fence issue with neighbor

(sorry for the long post…) There is a 1-2′ high retaining wall that separates our yard from our next door neighbor’s. Their yard is 1-2′ higher than our yard. I have a copy of our survey from when we purchased the house, but it doesn’t say if the wall is an easement or who it belongs to. Or if it does contain this info, I don’t know how to interpret it. There is a chain link fence in this wall, and the chain links are on our side of the posts. (The same chain links continue along the other 2 sides of their yard, BTW) We are planning to install a new white vinyl fence IN our yard – on our property, so it would have nothing to do with the wall or current chain link fence. Our neighbor texted us she has safety concerns with the current chain link fence We’re not sure exactly why, but there’s a 1′ gap between the wall and bottom of the chain links along most of the fence that someone filled in with a mesh/wire. They also have a dog and outdoor cat, so maybe that is a part of their concern. We haven’t spoken to them yet so we’re still unclear. Then she asked our contractor what our plans are with the fence, he told her, and she told him she’s going to file a complaint. Again, I’m not sure what her grounds for the complaint would be – we will be talking to her soon to learn more. But, I would like to go into the conversation knowing what our rights are. We want to be nice neighbors, we’re the new ones on the block, but I don’t want to pay for something that is not our responsibility or change our plans unless for a very good reason. I have a feeling the “safety” concern is about her dog and cat and the gap in the fence. If she wants something done with the chain link fence, what should we do, or what should our next steps be? I don’t want to pay for removing it, unless it’s a cost shared by both of us, as I’m pretty sure (but not 100% certain) the wall is an easement. If she wants it down but doesn’t want to chip in, should I let her go through the trouble of ordering a survey to determine who it belongs to (as opposed to me doing that)? Then, if it’s determined the chain link fence IS our property, what makes a chain link fence unsafe, and would I need to repair it if it’s a safety concern for her pets only? Remember we will have a fence on our side of our yard, so it’s not like the dog will be able to wander into our yard. Though I suppose if the dog were to get through the mesh, it could get trapped between our new fence and the old chain link? And the cat could fall between the two fences? What are my rights, what is the neighborly thing to do, and what would you do? Thanks!

ps158

in Fencing 10 years ago

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nancyk | 10 years ago

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i paid the entire cost.

jockdeboeraia | 10 years ago

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Get a survey, if the wall is on your property, it is yours. Take down the chain link fence and put up your fence. Be prepared for lawyers and a neighbor that hates you but they will get over that once the fence is up and it is nicer then the chain link.

ps158 | 10 years ago

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Thank you for your comments everyone. Nancyk – did you pay the entire cost, or did your neighbor chip in for the “double-sided” part added to the fence? Can I private message you, is there a way to do that on this site?

nancyk | 10 years ago

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i had a similar issue when i wanted to put up a cedar fence last summer. when i told my neighbor what my plan was, she objected to pulling down the chain link which was on my retaining wall. she was complaining because she believed that the wood fence would block her air and light. my compromise was to have the fence installer cut the chain link and remove the metal posts, which were rusted and so ugly, place cedar posts into the retaining wall (using concrete to secure them) and put up a 5-foot (versus 6-foot) double sided fence. she was outside with the fencing contractor (and me) for the whole day. haven’t heard a peep from her since on the issue of the fence.

daveinbedstuy | 10 years ago

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Should have talked to her before you started all this and, if you can’t understand the survey as to the walland chain link fence, you should have asked your lawyer. Damage now done wrt the neighbor. Asking here won’t clarify your legal standing wrt the wall and fence so you need to ask your lawyer and then that will clarify what you need to do about the neighbor’s complaints, if anything

presidentstps | 10 years ago

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It’s really easy to take down a chain link fence. Usually the chain link is just tied to the posts, so just undo those and roll up the links and dispose. For the posts, you can either just try to pull them down and they will bend or pull out of the ground, or take a hacksaw and cut them at the base. I would take down the fence regardless, so that way you can both benefit from the nice new fence you’re installing.

ps158 | 10 years ago

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We were never planning to take the wall down. Cutting the wire off and leaving the posts sounds like a good idea. That’s probably something we can do ourselves.

Putnamdenizen | 10 years ago

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Obviously step number one is asking her what her concerns are. If she think the chain fence should come down or wants it down, can’t you just cut it off the posts? I don’t quite understand how you would remove there retaining wall since it is, well, retaining her yard.

ps158 | 10 years ago

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We’ve been planning all along to install our new fence IN our yard, on our side of the wall. Even if it turns out the wall is on our property, I’ll still be fine and happy to have the fence on our side of the wall (and essentially not make use of the wall). I also don’t think she has grounds for filing a complaint, but we’re new to home ownership, let alone home ownership in Brooklyn where lots of things are “shared”…So I want to make sure I’m not missing anything… If the survey shows the wall is shared, and she wants it down and is willing to pay for half of it, that’s easy – we’ll put our half in too and have it taken down. If it comes back and says the wall is entirely OURS, and she wants it down, that’s when I won’t know what to do…I mean, if it isn’t a safety issue, I wouldn’t take it down at all. But if it is a safety issue somehow, then I don’t know. Like, if she or her pets get hurt somehow on it, they shouldn’t have been on our property anyway, right? I feel like they have the right to put a fence up in their yard to protect themselves from our fence. So if they get hurt is that our fault? I don’t know. Besides, I don’t think this fence is at all dangerous! It’s just a typical ugly chain link fence. There’s a little piece of me that wonders if she’s trying to have the chain link taken down on my dime since it’s an eyesore, and she wants to benefit from our new fence. Sigh. I hate to speculate, but I’m just trying to prepare myself for all the conversation with her…

Arkady | 10 years ago

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I don’t know the legal ins & outs but if you’re prepared to cede what might be part of your property w/ what the wall takes up, why don’t you suggest to the neighbor that she take down the chain link where it abuts your new fence since the pets won’t be able to get out there? What are you prepared to do if a survey shows that the wall is partly or all on your property? Would you want to pay for & have the disruption of having it torn down? In other words, if you’re happy w/ a slightly smaller footprint, I’d go the way of least hassle. It doesn’t seem to me that she has valid grounds for filing a complaint.