Border design - neighbor wants a fence, we want a hedge

With our neighbors opposite, it is an identical story, so first only a hedge then a fence in a two-year legal dispute. Before that, everything was all peace and joy...

At our neighbors opposite, there is an identical story, so initially just a hedge then eventually a fence in a two-year legal dispute. Before that, everything was all peace and joy...

Pancakes?

Is he even allowed to put the fence directly on the hedge?

No, but on his property boundary.

In my opinion, fence and hedge don't go together.

They go together very well if everyone does what they are allowed to do.

I find it a bit unfortunate that whoever comes first also has to bear the disadvantages.

That's not the case at all: the neighbor is behaving very correctly when he fences his property and protects his neighbors from his dog. A hedge, whether shared or alone, simply cannot do that.

That would mean I have to stay at least 1.50 meters away from the boundary, right?

No. Of course, if you choose a wide-spreading hedge for yourself, you should plan ahead. For a normal hedge plant that will grow 1.80 meters high, about 70 cm from the property boundary is enough. If you prefer wide-spreading plants, then you should take precautions – your current preference is for cherry laurel.

What I mean is that I find it a pity that we both actually want a hedge. If he starts, he has the hedge and the loss of space on his property and I am happy. If I start, I have to put the hedge on our property and he is happy.

Honestly: a (shared) hedge on the property boundary is suboptimal. That’s where disputes with joint ownership begin.

But I still want to get the maximum space-saving – for both sides.

What you want: your hedge on the boundary, so you save space. That means for the neighbor, he has to accept your choice of Portuguese laurel, share the costs, and then put his fence in front of the hedge on his property. Only you benefit, he only has disadvantages, namely half the costs of the hedge (which you choose), and the fence will then stand in front of the hedge on his side.

In short: I clearly see the sense on your neighbor’s side. He puts (whether he is legally obliged to do so or not – you hide from us the right/left side that is decisive here) his dog fence on the boundary and is responsible for the costs. What you then do and he does with planting on his property is your business. Very clear.
I actually find it a bit childish to fuss over half a meter on a 900 sqm property boundary.
Around here, 90% are fences. Primarily set because that's what people want, because of dog/child, planned dog/child, or simply because they want fences around their own area. So be it. And everyone who prefers their hedge plants it around their own 650 sqm property. Some in loose "individual arrangements" (hydrangeas, shrub roses, rhododendrons), others in rows (privet, cherry laurel, or beech). That way everyone has their own planting.
I think your way of thinking is the first step towards an “unfriendly neighborhood.” Simply put, it is focused only on your advantage.

... and if it happens the way you want: should it then be that the neighbor crawls over his fence onto his side of the property to tend to your... uh... your hedge on his side? And who takes responsibility if it stays in the middle and withers? That's a recipe for conflict.

I have also often seen that fences and hedges grow together wonderfully. Eventually, you no longer see the fence, but it is there and still keeps dogs away. Of course, this only works with very durable fences, e.g., made of metal. Maybe a compromise for you is to place both side by side on the border, and then the hedge will eventually cover the fence, but you have your hedge and he has his fence, no one loses space. A lot has already been said about cherry laurel, which I agree with; there are really more environmentally friendly alternatives. You pay for your hedge, and he pays for his fence. First, clarify whether it is okay with him if you trim the hedge from his side once or twice a year for a few hours, or if he will maintain his side of the hedge himself. Also, talk about the intended final height in advance.

Our neighbor wanted to do something back then that he particularly liked but we liked less, also because the topic of the dog was involved. In the end, it became a higher wooden fence built by ourselves and in front of it on our side we did what we wanted, namely a bushy, thick hedge. We never cut the backside at the wooden wall and we really liked this high, green wall, especially since it also provided additional soundproofing when sitting on the terrace at the same time. In the end, it turned into a good neighborly relationship, possibly also precisely because such somehow crooked situations were avoided. I think the essential prerequisite is that you do your own thing, but only up to max. 1 cm BEFORE the boundary. Everything else involves unnecessary potential for conflict. Therefore, I usually don’t think about what or why the neighbor does something, as long as he does it on his own property; I do the same and I don’t care whether he likes it.