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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think neighbour should shift tree asap?

78 replies

Moveyourbloodytree · 26/01/2025 23:02

Enormous conifer tree of neighbours came down in the storm on Friday. It didn't look unstable or unhealthy to be fair.

It was planted very close to the boundary between our gardens and it has fallen straight across our garden horizontally. Luckily not much damage caused apart from an old piece of play equipment that’s no longer used. It is however completely blocking access to half of our garden and our shed.

Neighbour was out at the time so popped a polite note through the door with our numbers so they could arrange access and whatnot. We’re on polite terms with them but don’t see much of them really.

Transpires his grand plan to get this 40+ foot tree out of our garden is for him and DH to chainsaw it themselves and use our green bin and his to remove it. Pointed out that we couldn’t even get to our shed to access our chainsaw and even if we could there’s not a cats chance in hell the blade would go through the trunk. He just shrugged nonchalantly and said it would get sorted.

AIBU to be annoyed that his tree falling in our garden somehow means we’ve got to pitch in sorting it and if I’m NBU how do I politely tell him he’s crackers if he thinks there’s any solution bar him putting his hand in his pocket and paying for a company to come deal with it?

OP posts:
FormidableMizzP · 29/01/2025 22:22

Moveyourbloodytree · 29/01/2025 21:35

Thanks everyone there’s some good advice here.

Those saying give him a chance I totally get what you’re saying but I do mean asap as in as soon as possible. I get that tree surgeons can be very busy and booked up, if he’d said he’d called around and it’s going to be a while then fair enough can’t be helped.

Neighbour let himself into our garden today and did approximately 4 hours of chainsawing. He’s taken off maybe the bottom 5th of branch and left the cuttings where they lay.

I am anxious that my poor flowerbed and lawn will be destroyed. I had a lovely jasmine growing up a makeshift trellis that’s definitely not going to be salvageable.

I’m going to give it until the end of the week and maybe get a couple of rough quotes from the landscaping companies that are advertising all over FB about fallen trees and have another chat to him.

It was clear what you meant and hopefully he'll see sense and get the professionals in. Try and find local professional companies not FB adverts and sound them out. Is he leaving the debris in your garden for your wheelie bin? I'd be reminding him since it's his tree he needs to remove all of it and make good your garden. Jasmine is hardy and should recover as will the lawn - all dormant for another couple of months.

JohnofWessex · 29/01/2025 22:09

If he gets contractors check their qualifications - chainsaw certificates for all staff and insurance before they are allowed onto the property and let him know you will be doing this beforehand

FormidableMizzP · 29/01/2025 22:06

100% down to your neighbour. Needs to be done professionally as that is a whole lot of tree, no way that's going in the green bins. Fairly sure you're not supposed to either - meant to be 'cuttings', branches, grass etc not a whole bloody conifer. Take a lot of photos - in the garden and from upstairs windows. If you have a log burner, get it cut into logs and store somewhere dry for next winter - smells lovely - but don't burn the branches. Rotted conifer clippings are great for acers and anything that needs ericaceous soil.

RLmadmum · 29/01/2025 21:49

One of my colleagues came in Monday and told us his conifer had fell into his neighbours last weekend and he was getting it sorted. I'm actually cringing now thinking it's the same person 🙈

bloodredfeaturewall · 29/01/2025 21:48

have you talked to your home insurance?

Jabbabong · 29/01/2025 21:37

An advert on facebook saying free firewood but bring a chainsaw?

Original poster
Moveyourbloodytree · 29/01/2025 21:35

Thanks everyone there’s some good advice here.

Those saying give him a chance I totally get what you’re saying but I do mean asap as in as soon as possible. I get that tree surgeons can be very busy and booked up, if he’d said he’d called around and it’s going to be a while then fair enough can’t be helped.

Neighbour let himself into our garden today and did approximately 4 hours of chainsawing. He’s taken off maybe the bottom 5th of branch and left the cuttings where they lay.

I am anxious that my poor flowerbed and lawn will be destroyed. I had a lovely jasmine growing up a makeshift trellis that’s definitely not going to be salvageable.

I’m going to give it until the end of the week and maybe get a couple of rough quotes from the landscaping companies that are advertising all over FB about fallen trees and have another chat to him.

OP posts:
Ireallywantadoughnut36 · 29/01/2025 21:25

I feel like you're not being unreasonable but give him some time, he'll probably try, fail and come round to the idea of a professional. It's not exactly garden weather at the moment so it's not a massive issue I wouldn't think, I wouldn't get het up about it plus it's not like he's turned around and said "it's in your garden, it's your problem" - he knows its his responsibility so he'll sort it eventually.
Also, I don't know the size of it, but we had a massive tree (taller than the house) and my dad and husband did chainsaw it up, season and dry it, and now it's burning in our log burner.

