It’s not uncommon in situations like this for neighbours to disagree over repairs to fences and boundaries. However, there is no reason to fall out over such things and a pragmatic approach is normally all that is needed to establish who is responsible for the repairs.
Often the quickest and easiest way to find out who owns the boundary is simply to ask other people up and down your street, as Deeds don’t always make this clear; neither do the plans available from the Land Registry. Generally speaking, a pattern will emerge which will enable you to work out which fence belongs to which property (all on the left or all on the right is common in terraced properties for example). Where this isn’t possible, then I would suggest you look at any previous repairs and try to establish ownership that way.
In my property, I have a stone wall to the right that is maintained by my neighbour despite it being my property, this has occurred since it was rebuilt with the previous occupants of my house. The wooden fence to the left technically belongs to my neighbour, but we have always gone 50/50 on any repairs, and for us, this has worked for 15 years.
Whilst there is no legal requirement for either of my boundaries to be maintained and repaired in this way, it works for us and keeps things harmonious with our neighbours.
If, however you can’t work things out amicably then there are some places you can go to get advice and ensure that any repairs are done on the boundary. The first port of call should be Citizens Advice who offer the following guidance: ‘If you’re not sure what to do, you can get help at your nearest Citizens Advice. If you still can’t agree, you can get help from a mediator - this is someone who doesn’t know either of you and is trained to help people resolve disagreements. It’s a good idea to ask your council if they can help you find a mediator.’ More advice and useful links are available on their website:
Obviously, the last resort might be seeking a solicitor help to resolve a dispute, and you would need to have a record of communications with your neighbour to proceed down this route. But before you take this drastic step it might be worth considering the longer-term effects on your relationship with your neighbour and the cost of legal fees which may very well exceed those of the repair itself.
Compromise if it can be found is most likely to keep things harmonious and resolve the issue quickly.
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