AITA for not staining my neighbor’s fence?

The fence between two properties was replaced by one homeowner. Their neighbor then asserted ownership of the fence and insisted it be stained to match its prior appearance. The homeowner, who paid for the fence entirely to maintain good relations, is now unsure if they are also responsible for the cost of staining it. See the full account below…

‘ AITA for not staining my neighbor’s fence?’

I put in a new fence that goes all the way around my property. One edge borders my neighbor’s property, and I was sure it was mine since the fence posts are on my land and it links to the rest of the fencing, which I own.

As the fencing professional dismantled it, the neighbor emerged, clearly alarmed, inquiring about the removal of their fence. Ultimately, after a survey confirmed the property lines, the new fence was constructed precisely on the boundary separating my property from theirs.

I moved quickly to maintain harmony, covering all expenses to reconstruct the fence, which was finished in just 48 hours. I acquired the necessary materials and compensated my fencing professional to rebuild it precisely in its original location and design.

I then engaged my fencing professional to erect my new fence alongside the existing one, but precisely on my property boundary, to preempt any future complications. (I believe constructing fences entirely within one’s own land is the best practice to prevent such problems…)

That seemed like enough to me, but now the neighbor is insisting I also cover the cost of staining the new fence we put up for them. The previous fence was so ancient and dilapidated that I didn’t realize it had been stained, but they assert that their side was stained. Any opinions? Am I obligated to pay for staining the fence too?

Additional context for why I didn’t talk to the neighbor originally, for those asking: I gave a property survey to the Fence contractor when I had him plan out the fence. I mistakenly thought he would have used the survey to ensure they only work on my property line. First fence I’ve installed so now I’ve learned to cover all potential bases.

Curious, no one has mentioned anything about the posts. The posts were on my side of the property. Does that make a difference? If they built the fence, why wouldn’t they put the posts on their side anyway? That’s primarily what led me to the assumption (again I’ve learned) that it was mine in the first place.

Here’s how people reacted to the post:

_s1m0n_s3z −  At this point, he’s trying to take you for a ride. He figures your one mistake is going to get him a brand new fence, good for another 20 years. NTA

Loquacious555 −  You didn’t ask them to split the cost of the new fence so they don’t have a leg to stand on. You’re not obligated to beautify their side. NTA.

setaetheory −  To keep the peace, I paid all costs to rebuild the fence promptly. YTA. It’s your *obligation* to pay for undoing the damage you caused, not some generous favor you’re doing to placate an unreasonable person. (In my opinion, all fences should be built within one’s own property to avoid these issues…)

Seriously? Should all property owners with adjacent neighbors be forced to cede a portion of their land to allow for individual fencing? Is this being suggested simply because you were unwilling to communicate with your neighbor before replacing a fence you jointly owned? That’s ridiculous.

AnalogyAddict −  YTA How thoughtless do you have to be to not talk with your neighbors before taking down a property line fence? Or doing surveys beforehand?  Stain the man’s fence and stop being THAT neighbor. 

SPlNPlNS −  YTA why did you not do a survey before any fence work? Why did you not ask the neighbour if they know who’s fence it is? You absolutely need to stain the fence. If they have an enclosed yard and now one side is different because you took it upon yourself to rip it out, you do everything you can to make it match.

Shak3Zul4 −  YTA Why in the world should your neighbor have to pay any amount for a fence you took down that you weren’t supposed to? Besides staining a fence isn’t that much money and even though it wasn’t your property you still got the fence you wanted

No-Names-Left-Here −  YTA. Pay it since you decided to replace a shared fence without even discussing it with the neighbor.

buttweave −  YTA clearly. You did more assuming than actual confirming and now you’re half assing replacing your mistake

skempoz −  YTA My neighbors and I share fence along our property line. Our side is professionally stained, they do not have their side stained and you can see how decrepit the fence looks on their side.

If they removed the fence discreetly and stuck us with the bill for refinishing our fence, I would be very upset. Do they have stained fencing elsewhere on their land? Or is this the only fence they have on their property?

cndnsportsfan −  YWBTA because you didn’t do diligence or have a conversation prior to the work being done.If your neighbors can’t afford to upgrade their old s**tty fence, do you think they could afford to stain their new free fence?

It might appear that you are bearing a significant expense while they benefit from a new fence, but they didn’t request it, and you failed to conduct adequate research.

Two adjacent homeowners are in their respective yards at the border of a timber fence that separates their properties; one appears puzzled while the other is self-assured.