I am legally responsible for "ALL" my boundary fences - according to the deeds and the fences will never blow down - they are held up by slots in heavy concrete posts

I am sorry - but if some of my blue creosote leeches through the fence to my neighbours otherwise pristine garden (he is to gardens as Hyacinth Bouquet is to tidy Houses) - there is nothing that I can do about it....

Twee

What I think you should do is make a point of how neighbours should behave.

Speak to your neighbour to tell them you are painting your side of the fence in blue and ask it is ok to come around to wipe away any excess drips over to their side. And then as a casual remark, mention that the last time, they sprayed their fence brown, overspray had gone on to your conservatory. A bit of co-operation between neighbours might be handy to stop this accidental damage occuring again.

I own a boundary fence with a neighbour and was very careful with spraying using a brush to areas where overspray might affect the neighbour property. I also used a similar colour so any drip through would not look unsightly. I have found that if you can have ok relations with neighbours it makes life easier. My fence was blown down and my neighbour helped put it back up, picking up some materials for me, which I paid for.

Brewerdave1

You only have a general duty of care to maintain the fence, so that it does not endanger your neighbour in anyway. How unsightly a fence may be, is down to person preference. A few bits missing, may add a 'shabby chic' style to the garden. If I were you, I would just repair the fence and if they say anything, just say sorry this is all that I could afford.

Huckster

Interesting point Twee - why did you agree to replace boundary fence with an expensive type? Did your neighbours contribute financially?

I have a similar problem - about 10 years ago my then neighbours asked whether I minded if they replaced the existing "cheap and nasty" 4 ft high panels with a close boarded 2 m fence because they had a large dog. I said I had no objection as long as they were paying for it!

Now, the new neighbours are not happy and have asked me to replace the fencing as it is damaged in a few places. I have agreed that it is my responsibility but am only willing to repair the existing (a case of a few boards and some nails) particularly as there now is a conifer hedge screening us from the fence.They are looking for a complete replacement as they argue the existing is "unsightly" - I wonder what the legal position is ??

We have a problem with our next door neighbour - an elderly couple who decided to Cuprinol our fence - I need to explain - We live in a semi and are responsible for (and recently replaced) the wooden boundry fence between our properties - not with a cheap and nasty Waney type - but an expensive arched top ones (as requested by our neighbour to match his other 3 sides) - anyway - we came home about 3 months ago that our neighbour had sprayed (just) his side (unbelievably by trespassing on our property to lift the panels out of the slots in the concrete posts) with brown creosote to match his other 3 sides - this had "bled" through to our side and also "overspray" had gone over our white UPVC conservatory (10 feet from the fence) - this was hard to remove but most has now been removed......

We have decided to paint OUR fence panels (by brush) a BLUE tint of Cuprinol so if any bleeds through - our neighbour will not be very happy - I say "TOUGH"