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Old 10-22-2008, 09:05 AM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,404,950 times
Reputation: 24745

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Steve, after a certain period of time, you could claim that property, per Texas law, if it is fenced and the actual owner makes no objection to you having it fenced in and using it (landscaping would likely count). That right there makes them objecting not "senseless".
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Old 10-22-2008, 09:27 AM
 
Location: Jollyville, TX
5,867 posts, read 11,926,362 times
Reputation: 10917
Quote:
Originally Posted by hotbird67 View Post
what is the city of austin law about some one building a fence on your land. can i take him to court
We had a similar situation. When the undeveloped lots behind us were puchased by a builder, they put up the side fences only to the property line, leaving a gap between them and our back fence. Our fence was inside the property line and we assumed that the builder would put a new back section on his property. Well, he chintzed out and didn't and the buyer added on to his fence to close the gap (he has small kids), but basically fenced in over the property line.

Rather than get ourselves embroiled in a legal dispute, we simply went over there, gave them a welcome to the neighborhood card and our phone number and then informed them that we were going to move the fence and take back our property. Can't say they were thrilled about it, but they accepted it.

I would always advise reaching out to the neighbor first - they may not realize what they did. If you start off by taking legal action, that will probably make them angry and less likely to do the right thing.
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Old 10-22-2008, 01:03 PM
 
2 posts, read 12,775 times
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me and the neighbor don't like each other. do i call the city of austin to talk to him about it
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Old 10-22-2008, 07:01 PM
 
8,231 posts, read 17,319,202 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hotbird67 View Post
me and the neighbor don't like each other. do i call the city of austin to talk to him about it
How do you know the fence is on your land? Do you have a survey? Have you talked to him already? I would always try to work it out before I called a lawyer ($$) or dealt with small claims court (hassle).
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Old 10-22-2008, 09:24 PM
 
Location: Austin TX
959 posts, read 4,493,573 times
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I would speak to a lawyer specializing in realty/property/HOA law. The owner and/or the HOA could have a responsibility to take care of the lattice if it is indeed on your fence. And the HOA may have had a legal obligation to get your approval on the project, and definitely if it's your fence

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffnandy View Post
You know I don't mind the privacy issue, but what I do mind is this obnoxious trellis that stretches across the entire back part of the fence. I can't stand lattice and the only reason they went with this design was to match their new porch addition. I can't even enjoy my backyard with that eyesore. It's a matter of taste, and hopefully we can resolve it. I really feel the HOA had no right to give permission without asking how we felt first and showing us their plans. We could of easily settled this and put up a taller fence without lattice if they talked to us. If they had enough sense to submit plans to the HOA, then they should of talked to us before taking any action.
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Old 10-25-2008, 10:28 AM
 
7,742 posts, read 15,128,422 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffnandy View Post
I'm a little upset with a neighbor that I share the back fence with. They decided to attach a trellis of 8 feet to the fence we share, without asking my permission. They did ask the HOA we belong to and got approved. Wouldn't you first ask the person you share the fence with, before anyone else? After looking at the survey that was done by the prior owner, we now realize that it's our fence. I also contacted the City of Austin to find out there rules about fencing, and there sending someone in code enforcement to check it out. The only reason for this trellis(made out of lattice) is for privacy. It also put a lot of stress on the fence attaching it to the existing fence. What's my legal recourse for doing this without my permission, and should I get a new survey in my name? If it is discovered that the fence is on our property, do we have a right to push the fence back on the property line? We have not talked to the neighbor, since they didn't talk to us about doing this first. This was not neighborly at all, and I don't plan on becoming friends with them.
The fence company told me it generally is better to not have a fence right on the property line so there is no dispute about who owns it.
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Old 10-25-2008, 10:55 AM
 
Location: Great State of Texas
86,052 posts, read 84,481,831 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Austin97 View Post
The fence company told me it generally is better to not have a fence right on the property line so there is no dispute about who owns it.
Same here so my fence that I had put up is inside my property. I don't care that I gave away a few inches of land.
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Old 10-25-2008, 04:20 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,404,950 times
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When we put up a fence at our house in Austin years ago, we did it WITH the neighbors. (But we weren't in a HOA, so that simplified things enormously.) We got together over dinner and agreed on the type of fence and the fence company, my husband and our neighbor got together and dug up the long row of ornamental bushes that were already there, and got out our surveys and made sure the fence was EXACTLY on the property line. Then we split the cost. Worked for us. Of course, the same neighbor and the people we bought the house from had gotten together and planted a cottonwood tree right on the property line some years before.

Out here in the country, chances are that the property owners will share the cost of the perimeter fence between properties, if it needs to be rebuilt. It's not a given, but pretty close to being one.
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Old 10-26-2008, 08:28 AM
 
673 posts, read 2,717,078 times
Reputation: 421
Be aware that when the neighbor approaches COA for a building permit, this doesn't automatically give you a say in the process. You have two hopes: 1) you can prove to the city that the fence is on your land or 2) the lattice violates a city code for fence structures that exceed the standard height.

The fence on your property is a separate matter. Is it your fence because it's on your property? Is it the neighbor's fence encroaching on your property? To be sure, you need to 1) establish your property line with a survey and 2) talk to a real estate lawyer. As another poster stated, continuous encroaching on property can establish an ownership right.

Last edited by aaauger; 10-26-2008 at 08:45 AM..
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Old 10-26-2008, 11:03 AM
 
Location: Circle C
6 posts, read 34,704 times
Reputation: 10
Default Thank You City of Austin

We did finally get the situation taken care of by the City of Austin. We have a right to protect our property, since we're the one's with the pool. The lattice came down, and a new sturdy 7ft fence went up. You should always talk with neighbors, about your ideas, because they could of saved $2000 when they realized how much I despise lattice. We did pay for the new fence, and they paid us for the extra height. I do believe that the HOA had no right in giving permission to the neighbors, without first talking to us. Our main concern was safety, and felt that lattice would be more fun to climb. I lost quite a bit of respect for the HOA after this problem, and I hope in the future that they will realize, not everyone has the same tastes. They also learned that with our survey, that they didn't even own the fence, that it's totally on our property. For the person not liking your neighbor, if you have a question about the fence, just call the City and they'll clear things up, it may or may not be in your favor though. Sometimes it's worth it just knowing. Good Luck!
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