To be absolutely hacked off at neighbour's new tree?

[QuestionableMouse]

Just came home from work to find my neighbours have installed a large (probably 10+ feet tall) tree in their garden. It's so big it looks ridiculous and is blocking out the only patch of sun that my garden got. (mature trees in the street at blocking the rest.) I'm really not happy buy I'm not sure if I'm being unreasonable.

I can't post pics because they're all sat out looking at it. Aibu? Can I do anything?

[echt]

Post a pic of the kind of tree it is.

[chocolateroses]

I would talk to them firstly, and explain that it blocks the light from your garden which you're upset about, and ask politely if they could move it. I think I would be pissed off though if a neighbour told me I couldn't have a tree because they didn't like the look of it - it's my garden my choice. Xx

[QuestionableMouse]

It's some kind of Birch (over heard them saying that.) Really can't post a pic because they're all out there and I'm on my own. Last time I upset them my car was keyed so I'm taking no chances sorry.

Isn't it the wrong time of year to replant trees anyway?!

[KateyKube]

Birch has quite a thin canopy of leaves so it shouldn’t block too much light. I don’t think there’s much you can do legally though. Perhaps if it was a row of trees or a hedge, but not a single tree.

[Squigglesworth]

If they're the type of key a car, I doubt there's anything you can do, since approaching them is unlikely to bring about positive results.

Honestly, I think YABU about the tree, anyway. Of all the things people complain about their neighbors doing outside (making too much noise, making noise too early/late, smoking the place up, etc.), this seems tame. Choosing your own plantings is one of the most basic parts of having a garden.

It's frustrating when someone else's plant choice affects you by casting shade, dropping leaves, or smelling too strongly, but I doubt they'll be open to moving it. If it's too big and the wrong time of year, maybe the tree won't survive, anyway.

[onalongsabbatical]

Ten feet tall isn't a large tree, it's a tiny tree! Anything smaller hardly qualifies as a tree. Re the light, light moves. So right now it's casting shadow your way but that shadow isn't fixed, it'll change according to time of day and year. If you're overshadowed by a lot of trees that's really the problem, not this newcomer. How big is your garden OP? No light at all at any time of day?

[Prequelle]

I would be annoyed too. It's like people don't think about how their actions affect others.

[KateyKube]

Yes 10ft is tiny for a tree. That birch is going to grow 50ft tall, possibly more.

[TSSDNCOP]

Don’t birch grow quite quickly? I know a friends DH seems to be permanently locked in a hate hate pollarding relationship with theirs.

[TSSDNCOP]

Google tells me 6ft per year if looked after

[LadyRannaldini]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6830965/Couple-lose-three-year-battle-neighbours-oppressive-50ft-high-leylandii-trees-cut-down.html

Be thankful for small mercies, literally at the moment!

[DishingOutDone]

Are you the neighbours on the other side of the "council house" garden/trees thread?

[DishingOutDone]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3564525-AIBU-Or-is-this-just-tragic-What-can-I-do

[Defenbaker]

OP you have my sympathies. We have 3 massive oak trees which cast a lot of shade in our garden, and over the years we've lived here they've grown many feet taller. One in particular has NEVER been trimmed, in the 30 years we've lived here. Our gardens are fairly small so it puts 2 gardens into complete shade for most of the day.

We have tried over the years to politely persuade the 3 different owners to get the trees cut back, in each case offering money towards it. One was polite and pkeasant, but explained that she loves the tree so she only has dead wood removed. Another owner was totally unco-operative, refused to discuss it and is a bloody minded sort who has dug his heels in about the tree, despite polite approaches from several neighbours. It is far too big and quite lop sided, so may eventually fall down. Not wishing harm to people but if it fell on his property it would cause massive damage and I would not have any sympathy for him.

