Q & A Table of Contents
Who Should Pay For The Gate?
From: Kim, Tacoma, Washington, USA
Question: We built a fence around our yard two years ago. Our neighbor at the time did not want it and did not split the cost. Now a new neighbor has moved in. She put up a fence on the other side and split the cost of that with the other neighbors.
She put up a gate on our side last night (hooking up to our fence on our property) without saying a word to us. Is she obligated to split our cost with us? Not sure how to approach it without hurting the "neighborly" relationship. Although... she has jeopardized it by putting up the gate anyhow.
Response: If your new neighbor attached a gate to your fence without discussing it with you, and if this action cost you money, you have every reason to ask for a reimbursement from her. However, your interest in maintaining a neighborly relationship has to be measured against the financial impact this has on you.
You need to weigh your priorities; if the money is a burdensome issue and if you don't place much value on the relationship, perhaps it is not unreasonable to approach the new neighbor with those priorities in mind. If the relationship outweighs the money, you should make it clear first of all to yourself and secondly to your neighbor(s) that you are prepared to absorb the financial cost in the interests of being good neighbors.
Either way, it is crucial for you to enter into some kind of discussion with the neighbor. A conversation based on the relationship priority should focus on the benefits derived from a good fence with a good gate - thinking of Robert Frost's famous line, 'good fences make good neighbors.' If money is the priority, you should think of the consequences of the various approaches you might take - and how this could play out in terms of your relationships with other neighbors. You may want to talk with neighbors with whom she cooperated in the fence-building to learn more about how the new neighbor approached the financial and other issues. What comments did she have about your fence - did it motivate her to build her own fence to upgrade the look of the area? was her fence erected to give her privacy from other neighbors - or you? how did she deal with neighbors who were reluctant to contribute to her fence's construction? who is responsible for fence maintenance hereafter?
Look at the issues from as many angles as possible, keeping in mind that there are many stakeholders and that each of them may have varying interests and priorities as they express their opinions - or took action regarding the fence.
You may want to have a 'good fences make good neighbors' party to celebrate that folks are cooperating to improve your surroundings - and give leadership roles to neighbors whose egos need a boost.
Don't view fences or additions to them as a negative; they can give people a sense of comfort and shared benefits if the issue is handled properly.
Good luck,
Steve
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