Northern Missouri
Fence law decides who maintains a boundary fence
In a livestock-and-crop county, Missouri's fence law allocates responsibility for boundary fences, which can surprise new rural landowners who assume the fence is the neighbor's problem.
Missouri has a “fence law.” This law decides who pays for a boundary fence. A boundary fence is the fence between your land and your neighbor’s land. The rules can change from county to county. Missouri has two sets of rules. One is the general state rule. The other is a “local option” rule that a county can vote to use. DeKalb County has both farm animals and crops, so this really matters here. You may have to share the cost and the upkeep of a boundary fence with your neighbor. Who fixes which part is a common reason neighbors argue. So do not just guess that the fence is the neighbor’s job. University of Missouri Extension has easy-to-read guides on fence law. The full rules are in the Missouri Revised Statutes. Check with your local office to learn which rule DeKalb County uses before you count on either one.
References
Where this fits: this note belongs to DeKalb County. See every local note for the county on its page.