with regards to your fence, did you ask your neighbor to help with the share of cost?
i did but they said that they could not afford it... what's a neighbor like me to do... the fence was front facing them... and three of the 11 fence posts had rotted and up rooted...
like i told my family members... if 3k was going to make me poor i would have a cow about it... but 3k doesn't hurt my pocket book all that much... plus these neighbors as nice ad they are... the city had to threaten them with a fine before they would cut their 30 feet high tree that had died in their backyard... a safety concern...
i am glad they did because it could have fallen over and crushed my house... anyway, i ended up staining their side too because i knew that had i not... they wouldn't of... 400 dollars in stain alone... i love my fence though... lol!