Back to back fences

[nofishfisherman]

So I've got an dilemma.  The neighbor house is a rental that I believe is being renovated to sell.  However, over the last several years no one has tended to the backyard so there are trees, weeds, and grass growing along and through the chain link fence.  I do what I can from my side and I'm working on permission to get on the property to do more but so far my ability to do much is limited so I want to block our view as much as possible.

The second part of the issue is that my vizsla can be a jumper if given the right motivation, like a bunny or stray cat in the neighbors yard.  I have a 6 foot fence along the front and back of the property but the sides between the neighbors is just the 4 foot chain link.  I'm planning on putting up a 6 foot privacy fence between me and the rental property to block the unsightly yard and also to keep my dog in the yard.

The problem is that I'll have to put my fence right up against the existing chain link fence.  Once up I won't be able to do much to deal with grass weeds that grown up through the small gap between the fences.  Is there anything that I can spray on the existing growth to kill it and prevent regrowth for as long as possible?  

Any other thoughts on putting 2 fences back to back?  I know its not ideal but we are planning on selling next spring and I need to do something to block the view of the ugly neighbor yard and also to keep my dog in my yard.  A fence is the only sure fire solution to both problems but it does come with its own set of problems.

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Squirt of roundup through the fence each year.  

[nofishfisherman]

Round up is my current plan just wanted to see if I was missing out on something better or more effective.  I might also leave the fence off the ground an inch or two so I can get some sort of trimmer under it to atleast keep things to manageable height.

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Just now, nofishfisherman said:

Round up is my current plan just wanted to see if I was missing out on something better or more effective.  I might also leave the fence off the ground an inch or two so I can get some sort of trimmer under it to atleast keep things to manageable height.

Only thing I would watch for there is if theirs sells and someone takes the chainlink out that you dont have it high enough your dog can dig out.

[RebelSS]

I've got the same problem with a lazy pig living behind me and a chainlink fence.Grass is a foot tall already. I spray a swath of Roundup along it, too, or hang my trimmer over the fence and trim it. This year though, it's going to be gas and a match, or she can pay for the Roundup and use it. 

[rundrave]

if you put up another fence and your kid is playing back yard baseball and hits it over both fences is it considered back to back home runs? sorry couldnt resist...

in all seriousness... The worst part about fences that don't connect, but instead are fully separate and run parallel is the "no man's land". You cant get a weed eater into that space to chop down the growth and it will eventually look terrible. Could you just take the chain link fence down for that portion and put yours up in its place? Otherwise it would be wise to get some property lines established especially if property will be changing hands.

I'd rather either give up the few inches of property along that side of the yard to let the neighbor's fence connect to mine OR move my fence over a few inches to the property line and let the neighbor's fence connect to mine. Anything to avoid the crappy growth between parallel fences. It would be pretty cheap to add a couple inches to the chain link side?

[leechlake]

I'd try pretty hard at getting some communication going in lieu of the work and expense of a fence.  I don't know the deal but if I owned it and the neighbor volunteered to clean things up I'd be all in.  Feel free to move in next to me when you move.  You can clean up anything in my yard that is unbecoming any time you want!!!  

[nofishfisherman]

The chain link fence belongs to the neighbor who I've never met and have had no luck getting in touch with.  I'd be happy to rip it out and place my wood fence in its place but I doubt he'd go for it assuming I could ever get in touch with the guy.

I live in St. Paul and the lots are all the same size.  When I moved in my lot was the only non-fenced lot on the block.  Both existing chain link fences put up by the 2 neighbors on either side of me were put right on the property lines.  What I've done with my wood fence is simply build the fence to meet the existing chain link.

The no mans land between fences is what I'm worried about.  Hopefully they sell the rental and a good owner moves in and then that will help if they can keep their side looking nice but its certainly no guarantee. Since I plan to sell next spring I just need to make it look decent for a year and more specifically i need it to look good next spring when I list the house.

If I do leave a gap at the bottom and the chain link does for some reason come down I'll address the digging dog issue at that point.  He has tried to tunnel under the other side fence to visit the neighbor dog he is friends with so I buried some concrete pavers under the mulch and that has stopped him.  He was very confused the first time he ran into one while digging but has since stopped trying.

Talking to the owner to figure things out would be my first choice but its been incredibly difficult.  There has been several regular people over at the neighbor property that I've talked to but none were the owners.  One guy worked for the owner so I told him my concern and that I was willing to do the work but I never got any follow up and the guy couldn't have seemed less interested.  Other guys I've talked to were hired by the owner but never met him and have no idea what the plan is for the house.  I tried using property tax records to get a home address for the owner to mail him a letter but the address on the property records is some warehouse in Blaine and not a residence. I have no idea what the deal is with the owner.  The house has been in the middle of renovations for almost a year now with no major work having been done on in it in months.  It still has no kitchen and only bare taped and mudded dry wall so its a long ways from being on the market. 

Since communication has been so hard to come by I figured I'd just do the best I could on my own.  I may still just go over and start cutting stuff down on my own since no one is ever there but I've wanted to go through the proper channels and talk to the guy first.

[jbell1981]

Since the chain link is on the neighboring property I would put up the privacy fence a couple feet away from the chain link. Enough to get a push mower in there or at least enough to walk though it with a weed whip once in a while. 

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Or get a goat and chain it to the fence.  Clean fence and a new pet.  Its a win win however you dice it.

[nofishfisherman]

1 hour ago, jbell1981 said:

Since the chain link is on the neighboring property I would put up the privacy fence a couple feet away from the chain link. Enough to get a push mower in there or at least enough to walk though it with a weed whip once in a while. 

Thats not really an option with how my yard is set up.  Its an odd set up on a city lot.  My driveway goes from the street along the side of my house with the garage in the backyard.  The fence in question goes along my driveway and I've anywhere from 1-3 feet of grass between my paved driveway and the fence.  

[delcecchi]

Just go over and whack the weeds and grass.  No one cares. 

Not sure what to tell you about the fence.  Hypothetical new owners might have an opinion, but I bet they will be ok with a wood fence instead of or in addition to the chain link...

[RebelSS]

Just sucks that people like that can't take care of their places, and don't care. This person behind me has lived there seven years, and received two tickets already from the city for unmown lawn, and for throwing dump like old wood and debris behind her shed, which is 3' away from the chainlink fence. Worst house for blocks. My deck faces it, and I have to look at her pigsty. Yes, I've talked to her, all the neighbors have, but she's too busy getting loaded with her druggie boyfriend and whatever else they do. Two big dogs and she's never picked up their doo in the yard either. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.