Owners or occupants of adjoining lands, where the lands of both parties are occupied, shall make and maintain equal portions of the division fence between their respective lands. The owner of unimproved and unoccupied land adjoining occupied land of another person shall make his or her proportion of a fence between such lands unless the selectboard of the town where the improved land lies, on request of either party, and on reasonable notice by the selectboard to parties interested, decides that such owner ought not to be compelled to make any part of such fence. The decision of the selectboard in such case shall be recorded in the town clerk's office and shall be final between the parties. The selectmembers shall receive for their services the fees of fence viewers.