Fences make good neighbors, particularly when your neighbor insists that your backyard is his playground, his party-space, and in effect, really just an extention of his land, 24/7/365.
Everyone would like to not have fences. Everyone would like to have neighbors who respect the division of the property in such a way that no one sees any need for a fence.
To hide behind your cliche only shows you would rather ignore that your neighbor has already overtaken your backyard, and is looking to occupy your patio, because your such a nice person.
Nice people can make nice neighbors, or they can make fools when their neighbor desires only to take advantage of them.
The rest of us are nice people too. We are not fools.
Carl Sandburg could not have said it better.