Fencing and barbed wire - regulations/neighours?

[dandarez]

Just going to replace dilapadated 6ft high fencing at bottom of our garden. Other side of fence and neighbour (git!) is old boundary line of even more dilapadated 3ft high posts wire and barbed wire! Then about 2 foot to ruddy Leylandii row of trees 14ft high.

I would like to remove the tatty old (1950s?) barbed wire and shorter posts which are touching distance from the main 6ft fencing.

Should I just remove it? (what's the law with barbed wire?) To the right side (other neighbours) old wire fencing (no barbed wire was ever on this, so I assume 'git' put the barbed wire in place) it has all been removed (if you can follow that!).

Or should I just go and have a word and say what I'm going to do? He's a git imo as he chucks old bits and pieces up against the old (my) fence. Also, when we had an extension he refused the builders permission to put the base of just a single scaffold pipe on his land (ie a 6inch square base that would have been my side of the Leylandii trees - no mans land).

I'd prefer just to rip the old 6 ft fencing down without asking, but I don't want the old barbed wire fence touching my new fence (which it will do).

TIA for any suggestions.

Edited by dandarez on Friday 2nd April 12:30

[henrycrun]

Try and have a chat. I feel that it always puts peoples backs up, when neighbours just start doing stuff

[b2hbm]

henrycrun said:

Try and have a chat. I feel that it always puts peoples backs up, when neighbours just start doing stuff

Same here, there's nothing better for getting a feud going than arguing over a boundary.

I'm guessing your neighbour has lived there longer than you, and so will probably know exactly where the dividing boundary lies. These things are rarely marked with accuracy on your title deeds but there just might be a description if you're lucky. Assuming the barbed wire/old posts are in fact the original boundary between the plots, then they may be referred to as "joint ownership/maintenance" and thus you'd need his agreement to remove it.

Personally I'd just pop round and tell him you're replacing YOUR fence, not in the sense of "asking permission" just that there will be some noise from the installation and are there any particular times when it would be a major nuisance to him ?

That should get him on your side but if not, well, just go ahead and put the new fence as close to your boundary as possible.

[Wings]

+ Yes have a chat first, also barbed wire and other similar types of deterrents, should be at a height that is not going cause likely injuries, particularly to animals etc.

[dandarez]

Cheers guys. I'll do it that way.