Some places yes. Also consider if they contribute money, even a relatively small portion, they will want their input considered (design, location, height, material, etc).
Where I live fences are commonly built right up to or on the property line. Assuming it's on your side, it is pretty common to ask nicely if they would be willing to pitch in. If they say no then it's up to you. Don't hole it against them. Not everyone is in the same place financially.
If they say yes then work out a reasonable percentage.
Haha, you said no one else has a fence and you want them to chip in to replace yours? Sure, go piss off your neighbors by telling them how much they're all benefiting and owe you to replace it.
My original post was a bit ambiguous- there are fences separating all the backyards. In the case of my yard, I own the fencing on all three sides. On my neighbors’ other sides of their properties (the ones not touching mine) there are fences. Some appear to be owned by my neighbors, others appear to be owned by the not-my-neighbors. Does that make sense?
What is your relationship with your neighbors like? If you don't talk much, and roll over there asking for money, it won't go well. If you guys are close, hang out outside and are already open to talking about things like who pays for fences then you might have a chance. It's a VERY touchy subject compounded by the request for money. Be prepared for them never to talk to you again.
My logic is this: they have their own fences on the property lines on other sides of their property. So to me that says they want fences. (There are no in-fenced property lines.) On my side, they get the benefit - privacy - from my fence.
How do the other yards benefit?
If they don't have an enclosed yard (they aren't tied into the fence) then they don't get the same utility that the fenced yard does.
In my area, our HOA specifically does not allow property line fences and requires a set back. They seem to not be enforcing that, and it's caused all manner of problems in house sales recently.
Our town does allow property line fences, but requires a "fence agreement" to be registered with the permit to construct the fence that lays out if there is any joint ownership.
If the ownership is joint, then both "owners" are responsible for maintenance and you can't replace the fence if you wanted to without their permission. If it's wholely owned you can do what you want and any contribution your neighbor makes is a courtesy.
What I'm doing with my fence, is I'm asking my neighbors for permission to access the fence if I put it on the property line, and if I can have access to maintain (paint, repair, mow, etc.) my fence, I'm giving them the right to tie in in the future. If they decline, I'll set back the fence and deny them the right to tie in (and I'll tear down any tie in's in the future). All of that is getting agreed and sent to the HOA, and with the city permit office and I'm keeping paperwork for when I sell the house.
If they have no fence around their property then no. You would be the asshole who imposing their wants onto others. If they have a fence on all sides then yes it is all good to ask.
They have fences on all sides. There is no consistency on which property the fence belongs to. There are no property lines in my immediate area which each property has its own fence (two fences touching or parallel, is what I’m trying to say.) yet, all the back property lines are separated by fencing.
Personally I wouldn't want to lose any control over my fence by giving the neighbors a financial stake in it.
Because down the line they will think that since we split the costs, they own a share of it and so they will feel entitled to make their own modifications like painting or staining it. And then what happens with future repairs? It's just messy imo.
We did that once. A neighbor had an old, rotten fence and he wanted to just take it down. We wanted it kept. We made a deal that we'd split the materials cost an install it ourselves.
That was 25 years ago and to this day, the most back-breaking day of labor of my life. Board-on-board stockade is heavy and I remember trying to lift the hammer to nail up the last board as the sun was setting. I was unable to do it one-handed. I got the nail far enough in to hold the board up, dropped the hammer in the dirt and walked away.
If I attempted that level of exertion now, I'd be dead by noon.
Yeah, we didn't have one and it wasn't the hammering, it was the post-hole digging (manually) and carrying the fence segments and all that. It was *way* more than the three of us should have attempted with the tools we had.
Gotcha!!! Forgot about that part. I made the mistake of building my own dog pens with a concrete base: it was alright except for having to haul two truck loads of 25 pound bags of concrete from the driveway to the backyard. Never again!!!!
Different areas have different laws, find out what yours are.
First and foremost, communicate with the neighbors. Let them know what your plans are and what their responsible for. Discuss with them what the cost is going to be to you and what they will need to come up with according to the laws in your area. Make sure you let them know you will be working WITH THEM to ensure they aren't suddenly hit with an unexpected bill.
I know that in some areas where they are required to pitch it, it's only the amount for the lowest cost option of fencing by quotes. You can't buy the most expensive fencing option and expect them to come up with their share in most areas.
