According to Texas Law Who Legally Owns The Fence Between 2 Houses?
I remember growing up we built a new fence between our home and our neighbor, my parents and my friend's parents agreed to split the cost. I didn't know it at the time, but legally that's required if you want to maintain any ownership in it. So, what does that mean for someone living in Tyler, TX?
Who Owns The Fence Between Two Houses in Texas? The answer: Fence ownership is determined by where your fence lays on the property line. Whose property is it on? That's who owns it.
According to Texas Fence, "one of the most frequently asked questions we get from homeowners who want to buy a new fence that borders their neighbor’s property is, “Which side of the fence do I own?” Understandably, those who are about to invest in a new fence are concerned about how to get their fence fixed while honoring their relationships with their neighbors; no sense in putting in a single post before figuring that out."
So how do you know if the fence belongs to you or your neighbor? First you need to understand where your property line is. You can do that yourself, or it may be better to hire a surveyor. And provided you have a good relationship with them, talk to your neighbors. Perhaps they know something you don't.
Back to the my childhood fence building, since we went in on the fence with our neighbors, we did something called a “good neighbor fence." That's where you "alternate the picket and rail side of the fence every 7 feet, so that each neighbor gets an equal share of the pretty and ugly sides."
Mightily neighborly thing to do. Although some HOAs don't allow them.