Since I'm going through this scenario at the moment I thought I'd share it with you all.. a) to get it off my chest and b) so you can all learn the joy of fences

The boundary fence with one of our neighbours is, for want of a better word, knackered. It's rotten and so are the palings etc, so it can't even be patched or repaired.

Next door is rented.

I called the managing agents and explained that the fence desperately needs repairing and that I believe both parties are to contribute 50%. She agrees and instructions her handyman to quote, and I too go ahead and get a couple of quotes - one for $3640 and one for $4100. (quote is for approx 40m of new fencing - removing and disposing of current fence, removal of a 30ft poplar tree and putting in new fence etc.)

I then have to ring her every other day for 4 weeks to chase her quote.



She then calls me to say the landlord hasn't been contactable (he lives in the USA) and wasn't returning her calls. I then told her that, as my hubby was a lawyer ( ) she could expect a Fencing Notice to be served on the property under the 1978 Fencing Act!

She called the next day and agreed the $3640 quote

If you share a fence with another property, and that fence requires repair and/or replacing, your neighbour must pay 50% of the costs. But don't start any work before a written agreement has been put in place, once you do work on it before an agreement, you can't claim it back.

Well, I hope that helps someone! In 2 weeks we'll have a brand new fence..