Lock your dog up for fuck's sakes.

[Candyman74]

@Kimstu

Then yup, if it’s legally required for them to have a fence they should damn well reach into their pocket and pay for a fence. Keep the “Deadbeat Assholes” sign just as it is, in that case.

I gotta say, aside from the dog issue, it is unpleasant having that chicken wire thing there. It makes the whole back garden look ugly and unappealing. I’d much rather there be a nice attractive wooden fence there, even if I had no dog. But no way can I afford to buy them one - we replaced the one on the right side (our one) and it cost about a grand in total.

The chicken wire cost £0 and two hours’ work (a friend happily gave us the wire and posts).

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

@Candyman74

The American spelling is more common these days, even here. I usually write ass rather than arse.

For shame!

[Mom-of-Andrew]

@Kimstu

My only beef with your behavior is that I think your sign ought to say “Vicious Dog-Endangering Assholes” rather than “Deadbeat Assholes”.

@Kimstu

Then yup, if it’s legally required for them to have a fence they should damn well reach into their pocket and pay for a fence. Keep the “Deadbeat Assholes” sign just as it is, in that case.

This need not be an either/or situation. Surely a chicken wire monstrosity is large enough to support two signs?

[Kimstu]

@Mom-of-Andrew

This need not be an either/or situation. Surely a chicken wire monstrosity is large enough to support two signs?

Excellent point!

[BlinkingDuck]

@Kimstu

But look at all the “neighbour” and “favour” spellings (which my American spellcheck is now thoughtfully underlining in red for me :rolleyes: ). I think it’s legit.

And to be fair, although Candyman’s neighbors are definitely well in the running for the Asshole of the Century Prize, strictly speaking it is a dog-owner’s responsibility to ensure that their dog stays off other people’s property, irrespective of whether that property is fenced or not.

It was totally mean of the neighbors to react to the dog’s trespassing by leaving their gate open to entice it out into traffic, no question. However, I think they would have been well within their rights to politely and sympathetically tell Candyman the following:

1. We have no intention or desire to replace our fence just now because we have higher priorities for our home-improvement budget.

2. We must nonetheless insist that you keep your dog off our property at all times. It is your responsibility as dog-owners to keep your dog from straying onto other people’s property, whether or not they fence it.

I found myself thinking that as reading the story. I sympathise with Candyman and the neighbors are real assholes…

but they really don’t need to put up a fence. It looked like they were saving money for other home improvements and really didn’t want to put up a fence. They also probably didn’t want the dog on their property.

They may be assholes, but they were still right.

Leaving the gate open is real assholeish but is something I could see myself do IF I insisted the dog not go on my property and my neighbor insisted I had to build a fence and refused to control the dog. However, I would at least WARN the neighbor that I was removing my gate to the street. Basically inform neighbor that gate was being removed and that they should take precautions with their dog. This action might be the only thing they can do to conteract a stubborn neighbor.

It would be interesting to hear the neighbors side on this.

[Lynn_Bodoni]

If I’m reading the situation right, the neighbors are obliged by tradition and possibly by law to maintain a certain portion of their fence. Yeah, they might not WANT to spend the money on maintaining the fence. However, sometimes you have to spend money on necessities, rather than on the things you really want.

[miss_elizabeth]

@BlinkingDuck

I found myself thinking that as reading the story. I sympathise with Candyman and the neighbors are real assholes…

but they really don’t need to put up a fence. It looked like they were saving money for other home improvements and really didn’t want to put up a fence. They also probably didn’t want the dog on their property.

They may be assholes, but they were still right.

Leaving the gate open is real assholeish but is something I could see myself do IF I insisted the dog not go on my property and my neighbor insisted I had to build a fence and refused to control the dog. However, I would at least WARN the neighbor that I was removing my gate to the street. Basically inform neighbor that gate was being removed and that they should take precautions with their dog. This action might be the only thing they can do to conteract a stubborn neighbor.

It would be interesting to hear the neighbors side on this.

They are required by law to maintain the fence.

I just want to bring up the dog poop throwing again. Animal feces can be great way to tell a neighbor they are disliked. Why, my own next door neighbor tried to molest my daughter’s friend and is now trying to avoid the police. It’s too bad that when he sneaks in late at night, he’s unable to appreciate the beauty of all the dog shit stuck to his house. Thankfully, I’m sure he can’t help but notice the broken windows and garbage in his home, which has attracted rats and raccoons to live in his home. This may be a bit overkill for someone who just refuses to maintain a fence, but feces in the yard is always fun.

[Candyman74]

@BlinkingDuck

but they really don’t need to put up a fence. It looked like they were saving money for other home improvements and really didn’t want to put up a fence. They also probably didn’t want the dog on their property.

They may be assholes, but they were still right.

Leaving the gate open is real assholeish but is something I could see myself do IF I insisted the dog not go on my property and my neighbor insisted I had to build a fence and refused to control the dog. However, I would at least WARN the neighbor that I was removing my gate to the street. Basically inform neighbor that gate was being removed and that they should take precautions with their dog. This action might be the only thing they can do to conteract a stubborn neighbor.

