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just wondering if you guys and gals can help me out  
my neighbor started painting my fence which is on my side of the property line , but is facing her back yard  
can she do this without asking ?  
 
Edited by goldfish, 2017-08-12 19:31:07

It's your fence and it's on your property.  
They need permission.

being so petty! you can't see that side!

If it's your fence, and it's facing onto her property, then I would think that you are responsible for the upkeep of that fence. As a homeowner herself, she doesn't need to be looking at an ugly (or unpainted) fence from her side of the property. A fence is a fence. If you don't want to keep it maintained, then why do you have a problem wanting the neighbour to do work on what amounts to be your job. Why don't you just be a good neighbour and grab a paint brush and help her out, instead of complaining about somebody else feeling they need to be doing your job. Just saying, you know ... sometimes, it's about being a good neighbour.

They should at least ask, they can't if they don't ask.  
 
The Bottom line is they still need permission.

that the neighbour should just phone it in to the City and file a complaint, and the guy who's complaining (who owns and controls the fence) will be forced (by the city) to get his own fence painted, at his own cost, to satisfy the neighbour. The neighbour has the right to have a fence facing their property kept up. If it needs painting, then it needs painting.  
 
That's the bottom line. What's wrong with just talking it over with the neighbour and offering a helping hand, or a hand in sharing the cost of paint, instead of getting the whole city involved in opining on an unkept fence.

None of us know what the fence looks like.  
Might have been a expensive fence and someone decided to paint it we don't know. All the op asked if can or not without asking.  
 
The answer is simple, they need permission like it or not.

maxster said "None of us know what the fence looks like.   Might have been a expensive fence and someone decided to paint it we don't know. All the op asked if can or not without asking.     The answer is simple, they need permission like it or not. "

yup, for all we know its a nice new cedar fence that the neighbor decided they wanted pink or something. Paint will leak through the sides as they paint and make the unpainted side look like crap, plus then to upkeep it the owner would be responsible for repainting it, especially if the neighbor moves, personally id be pissed off and be telling the neighbor so, but the owner could rightfully call the cops...

JoeSixpack said "that the neighbour should just phone it in to the City and file a complaint, and the guy who's complaining (who owns and controls the fence) will be forced (by the city) to get his own fence painted, at his own cost, to satisfy the neighbour. The neighbour has the right to have a fence facing their property kept up. If it needs painting, then it needs painting.     That's the bottom line. What's wrong with just talking it over with the neighbour and offering a helping hand, or a hand in sharing the cost of paint, instead of getting the whole city involved in opining on an unkept fence. "

I'm pretty positive they (city)don't make people paint their fences! Unless it's completely derilect and a hazard, they don't force people to paint their fence cause their neighbour doesn't like it. I don't like the ugly deer, and bushes in my neighbours yard, the city doesn't come tell them to change it cause I don't like it. If the neighbour is unhappy with how MY fence looks, they are more than welcome to put up their own on their own property! So no the neighbour does not "have a right to have a fence facing their property kept up". It's not their property to decide what gets done with it! The homeowner could choose to just tear down the fence and leave it open if they want. Personally I'd rather have a dirty fence then no fence!  
My neighbour is an a**, not everyone has good neighbours too. And just cause someone has money and time for painting at the moment, doesn't mean other does.  
The neighbor has to ask before painting. And they can't just paint it whatever colour they want either, as it's not their property.  
Just my opinion!

well here''s what the fence looks like , all cedartone , 1x6 6 , between 150 ft - 200 ft  
well taken care of , she started painting it dark brown , and she is making a mess on my side with the paint dripping , love some of your answers , some not.  
 
Edited by goldfish, 2017-08-12 22:11:17

Unless they paid for half or on their property line can't touch it. I would be calling bylaw on them.

goldfish said "well here''s what the fence looks like , all cedartone , 1x6 6 , between 150 ft - 200 ft   well taken care of , she started painting it dark brown , and she is making a mess on my side with the paint dripping , love some of your answers , some not.     Edited by goldfish, 2017-08-12 22:11:17"

ya id be saying something ASAP, she needs to fix it.......why she would even think she could paint your fence IDK ,,crazy

traveller said "    maxster said "None of us know what the fence looks like.   Might have been a expensive fence and someone decided to paint it we don't know. All the op asked if can or not without asking.     The answer is simple, they need permission like it or not. " yup, for all we know its a nice new cedar fence that the neighbor decided they wanted pink or something. Paint will leak through the sides as they paint and make the unpainted side look like crap, plus then to upkeep it the owner would be responsible for repainting it, especially if the neighbor moves, personally id be pissed off and be telling the neighbor so, but the owner could rightfully call the cops... "

Lol....calling the cops?

