Badly kept fence

[GroveLaneMan]

Anyone out there know where I stand legally as regards the fence in my garden ? As I understand it I maintain the fence on my left as I look down the garden . My neighbour on my right isn't maintaining his side . The panels are rotting and in some areas are now non existent. I have asked repeatedly now for near on 2 years but it's just getting beyond a joke . It may even be a health and safety issue as some of the panels are quite jagged . Anyone else had this problem ?

[womanofdulwich]

I think if the battens are struts your side it is your fence.

We had the same problem and ended up offering to pay half with the other side just to get it done. its not a cheap job.

[Townleygreen]

No there is no hard and fast rule about who owns a particular fence. Sometimes the deeds indicate this.

[oimissus]

look at your deeds. Our neighbour (via a surveyor friend of theirs) is insistent that the fence on my left is theirs (or their landlord's) but in fact our deeds state it is ours, and we replaced the fence a few years back and are going to replace it again soon as it's falling down.

If your neighbour won't maintain it and you think it's a risk, can you mend it yourself? Or maybe put up a bamboo screen on your side so at least it's safe?