In Minnesota, Who Legally Owns the Fence Between Two Houses?

I'm generally of the belief that if you want good neighbors, you should start by being a good neighbor. There's also another school of thought, "good fences make good neighbors."

My wife and I bought our home in 2021, with the street to the front, and neighbors to the left right and back. All three of our property borders are fenced by three different fences. We have good neighbors, so maybe there's something to that 'fence' thing.

The question is, who owns each fence, and who is responsible for their upkeep? In Minnesota its fairly cut and dried.

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A good neighbor is a fellow who smiles at you over the back fence, but doesn't climb over it. - Arthur Baer

Who Owns a Fence in Minnesota?

Like most things in a yard, if its on your property, you own it. A fence is no different than a deck or patio, a pool, or fire pit. That's pretty clear, but what if a fence is right down the property line, where fences are commonly situated?

That's where Minnesota's Partition Fence Law comes into effect. The law basically says that a partition fence is built and maintained with equal responsibility being shared between the owners of the properties it borders.

Love your neighbor as yourself; but don't take the fence down. - Carl Sandburg

Uh Oh, The Neighbors Have a Fence Disagreement

Let's face it, we're not always going to agree to what's what when it comes to our shared fence. That's where Minnesota's Fence Viewers come in. They are basically an official who can administer and enforce fence laws, and determine the division of cost when it comes to fence maintenance.

Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up. - Gilbert K. Chesterton

If My Neighbor Wants a Fence, Do I Need to Pitch In?

I guess it's time to start socking away some money in case your neighbor decides they want a new fence. In Minnesota, according to the Partition Fence Law, you can be compelled to pay half of the cost of building the fence. If your neighbor wants to put up a fence on the property line, they need to notify you in writing 30 days before they install it.