Emily Brown
A mum was left furious after her neighbour took on some DIY work in the garden and ended up leaving her with a 'ridiculous'-looking garden fence.
The working mum took to Mumsnet to ask for advice after noticing the impact the neighbour's actions had on her side of the fence, which nicely framed the back of her garden.
In a post on the site, the mum explained that the neighbour with who they shared the fence had decided to paint it on their side, only the paint didn't quite stay where intended.
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Instead, it seeped through to the mum's side of the fence, leaving her staring at a wooden divider covered with patches of black paint.
"As you can see, it looks ridiculous!," the woman wrote alongside a picture of the fence, explaining that it appeared to have 'seeped through the wood, as it's come through at strange places with no gaps'.
"This affects about 50 foot, but we have about 150 foot more of the same fence around other parts of our garden. It's a very open garden so I think we'll need to paint the whole lot," she said.
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The mum said she 'could cry' at the situation, adding: "We're busy working parents with young children so could really do without this. Do you think [the] neighbour should offer to compensate us? Will be speaking to them tomorrow..."
Users were quick to sympathise with the mum after she shared her story, with many offering their advice for the best ways she could deal with the matter.
One user recommended trying to pressure-wash the paint off on her side, though they admitted the task would be a 'pain in the a**e'.
Others made clear that the mum should encourage the neighbour to take responsibility in one way or another.
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"I'd ask them to come and get it off," one person responded, while another added: "Oh my god that's awful and I'd be so upset with that! Yes I think they should offer to compensate you, they've completely ruined your side of the fence."
In a comment added after the initial post, the mum explained that the fact the paint had 'seeped through' the wood rather than dripped through holes made her think it 'won't come off'.
One supportive user responded: "It really does look awful. I'm usually keen to remain fastidiously independent of my neighbours, happy to help and have a chat but avoid any shared issues as much as possible. However, I'd be tempted to go around with pics because I'd want to know what the hell they did. Some things you can't just paint over."
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The woman told Mumsnet she'd only had the fence for two years, adding: "1st world problem, but so annoying!"