It would be interesting to hear the neighbors side on this.

They were not right. This row of properties has - as is not uncommon with terraced housing in the UK - a legal boundary maintenance obligation attached. It’s a condition of the original sale, is passed on to new buyers (unless a change is negotiated between two neighbours and legally codified in both respective deeds), and can be enforced through the courts. Much as I’d love to do that, though, it would cost more than the fence itself.

There was no angle of this - legal, moral, social - where they were “right”.

When the opposite fence died (my one) I was legally obligated to replace it. This, I did. Yes, it was expensive; that was my problem, not my opposite neighbour’s. That said, the opposite neighbour is a normal rational human being and helped me replace it.

[Candyman74]

@miss_elizabeth

They are required by law to maintain the fence.

I just want to bring up the dog poop throwing again. Animal feces can be great way to tell a neighbor they are disliked. Why, my own next door neighbor tried to molest my daughter’s friend and is now trying to avoid the police. It’s too bad that when he sneaks in late at night, he’s unable to appreciate the beauty of all the dog shit stuck to his house. Thankfully, I’m sure he can’t help but notice the broken windows and garbage in his home, which has attracted rats and raccoons to live in his home. This may be a bit overkill for someone who just refuses to maintain a fence, but feces in the yard is always fun.

Fun thought it might be, I’m sticking to the book on this one. Littering their garden is -I’m sure - illegal.

[BlinkingDuck]

@Lynn_Bodoni

If I’m reading the situation right, the neighbors are obliged by tradition and possibly by law to maintain a certain portion of their fence. Yeah, they might not WANT to spend the money on maintaining the fence. However, sometimes you have to spend money on necessities, rather than on the things you really want.

That changes things.

If it is illegal for them to not maintain a fence then legal action is in order.

Tradition, on the other hand, is frequently ignored by assholes.

[BlinkingDuck]

@miss_elizabeth

They are required by law to maintain the fence.

I just want to bring up the dog poop throwing again. Animal feces can be great way to tell a neighbor they are disliked. Why, my own next door neighbor tried to molest my daughter’s friend and is now trying to avoid the police. It’s too bad that when he sneaks in late at night, he’s unable to appreciate the beauty of all the dog shit stuck to his house. Thankfully, I’m sure he can’t help but notice the broken windows and garbage in his home, which has attracted rats and raccoons to live in his home. This may be a bit overkill for someone who just refuses to maintain a fence, but feces in the yard is always fun.

Be careful with this sort of retaliation.

It would be very easy to see someone see the dogshit on the side of his house and decided that the best thing to do is kill your dog.

I’ve seen this sort of thing get out of hand.

[purplehorseshoe]

@Candyman74

They were not right. This row of properties has - as is not uncommon with terraced housing in the UK - a legal boundary maintenance obligation attached. It’s a condition of the original sale, is passed on to new buyers (unless a change is negotiated between two neighbours and legally codified in both respective deeds), and can be enforced through the courts. **Much as I’d love to do that, though, it would cost more than the fence itself.**There was no angle of this - legal, moral, social - where they were “right”.

When the opposite fence died (my one) I was legally obligated to replace it. This, I did. Yes, it was expensive; that was my problem, not my opposite neighbour’s. That said, the opposite neighbour is a normal rational human being and helped me replace it.

(bolding mine)

Wait, wait. It would cost YOU to bring them to court? Does the UK not have the highly civilized thing we have here where the loser pays the winner’s court costs?

[Candyman74]

@purplehorseshoe

(bolding mine)

Wait, wait. It would cost YOU to bring them to court? Does the UK not have the highly civilized thing we have here where the loser pays the winner’s court costs?

If I’m honest, I don’t really know how it works. Do you have to pay upfront and get the money back later, or is the loser directly invoiced?

Anyway - even if I DID do that, the court would merely order them to put up a fence. They could just put up a chicken wire fence exactly like the one I’ve put up; I can’t imagine a court would order them to put up an attractive fence. So I wouldn’t actually gain anything - well, we’d both have chicken wire fences and I could take mine down, I suppose!

I figure that they’ll do it in order to sell the house. I haven’t seen any prospective buyers looking around (not that I’m exactly watching 24/7) but at some point they’re gonna have to show the back garden to somebody.

[Cat_Whisperer]

While I was out going door-to-door doing the census yesterday, I saw a dog running free in the neighbourhood. I called 311 to get him picked up - it probably didn’t work, since they apparently came looking for him two hours after I called, and since the dog was going about 20 miles an hour when I last saw him, he could have been all the way across town by that time.

I have to say, though, that was one happy-looking dog - the soundtrack for Doggy’s Day Out was practically, “BORN FREEEEEEEEEEE! AS FREE AS THE WIND BLOOOOOOOOOOOOWS…”