How do I pause a neighbour's fence mural plan when neither of us has checked who owns the fence?
Neighbours“Your side can be plain; our side is going to be a jungle,” my neighbour said, showing me the paint colours her children had chosen.
The fence separates our gardens in England. I paid towards two replacement panels years ago, and she has repaired a post since then. Neither of us has checked the documents. I had assumed contributing to the panels gave me a say over the whole thing; she assumed each household could do whatever it liked to the face it sees.
The [Land Registry's boundary guidance](https://hmlandregistry.blog.gov.uk/2026/10/08/boundaries-facts-myths-and-how-to-avoid-a-costly-dispute/) warns that common clues about fences don't necessarily establish ownership or maintenance responsibility. I don't want to turn either assumption into a legal claim.
She has booked a family painting afternoon for Saturday. I would like her to hold off while we establish what applies and discuss the work, including whether anything would affect the other face.
How do I ask for that pause without making the children feel their project has been cancelled because I dislike green parrots? I haven't actually objected to the mural. I object to the decision being treated as settled before we've checked it.