<p>I’ve just learned today that my next-door neighbor is planning to put a chain link fence all around her property. There is an empty lot between our houses, and we each own half, so this will go right down the middle of a beautiful grassy space. The neighbor on the other side of her (I’ll call him Don and her Connie) called me this morning. He noticed that her property was being surveyed and asked her about it. She said that she was concerned about keeping kids out of her yard and was planning to install a 4’ chain-link fence along the back and both sides (we don’t know how far forward). Don offered to help pay for a nicer material, but she was not receptive. He asked whether she would be willing to talk about it before committing to anything, but she refused. Then he called me and I learned about it.</p>
<p>There are some awful kids in the house behind her. They have been coming onto her property for well over a year, and they have deliberatly destroyed things. They are a problem for us and for Don, too. We both have young children who have been bothered by these kids coming into our yards. Connie talked to the parents over a year ago, but got nowhere. My kids and Don’s probably cross over onto her property inadvertently sometimes (there are no property lines marked on the grass) but never deliberately, and we don’t think that she would be doing this if it weren’t for the kids in the house behind her.</p>
<p>I’m sick about this. First, there are no chain-link fences in our neighborhood. It is a very lovely area, with houses on quarter- to half-acre lots, lots of trees, flowers, etc. There are not many fences at all; in the back, all the lots are open to one another. I am planning to go talk to Connie tomorrow, but I’m trying to figure out what to say first. From her reaction to Don, it seems that she has made up her mind. She is in her 70’s. </p>
<p>I have thought of pointing out that a chain-link fence is not a barrier to a determined boy, who will probably enjoy climbing it. I have thought of offering to plant a hedge, but I imagine this will not satisfy her, as it will take time to become established. I can also offer to pay for a wooden fence along the border with our property. This would at least look better than chain-link. </p>
<p>She has the right to put up a chain-link fence along the property line, according to our local zoning.</p>
<p>Put up your own decorative fence to shield hers. Or build a big giant hedge along her fence. I’d go for the big giant hedge, it may take a couple years to grow 4’ but you won’t see her fence and it will look nice.</p>
<p>NY…I feel for you. My husband is president of our homeowners association and frequently has help sort these things out among our residents. In our neighborhood (and in Texas), deed restrictions reign supreme because we have little to no zoning. I don’t suppose there are any such restrictions for your neighborhood? </p>
<p>If not and your neighbor is not violating local zoning laws, I would suggest inviting her and her other neighbor over for coffee and a conversation about possibly going together on a wood fence. Chances are you would get a very competitive price per running foot if we are talking substantial footage. </p>
<p>But, it is possible she is on a fixed income and may not be able to afford wood. In our neighborhood wood or stone/brick fencing is required and it is customary for adjacent neighbors to split cost on fencing. My husband and I declined to accept payment from one of our neighbors because they were retired and on a fixed income and we knew it would be a burden. If you have a similar problem, you and the other neighbor may have to offer to fence with wood between your properties and hope that she will step up and pay for wood fencing at the rear of her property. </p>
<p>Worst case scenario is putting a wood fence up against her chain link or planting a hedge to camouflage it. It’s a shame to put so much money into a redundancy, but it may be a good last resort option.</p>
<p>Poor thing…it’s hard being elderly and dealing with awful kids. My husband just rec’d a complaint about kids in our neighborhood who have been beating on the doors of some of our elderly homeowners in the wee hours of the morning. Scaring them to death for entertainment value I’m sure. Just pathetic.</p>
<p>I sympathize with both you and your neighbor. Mean or poorly disciplined kids can be awful and she probably feels she needs to protect herself and her property from both damage and lawsuits then brought by parents of kids who trespass and then hurt themselvs. I’d suggest that you and your other neighbors simply put in attractive wood fencing that will hide the chainlink in areas where it is visible to you. Hedges take maintenance as well as time to grow–if you don’t water them regularly for the first year or two they are money wasted, and in very dry weather the watering cvommitment will go on a lot longer than that; if these are large lots you are talking about and it sounds as though they are, the watering will become qutie a burden. A fence will last a while, and a nice one will look just fine.</p>
