Piling dirt against a neighbor’s fence is one of the many disputes neighbors get to solve. Your neighbor collecting dirt against your fence causes bad blood between you and may also lead to a legal battle. If your neighbor is piling dirt against your fence, you may be wondering whether you can take legal action against them.
Your neighbor dumping dirt against your fence is illegal as every municipality has the right designated areas to dump the dirt. Even though these laws can differ from one county/municipality to the other, having the dirt by your fence is an offense, and it’s like invading your neighbor’s property.
If you’ve issues with your neighbor because of the fence, this article will help you with the best ways to solve this.
How To Protect Fence from Damage or Bowing?
When your neighbor piles dirt against your fence for long, it will start bowing. However, the other damages are rusting or corrosion if your fence is metallic.
A bowing fence mostly happens if it’s wooden boards or poles. When the wooden panels absorb water from the dirt, they start warping. This is because when they absorb the moisture, they grow in size, but after the water evaporates, they shrink, making them start bowing.
Additionally, the pilled dirt will affect the bond between the soil and the fence. This will create a gap between the soil and the fence, making it start bowing.
However, there are ways you can use to avoid all of these.
Installing the Right Fencing Materials
If you realize your fence is bowing, consider changing the materials. For example, if you like wooden fences, consider replacing the old ones with the types that absorb less water. You can go for cedar, which helps repel pests and is thicker. Redwood is also another option that hardly warps.
When you opt for wooden fencing materials that hardly absorb moisture, you will not suffer much if your neighbor dumps the dirt around it. You may only be affected by the foul smell, if any but the humidity on the dirt won’t jeopardize your fence, making it serve you for long.
Consider Using Treated Wood for Your Fence
Another better way to avoid your fence from damage is by treating it. Go for treated wooden fencing materials that will not rot when it comes into contact with dirt from your neighbors. Treated wood undergoes an intensive preservative treatment that protects it from rotting. The pressure-treated wood won’t start bowing, seeing it overcome the challenge.
Paint Or Apply Protective Material to The Fence
If you’ve got a metallic fence, you don’t want it to get damaged after your neighbor damps dirt against it. Consider painting it. The painting will prevent rusting after the moisture gets into contact with your gate. It will also help cover any stains or cracks left by the dirt. Choose a color that you’ll love and matches the current paint.
Applying protective material is also another alternative for your metallic fence. After removing the dirt from your fence, you can do epoxy enamel, silicon products, or powder coating.
Restructure The Base of The Fence
You can also restructure the base of your fence to prevent it from being damaged. If your neighbor piles dirt against your fence chances of the base becoming weak is high, especially if it’s habitual piling. After the base becomes weak, the fence will start bowing, and if you don’t take quick action, it might collapse.
You can reinstall the posts with the help of an expert to have them last longer. But changing the base material your fence is made of can also help.
Can My Neighbor Attach Things on My Fence?
No. If you’re the legal owner of the fence and you’ve no agreement with the neighbor that permits them to attach anything to your fence, then that’s an illegal action. However, if your neighbor approaches you and you consent to that, they can freely stick something on the agreed part.
You should let them know you’re the legal owner of the fence, and you can ask them to remove the things anytime you feel like it. But if it’s a shared fence, your neighbor has the right to attach something to the wall as long as it can’t destroy it.
How To Stop Your Neighbor from Piling Dirt Against Your Fence?
If your neighbor piles dirt against your fence near the house, it can be a health hazard. Some dirt can also find its way into your compound, making it untidy. To stop all these, you should;
Talk To the Neighbor
The most reasonable way to get the dirt away from your compound is to hold a talk with the neighbor. Politely request that they dump the dirt right away from your fence.
However, if the neighbor seems rude or the talks become heated, consider bringing in a mediator. You should be ready to pay for such services. But it helps prevent grudges between neighbors.
Call The Police
When you can’t get to an agreement, the police can come in handy. This is if you haven’t had any confrontations with the neighbor, which can complicate the issue. The police can even involve the relevant authorities to help solve the matter.
Bottom Line
Your neighbor piling dirt against your fence is unacceptable, even if it’s a shared fence. Look for the best ways to solve the issue. Also, work on how to prevent the fence from being damaged or bowing.
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