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Clearing the Fence
Row and Trimming Back Overhanging Branches
By Sam Custer
OSU Extension, Darke County
The weather is finally beginning to cooperate and we are beginning to
get in the fields. As farmers enter the fields this spring they
will find that, the fields that are bordered by trees will be a work in
progress. The ash trees took a beating by the wind this spring
and are going to need to be cleaned up along the fencerows.
Chris Hogan, Law Fellow OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program,
recently wrote on the Ag Law Blog this summary of rights and
responsibilities of landowners when cleaning up the fencerows.
Farmers are gearing up for spring and preparing to plant crops and
graze livestock. Part of spring-cleaning may involve clearing partition
fencerows at the edge of fields and trimming back overhanging branches
above the fence. Overgrown tree branches can affect crops and pose a
hazard to agricultural equipment. Removing trees that obstruct the
fencerow, noxious weeds tangled in the fence, and other unwanted
vegetation is a serious matter for Ohio farmers. Ohio law provides for
ways to clear a partition fence shared between two neighboring
properties. Ohio law also cautions against damaging trees when trimming
overhanging branches.
Clearing the fence row
This section only applies to the removal of vegetation in the fencerow.
Clearing overhanging trees above the fence is a separate matter
discussed further below.
A partition fence is a fence that follows the division line between
adjoining properties of two owners. The term “fence row” refers to the
strip of land that is on either side of the fence. In order to keep a
fence in good condition, owners should occasionally clear the fencerow
of obstructions caused by vegetation. Clearing a fencerow keeps noxious
weeds, brush, briers, and other vegetation from spreading onto a
neighbor’s property. Ohio law provides several methods for a landowner
to clear the fencerow legally.
The easiest way to clear the fencerow is to ask a neighbor to clear his
or her side of the partition fence. Ohio law creates a duty for owners
on either side of a partition fence to clear brush, briers, thistles
and other noxious weeds in a strip four feet wide along the line of the
fence, after a landowner gives notice to a neighbor asking them to do
so. It is best to be polite, patient, and clear when speaking with a
neighbor about when you would each like to clear the fencerow. A
landowner and a neighboring owner should try to establish a timeline to
clear each side of the fencerow.
What if a landowner asks a neighbor to clear the fencerow on their side
of a partition fence and they refuse? Once a landowner asks a neighbor
to clear a fencerow, that neighbor has ten days to do so. If a neighbor
does not clear it within ten days, the landowner can ask the local
board of township trustees to arrange for the fencerow to be cleared.
After a landowner notifies the trustees that a neighbor refused to
clear the fencerow within ten days, the township trustees must view the
property to determine if there is just cause for the complaint. Next,
if there is a cause for the complaint, the trustees will enter into a
contract with a third party to clear the fencerow and certify the
associated costs to the county auditor. The county auditor will bill
the neighboring landowner for the work to clear the fencerow. The
auditor will assess these costs against the neighboring landowner by
adding these costs to his or her property tax bill.
Trimming back overhanging branches
Landowners have the right to trim vertically and remove overhanging
obstructions from above their side of the fence. Ohio courts recognize
this privilege to remove obstructions, but not without limitations.
Ohio courts do not permit landowners to cause harm to the other side of
the property line. A landowner should be careful not to damage the
neighbor’s trees or trespass on to the neighbor’s property when
trimming overhanging branches. Landowners may be liable to a neighbor
if they recklessly damage a neighbor’s tree when removing overhanging
branches.
Landowners should review their rights and responsibilities to maintain
fences prior to clearing the fencerow this spring. For more information
on line fence law, visit the Ag Law Library at
https://aglaw.osu.edu/our-library/line-fence-law.
For more detailed information, visit the Darke County OSU Extension web
site at www.darke.osu.edu, the OSU Extension Darke County Facebook page.
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