<p>According to Don, she is going to pay $5k for the chain-link fence. She told him she does not want to pay more for a wooden fence, and does not want the maintenance problems. She was not willing to even discuss the subject with him. I will approach her tomorrow. Maybe she will listen if I offer to pay completely for a wooden fence along our common property line. I’m not thrilled about the expense to have something I don’t want at all, but a chain-link fence would be unbelievably awful.</p>
<p>I’m sure that cost is an issue. She tried to sell her house a year ago, because the taxes had gone up so much. She was not able to sell because she asked an insane price. Now she’s decided to stay, but I’m sure she is house-rich and cash-poor. </p>
<p>I am sympathetic. She is alone - her husband is in a home with dementia. The kids are really aggressive and run wild. From what Don said, she is determined to go ahead with this. </p>
<p>Can you put a fence right next to a chain-link fence? Won’t leaves, etc., be trapped? The hedge is a possibility, although I can’t imagine it will be possible to cover the entire length of the chain-link fence. </p>
<p>ldmom, you were very kind to pay the entire cost of the fence between you and the retired couple. The kids banging on the doors of elderly people are beyond awful.</p>
<p>I don’t think a 4 foot fence will do much to discourage the misbehaving kids. She needs a 6 foot one. If she insists upon putting up a chain link fence maybe she could put up one of the plastic coated ones that are usually black or green. They’re much nicer looking in that they blend into the background more - especially the black ones.</p>
<p>I have a ‘normal’ galvanized chain link fence around much of my property but it doesn’t look as nice as my neighbor’s green coated one.</p>
<p>We’ve got a wooden picket fence. Much of the wood is rotted and what is not is in need of repainting. I’m getting estimates for an aluminum fence. The major cost is labor rather than height of the fence. Perhaps that would be a type of fence and a cost that your neighbor could accept?</p>
<p>Height of fence is probably restricted by local ordinance, which may very well prohibit any fencing at all beyond a certain line in front of the house. The elderly neighbor is really in a bind. I would not worry about leaves gtting stuck between two fences–you will not see them becsuse the wood fence is not see-through, and they will probably disintegrate at some point anyway. And leaves would be just as trappped by a hedge. </p>
<p>Being cash poor and stuck with an overtaxed house in a neighborhood that does not feel like home anymore is an awful feeling. Taxes going up, as I am sure they are, does not help. (As a longtime resident of a supposedly nice town with astronomical taxes that have multiplied far beyond the geomretric level of inflation since we moved here, I see the future and it is much like the situation described by the OP.) And you pretty much have to ask a ridiculously high price for a house in order to be able to afford to by something decent somewhere else, where prices are also probably very high–and she may be thinking of assisted living or an upscale retirement community. In any case, the elderly neighbor is not the problem–the troublesome kids and their uncaring or ineffectual parents are. </p>
<p>Good fences really can make good neighbors.</p>
<p>This taxes escalating to the point where the elderly can no longer afford their own homes is why we passed prop 13 in California. It sounds like you could use the equivalent there.</p>
<p>The black chain link fence is probably one of the least obtrusive fences one can get since it tends to blend in although it is still a fence.</p>
<p>marite, are you talking about cast aluminum, that looks like wrought iron? </p>
<p>Our neighborhood is, indeed, overtaxed. More than one family has decamped for lower-taxed areas. When I say that she asked a ridiculously high price, though, I do mean that her price was completely out of line even with the insane prices around here. She could have sold her 1800-square-foot house, with old kitchen and baths, for $1.4 million, but she asked $1.8 million. She does have the nicest lot in the neighborhood (until she puts up that chain-link fence). </p>
<p>You’re absolutely right that the kids (their parents, really) are the problem.</p>
