Neighbor Asked To Split Cost On Existing Fence

Hi,

I need some advice and opinion on my fence dispute with my neighbor. This is in Gresham, Oregon.

I brought my home in Jan 2024. There was already a fence between me and neighbor prior to purchasing the home. However, there wasn’t a gate between my house and the shared fence yet, so I had one built in Sept 2024.

A week ago, my neighbor (landlord) who is renting out the house next door came over and ask to split the cost of the fence that was built in June of 2022.

He told me the previous homeowners had agreed to paid but due to some issues they couldn’t and now he’s asking me to pay for it. I disagreed as I’m not sure if the previous homeowner had already paid him, and the fence was already built prior to me purchasing the home.

I did however make a mistake of attaching the gate to his fence without asking him, it just slipped my mind and I know for that I’m at fault. I offered him $200 for the trouble and to put the matter behind us.

He’s now suing me through small claims court, claiming since I enclosed my backyard with their fence, I am liable for the shared cost of fence built 2 years prior.

What do you guys think? I appreciate any input.