Gate Cut into Fence

[otis]

My question involves real estate located in the State of: Washington

A wooden fence divides our housing devolpment and condo complex. The condo owner on the other side of the fence has cut a gate in the fence and now has unauthorized access to my yard. The fence is on the codo's owners property, can I board up the gate from my side?

[hjinc]

Well if the fence is on the Condo owner's property, you can't alter or do anything that would be considered "damage" to the fence or gate. However, nothing says you can't put up your own fence or other barrier within your property boundaries to prevent someone from accessing your property.

What you may want to consider is finding out the Condo owner's purpose or true intent of placing the gate in the fence...you may discover it wasn't installed as an access point from or to his property in case of emergency.

[otis]

My understanding from other neighbors, they use a daycare in the devolopment and use the gate to cut across instead of walking around the block to enter as everone else would.

[jk]

then, as hijinc said, erect a barrier directly in front of the gate on your property to make their gate useless.

anything you install must be on your property.

[otis]

Thanks for the advice.

[Scott67]

It might be worth checking with the condo association. If this is a border fence, it may be maintained by the association. The gate may have been an unauthorized modification by the condo owner.