<p>We have the black coated chain-link around our neighborhood tennis courts. With windscreens, doesn’t look bad at all. Without the windscreens, the fence does tend to ‘disappear’. </p>
<p>Every place has different rules and laws, but here we can put fences up right against each other because each homeowner has the right to fence their property ‘on the property line’. It’s pretty commonly done here because many of our homeowners don’t want the ‘bad side’ of the fence (visible posts) and rather than go halves and take that bad side of a neighbor’s fence, they opt to pay full price for their own fence and put it right up against their neighbor’s fence. (The way it works here, is whoever builds their home first fences and subsequent neighbors reimburse…first one to arrive always builds the fence with the good side facing them of course.) </p>
<p>Btw…I’m always amazed when I hear about property values in other states. Almost $1000 a square foot in NY…amazing! Here in Houston, $200 a square foot buys you slate floors, stone or granite counters, outdoor kitchens, 12 foot ceilings, commercial glass windows, tile roof, subzero appliances, multiple fireplaces, big lakefront or golf course location, stained, patterned concrete driveways, swimming pool, a decorator to make it all look nice and just about every other luxury amenity you could imagine…lol! Makes dealing with the humidity almost an even trade.</p>
<p>Have you considered buying the other half of the grassy area from your neighbor? That would move the fence farther away from you, and perhaps make the fencing costs less onerous, so that your neighbor could use a more attractive fence.</p>
<p>In CA we all have fences and I’ve been amazed at what some people put around their multi-million dollar homes! Many are house poor though. Unforrtunately, it’s their right. I would guess her mind is made up if she went to the considerable expense of a survey. I do understand how you feel, on lots under a half acre it will change the feel. </p>
<p>I agree that a hedge would be the way to go and you can plant a mature tree hedge that will give you good coverage over a 4 foot fence right away. It won’t be cheap but it will be pretty, maybe a flower bed below?</p>
<p>Dmd, if the neighbor’s 1800 sq. ft. home, which I’ll guess is dated would go for $1,4MM, the lot is probably worth a million making your suggestion perhaps half a million. I’m guessing a great hedge could be bought and planted for $10K.</p>
<p>I’ve thought about this some more. Putting up a wood fence or a hedge will change the feel of your property and make it feel smaller. If your goal is to maintain openess and space, a chain link fence may have the least impact even if they are not the most attractive.</p>
<p>Think about the future too. Is her house one that can be torn down to make way for a McMansion when sold? If yes, I go back to the hedge!</p>
<p>dmd, I’m smiling at the suggestion of buying the half building lot. It would cost almost as much as we paid for this house years ago! </p>
<p>UCgrad, yes, “dated” would be a polite way to describe Connie’s house (and mine). Nothing on ldmom’s list exists here. Some houses here don’t even have garages. Our house doesn’t have a master bath. </p>
<p>I have to decide if I want to accept the chain-link and try to cover it with a hedge ($10k - eek!) or try to persuade her to let me put up a nice picket fence instead, thereby preserving some openness.</p>
<p>I just spent $12K to put up a hedge of 7 foot Cedars on a smaller lot on 2 sides, but everything is expensive in CA. This after I fought for permission with my town and the California Coastal Commission! They don’t like hedges unless they’re Palms, which provide little screening and I wouldn’t suggest in NY.</p>
<p>To me, any solid fence cuts up the lots where the chain link has a lesser effect especially in the right color. Some of them aren’t your mother’s chain link!</p>
<p>A year ago when she was trying to sell her house, she asked me if I wanted to get together with her to sell the building lot to a developer. We would never do this, but she did get my attention when she said that it would pay for my sons’ college education. So this is what dmd’s suggestion would mean, except in reverse.</p>
<p>We have one house in our neighborhood of historic houses isolated by chain link. Kids are the issue, with elderly neighbors, but just balls, play and noise. The elderly neighbors truly are grumpy about normal family life surrounding them. The metal colored chain link is harsh…but with the aggressive kids you are describing, I’d want whatever necessary to assure peace of mind too. </p>
<p>Other gardening options-a row of yews (typed row of ewes first, now that might be fun!) clemantis and trellises, hollyhocks, trumpet vine, lilacs. Depending on how neat and orderly is the style in your neighborhood.</p>