Should I pay up for my neighbour's fence?

Question

My neighbor installed a fence after our house sold and about two months before we are scheduled to move out. We were not consulted about the fence, it's timeline, cost, materials, etc at any time. But now before we move out in less than two weeks they presented a bill to us for $1200 for costs/labour. Is it my moral obligation to pay my part for the fence, the new owner's, or is it just bad timing on my neighbour's part?

Answer 1

No kidding my parents just put a fence up all the way around our lot, and didn't bill any of the neighbors for the fence. As long as they put it on their land its there responsibility to pay for it. Also if they put part of it on your land and didn't ask you or anything you should call the cops or something because legally you have to put it 1 foot off of the lot line. Good luck...no matter what don't pay it...its not doing you any good

Answer 2

I have never heard of this happening before. Tell your neighbor that you lived just fine without the fence and wish to have no part of paying for it, especially since your house has sold. I have never heard of neighbors sharing the cost on a fence. We are getting ready to fence in our yard, and have no reason to ask any neighbors to foot the bill.

Explain to your neighbor that you have no desire for a fence. If they installed the fence for their benefit, they pay the bill. Not the new owners or you. End of story. Good luck on your move!

Answer 3

Hi, Jeff--

I fail to see that you would be liable for costs at all if your neighbor installed the fence on their own initiative. UNLESS (hey, there's always an unless) the fence was required by a homeowners association or other contracting body. In that case, you would indeed be stuck with part of the cost, but you may be able to talk to the new owner and negotiate all or part of the cost.

Fences get tricky. I know; I'm on the edge of a huge ranch, and if the cows get into my gardens, who's liable for that? So we try to keep up the fence on our side. Anyway, good luck on this. And good luck to the new owner, too--I foresee a little friction with the neighbor already.

Answer 4

Hell no.

Unless of course they had to to keep your dogs/kids out. If that's the case, your not obligated, but something might be a nice gesture.

You also didn't specify this fence is only on their property. Did they continue around your property for you (and if so, did fenced in yard help in the sale of your house) then again, it might be nice to pitch in.

If its nothing like this then screw them. I know all to well that people are greedy and knowing you got money from the sale want some.

Also is there any reason you see to not burn bridges with them? This just seems like an outrageous request. Unless you signed something they have no legal leg to stand on. Now I'm pissed too.

Answer 5

Your argument might be that the tenant "accepted the ordinary and expected risk" of damage or injury by forcing the window, assuming that's actually how it got broken, and thus took the responsibility for their own negligent actions. That may fly or maybe not. The window was (allegedly) not working properly, which is (allegedly) why it got broken, which is the fault of whoever was responsible for maintaining it. If it's your house, it would be your responsibility and your bill to pay, unless (perhaps) you can prove the tenant did it intentionally or recklessly. In the future, you might suggest to tenants that if they find ANYTHING that isn't working properly that you are notified so you can take steps to make simple repairs (or catch up on maintenance) to avoid serious damage, if not injury. I saw a case in a Boston courtroom where the landlord was claiming no responsibility for a broken shower-stall glass door, which injured a tenant, due to faulty maintenance (wrong kind of glass). The judge actually screamed at the attorney representing the landlord for wasting his time trying to blame anyone else. The defense was, "the maintenance contractor didn't know building code requires tempered glass." Too bad: the landlord still had to pay the $120,000 in medical bills and punitive damages, although the attorney was ordered to pay part of it himself, having failed to notify the landlord of a lower settlement offer prior to trial.

Answer 6

Absolutely not. They can't just put up a fence and then expect you to help pay for it especially since they never consulted you about the fence to begin with. I really can't believe they even have the nerve. No one is responsible for that bill except for the people who commissioned the fence.

Answer 7

Why in the world would the neighbor give YOU a bill for THEIR fence????!!

If it is on their land, shields their yard, is something they wanted and had installed, by dang it's their fence and so is the bill. Have they lost their minds?

If you do pay them, please move next to me as I am saving for a tall fence to block the view of my undesirable neighbors. Come on down to NC, I know where a great house is, lol.

Answer 8

you should not have to pay a dime to your neighbor unless there was some kind of agreement between the two of you to split the cost of the fence. from the sounds of it, there was no agreement. he may try and tell you that you are some how legally responsible for half the cost.......NOT true. move out, be happy & hopefully your next neighbors won't be so presumptuous! good luck!

Answer 9

You are not obligated to pay on your part. It was their choice to redo the fence....Morally if they asked before the put the fence up and you said yes...then that is a different story...

Answer 10

Why would you have to pay for a fence your neighbor had installed? Did he fence in your yard? Im not really understanding what you are trying to say?
If you were never consulted about this I would say they are S.O.L.