Kellye said "    traveller said "    maxster said "None of us know what the fence looks like.   Might have been a expensive fence and someone decided to paint it we don't know. All the op asked if can or not without asking.     The answer is simple, they need permission like it or not. " yup, for all we know its a nice new cedar fence that the neighbor decided they wanted pink or something. Paint will leak through the sides as they paint and make the unpainted side look like crap, plus then to upkeep it the owner would be responsible for repainting it, especially if the neighbor moves, personally id be pissed off and be telling the neighbor so, but the owner could rightfully call the cops... " Lol....calling the cops? "

What is funny? That would be vandalism would it not? What if your neighbor next door didn't like the color of your house facing theirs? Can they paint your house? What is the difference between that and a fence? It is still an item of ownership not by them. It would probably be a different situation if the painting party approached the fence owner and asked beforehand. Try painting one side of a fence without it running around the boards and dripping on the other side. It will look like crap on the non painted side. If someone started painting my cedar fence there would be a war happening.

Did you build the fence completely on your land? If it is inside your property and you have left enough room between the property line and your fence for you to do maintenance on both sides without entering your neighbors property, it’s your fence.  
If you built the fence on the line or encroaching on your neighbors, you have a shared fence.  
 
Instead of crying on eBrandon, you should go out and explain your issues in an honest and sincere manner, The neighbors may actually be interested in your point of view.  
 
Edited by loeog, 2017-08-13 11:33:54

Fishin Guy said "    Kellye said "    traveller said "    maxster said "None of us know what the fence looks like.   Might have been a expensive fence and someone decided to paint it we don't know. All the op asked if can or not without asking.     The answer is simple, they need permission like it or not. " yup, for all we know its a nice new cedar fence that the neighbor decided they wanted pink or something. Paint will leak through the sides as they paint and make the unpainted side look like crap, plus then to upkeep it the owner would be responsible for repainting it, especially if the neighbor moves, personally id be pissed off and be telling the neighbor so, but the owner could rightfully call the cops... " Lol....calling the cops? " What is funny? That would be vandalism would it not? What if your neighbor next door didn't like the color of your house facing theirs? Can they paint your house? What is the difference between that and a fence? It is still an item of ownership not by them. It would probably be a different situation if the painting party approached the fence owner and asked beforehand. Try painting one side of a fence without it running around the boards and dripping on the other side. It will look like crap on the non painted side. If someone started painting my cedar fence there would be a war happening. "

Yes, you call the cop shop and they will send out bylaw.  
 
From dealings we've had with bylaw though, good luck. Recording the conversation is a good idea so it doesn't end up a "he said/she said" situation.  
 
People/neighbours/companies have minimal consideration & respect these days for anyone else's property. Why the neighbour wouldn't discuss the painting with you first, SMH. I would be livid.  
 
Let us know what happens.

It is amazing that how some people make a fight out of a simple problem that might be solved by just nicely talking to their neighbour. More amazing is that some other people’s only solution is involving cops which at the end do not do anything other than making two neighbours hate each other.  
Talk to your neighbour first and find out why she did not asked you about painting first.  
 
Edited by Deb1, 2017-08-13 12:28:41

Really should have just talked to her as soon as you noticed. Does she know the fence is on your property? Look at it from her point of view, maybe she thinks she is doing you a favour. Unless there is a potential for violence your best option is just talking to people!

I would go and talk to the neighbor and explain your concerns and see what they say. They might be very reasonable. It might just me a misunderstanding.  
 
As for the cops getting involved, theirs nothing they can and will do. They will get both sides of the story and then say it's a civil matter and ask why your wasting their time. Same goes for bylaw. I had a similar situation with a fence where a neighbor was tearing it down but it was on my property and I had to get a $500 land survey to prove the fence was on my property and when I contacted bylaw they told me it's a civil matter.

Fishin Guy said "    Kellye said "    traveller said "    maxster said "None of us know what the fence looks like.   Might have been a expensive fence and someone decided to paint it we don't know. All the op asked if can or not without asking.     The answer is simple, they need permission like it or not. " yup, for all we know its a nice new cedar fence that the neighbor decided they wanted pink or something. Paint will leak through the sides as they paint and make the unpainted side look like crap, plus then to upkeep it the owner would be responsible for repainting it, especially if the neighbor moves, personally id be pissed off and be telling the neighbor so, but the owner could rightfully call the cops... " Lol....calling the cops? " What is funny? That would be vandalism would it not? What if your neighbor next door didn't like the color of your house facing theirs? Can they paint your house? What is the difference between that and a fence? It is still an item of ownership not by them. It would probably be a different situation if the painting party approached the fence owner and asked beforehand. Try painting one side of a fence without it running around the boards and dripping on the other side. It will look like crap on the non painted side. If someone started painting my cedar fence there would be a war happening. "

Calling the cop shop because a neighbor is painting the fence inside their yard which they may believe to belong to them and are just wanting to beautify for their backyard pleasure is not a progressive move in my opinion.  
 
