TWO neighbors are locked in a bitter dispute after one of them tore down the fence they shared just to build an eight-foot “mega fence” – but they say they had good reasons.
Residents of Brisbane, Australia, spoke out after a neighbor wrote about it online, forcing the fence builder to defend himself.
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leading to reddit, One of the neighbors who posted under the name @MrsH_192 stated that the “2.5 m mega fence” is “preventing light from entering our house.”
The post included several photographs of the fence that runs between the two houses.
He described the new construction as a “barricade” and added that it is incomplete as “they have not replaced the shorter fences in their garden” after building the fence “only part of our fence.”
The pictures show the fresh wood next to the older gray panels, but this is only in the middle of the fence line and does not extend completely or replace the old fence completely.
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The furious neighbor claims that “there has been no communication or notice” about the replacement of the 1.8m fence.
But since the post was picked up by an Australian news site news.com.auThe neighbor who built the fence has been able to tell his version of the events.
she told him news outlet that after years of trying to discuss fence replacement with his neighbor, the problem came to a head over Christmas.
“During Christmas, the fence fell down and I had to call someone urgently,” he said.
“We talked to the council (and the) council said: go ahead and build it, worry about certification later.”
He further claimed that tensions between the two families had been high due to arguments over their dogs and their neighbour’s piled up rubbish.
Our nightmare neighbors throw dirty clothes at our tree and terrorize the children… we told them to leave but they responded (1)
On Reddit, the angry neighbor claimed that after “trying to speak very politely” to the fence builder, “they told him they were doing this to ensure their dogs were contained.”
“Their dogs escaped and attacked us before,” said the neighbor.
“The only reason for that excitement was because his text messages and letters were about the dogs, but to be honest, it’s a bit nice not having to look instead,” the fence builder told the media outlet.
“It’s nice now, we have the double panel.”
He added that the new fence cost him AUS4,000 (£2,000), a cost he had not asked his neighbor to contribute to.
But the neighbor claimed on Reddit that they had asked for construction to stop “until we can reach a mutual agreement and we would even consider contributing to the costs.”
They even took the matter to Brisbane City Council, although as the fence is a regulation height there is nothing they can do, a spokesperson told Information.com.au.
City council approval for the fence would only have been necessary if the structure was “more than two meters above the surface of the land,” they explained.
But the disgruntled neighbor could take the fence builder to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which regulates fences and helps resolve disputes between neighbors.
However, other Reddit users warned that such a move could see her “asked for half the cost of a suitable new fence”, while others questioned why she was so angry in the first place.
“Much more privacy for you and them, especially with your homes so close. Less worry about the dogs too. Plus, they’re paying for it. I don’t understand your problem,” wrote one commenter.
“As for the issue of light, in the photo you showed there is still light in your house.
“The old fence looked horrible and now you have a new one. Without you having to pay! Stop complaining and hug her.”
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“I’m not going to lie, the new fence looks better, offers more privacy and is free. “I would be counting my lucky stars,” added a second.
Meanwhile, a third questioned whether there was “more to the story.”
“There seems to be a lot more going on here than just letting it be known,” they wrote.
The Solar has contacted the Reddit user for comment.
Fences are often the cause of major disputes between neighbors.
The Solar previously reported that a woman was left furious after discovering her neighbors had been using her house and garden as their own before she moved out.
They had removed a fence panel so their children could access their garden whenever they wanted.
Others are arguing after a group of neighbors hacked into the fence to erect a revenge fence.