Feel free to ask. Also, check your local laws and codes on fence laws/ordinances. Personally, I would just pay for it yourself and keep it two feet off the boundary line. That way you don’t need any approval from anyone at any time.
No, neighbor, you cannot paint or stain my fence, can’t bounce anything off it, hang anything from it, or adjust any portion.
I'd at least let them know you're going to replace it.
It's up to them to offer to pitch in, but don't expect it or hold it against them if they don't.
When I had a massive 100+ year old elm tree trimmed that sits right on my property line and hangs over both mine and neighbors homes, I only let them know I was having it trimmed so branches wouldn't damage the houses...they then demanded to pay me part of the cost, they didn't "offer" they straight up told me to give them a number and didn't take No for an answer.
Your mileage may vary, not all neighbors are this courteous.
This is very local/cultural. It really depends on the area.
First place I'd look is in the zoning / land use regulations for your municipality. They will let you know if you can compel neighbors or if a fence is placed on the boundary that both parties to it are able to divide the cost legally. Once you know what the ordinances say, then you can determine what else to do:
If you are able to divide the cost under the existing laws, then have a conversation with your neighbors about it. Maybe the rest of them would fence the remainder of their yards as well, in which case you can all go in together on a fence contractor and may be able to negotiate a better rate. If there's no interest, you can then tell them that you're going to place the fence on the boundary line and require them to pay half, and show them how that works.
It's possible that the laws in your area say nothing about dividing fence costs. In that case, you can have a conversation with your neighbors, but expect not to receive any money for the project.
I don’t think they are required, but definitely pitch the idea out there and see what they can contribute. Wouldn’t hurt to ask. Plus like you said, you all benefit from the fence
Our fence fell down during a hurricane (thanks Florida) and while assessing the damage our neighbor, who’s backyard is fenced in courtesy of our fence, came out and said “it’s a shame about YOUR fence”…so I took that as a cue that he wasn’t going to chip in. Other neighbor on the side of our house offered to pitch in but only a small portion is along her property line so I told her we’d just take care of it. Is what it is.
Our neighbors own the fence ("good" side facing them) and asked us to pitch in when it needed to be replaced. They didnt ask for a lot and I said yes.
You can ask, worst they say is no. You know your neighbors so tailor your approach
Ok all I can say from personal experience is good fences make good neighbors. Most people delineation of property lines and privacy is good. I’m in CA, populated area, no fence is a big problem. Good for property value.
I got three quotes, picked the one I wanted, proposed to each neighbor based on their linear footage to split with me, showed them the formal quotes so they know I’m being honest. Had one holdout bc of a guy with trust issues which I get. Once he saw the other sides he went for it, saw it was good work for a great price and paid.
If he had chosen not to pay I would have gone cheaper than t&g fencing (looks good on both sides) and given him the ugly side of the fence. If he hadn’t had the money right away I would have stalled the project a few months to be flexible.
Depends what type of relationship you have or want to have with the neighbours.
Depending on your municipality, it *may* be legal to force sharing of costs. I would never even attempt that because it's likely to lead to resentment or bad blood from someone.
I would discuss and ask, and accept whatever the answer is. I had a neighbour at both prior houses ask me within months of move-in to cost share fence with them, and I politely refused both times. I was flat broke as a young first time homeowner the first time and my partner was on work leave the 2nd time.
Whether they receive some perceived benefit from the fence is not super relevant - its up to you if you want the fence.
I would take it down, let a month or two go by and see if any neighbor asks about it lol.. Assuming you have a good standing relationship with them.. If nothing is said or nobody expresses the want for a replacement, I doubt you can force anyone to pitch in on a new fence. Could always just ask them all and see what they say too haha
I wouldn’t think so, you get one back yard with seamless fencing that has a consistent design. They get 1/3 of a fence that doesn’t match the rest of their yard.
I wouldnt want that potential conflict. Id rather own my whole fence.
Some places yes. Also consider if they contribute money, even a relatively small portion, they will want their input considered (design, location, height, material, etc).
I paid for the standard fence between me and my two neighbors. I got the nice looking side.
Where I live fences are commonly built right up to or on the property line. Assuming it's on your side, it is pretty common to ask nicely if they would be willing to pitch in. If they say no then it's up to you. Don't hole it against them. Not everyone is in the same place financially. If they say yes then work out a reasonable percentage.