Free up the cops and our taxpayers money to be sure they have the resources to go after more important things like  
Illegal guns, car accidents, drug deals, car thefts, domestic violence or stealing little kids and adult bicycles, property theft, and dealing with small time losers rather than call the cops about painting the inside of a fence.  
Im sure the cops aren't going to be rushing to the scene of random inside fence painting.  
 
Talk with your neighbours over the fence and pitch in or ask what is happening and you can probably meet a new friend and agree on something as a collaborative effort.  
 
Edited by Kellye, 2017-08-13 13:55:22

the house on the other side of the fence is vacant  
the lady who owns it does not live there , she shows up every once in a while , did not show up today (sunday) would like to ask her a few questions , it's a run down old house , which needs to be torn down , i think the only thing living in the house are mice  
the town had to get after here to cut the grass , she is very miserable , we have the town get after her about certain issues in the past , she started painting the fence when I was not home  
will go the town monday morning to see what can be done.

love of gawd....do not call the police. This is a civil issue and they will tell you the same!

lmao...did everyone miss the fact that i said id be talking to the neighbor ie...."telling the neighbor i was pissed off" [i] personally id be pissed off and be telling the neighbor so, but the owner could rightfully call the cops... "[/i]  
 
but i honestly think its a load of crap that when someone is destroying your property (after you have discussed the matter) that the police are not the people you would go to if they do not stop, imo that is, or should be, part of their job, sure not a top priority but my thoughts are this is vandalism and should be something they deal with, they deal with noise complaints after all

If I put up a cedar fence on my property and the neighbor started painting it!

Unfortunately no one really wants to get involved with what they call a "civil issue". I would be very pleasantly surprised if the Town will do anything. Perhaps if you have a survey certificate or pins clearly showing it is on your property the building inspector might help (I'm assuming this is not Brandon as you refer to the "Town").  
Please keep us updated, will be interested to see how it turns out.  
p.s. why on earth would this person who does not bother to cut the grass and doesn't live there want to paint the fence? Makes you wonder......  
By the way, I'd be pretty p.o.'d too.

I would be completely livid. I don't understand some of the responses here. If someone decided to come and spray paint your house or car would it be ok? The fact is the person painting the fence is defacing it. It's not on her property, she didn't pay for it, she can't touch it. Yes I would call the cops. Someone is defacing someone else's property, just because it's a fence doesn't make that insignificant. For those that think what she is doing is ok, where do you draw the line? Pretty simple rule to live by: if it's not yours don't touch it.

Never_give_up said "I would be completely livid. I don't understand some of the responses here. If someone decided to come and spray paint your house or car would it be ok? The fact is the person painting the fence is defacing it. It's not on her property, she didn't pay for it, she can't touch it. Yes I would call the cops. Someone is defacing someone else's property, just because it's a fence doesn't make that insignificant. For those that think what she is doing is ok, where do you draw the line? Pretty simple rule to live by: if it's not yours don't touch it. "

What we don’t know is if the fence is completely inside of the property line, can the builder of the fence service both sides without crossing onto the neighbors property.  
If the fence is right on the property line, the fence is shared property. Call the cops or be pissed, it’s shared property.  
 
Personally, I have a shared fence and I’d be pissed if my neighbor entered my yard and started painting my side of the fence pink just like they’d be pissed if I went into their yard and painted their side another colour.  
 
Edited by loeog, 2017-08-14 10:45:02

We built a new fence out of pressure treated wood - the neighbour painted the side facing is house baby blue. I was not happy but I decided to just let it go...after all, we didn't have to look at it. And I wanted to maintain a decent relationship with the neighbour. It takes all kinds.

What if your neighbor who built his or her fence decided to paint the fence facing your property with a Color that annoys you? What would you feel? Or would you allow her?

Does no one read? The OP stated the fence is on his side of the property line.  
 
If the fence is entirely on the owners property-not right on the line-then the neighbor has absolutely no right to paint it.  
 
Funny how people say suck it up and let the neighbor paint it but I bet those people would sing a different song if this were their fence being painted.