A COUPLE has told of how they got payback after their “Karen” neighbour allegedly built a fence on their property.
The UK-based pair say they even gave next door a deadline on when the structure had to be gone – but they say the neighbour never did anything about it.
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So the couple ended up building a taller, nicer fence to block out neighbour’s one – which they said was “dilapidated and hazardous”.
Sharing their battle to TikTok, the family said: “Problem – neighbour’s fence on our land.
“We gave ‘Karen’ 24 days written notice to remove her fence from our land.
“‘Karen’ did nothing, (so) the hubby took back our land and built a new two-metre fence.
“Looks good. Total cost for materials £400.
“Neighbour disputes fall under civil matters.”
She also wrote: “Dear Karen neighbour, please remove your dilapidated and hazardous fence.”
It’s not unusual for people to run into issues with their neighbours.
A mum was recently left shocked after what she dubbed her “ultimate Karen” neighbours supposedly pretended to be her to cut down her tree.
Jody Brown could not believe what she was seeing when workers unexpectedly turned up to her house to begin the work in her front garden.
Elsewhere, another person – dubbed “Karen” – called police after her fed-up neighbour put up a privacy screen to stop her looking into other people’s gardens.
A showdown was captured on video after the woman allegedly threw nails into next door’s yard, hacked down branches and tried to tear down the new fence.
Meanwhile, here is what you can do if your neighbour wants to take your fence down to accommodate their extension.
Also, we explain whether you are eligible for compensation if your neighbour’s “for sale” sign broke your fence.
Garden plants can also cause conflicts, we round up your legal rights if your neighbour’s hedge is taking over your garden.
What are my rights in this situation?
Chun Wong, head of the dispute resolution team at Hodge Jones and Allen solicitors, shared his tips on how to deal with such situations.
He said the homeowner would first need to be clear that the fence has in fact been built on their land.
Boundary lines vary on a case by case basis – it’s not always true that your boundary is on a particular side of your property.
Chun said finding the boundary of your property should be the first step.
If you are sure that the fence was built on your land after checking the boundary lines, you can speak to your neighbour and ask them to reposition the fence in the correct place.
He said people often ask if they can remove the fence.
As any encroachment on land belonging to you can be considered trespassing, your neighbour is likely to be in the wrong here.
Chun said: “If the fence has definitely been built on your land, then this is a likely to be a trespass.
“You can either ask the neighbour to remove this within a reasonable period of time or warn them that you would take action to remove the fence.”
If your neighbour fails to act, you could take court action against them but that is likely to be costly and stressful.
