Who is responsible for the expense of a new fence?

October 28, 2008 · Francis G. Bautista

Who is responsible for the expense of a new fence? It can be negotiated between the buyer and seller at the time of sale. If you’ve owned your home and your fence needs to be completely redone, it could be discussed between neighbors and each could contribute if they want a finished look on their visible side. Though it may be the responsibility of each owner to contribute to the cost of a fence, neighbors are not always willing to contribute to that responsibility. When we bought our house it had a fence that was partially functional. By partially, I mean that the very back section of the fence was new and sections of the side fence were “original” (kind for dilapidated.On a personal note, we recently had a scare that has a bit to do with the importance of a fence. Our dog was attacked by a stray cat. Our daughter was doing what she does most evenings….take our dog ”Raisin” out for his evening duty. When suddenly we heard loud screaming from below. My husband and I ran downstairs faster than we thought possible were I found our daughter crying and my husband ran down the bottom of the terraced backyard to fetch our Raisin from the very bottom of the property. The stray entered our property through the bottom of the dilapidated fence. Ruffled up and covered in blood, we took Raisin inside and called the hospital. We then took him to the emergency room where he stayed for a few hours. When we picked him up that evening, he was sedated and shaved at numerous spots on his coat where the stray had his way with our Raisin. His lip was busted and his lower tooth was knocked out. Well, not exactly….it got loose I imagine from all the wrestling and the vet had to pull it out…hence sedated. This is a testament to the importance of a FENCE….