The Good
Assuming you have a good relationship with your neighbour and they have given you permission to access their property, of course. Always try to ensure that you don’t cause any damage to their property while you’re on it. Also, you should try to keep the amount of time that you spend on their property to a minimum in order to not disrupt their daily routine or cause any inconvenience.
The Bad
A bad relationship with the neighbours complicates matters substantially: if you’re on their property without their permission it’s trespassing. As always, the more communication the better. Try to convince them it’s in their best interest as well to have the fence properly maintained. If they won’t budge you can try the Line Fences Act.
The Act
The Ontario Line Fences Act provides a dispute resolution mechanism for owners of adjoining properties. You can read more about it here. Briefly, the municipality will assign “fence-viewers” to come out, assess the situation, and make a ruling to resolve the dispute.
Neighbours can be challenging.
An ounce of prevention
If you know there are storm clouds on your neighbourly horizons the best option is to plan ahead: get a maintenance-free vinyl fence. It will look great for years to come without any of the hassle routine maintenance often brings.
More questions?
If you have more questions about neighbours or other issues we’re happy to answer them. Call 613-736-1122 or hit the chat button on the right during business hours.
