Yes, I know that that phrase gets quoted all the time with the wrong interpretation (hint: Frost didn’t think fences actually increased neighborliness). But it’s a great quote.
Okay: the fence between my neighbor and me is leaning over. Way over. Into our driveway. As in, I can’t park next to it, because if I do then I can’t get out of the car. It clearly needs to be fixed, and it isn’t a particularly easy job: this is a big assed fence, with heavy planks of wood.
Anybody know what the rules are in regard to paying for the repair of said fence? Do my neighbor and I split it evenly? Am I supposed to pay, since I’m the one being inconvenienced? Or, since rules may differ from town to town, who do I go to talk to? City Hall?
Man, this “being a grownup” stuff stinks. All the stuff you’re just supposed to know…
It depends on whose fence it is. If it’s yours (i.e., it sits entirely on your side of the property line), you should probably pay the whole bill. If it’s your neighbor’s, the neighborly thing to do would be to offer to split the cost. If he refuses to have it fixed, you’d be within your rights to tear it down as it is obviously leaning over onto your property.
I would suggest that you check the Los Gatos web site re rules and later talk to the neighbors about the work. You might want to even get an estimate before you talk to them.
If the fence sits on the property line, which most fences do, then it’s a party fence and the upkeep is suppose to be split 50/50 between the two of you. Some states have rules about partitioning what ‘half’ each owner is responsible for, but in California I believe you just split any costs equally.
maybe you should repair it yourself. all you need is something to tamp with (a piece of pipe,shovel handle. the you go to each post pick up on it push it as far as you can towards the neighbors and tamp behind it then move to the next and so on till you get to the end then work your way back down getting it as close to plumb as possible.ask your neighbor for help.
elmer
proffesional fence installer
Elmer: there is no way I could repair this fence by myself: the planks are wide and fairly thick. And there are no posts as such: just a line of planks down the length of my property. The joins must be on my neighbor’s side. Also, I know zip, nada, nix about carpentry.
The storms damaged the fence between me and two neighbors. One has agreed to split the cost of their half, 50/50. The other has wants to know what I’m going to do about MY fence. He said the estimate I got from one contractor was too high. He wants no part of it. I’ve gotten estimates from 2 others and they are roughly the same. I await an estimate from #3. The non-splitting neighbor had attached cedar boards on his side of the redwood fence. I think that added to the weight and caused the majority of the damage to be on his part of the fence.
How do I get him to help pay for his half?
The way to take care of the non-sharing neighbor is to tear the fence completely down. When he gets sick of it, he’ll replace it. You can at that time decline to share the cost.
How this was explained to me was the pretty side is the owner side, the wood side is the non-owner side.