property line fence

[rockbone]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? ky.bought a property 7 years ago in ky that was just raw land.i am a horse farmer and wanted to put up some new fencing so i talked to both my neighbours on either side if they would split the cost of the new fence and they both said yes...nothing in writing..anyway i put the fence on the property line and it looked great.after sending a bill with the fencing breakdown ..one neighbour paid me but the other never did..sent a second bill and same result. they had no livestock so i kind of just left it alone but 2 days ago they put cattle on their side so we now share the fence. i rang them today to remind them of the fence plan years ago and asked if they would now like to make a contribution but got a resounding NO...they have electric fence tied into the board fencing at the top of their side.i did not include the painting of the fence or the faceboards in the original billing just to be fair to them or so i thought. any advise???

 

[FarmerJ]

Are you 100 % certain this fence you installed is right on the lot line ? or is it just a couple inches to your side of the lot line ?

 

[rockbone]

99% sure it was on the property line...it was staked off so we ran it right to that point

 

[Zigner]

Your verbal agreement happened 7 years ago?

Statute of limitations on oral contracts in your state is 5 years.

You have no legal remedy to recover their portion of the cost of installing the fence.

 

[rockbone]

not so much the money...but the fact the guy went back on his word and now has cattle with a lovely fence to keep them in for free

 

[Zigner]

not so much the money...but the fact the guy went back on his word and now has cattle with a lovely fence to keep them in for free

If you're upset that the guy now has a lovely fence to keep them in for free, then it IS about the money.

It was fine with you for 7 years...it's too late (legally speaking) to change your mind.

 

[TheGeekess]

not so much the money...but the fact the guy went back on his word and now has cattle with a lovely fence to keep them in for free

So, take the fence down and he'll have to put one up to keep his cattle in place.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? ky.bought a property 7 years ago in ky that was just raw land.i am a horse farmer and wanted to put up some new fencing so i talked to both my neighbours on either side if they would split the cost of the new fence and they both said yes...nothing in writing..anyway i put the fence on the property line and it looked great.after sending a bill with the fencing breakdown ..one neighbour paid me but the other never did..sent a second bill and same result. they had no livestock so i kind of just left it alone but 2 days ago they put cattle on their side so we now share the fence. i rang them today to remind them of the fence plan years ago and asked if they would now like to make a contribution but got a resounding NO...they have electric fence tied into the board fencing at the top of their side.i did not include the painting of the fence or the faceboards in the original billing just to be fair to them or so i thought. any advise???

Since you didn't get a written contract with your neighbors about the original fence the only thing that you MIGHT be able to do is to force them to remove their electric fence tie to your fence...and I suspect that it would be way cheaper for them to install posts of their own to hold their electric fence than to pay you for a share of the fence you installed.

Of course, you would have every right to move your horses to another part of your land and allow your fence to go into disrepair, so that it no longer held their cattle, and then it would be their problem to install their own fence, but that would likely be a fairly extreme thing to do.

 

[rockbone]

yes ,,i had asked them to do that also but they wont do that either....as to the other response cant understand why you would take down the fence!!

 

[Zigner]

....as to the other response cant understand why you would take down the fence!!

It's the principal of it...

 

[rockbone]

how do you mean...the principal of it..zinger???

 

[Zigner]

how do you mean...the principal of it..zinger???

Is this about the money or about the fence?

 

[rockbone]

thats what i thought zimmer...just asking for advise ..luckily dont need the money but would like the neighbour make some sacrifice

 

[Ozark_Sophist]

You have probably had bad advice from others. Most states have fence laws involving livestock and cost splitting.
Look up your state fencing laws. Your neighbor owes half the cost of a fence. Exactly how much depends on your state laws on fencing (as to what kind of fence).

 

[Ozark_Sophist]

KRS Chapter 256.