Is this fence ours? If so how can we claim it?

[UberTiger]

Rest assured, you move the fence back 2 foot and she'll suddenly take her fence down and claim the extra 2 foot of garden!

Exactly! Yeah, right.

Despite the constant bad press the council are given, they're actually surprisingly helpful around my way. It could be worth just asking them what they would suggest about the potential boundary issue (I haven't seen the photos but attaching a fence to your property doesn't sound right). If they say something in your favour, you could get them to write it down and wave it at her, not necessarily because you're then going to try and enforce anything but as a way to get her to back down a bit. You know, be polite but also make her know that there are certain things you want in terms of privacy etc and that she can't have everything her way.

I agree, they've been really nice and very helpful when speaking to them thus far. I feel like I'm pestering them now though, over what's probably a very low priority trivial issue for them. I think you have to pay to get written responses from them, hence just talking on the phone for now. But if I have to get an email or letter from them I think I might have to. I'm sure she's reported me to planning enforcement, so maybe they'll come out and have a look. Again it feels like a waste of their time though, I'm sure there's much more important planning issues than this, but we need closure so she stops bothering us.

 

[vanpeebles]

That is what councils are there for, get them working.

 

[Usher]

In a nutshell, a fence or wall does not actually go on a boundary, it goes up against it, whoever pays for the fence is the actual owner of the fence regardless of who's boundary is shown on deeds.
The boundary is an invisible line or on some old properties marked with a wire fence. Putting another fence tight up against another fence is perfectly acceptable because it would not be on the boundary but against it and therefore still on your own land

 

[alexakasloth]

She comes around waving a google search results print out with something about the fences needing to be 1-2 feet apart.
FML, she just doesn’t give up.
Guess I’ll have to talk to the council again and ask for written confirmation that it’s permissible?

A bit of paper seems like nothing, where was the information from? Was it from the local authoritiy? Government guidance? Or just an independent company who may have their facts incorrect or outdated.

This seems like the later.

As said, speak to the council as they will know.

 

[~Divine~Wind~]

I hope the fence is the full 6ft mate, sounds like shed be peeking over the fence trying to cause bother to me

 

[darael]

I agree, they've been really nice and very helpful when speaking to them thus far. I feel like I'm pestering them now though, over what's probably a very low priority trivial issue for them. I think you have to pay to get written responses from them, hence just talking on the phone for now. But if I have to get an email or letter from them I think I might have to. I'm sure she's reported me to planning enforcement, so maybe they'll come out and have a look. Again it feels like a waste of their time though, I'm sure there's much more important planning issues than this, but we need closure so she stops bothering us.

Keep a diary of names, dates and times of who you spoke with and what they've said. This way if planning do come round, you can tell you them you spoke with John Smith on Friday 13th of March 2020 at 10am and he told you such-and-such.

 

[UberTiger]

Thanks for your input and advice everyone, it's all been helpful. Just got written confirmation back from the council that there's no distance limit! And it's all within regulation in accordance with height, so she's got nothing to come back to us with.

Hopefully we can now enjoy our new fence and privacy again, and hopefully enjoy all the work we've put into the rest of the garden and new patio recently!

 

[UberTiger]

A bit of paper seems like nothing, where was the information from? Was it from the local authoritiy? Government guidance? Or just an independent company who may have their facts incorrect or outdated.

It was literally a print out of the google search results page with the rich snippet text at the top, lol

 

[SeatIbiza]

It was literally a print out of the google search results page with the rich snippet text at the top, lol

Don't underestimate the stupidity of people and their misinterpretation of google/life in general. I'm literally sat here at work reading through a pre-action injunction statement that has been put together by a litigant in person with clearly no legal input, but a hell of a lot of googling. Even to the point where they're trying to say that we've done something wrong because of Act X and the following sentence states how they want to stop us doing something by breaching Act X themselves. Beggars belief, but keeps me in a job!

 

[Puzzled]

Thanks for your input and advice everyone, it's all been helpful. Just got written confirmation back from the council that there's no distance limit! And it's all within regulation in accordance with height, so she's got nothing to come back to us with.

Hopefully we can now enjoy our new fence and privacy again, and hopefully enjoy all the work we've put into the rest of the garden and new patio recently!

Good good, hopefully she'll stop nagging you.

Any idea why she wants to keep the open top fence so much, is it for light or just her being nosy? Personally I couldn't relax in a garden with those half fences / open top fences, like my privacy.

 

[alexakasloth]

Some people like trellis top fences as they are supposed to be harder to climb over (more so when thorny plants grow and climb up them) so act as a means of security.

 

[UberTiger]

Good good, hopefully she'll stop nagging you.

Any idea why she wants to keep the open top fence so much, is it for light or just her being nosy? Personally I couldn't relax in a garden with those half fences / open top fences, like my privacy.

Incredibly nosy.

We've seen her from the upstairs window literally with her ear against the fence trying to listen in on conversations.

I also have video of her on our Nest camera from when she came around once to return a parcel that had been delivered to her when we were out. She came up to our front door and tried the handle before even ringing the doorbell. Who does that?!

 

[alexakasloth]

She came up to our front door and tried the handle before even ringing the doorbell. Who does that?!

Nutters, nutters do that. Speak to her and let her know you are not happy with it. Communication as a warning is key.

 

[UberTiger]

It's come up. We've had the police involved. She plays stupid.

Sadly there's no law in England regarding residential security cameras (or apparently attempting unauthorised access to your house by trying the handle). What with the explosion of nest and ring it's be coming a real issue considering they're all rigged with mics now.

I'm all for home security and do enjoy the benefit of having tools such as video doorbells and affordable and accessible home cctv monitoring, but JFC is it a tough issue when it comes to external cameras at the rear of properties at places such as patios where people are supposed to be able to sit and relax, eat, chat and shoot the breeze without fear of being monitored and recorded.

It's getting totally out of hand now that you can get decent cameras for very little money, and if you're aware of the cameras nearby on a neighbours property it definitely affects the way you act and how much you feel you can relax in your own home. It's so ******.