The third owner she'd like hers pollarded, but did not have any money to contribute towards it. We bit the bullet and paid for the whole cost of a fairly radical pollard job, so that has given us a bit more light. In your position I would try approaching the owners of the other trees and offer money towards the cost of a tree surgeon, and perhaps be prepared to pay all the costs yourself, as often people have an attitude of "well, it's not bothering me, but if you want to get it trimmed go ahead, if you are willing to pay".

The whole issue of huge trees in small gardens is a real bug bear with me, as the shadow can be severe enough to restrict what you can grow, and can make a garden very depressing. People can be utterly selfish about it, thinking that their right to grow what they want trumps other people's rights to do the same. I really wish the law would change, but sadly the high hedge legislation does not apply to single trees, no matter how massive they are. I admire large beautiful trees in parks, but they are totally inappropriate in small gardens.

[Doggydoggydoggy]

I would suggest planting some shade loving plants and painting your fence white or another super pale colour instead?

You can still have a lovely garden even with overhanging trees!

[ChardonnaysPrettySister]

On the other tree heard the OP was told that the trees her NDN cut down were in their garden, so she should put up with the complete loss of privacy and they should'n have had to consider OP at all because their garden, their rules.

Here OP's neighbours have panted a tree, in their garden, but according to most posters it's them who are unreasonable because they haven't considered OP's situation. So their garden, but not their rules?

Is does seem that so many posters on MN just hate having trees near them

[HomeMadeMadness]

Hmmm I've lived in rental properties where trees have had to be cut back or removed due ymto neighbour complaints but I think that was a good will gesture on the part of the landlord. It does sound annoying but at least from an environmental point of view trees are a good thing.

[IceCreamAndCandyfloss]

Their garden, their choice. As long as it's causing no damage to your side there's nothing you can do about it. Maybe they wanted more shade or privacy in their garden.

[QuestionableMouse]

It was just a huge shock to come back to, if I'm honest. The gardens are tiny and linked together with shorter fences (old farm worker cottages, on a terrace) they look like this www.theonlinelettingagents.co.uk/property-search/victorian-terrace-cottage-oxford/

The gardens are pretty small, maybe 15ft long by 10 wide so it looks massive.

[DisplayPurposesOnly]

On the other tree heard the OP was told that the trees her NDN cut down were in their garden, so she should put up with the complete loss of privacy and they should'n have had to consider OP at all because their garden, their rules.

You've carefully omitted the salient point that the neighbours' garden was completely cast in shadow by the large trees that were completely disproportionate to the neighbours' garden.

[ChardonnaysPrettySister]

I don't think so. It's just double standards, is all.

But, for the purpose of your argument, a birch is not likely to throw a lot of shade, and yet the NDN are apparently unreasonable to plant .

[MissShapesMissStakes]

Like a pp said - the light will change over the day and where the tree casts a shadow will. It won’t be in the EXACT only spot you get sun always. And maybe in summer some midday shade will be appreciated.
Trees are highly underrated. It will clean up the air you are breathing, provide food and shelter for wildlife. They change beautifully with the seasons.
A 10ft tree won’t have much leaf cover yet. We have a silver birch slightly bigger and we planted it for shade in our south facing garden. It hardly creates any yet due to the crown being so spread out. It’s beautiful though.
As there’s not much you can do about it, maybe you just need to change your mindset about it? Otherwise it’s going to but you for years!

[QuestionableMouse]

I love trees and have planted lots in the village... It was just a shock to come home to find a big tree! It does look massive because the gardens are so small. Hopefully they won't let it go wild like the rest of their garden.

[QuestionableMouse]

I'm also slightly concerned for my paving/path/foundations because of the roots. Do they use a lot of water? A previous neighbour had leylandii which killed my veg garden and lawn by drinking all the ground water.

Also which other tree thread? I haven't seen one but I've been away from the site most of the day.

[Singlenotsingle]

I planted a cherry tree in our front garden last year and it DIED!

But yes, normally trees are planted in the autumn.