QuizNight · 29/01/2025 21:15

Swiftie1878 · 29/01/2025 11:17

Tell him you’ll contact your insurers and they’ll be in touch with his insurers.
Ask for his insurance details, and give him the number of a tree surgeon if he wants to avoid insurers’ involvement.
Tell him he has 5 days to sort it out, or you will.

Why would they react like that two days after a tree falling down?

MaggieFS · 29/01/2025 20:22

Do home insurance firms have any sort of reciprocity like car insurance? Talking to yours could be a good place to start? Otherwise if you have legal cover have a chat with them about options for doing it yourself and recouping the cost if neighbour doesn't get on with it?

Sadcafe · 29/01/2025 20:16

Had something similar happen but the tree wasn’t on our land or neighbours but fell on both and completely destroyed the natural hedge on our land,neighbour has been vile about it, states it’s our fault it fell as we hadn’t had it pruned( it’s not on our land and we did have it pruned back to boundary a few years ago) we’ve cleared a lot of it away ourselves, neighbour had done nothing at all to help nor has tree owner

Treaclewell · 29/01/2025 20:06

HobbyHorse30 advice is right. I was going to come here with some info left over in my mind from the '87 storm, A fallen tree has unexpected strains in it and can twist and cause accidental forces on the chain saw which can seriously harm the user. Leave it to the professionals, who know the risks and have appropriate insurance.

TunnocksOrDeath · 29/01/2025 18:35

Put it on gumtree. If that happened near some of my lot they'd be round there with a chainsaw and a trailer and have removed the logs for next winter's fire before the weekend.

Windowsand · 29/01/2025 18:29

Contact your house insurance and ask their advice.

Have absolutely nothing to do with its removal and restitution of your garden.

They sound like CF's.

Rainingalldayonmyhead · 29/01/2025 18:26

Also to pile on to the stupidly of the idea, you can’t put a tree in a green bin even if it’s cut up. There are very strict rules on branch sizes and what can go in them.

HobbyHorse30 · 29/01/2025 18:22

That said, you say you don’t live in an area of widespread storm damage but if your neighbour’s tree has come down, it’s hardly likely to be the only one. I think maybe some grace and patience are needed

HobbyHorse30 · 29/01/2025 18:16

A fallen tree that size can be dangerous, and you have to know how to safely chop it up. The root ball of a large tree can act as a counterweight and cause the tree to right itself (potentially seriously hurting folk) if you don’t tackle it correctly

BlondeMamaToBe · 29/01/2025 13:41

My neighbour at my previous house left their conifer in the road… for a year.

unsync · 29/01/2025 13:39

I had some this size taken out a couple of years ago. It's not a DIY job. Took a team of five four days to remove five trees and top the rest. They had the really big Stihl chainsaws and a Timberwolf. It's surprising how much debris a tree of that size produces.

outdooryone · 29/01/2025 13:20

40ft tree is waaaaay more than a few green bins. It is a proper tree surgeon issue.
Any buildings insurance would cover trees like this, but there may be a get out of lack of maintenance leading to the issue.
At the end of the day, your house insurance can also help. You will have a legal advice line on how to progress.

its2025 · 29/01/2025 13:20

l think it's unlikely any insurance company would cover this at it sounds like very minimal damage apart from the old play equipment op no longer uses and I'm assuming a fence panel or two.
Difficult to say with just a description of the tree - but myself and BF felled a 20+ ft conifer from my garden ourselves just using an electric chain saw. Might not be an easy job but if you're neighbour is used to using a chainsaw it's not unreasonable for him to maybe attempt to cut it up himself.

However expecting your husband to help might be a bit much as it's not your tree - but could be seen as neighbourly to help out where possible.

There's absolutely no way the debris is going to fit in your wheelie bins though. Your neighbour will have to find some other method of disposing of the tree.

blackpear · 29/01/2025 13:02

Our tree surgeon is booked up until May.

eurochick · 29/01/2025 12:15

If it is a large tree he might well have underestimated the work involved. And certainly underestimated how much waste there will be if he is planning to put it in the green bins.

We would probably muck in and help clear it (once we could get to our chainsaw) in the circumstances though. Neighbours can then figure out what to do with the chopped up bits. Conifers tend to have a lot of foliage and not hugely thick trunks or branches.

chyail25 · 29/01/2025 12:04

Tree surgeons are booked up for weeks after storms. At least they are round here. They quite rightly prioritise council work clearing the roads.

Welshmonster · 29/01/2025 11:35

Just call your insurance company and let them deal with it