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Perhaps they want the money so that they can then put up more vinyl fencing aroung their property. The way it would work with your plan the neighbors' yard would look funny by having one side vinyl, their back fence chain link, and their other side chain link. The whole thing would make their improvements look unbalanced. Did you ask them what they would use the extra $450 for? That might clarify it for you.
We kind of had the same issue. All of the neighbors fences were POS. I asked if we could all go in together and get a new one. All I got were NOs. OK, fine. We put up our fence and they all tore theirs down and used ours.
Whatever.
Don't worry about what they do with their fence. If you put it up on your side they can't paint it or touch it.
My bet is the original fence is on the line and they paid for both sides of it so they want compensation for your property's share they had to pay originally. They really aren't being unreasonable. You are the one who came into an existing situation and now want the neighbors to adapt to you.
And, vinyl fences are far from maintenance free. They deteriorate over time, become brittle, break, just like wooden fences. They also grow mold/mildew. Are you going to pressure wash the fence every year or leave them with a view of moldy fence on their side?
Years ago when we decided to put up a chain-link fence, we asked the neighbors if it was okay to replace their side which was from the 1960s with the chain link since it was old and maybe the puppy (then) would find a way thru the fence. They wanted the same size, tho it wasn't made anymore...like 4 feet so we put in a 6 feet and they were okay with that. I forgot the sizes now, but you get my drift. They were agreeable and nice people. But the people behind us built a rot-iron fence with bricks and they wanted us to go in on it, but we didn't want to (this was before the chain-link), so when we put our chain link fence in, it is inches away from theirs, which they didn't mind. Same for the other side, they didn't mind us putting the fence inches away from their wooden privacy fence.
OP, I'm glad I read all of your posts about this. At first, I thought you were being a bit unreasonable, but I changed my mind after getting more info.
My guess is that your neighbor was planning on getting half the cost of the chain link fence from you. And they aren't letting go of that idea. I really think that's all they can focus on. They're so focused on that, that they can't accept the fact that even though they are out $900 for a chain link fence, that they would be getting a far better fence from you - and still only be out $900. They've been picturing that $450 coming in and they can't get past it.
They're being stupidly myopic. So, good for you to just go ahead and put in your new fence next to theirs. As someone else said, you won't see the weeds that grow between your fence and their chain link fence LOL.
And you're right as far as shrubs next to a chain link fence not being effective as far as keeping dogs away from each other. My daughter's property had a chain link fence between yards, and her living shrubs next to the chain link fence were beautiful and thick and a great privacy barrier. BUT, the dogs can get inside and behind the shrubs and bark at each other at the fence, which was her situation. So, for your purposes, that wouldn't work.
I, personally, would re-think the color white. It will get grungy-looking. The only upside would be that sprinkler water stains might not show as much. But, I think white will end up dirty looking.
The upside to having grumpy neighbors, is that they probably won't be coming over to borrow sugar constantly LOL.
Also, with their chain link fence in place, their dogs won't be able to do damage to your nice fence. You could tell them that, too. Hey, we realized that this is probably better! Your fence will keep your dog from damaging my new fence, so you won't ever have to worry about compensating me for any damage down the line.
Last edited by NoMoreSnowForMe; 10-08-2015 at 07:42 PM..
I would have to disagree I think that vinyl fencing looks much nicer than chain link. It's also maintenance free and doesn't fade so from a durability perspective it is just as or more durable than chain link. I have not found anything to suggest chain link last a lot longer to vinyl. Again I am not wanting to remove their fence I am giving them the option to share the fence on that side at no cost to them or I can put it up on my side of the yard and they can keep their fence. Compensation is a payment based on losing something. They are not losing anything in this case since I would replace the fence so what am I compensating for?
Has anyone had a vinyl fence last for over 50 years? Give me a shout when you do....oh and then the chain link fence in my old house will still be standing there.
You may like vinyl fencing, but many people do not. I personally don't I find it too harsh, bright, and just ugly.
To you they aren't losing anything. To them, they are losing a fence they just paid for.
I would have to disagree I think that vinyl fencing looks much nicer than chain link. It's also maintenance free and doesn't fade so from a durability perspective it is just as or more durable than chain link. I have not found anything to suggest chain link last a lot longer to vinyl. Again I am not wanting to remove their fence I am giving them the option to share the fence on that side at no cost to them or I can put it up on my side of the yard and they can keep their fence. Compensation is a payment based on losing something. They are not losing anything in this case since I would replace the fence so what am I compensating for?
Mmmm … not so much. Our son's neighbor already had a white vinyl privacy fence up when our son bought his place. Our son has to pressure wash his side at least once every summer to get the green mold off of it. The chain link fence on the other side property line has not needed any maintenance in the ten years they have lived there.
For their purposes they may not consider a vinyl fence an improvement over a chain link. In their opinions they may feel you are looking to lower the quality.
They put in a chain link fence, and it is almost new. Then you come along and say let me tear out your fence,and put in one that I like better.
Asking you to pay for a nearly new chain like fence which to them was satisfactory, is Not Being Unreasonable. They put up the time and money to put it in, and if this soon after you want to tear it out, is is only reasonable that you reimburse them for their fence.
I have read the ordinances and all the laws from state to county and city. The city law allows sharing of fences on property lines and encourages it in fact it encourages neighbors to split the cost so based on what the city says I could of gone over there and asked for 50% of $2,300 which is the cost of just that side of the fence. I would never do that just relaying the information from what the city says.
The city encourages people to share a fence on the property line, and to share the costs. It does not say that the neighbor has to agree to pay half. They already have a fence on the property line, and you are the one that wants to take it down and replace it with what you want without regard to what they want. Go over and ask them to pay for half of your fence, would get you laughed at all over the neighborhood. They are supplying you a line fence at no charge. If you want to change it you have no right to ask them to pay half for a change they are not really in favor of.
It's not that I want their fence gone we just knew we wanted a privacy fence from when we started looking at houses and the fence is even built into our purchase agreement. I could just put up the fence on my side of the yard but I was trying to be a good neighbor and come to them first about it and they just don't want the fence up whether we pay them or put it on our side of the yard. The builders don't want us to put a fence next to a fence and are actually going to change the covenants because of it that gives priority to the privacy fence so if that were the case they would have to takes theirs down but since that isn't in place we have to negotiate with them.
A change in covenants, does not effect fences that existed at the time the change was made. If only effects additional fences. Theirs would be grandfathered in, and not effected by the new covenants. They will not have to take it down, if it met covenants at time it was installed.
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