Whether fence panels have fallen over and broken during our windy winter or old age has taken over, it is always a questionable situation as to who has to replace Garden fences.
Communicating with your neighbor who shares the fence line is the best thing you can do, try to work out who owns the fence and thus in charge of replacing the panels. We understand that this is not always as easy as it sounds as sour relationships do occur between neighbors, this is where it becomes a little more tricky.
If you are unsure on who owns the fence line, the first thing you should do is locate the title deeds for your property. For newer built houses, there will be a set structure on who owns which side of the fence line and who should replace broken Garden fences. You are also able to purchase copies of other properties deeds and is private meaning no one will know if you have purchased a copy for their property.
Once your deeds arrive they should indicate who owns what. IF YOU SEE "T MARKS" ON THE PLAN,then these point in the direction of the owner who has to maintain the wall, fence or hedge. (See the diagram below.)
If a T is shown then it is as simple as that, whichever way the T faces is who owns the fence line. In the first diagram you can see that No.5 Wildacre Rd owns that fence shown, which would mean that No.4 Wildacre Rd will own the fence to the right. The second diagram shows a much more complicated situation, a party wall meaning it is shared and between you and your neighbour you will have to reach an outcome (50/50).
If title deeds do not give indication which often they do not, things can get tricky. Some houses that are may be on the end of a block may have both fences to deal with. Over years, some owners may take it upon themselves to replace Garden fences on there own accord to stop any complications with neighbours which may mess up the general pattern of who owns which fence on a block of houses. We at BuyFencingDirect advise that you try your hardest to come to a solution with your neighbours even if this is hard and yes it can be tricky, replacing a Garden fence can be much easier than causing trouble and create bad relationships with neighbours.
Prevention is always much easier than curing, If you do plan to erect a new fence make sure your neighbour is aware.
If you are looking to replace broken or old Garden fences, head on over to our Garden Fencing page
where we have panels in all sizes which are long lasting, superior quality and amazing value.
*Photo and more information source: http://www.gardenlaw.co.uk/boundaries.html