. The neighbor got another quote for exactly the same price and I said, ok, we can use your guy. then more than likely a judge is going to side with you. According to the Texas Agricultural code, a neighbor can't remove your fence or a jointly owned fence without giving you a 6-month written notice first. But we do not like the look of vinyl fence. If this doesnt work, then you should report them to your local HomeOwners Association. I reported to my insurance and they paid for half the replacement cost. Otherwise if the fence was pre-existing on your side of the property line, you do not need their prior consent to do anything. in the yard, providing security & privacy, etc. This means that provided both neighbors are using the fence, then they have equal rights and obligations with respect to the fence. Texas has thousands of miles of fences; with the vast majority of them located along boundary lines and roadways, disputes do arise. Having said that if there are any specific questions or subject matter you would like to see some posts regarding, please let us know! Man shows bizarre solution as neighbor refusing to pay for new fence This is due to the fact that the fence is not connected to another fence in your neighbors yard, therefore enclosing it. again please do not pay him a dime. (Personally, I think we paid for the whole fence for him.) 6. If replacement is needed because of improperly planted bamboo and neglected maintenance of plants causing encroached on our property line and has warped and beoke pickets, posts and rails, is cost still split? I will now finish the fence, pay 100%, block his view of my yard, and recapture my privacy. This means he has direct line of sight into my entire front yard, and we can walk into each others side yards if feeling entitled. Since 1876, however, the Texas Legislature has allowed Texas counties to vote on whether to become"closed range". And if that doesnt work, they will then allocate two independent mediators to help you reach an agreement. The neighbor is bullying you in order to make money off you. Your right, the Good Neighbor Law does not cover upgrades or replacing a fence just because it looks bad, yet I will not go into detail regarding this as this information is all clearly stated in the article which you would have known had you fully read it! He came and did the job. In such cases, then the party whom the property deed has identified as being responsible for fence maintenance is the one who will be. The neighbors called and threatened to sue us. The fence is over 25 years old and the entire fence could stand to be replaced. A lot of people make the argument that since they dont care if their property has a fence or not, they arent benefiting from the fence. The other option is to get a man you know that is bigger and meaner than him, maybe a brother, friend, cousin, to go confront him and tell him he needs to leave you alone or they will be coming back to pay him another visit. It clashed with the style of our house. It wouldnt be fair for you to pay for the whole fence, and the law is clear that you dont have to. Waterproofing basement walls before finishing. We deal solely with fences and decks and not siding, etc. The quote he gave us is for a gate on his side as well, which I dont think we should be held responsible for. Include good color pictures. Still, we would have been happy to go 50/50 on a new fence but they did not inform us and did ask for us to help pay for a new fence. State of Texas | Statewide Search | Report Fraud in Texas | Texas Statutes, Site Map | Library Policies | Accessibility | Employment Opportunities, 205 West 14th Street, Austin, Texas 78701-1614. They would then have the law on their side and if they went through the proper steps outlined above, most likely would win a judgment against you. It just appeared one day. Cases of neighbors refusing to contribute in shouldering the cost of a fence in installation or maintenance are thus not shocking. However, he wants all the planks on his side while the 2x4s are in my side. They'll first have to consult with you to get your approval for the decision. Theres an old saying that good fences make good neighbors. What can we do? Request Repairs Notify your landlord by phone and in writing that the fence needs repaired as soon. , 14 S.W. They put up white posts and rails, tan slats. QUICK CONTACT. And after you are done, you can then proceed to mediation or to court in order to have your neighbor pay half of the cost of installing the fence. If the fence is a "division fence", and a property owner wants to request contribution from a neighbor for a portion of the fence cost, Kimball, Tirey & St. John LLP has a package of four letters to request contribution from the neighbor. Should My Neighbor Help Pay for My Fence? Any time children, especially my own, sat on the fence, the homeowner would yell get off my fence. Therefore the law states that this fence is not benefitting your neighbor. Call a minimum of 3 fencing companies, such as. It's pretty simple. However, they will need a permit in order to do so. The amount to pay is not a small amount and it can take a long time to collect. what about security/privacy?) Also a small child or animal could possibly get into his yard and get in his pool. First point I made was that dont want a wooden fence due to the upkeep of it. The neighbor wants me to replace the fence and pay for it 100%, saying this is not a boundary fence. What if my neighbor doesnt want a fence? There can only be shared responsibility if the fence was put up right on the property line. Additionally, Neighbor B is responsible for maintaining the fence (and yard that leads up to the fence) on his or her side. He has not responded to my texts since May as to when he will replace the fence. If so, is it exactly on the property line? Unfortunately there is a gap of 10 to 12 inches between the fences and all kinds of weeds, bushes and trees are growing inside. He has the responsibility to pay for half of a fence between yards. Theyre so close that the trunks of the trees have pushed against the lower fence rail and caused the fence to separate from one of the posts and lean into my yard. He agrees to go half on the material (over the phone) its done and now he not telling me when or how he can pay me. Do I have to pay for this to be fixed? neighbor won't pay for half of fence texas We had a fence completely enclosing our backyard, with the back fence wall bordering 3 townhouses yards. Also, I think you lucked out not having your neighbor or his family members build the fence themselves, they sound like a bunch of flakes. Griffin v. Sansom. If there was and the fence is being replaced you would ONLY HAVE TO PAY for the sections that run along your property line and absolutely nothing else. We never had any retaining concrete wall, just the fence besides our plant bed that separates the two properties. Generally, each neighbor is equally responsible for boundary line fences. This type of question has not been answered since the fence had NOT fallen over and was being maintained but was just not as pretty or strong as when new and so was replaced. Yes, you can pay your neighbor to pay half. However, fence etiquette does not require you to run your design plans by your neighbor. Or can I break down the fence that only covers his backyard ( since his property line goes passed mine in the back yard) because if Im not getting paid for that extra 18-15ft can I re use the wood for a gate on my property. The development has remained pretty much the same over the years, and only a handful of people chose to put up decorative front yard fences. Our backyard fence (100) is on or rear neighbors front yard side fence. One section however that was falling down was simply wooden boards. The neighbor is requesting I pay for all the materials which is half the estimate and she and her handyman friend will do the work. Certified letter of intent I have a neighbor that has built a short retaining wall on his side of the sharing fence line. Step 1: Talk face-to-face Step 2: Request a tree inspection Step 3: Write a letter Step 4: Take legal action Step 5: Document damage Step 1: Talk face-to-face If your neighbor's hazardous or dead tree is making you feel uneasy, the one thing you can't do is march next door and cut down the tree. If you don't have a plat, you may need to hire a land surveyor to conduct a new survey (this will cost about $500-$1,000). Now in your case it seems that although it was a custom built fence and not prefabricated panels, it was very poorly built and looks terrible? Fences & Boundaries - Neighbor Law - Guides at Texas State Law Library