west central Iowa | Oliver1 - 5/30/2015 23:45
I understand the desire and need for defining property lines, trust me, I have some neighbors that REALLY need that line there.
The point where we differ is cattle raising is an income producing activity, and the person getting the income should bear the expenses. If both parties are getting income, then it makes sense. If not, then it doesn't. Saying it's the law so deal with it pretty much negates the reason for having discussion forums, doesn't it? I guess we can limit our discussion to beacons and PVC airlines then.
We've been too nice here. For 25 years we fed cattle in a yard that butted up against adjacent land. Not once did they pay for or fix the fence. It was a feedyard, not a simple 3 strand barb fence line. It's also the county line, so if there is a dispute it would have gotten real messy.
If the law is so wrong why hasn't it been changed, why has it lived through so many supreme court challenges. If you don't like it do something about it other than just dicuss it. My point is some people need to own half the fence and be responsible for it or they won't respect it and I will not only have to build all the fence, I will have to repair it all the time when they tear it up. With the fence law all I have to do is go to the trustees, without I would probably have to file a lawsuit. Like I said fences in my area probably have more value than in yours, most places still have fence and can be rented out for stalk grazing if the fences are maintained a little bit. In the cases I have heard about here the trustees have never made anyone build or maintain a feedyard fence. You answered your own question about the value of a fence by saying they do have value in marking property lines, that alone would make a fence worthwhile. Comparing a property line fence to gating in a hog barn is a pretty poor camparison unless your hog barn straddles your property line. |
Fence law
