assclown neighbours ruining our fence

we live in a midterraced house. one set of neighbours we get on just fine with. the other set are dipsticks. they're a middle-aged fat guy, his loudmouthed girlfriend and, a few days a week, his obnoxious little boy. there is an old couple that comes by several times a week to do yardwork, laundry, take out the garbage, etc. we think these are fat guy's parents.

we've had several issues with the dipsticks. when our wee one was a tiny, colicky baby, they pounded on the walls one night as she was crying (wasn't even 9pm yet). also, their kid can't seem to keep his footballs in his own yard, and we caught fat guy lifting him over our fence into to ours to retrieve them. we called them out on this one and it hasn't happened again.

this morning i went into the back yard to take some laundry out and noticed that fat guy's dad was painting their side of the fence--and the paint was running right through the slabs and streaking down onto our side of the fence, even hitting the concrete blocks below the fencing. i called across the fence and told him what was happening and all he said was, "it is bad? it's not gonna hurt anything." excuse me? my backyard now looks like hillbilly heaven!

we're waiting for the dipsticks to come home so that we can confront them and ask them to take care of it somehow, but i'm expecting a full-blown battle. the least they could have done was to alert us to the fact that they intended to paint the fence--which, by the bye, is the side that belongs to us and we're responsible for if, say the wind knocks it down.

what recourse do we have if they're not cooperative?  

Do you rent or own? Does CAB have any info on neighbour disputes I wonder?

Most councils will have a mediation service for exactly this type of thing.  Check out your council. 

Man, your neighbours do suck. I would be pissed about that, too. Also, I love how you called them assclowns. 

I'd suggest a flaming bag of poop, but it appears that one has already exploded all over that fence. 

Ass clowns indeed!!!!

I'd suggest a flaming bag of poop, but it appears that one has already exploded all over that fence. 

But so fitting, given that they're assclowns.   

But DAY-um.  I'd be all kinds of pissed off about that.  What total jerks.  I really hope there's some sort of mediation available, because WTF else do you do about that.  Argh.  That sucks.

So Nik, what happened when they got home?
Surely they can see what they've done if they come over and see it on your side!

The fence belongs to you they have damaged it you can report it to the council if they are council tents or just as they are causing a nausance and report them and you can also speak to the police criminal damage (though you may be told to talk to a solicitor for legal advice) it could be clased as civil.

But Iwould keep a log of all of the things happening and if it goes to court then you have dates ect and pics if any more damage is done and report it to the police so they have a record also, for an injunction.

I would seek legal advice to be honest, my mom is going through a similar thing with her neighbours.

Good luck it can be a nightmare sometimes, thank good ness our neighbours are good.

Sonya

they never came home! at least not while we were awake.

if the old guy comes back today to finish the fence, i intend to ask him what he plans to do about ruining ours.

i can feel the ugly american in me just itching to get out...


ETA: blamerhon, we own. these used to be council houses in the '30s-'40s, but most of them are now privately owned.

the old guy did come back today, so i went out and told him he needs to do something. he said he'd take some turpentine to our side of the fence. he wasn't happy about it, but he can bite me.

how long should i give it before i take further action?

I would give it a couple of weeks and then if nothing's been done send him a letter outlining the conversation you had with him and giving him a further 28 days to sort it out. Tell him if it's not cleaned off by then you will pay someone to do the job and send him the bill/pursue in small claims court if he doesn't pay.

I think you should just paint your side and let it drip down their freshly painted side.

I think you should just paint your side and let it drip down their freshly painted side.

This!!!!

I think you should just paint your side and let it drip down their freshly painted side.

Neon Pink!