I live in an average, middle America neighborhood. I had a privacy fence built around my backyard about 4 years ago. Before I built it, the old privacy fence between my backyard and the neighbor's backyard had rotted and fell down. My neighbor offered to pay for half of her side of the fence if I would build a new fence around my backyard because she wanted a new fence too...

Of course, when I had the fence built (cedar, 6' tall, about $4k total start to finish) she suddenly forgot all about offering to pay for half of her side. When I mentioned it to her, she made all sorts of excuses, (" just started new job, can't really afford it, will catch up to you later on it..."ad nauseum) I should also mention that she makes about $100k a year as a salesman and lives alone with zero dependents. Anyway, I let it slide and nothing more was said about it. Meanwhile, she has a new wood privacy fence built on the other side of her property and uses her neighbor's fence across the back of her property line to completely fence in her backyard. Pretty sweet deal for her, all she had to do was build a fence along one side of her property and mooch off of her nextdoor neighbor (me) and backyard neighbor (unknown) and she has a complete fence for 1/3rd of the cost.

ANYHOO...Now, there is a "For Sale" sign in the yard in front of her house and, you guessed it, she is advertising the NEW FENCE around the property. Should I get a lien against the property? Do I have a legal leg to stand on? I don't think that I will have any recourse against the new owner so I had better move now if I have any recourse at all.

Let her go and hope for more neighborly neighbors.

Bag that beaaaoch , never let it go. She knew what she was doing.

You could tear down YOUR fence because "the cedar really didn't add to the theme of my yard"  and "I'm thinking of going vinyl in the future but tore the fence down now before winter gets here."

Quoted: You could tear down YOUR fence because "the cedar really didn't add to the theme of my yard"  and "I'm thinking of going vinyl in the future but tore the fence down now before winter gets here."

Ding! Ding!! I suggest a purple tone prior to demo however.

Stop mowing your lawn.

Hang laundry over the fence like a clothesline, especially really large, stained white briefs.

Have your friends help you run all-day shifts of drinking and playing loud rap music in the yard.

Buy a couple of cheap junk cars and park them in the yard, on blocks, without wheels.

Hang a large nazi flag in the yard in full view of the neighbor's house.


When the potential buyers run screaming from their walk-through, she may be more amenable to a settlement.

Check your state's fence law, she might be required to pay for 50% of the cost, like it or not.  In Missouri, unless there has been a change I don't know about, the fence law only applies to property with livestock, which gives me an idea - I'm pretty sure you need to start a chicken ranch in your back yard!

Quoted: I should also mention that she makes about $100k a year as a salesman and lives alone with zero dependents. ANYHOO...Now, there is a "For Sale" sign in the yard in front of her house and, you guessed it, she is advertising the NEW FENCE around the property. Should I get a lien against the property? Do I have a legal leg to stand on? I don't think that I will have any recourse against the new owner so I had better move now if I have any recourse at all.

Is she hot salewoman? They usually are at that price range. Maybe you should come over for fair and just compensation.

Quoted: Quoted: I should also mention that she makes about $100k a year as a salesman and lives alone with zero dependents. ANYHOO...Now, there is a "For Sale" sign in the yard in front of her house and, you guessed it, she is advertising the NEW FENCE around the property. Should I get a lien against the property? Do I have a legal leg to stand on? I don't think that I will have any recourse against the new owner so I had better move now if I have any recourse at all. Is she hot salewoman? They usually are at that price range. Maybe you should come over for fair and just compensation.

No, she's mid 50's and homely as well as being an uber-bitch. I have a pretty good idea why her husband left her. (That's all she talks about, how rough it is since her husband left...)

My advice is:
You'd best see a local lawyer who is familiar with the law in your locality. Even within a state, this sort of thing can vary wildly.

The armchair quarterback in me says:
I don't see why you shouldn't be entitled to take down the entire fence or any portion thereof if you so choose. After all, you purchased all the materials and provided all the labor. As long as you did nothing that would suggest that you intended a gift, it is still your fence.