My neighbour hates 8ft ‘mega fence’ for ‘blocking out light’ – but I don’t care, I paid thousands for it after dog row
TWO neighbours are locked in a bitter feud after one of them tore down their shared fence only to build an eight-foot ‘mega fence’, but they say they had good reason.
The residents of Brisbane, Australia, have both had their say after one neighbour wrote about it online, forcing the builder of the fence to defend themselves.
Taking to Reddit, one of the neighbours who posted under the name @MrsH_192 claimed that the “2.5m mega fence” is “impeding light into our home.”
The post included several pictures of the fence that runs between the two homes.
She described the new build as a “barricade” and added that it is incomplete as “they have not replaced the shorter fences in their yard” after building the fence “alone part of our fenceline.”
The images show the fresh wood alongside the older grey panels but this is only in the middle of the fence line and does not extend all the way and replace the old fence entirely.
The furious neighbour claims that there had been “no communication or notice to us” about the replacement of the 1.8m fence.
But, since the post was picked up by an Australian news site News.com.au, the neighbour who built the fence has been able to tell their side of the story.
She told the news outlet that after years of trying to discuss replacing the fence with her neighbour, the issue came to a head over Christmas.
“Over Christmas, the fence was falling down and I had to get someone in urgently,” she said.
“We spoke to council [and the] council said go ahead and build it, worry about the certification afterwards.”
She further claimed that tensions had been high between the two households due to arguments about her dogs and her neighbour’s piled-up rubbish.
On Reddit, the angry neighbour claimed that after “trying to speak very politely” to the builder of the fence, they “cited that they are doing this to ensure their dogs are contained.”
“We have had their dogs escape and attack us prior,” the neighbour claimed.
“The only reason for that high one was because her text messages and letters were about the dogs, but to be honest, it’s kind of nice not to have to look into their place,” the fence builder told the news outlet.
“It’s nice now, we’ve got the double panelling.”
She added that the new fence cost her 4,000 AUS (£2,000), a cost that she had not asked her neighbour to contribute to.
But the neighbour claimed on Reddit that they have asked for a stop to the build “until we can reach a mutual agreement and we would even consider contributing to the costs.”
They even took the issue to Brisbane City Council, though as the fence is of regulation height, there is nothing they can do, a spokesperson explained to News.com.au.
Council approval for the fence would have only been needed if the structure was “higher than two meters above the natural ground surface,” they explained.
But, the disgruntled neighbour could take the fence builder to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal which regulates fencing and helps resolve neighbour disputes.
However, fellow Reddit users warned that such a move could see her “asked to food half the cost of an appropriate new fence” while others questioned why she was so angry in the first place.
“Much more privacy for you and them, especially with your houses so close. Less dog worry as well. Plus they are paying for it. I don’t understand your problem,” one commenter wrote.
“As for the light issue, the pic you showed still has light into your house.
“The old fence looked awful and now you have a new one. Without you paying! Quit whinging and embrace it.”
“Not going to lie, the new fence looks better, offers more privacy and is free. I’d be counting my lucky stars,” a second added.
Meanwhile, a third questioned if there was “more to the story.”
“Seems there’s a lot more at play here than being let on,” they wrote.
The Sun has reached out to the Reddit user for comment.
Fencelines are often a cause of major disputes between neighbours.
The Sun previously reported that one woman was left fuming after she found out her neighbours had been using her home and garden as their own before she moved in.
They had removed a fence panel to give their children access to her garden whenever they pleased.
Others are arguing after one set of neighbours hacked into the fence to erect a revenge fence.