New Neighbors invading my space

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SOme people moved into the house next door two days ago and now claim our fence is on their property and say they will knock it down!! IT's been there the whole 8 years we have lived here,it's a big wooden privacy fence and I could never sit in my yard without it. Also my 3 year old Aspie son loves our yard,it's like the only place he feels calm and happy all the time. The fence has tons of beautiful ivy growing on it and this guy was cutting it all down and yanking it out of MY yard over the top and I asked him to please stop and he said he can tear the whole thing down if he wants. We can;t afford a new fence right now. I am freaking out. Why do people have to be such jerks?

... IS it on his property? If so, move it.

If it isn't call the police.

I've got no idea, I tried to call the landlord but they aren't home. I believe the fence has beeen there for at least 20 years,since the house was first built, I dunno I've always assumed it was on this property.

Then he's not allowed to tear down your fence! Get out there and stop him, call the polcie, SOMETHING.

Do not be a doormat, because you aren't one. Doormats can't type.

Call the police. If he's on your property, he has no right.

Oh no,I did stop him,for now anyway. My fear is I am going out of town next week and I'll come home and find it's been torn down while I am away. Also now I feel the new neighbors will hate me. I just want to be left alone and have a place where my son can be himself without people making it difficult. I get really scared because we are renting and there is a guy on the next block who started a homeowner's association last year and one of their goals is to rid the neighborhood of renters. People who own their houses act like they are superior and we are mere peasantry.

Are you in the US? If so, they would have had to have the property surveyed as part of the sale process, and the surveyors would have put stakes in the ground, probably with colored ribbons on them, at the corners of the property. Sometimes they'll tie ribbons on trees instead. If the house was just bought, they should still be there, so you can see which side of the property line the fence is on. If not, or you're someplace where that isn't done, ask him to prove it's on his property by showing you the plat or the markers or whatever. Tell him if he doesn't prove it, you'll get the landlord to deal with it legally.

And renters have legal rights, too. Whoever doesn't like having renters will have to deal with folks like your landolord, who do, and who will also be members of any such association. Do you deal with the landlord directly, or does he have an agent? Someone needs to threaten to sue or pursue criminal actions, if the fence ISN'T on this guy's property. You can't do that, but your landlord or his agent can. They need to know, so keep after them. And tell the guy, if he can't prove the fence is on his property and he does anything, there WILL be consequences.

I can sympathize with your desire not to have a bad relationship with the new neighbors, but the guy's actions seem to imply that he has no intention of being a good neighbor anyway, just a bully. If so, you won't be making matters any worse. You'll just be showing him he can't push you around, a decided improvement. If there is a chance of his being reasonable, and you feel comfortable doing it, then perhaps tell him a little about why the fence is so important to you.

We are in US. I deal with my landlords directly,they are wonderful people and once I can reach them I know they will help. There is a little flag thingy out front,but the fence starts at the back of the house and I can't tell if it lines up with the flag thingy or not. As for the homeowners association it is a "voluntary" thing and they only allow homeowners who live in the house to play in their sandbox,so to speak.

If he tears it down while you're gone...

Then you can still sue him.

If this guy is dumb enough to do this, he'll never be a good nieghbour. You want to be nice and helpful, but you can't help those idiots. Not them.