If your home, garden or fence has been affected by recent storms, strong winds and bad weather, you may be wondering which fence is yours? Perhaps a fence on one side of your garden looks unsafe or unstable? Maybe there has been some damage to the fence, or you have noticed that it is rotting. But is it your fence? Is it your responsibility to repair and replace it, or is it the responsibility of your neighbour?
The maintenance and repair of fencing can be the subject of many neighbour arguments and disputes. It’s a good idea to find out whom the fence belongs to and then speak to your neighbour if it is their fence. Speak to them calmly and explain your concerns. See how they react. It may be a case of them simply not realising there was an issue with the fence or that it was their responsibility.
Firstly, you need to see whom the responsibility of the fence relies upon. There is a general rule of thumb: the fence to the left-hand side of the property belongs to your home. However, this is not always the case. You need to look at the title of deeds for your home to see who has ownership. When you look at the plans for your house, you will see a ‘T’. This will mark one side of your boundary. You will see whose responsibility the fence is and repair the fence or speak to your neighbours regarding this.
When reviewing your deeds, if you see an “H”, this is two “T’s” joined together. It means that both parties own the boundary fence. If this is the case for your garden and fence, you will need to speak to your neighbour. You can then decide how maintenance and repairs of the fence can be managed between you. For example, you may choose to go 50/50 on any costs. Alternatively, you could take turns.
We hope this has helped your understanding of who owns your fence. If you find that your owned fence needs repairing or replacing – give us a call, and we can offer you advice and guidance.
