Fence Row Etiquette

[Jason05216]

We purchased about 35 acres last year. I've spent the last year cleaning up fence rows and some areas that were overgrown with thorn trees, brush, briars, and poison ivy. Lots of poison ivy! Two sides of the property are bounded by roads so it's pretty straightforward. The north side of the property is bounded by a neighbor who installed new fence when he purchased his property about 5 years ago. I'm able to mow my side of the fence to keep brush at bay and he does a pretty good job of keeping his side cleaned up. The east side of our property is a different story. Our side of the fence is mowed to the fence line, with some difficulty in places, but the other side of the fence is what I would call nothing but brush and trees. Many of the trees hang over our side of the fence and make mowing next to the fence difficult. Also, over the course of the year many limbs have fallen into our property. That's not much of a problem, I grab them with the grapple and drop them on them on the other side of the fence. The neighbor to the east also purchased about 5 years ago. All of this property was owned by one owner and has been sold off over the past few years. I'm sure he didn't care about what was happening along this fence row since both sides were his.

Is it acceptable for me to trim back the limbs and branches that overhang our property? Is it reasonable to ask the owner to trim back the brush on his side of the fence? The fence is not in very good condition and probably should be replaced but neither of us keep livestock so it's most important function is to identify the property line.

 

[2manyrocks]

I think the practical answer depends on your relationship with the eastern neighbor and what the law allows where you live.

One potential issue I see is putting branches back onto his side after they fall on your side by force of nature.

Another issue is your neighbor might not like it if branches are trimmed and then put back on his side creating a job for him that he hadn't planned on.

If you want to ID the property line even when dealing with a deteriorating fence, it's pretty easy to drive some extra T posts as visible markers.

 

[Topzide]

You should be able to trim the branches that overhang preventing mowing. You can't place back on their side as you trimmed them. That includes any that nature drops on your side. Just start a burn or compost pile with them.

Maybe approach neighbor on that side to see if he'd allow you to make 2 passes on his side? 1 down and other back. Just explain that you want to keep the fence line clear.

Only other thing to do is move fence back off propert line and mark line with t posts.

 

[LHF2019]

I have a similar fence line. I sprayed our fence line for the last 2 years. I personally have no problem cutting and throwing the brush back over the fence since it is nothing but brush. If it was maintained on the other side I would probably pile and burn or dump them in my woods.

 

[RjCorazza]

@Topzide describes the law of the land in my state, and I assume it's similar in most others. Trim what you want on your side of the fence and deal with the material.

 

[airbiscuit]

So have you actually talked with this neighbor? See if he will help you clear his fence line? If not, offer to do it yourself.

 

[LouNY]

Maybe he likes the brushy fence line for the privacy and or noise buffer it provides. it provides.

 

[airbiscuit]

Who doesn't want a trail?

 

[scootr]

I have a similar situation and I just started clearing 30' of tumbleweed and such on the other side... actually put a gate in for access when I replaced the fence. Neighbor comes out every 2-5 yrs, saw what I had done for wildfire control and asked me if I would mow his property annually, so we made a deal and now I get paid to keep it as I like it.
Talk to your neighbor. It can be very productive

 

[bigtiller]

Both sides of my three fence lines are farmed in corn/soybean rotation. One of the three sides is owned by an absentee landowner whom I have never met in the 30 years I have been here.

His side has some locust trees that I keep on his side of the fence everyway possible. I don't think anyone would object to me killing a tree with 4" thorns that can destroy an expensive tire on a tractor or combine. Some of them are in the neighborhood of $2000 and then some others are really expensive.