‘Only’ tip to know ‘for certain’ which fence is yours

Knowing what the rules are when it comes to garden fences can be confusing and one leading to all kinds of trouble for homeowners. Fences can lead to disputes over who owns what, maintenance responsibilities and even issues over planning permission when it comes to making certain changes. So, to settle any debates over who owns which fence. experts at Jacksons Fencing have shared how to do so. They claimed that contrary to common belief, there is not a designated side of the fence to each property . The experts explained: ‘The only way to know for certain who owns what side and to avoid any neighbour disputes, is to refer to the title plan or Land Registry.  Fences lead to many neighbour disputes (Image: Getty) ‘In this, the T mark is used to indicate who the boundary belongs to and therefore who is responsible for its upkeep.’ If households can’t find the paperwork, the experts claimed that the rails can typically indicate who owns a fence. They said: ‘You can guess who owns a fence by seeing where the rails are, with the fence typically facing away from their property so that their neighbour gets the ‘good’ side of the fence.  ‘This is the most secure way of facing fencing so there are no rails for anyone to use to climb into your garden.  You can guess who owns a fence by seeing where the rails are (Image: Getty) ‘This is then repeated with the neighbour on the other side to ensure that each home has both a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fence side.’ However, this isn’t always the case, so it is always good to check legal documents before making any changes. There is currently no obligation for boundary ownership to be made clear in title deeds across England, with rules differing all over the UK.  Therefore, in some cases, not all boundaries will have been specified in the legal documents. Looking for a new home, or just fancy a look? Add your postcode below or visit InYourArea In this case, households will need to either conduct further research into the ‘Registry of Deeds’ or ‘reach a boundary agreement’ with their neighbours. There is no law that the neighbour has to get the good side of the fence, it’s completely up to whoever owns the fence.  The fencing pros suggested: ‘It may be worth selecting a double-sided panel with no ‘bad’ side as both sides look the same and rails are concealed within the fence panel.’ If one boundary backs onto a road or footpath it is recommended to install the panels with the rails on the inside because if it is installed on the outside, it can provide an ‘easy ladder for burglars to enter your garden’.