Fences & neighbors

[KretZ]

Who gets the good side of the fence ?

Good question, but let me ask you this. Which side of the fence is "the good side". In 1991 we moved into a house that needed a privacy fence. I helped my father and grandfather put this fence up, but it was erected in such a way that the cross pieces that held the vertical slats were on the neighbors side. I felt as though this was backwards, almost like we were on the outside of our own fence. Being 12 years old at the time, my objections were overruled by my father and grandfather. A few years later, the neighbors house changed hands, and the new owner assumed the fence was his (since he was looking at the inside of it). So then two years ago, I was home visiting my mom and the fence was seriously deteriorated. So I tore it down and replaced it. And being that I was the foreman on this job, I made the decision to put the outside where I thought the outside should go, and the inside where I thought the inside should go . The neighbor came home from work slightly confused as to why I would replace his fence for him haha. But overall he was pleased.

 

[kidr]

Who gets the good side of the fence ?


In some areas it's the law that the neighbor gets the good side.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

I think the difference is whether it is a boundary fence or not. Colonial states all had laws, and may still have them, that a fence line is the marker between owner's properties and they share responsibility for its maintenance, and can't move it. Usually they were stone walls from each of their fields and varied greatly in height and width. Now if you're putting up a livestock fence, that belongs on your property and is 100% your responsibility (and cost). Ditto if you're putting up a sound/sight barrier between your property and the net person's.