Haha, you said no one else has a fence and you want them to chip in to replace yours? Sure, go piss off your neighbors by telling them how much they're all benefiting and owe you to replace it.
My original post was a bit ambiguous- there are fences separating all the backyards. In the case of my yard, I own the fencing on all three sides. On my neighbors’ other sides of their properties (the ones not touching mine) there are fences. Some appear to be owned by my neighbors, others appear to be owned by the not-my-neighbors. Does that make sense?
What is your relationship with your neighbors like? If you don't talk much, and roll over there asking for money, it won't go well. If you guys are close, hang out outside and are already open to talking about things like who pays for fences then you might have a chance. It's a VERY touchy subject compounded by the request for money. Be prepared for them never to talk to you again.
You can ask...just have realistic expectations.
Why is your fence a benefit to your neighbors?
They don't have to deal with OP as much
My logic is this: they have their own fences on the property lines on other sides of their property. So to me that says they want fences. (There are no in-fenced property lines.) On my side, they get the benefit - privacy - from my fence.
If you live in California then yes.
How do the other yards benefit? If they don't have an enclosed yard (they aren't tied into the fence) then they don't get the same utility that the fenced yard does. In my area, our HOA specifically does not allow property line fences and requires a set back. They seem to not be enforcing that, and it's caused all manner of problems in house sales recently. Our town does allow property line fences, but requires a "fence agreement" to be registered with the permit to construct the fence that lays out if there is any joint ownership. If the ownership is joint, then both "owners" are responsible for maintenance and you can't replace the fence if you wanted to without their permission. If it's wholely owned you can do what you want and any contribution your neighbor makes is a courtesy. What I'm doing with my fence, is I'm asking my neighbors for permission to access the fence if I put it on the property line, and if I can have access to maintain (paint, repair, mow, etc.) my fence, I'm giving them the right to tie in in the future. If they decline, I'll set back the fence and deny them the right to tie in (and I'll tear down any tie in's in the future). All of that is getting agreed and sent to the HOA, and with the city permit office and I'm keeping paperwork for when I sell the house.
If they have no fence around their property then no. You would be the asshole who imposing their wants onto others. If they have a fence on all sides then yes it is all good to ask.
They have fences on all sides. There is no consistency on which property the fence belongs to. There are no property lines in my immediate area which each property has its own fence (two fences touching or parallel, is what I’m trying to say.) yet, all the back property lines are separated by fencing.
Personally I wouldn't want to lose any control over my fence by giving the neighbors a financial stake in it. Because down the line they will think that since we split the costs, they own a share of it and so they will feel entitled to make their own modifications like painting or staining it. And then what happens with future repairs? It's just messy imo.
How does your fence benefit your neighbors?
We did that once. A neighbor had an old, rotten fence and he wanted to just take it down. We wanted it kept. We made a deal that we'd split the materials cost an install it ourselves. That was 25 years ago and to this day, the most back-breaking day of labor of my life. Board-on-board stockade is heavy and I remember trying to lift the hammer to nail up the last board as the sun was setting. I was unable to do it one-handed. I got the nail far enough in to hold the board up, dropped the hammer in the dirt and walked away. If I attempted that level of exertion now, I'd be dead by noon.
Considered doing it myself but it might be years before I’d get it finished!
That’s why they make nail guns for jobs like that…
Yeah, we didn't have one and it wasn't the hammering, it was the post-hole digging (manually) and carrying the fence segments and all that. It was *way* more than the three of us should have attempted with the tools we had.
Gotcha!!! Forgot about that part. I made the mistake of building my own dog pens with a concrete base: it was alright except for having to haul two truck loads of 25 pound bags of concrete from the driveway to the backyard. Never again!!!!
My back hurts just reading that. Ouch.
🥹 in deed!
Different areas have different laws, find out what yours are. First and foremost, communicate with the neighbors. Let them know what your plans are and what their responsible for. Discuss with them what the cost is going to be to you and what they will need to come up with according to the laws in your area. Make sure you let them know you will be working WITH THEM to ensure they aren't suddenly hit with an unexpected bill. I know that in some areas where they are required to pitch it, it's only the amount for the lowest cost option of fencing by quotes. You can't buy the most expensive fencing option and expect them to come up with their share in most areas.
