Propery line and fence

shvl73 · Jun 23, 2004

carluman, I was raised in the "city" of Brentwood & I think the population was around 1500+-. I would love to move back as those were good times in a great, uh, "city". /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
NH law does not require that I take measures to keep livestock out & as I read it, it requires the owner of said livestock to keep them in.
I would imagine that anyone erecting a fence, not agreed upon by an abutting party, would have a difficult time forcing the abutting party to pay a portion of the cost without an agreement in writing to do so.
If such a law existed, it hardly takes into concern the abutting parties ability to pay & certainly doesn't address their desire to spend their money as they see fit.
If this is truly the way it works, I'm planning some improvements to my property & I might just mention it to my neighbors so they can budget. I think that's the least I can do. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

carluman · Jun 23, 2004

( Hi
I don't like the laws and I have always lived in the country so I can't move back to the city. If its your stock then its your responsibility to contain them not mine. same as letting your dog run loose, why should i put up a fence to keep the dog off of my property.

Charlie )

I figured I would get a quick response to that /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Basically these rules have been around for a long time (obviously). Yes, each state is now a little different than the next (I guess it depends on what the settlers wanted). These rules are for the most part good. With out them nobody would want to build any fence. One thing I'm sure we can all agree to is the line disputes suck!

Dogs are a different story... sounds like a touchy subject /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I say give one warning to the owner next time it goes down. I don't mind stray dogs for the most part but if they are a threat to me or livestock or unloading (pun intended) in my yard on a regular basis then there is a problem. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Have a great day

Ozarker · Jun 23, 2004

I have the dogs in my area BB gun trained. They associate crappin in my yard with sharp pain in the hind quarters. After about two or three good hits, they learn to crap somewhere else.

beenthere · Jun 23, 2004

Thanks for posting that site. It confirms what I thought were the laws for Wisconsin, and that being responsible for the right half of the fence looking at the neighbors. If the neighbor puts livestock out, I am responsible for getting a fence up. If I don't, then it can be put up by the neighbor and I am billed for the expenses. Mutual agreement can supercede these rules.

Often if the neighbor is the farmer, a deal is struck where the other neighbor pays for all the materials, and the farmer puts the entire fence up. Considering labor as being equal to materials.

I wouldn't likely let a neighbor fence off any of my land, unless I was willing to consider it his land sometime in the future, as it probably could be by law.

cowboydoc · Jun 23, 2004

Harv,

I can assure you it is not urban legend that you have to pay for half of the fence. It is the law. Now it doesn't have to be a $15k fence. The fence that has to be put up is 4' woven wire with two strands of wire on top. That is the standard. Where neighbors agree beyond that is up to them.

Just by the two opposite sides shown here that is the reason fence laws were created. You have some people that don't want to pay their share. It really doesn't matter if you have livestock or not. Good fences make good neighbors.

TBone · Jun 23, 2004

You can check the fence laws in your state HERE. Laws vary widely from state to state and even from county to county within a state.

I have lived in the country all my life. I have owned cattle and horses but presently don't own either. When I did own livestock I felt that it was my responsibility to keep them contained and I did so entirely at my own expense.

Now that I don't own any I feel exactly the same way. It is the owner of the livestock that is responsible for his animals, not mine. Thank goodness the laws where I live agree with that. If they didn't I would be writing letters and calling my legislators to try to change it.

I only have about 1000' of fence along one side of my property now. The rest is unfenced. If one of my neighbors decides to get some cows or horses, good for him. I don't even care if they come on my property - they won't eat pine trees /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. If he wants to keep them contained, good for him - but don't expect me to pay for it.

TBone

cowboydoc · Jun 23, 2004

but don't expect me to pay for it.

What if you sell that property and the next owner does decide to have livestock. Will you then go back and pay for half of that fence? I mean if you are going to invoke the "good guy" rule then would that not be appropriate? After all when you sold the place it was with a good fence on that 1000' that went with the property and may or may not have been the deciding factor in that person buying the property.

And scenario #2. What if you did decide to get livestock down the road? Not saying you would but if you did the fences are already there. Will you then go and pay for the fence?

The fence laws are there for a reason and it is to resolve situations like this.

shvl73 · Jun 23, 2004

You have some people that don't want to pay their share. It really doesn't matter if you have livestock or not.

I feel that statement really stands on it's own.
I think this is a great way for good neighbors to become somewhat less so.

Lazy · Jun 23, 2004

Hi
I have heard many times fences make good neighbors, but now i think it should be fences make mad and and or bad neighbors. I have learned more in this thread than I did when I stayed at the holiday Inn.

Charlie

BillyP · Jun 23, 2004

This whole fence deal is a mess. Oklahoma has Closed Range. Meaning if you have livestock, it's up to the owner to contain them. If they get out and onto another's property, the owner can be charged for damages plus so much a day (room and board). If they get on a public road and someone hits one, the owner (if you can prove ownership) is liable.

Weyerhauser has hundreds of thousands of acres in my county. They will lease this land for cattle grazing but to do so, the the person leasing will have to fence his leased land and install cattle guards on any main roads going into this lease.

Railroads, by law, have to fence off their right-of-ways and build a cattle crossing, if the land owner desires.