Australian Man Bills His New Neighbour For A Fence He Made 17 Years Ago

An Australian woman who had just moved into a new house was surprised to receive a bill for a fence that her new neighbour had installed 17 years ago, according to Metro News.

According to the news source, Shannon Spencer moved to Yanchep, in Perth, Australia, in February of last year after constructing a property there. And out of the blue, her neighbour brought her an invoice for more than 500 Australian dollars, which covered half the price of constructing the fence at the back of her property.

"It's not a huge amount, but it's just the fact that the fence has been there for 17 years, and he's held this receipt in his hand, this invoice in his hand... waiting for the perfect time to come and hand it over," Ms. Shannon told ABC Radio Perth.

"I know I'm legally required to pay for the fence, but I'm just disputing the fact that it's been 17 years since it was built, and I moved 17 years later, and he's still asking for half of the cost of the fence," she added.

'The fence is rusted, it's a different colour from all the rest of the fences, it's not even the same height, it's only 1500 mm high instead of 1800 mm high. While I know I'm required to pay, I'm disputing how much I should pay given the depreciation over the past 17 years and the fact that the fence is rusted," she added.

According to Wales Online, Australia's Divided Fences Act covers everything from determining common boundaries, notifying each other of proposed works, dealing with disputes, and sharing costs equally. The reason the previous owner of the house didn't have to pay was because the land was apparently vacant.