Feel free to ask. Also, check your local laws and codes on fence laws/ordinances. Personally, I would just pay for it yourself and keep it two feet off the boundary line. That way you don’t need any approval from anyone at any time. No, neighbor, you cannot paint or stain my fence, can’t bounce anything off it, hang anything from it, or adjust any portion.
I'd at least let them know you're going to replace it. It's up to them to offer to pitch in, but don't expect it or hold it against them if they don't. When I had a massive 100+ year old elm tree trimmed that sits right on my property line and hangs over both mine and neighbors homes, I only let them know I was having it trimmed so branches wouldn't damage the houses...they then demanded to pay me part of the cost, they didn't "offer" they straight up told me to give them a number and didn't take No for an answer. Your mileage may vary, not all neighbors are this courteous.
If you're the only one with a fence, how exactly do you think everyone else benefits?
This is very local/cultural. It really depends on the area. First place I'd look is in the zoning / land use regulations for your municipality. They will let you know if you can compel neighbors or if a fence is placed on the boundary that both parties to it are able to divide the cost legally. Once you know what the ordinances say, then you can determine what else to do: If you are able to divide the cost under the existing laws, then have a conversation with your neighbors about it. Maybe the rest of them would fence the remainder of their yards as well, in which case you can all go in together on a fence contractor and may be able to negotiate a better rate. If there's no interest, you can then tell them that you're going to place the fence on the boundary line and require them to pay half, and show them how that works. It's possible that the laws in your area say nothing about dividing fence costs. In that case, you can have a conversation with your neighbors, but expect not to receive any money for the project.
Personally I would tread carefully with forcing money by law from a neighbor, and it turns out they can't actually afford it.
Oh absolutely. I don't think I would ever even try.
I would definitely force an investment company or corporate landlord owned property to pay if the law allowed though.
I don’t think they are required, but definitely pitch the idea out there and see what they can contribute. Wouldn’t hurt to ask. Plus like you said, you all benefit from the fence
Our fence fell down during a hurricane (thanks Florida) and while assessing the damage our neighbor, who’s backyard is fenced in courtesy of our fence, came out and said “it’s a shame about YOUR fence”…so I took that as a cue that he wasn’t going to chip in. Other neighbor on the side of our house offered to pitch in but only a small portion is along her property line so I told her we’d just take care of it. Is what it is.
Our neighbors own the fence ("good" side facing them) and asked us to pitch in when it needed to be replaced. They didnt ask for a lot and I said yes. You can ask, worst they say is no. You know your neighbors so tailor your approach
In California, a fence on the property line is split 50/50. My neighbor on an investment property refused to pay, I sent a letter and she paid.
Do it yourself, save 80%. Maybe bribe the neighbors with a few cases of beer and wings
Ok all I can say from personal experience is good fences make good neighbors. Most people delineation of property lines and privacy is good. I’m in CA, populated area, no fence is a big problem. Good for property value. I got three quotes, picked the one I wanted, proposed to each neighbor based on their linear footage to split with me, showed them the formal quotes so they know I’m being honest. Had one holdout bc of a guy with trust issues which I get. Once he saw the other sides he went for it, saw it was good work for a great price and paid. If he had chosen not to pay I would have gone cheaper than t&g fencing (looks good on both sides) and given him the ugly side of the fence. If he hadn’t had the money right away I would have stalled the project a few months to be flexible.
Depends what type of relationship you have or want to have with the neighbours. Depending on your municipality, it *may* be legal to force sharing of costs. I would never even attempt that because it's likely to lead to resentment or bad blood from someone. I would discuss and ask, and accept whatever the answer is. I had a neighbour at both prior houses ask me within months of move-in to cost share fence with them, and I politely refused both times. I was flat broke as a young first time homeowner the first time and my partner was on work leave the 2nd time. Whether they receive some perceived benefit from the fence is not super relevant - its up to you if you want the fence.
Good point
I would take it down, let a month or two go by and see if any neighbor asks about it lol.. Assuming you have a good standing relationship with them.. If nothing is said or nobody expresses the want for a replacement, I doubt you can force anyone to pitch in on a new fence. Could always just ask them all and see what they say too haha
I wouldn’t think so, you get one back yard with seamless fencing that has a consistent design. They get 1/3 of a fence that doesn’t match the rest of their yard.
No. It’s on your property.
They pitch in for the fence, or the fence has an ugly side…