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Commission assigns partition-fence maintenance: Chaffee north, Vandoll south
Summary
After a fence-view hearing, the Riley County Commission directed that John Chaffee maintain the north half of a partition fence and Shirley Vandoll be responsible for the south half; the commission instructed staff to draft an order recording those responsibilities and access expectations.
Following a formal fence-view hearing on Feb. 3, the Riley County Commission directed that maintenance responsibility for a partition fence between two rural properties be divided with owner John Chaffee responsible for the north half and Shirley Vandoll responsible for the south half.
The hearing followed a site inspection conducted Oct. 4, 2024, and allowed both landowners to present testimony. Vernon Vandoll, speaking as an agent for Shirley Vandoll, said the fence is intended to keep cattle out of cropped fields and that he had requested a formal determination after repeated disagreements with the neighboring landowner. John Chaffee said the fence needs repair and agreed he would take responsibility for the north half.
County staff, represented by Jacob Hansen, told the commission the board’s role is to assign future maintenance responsibility and not to adjudicate access arrangements beyond reminding neighbors that access for construction must be coordinated under state law. The commission’s instruction also makes clear that either party may place the new fence on either side of the existing tree line (hedgerow), but if a landowner elects to build the fence on the opposite side of the hedgerow the builder must coordinate access with the other property owner.
Commissioners asked county counsel and staff to draft a written order for the board to sign. That order will state: Chaffee is responsible for the north half; Vandoll is responsible for the south half; either owner may construct replacement fencing on either side of the hedgerow provided they coordinate access with adjacent property owners; and each party bears their own costs for construction and ongoing maintenance.
Both owners were present for the hearing; commissioners closed the public hearing and directed staff to prepare the final order for recordation with the register of deeds.
