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AIBU?

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Original poster

Bought a small holding the owners are chopping down the trees.

191 replies

justasking111 · 24/10/2025 14:18

Not exchanged yet but the owners offspring are now chopping down the trees presumably for firewood to sell. Do friends have any rights before exchange or could all the trees be gone before they buy it?

Are they being unreasonable to be upset or is it fair practice before exchange?

OP posts:
Glindaa · 24/10/2025 16:01

They need to be named and shamed with photos of the land before trees were lopped down and after. It’s not libel if it’s true. Get your friend to post on mumsnet & those scumbags might be shamed in the news

mindutopia · 24/10/2025 15:59

Pull out. I own a similar sounding property and the market for selling is tough (it just took our neighbours nearly 2 years to sell and they had to slice off a lot of agricultural land and drop the price by £200k!). What’s very silly is that the pittance they will get from a few trees worth of non-seasoned firewood will not equal the value lost to the property by chopping down a mature woodland and orchard. I’d be pointing that out to them when I pulled out too.

Summerhillsquare · 24/10/2025 15:47

What were the conditions of the sale?

Coconutter24 · 24/10/2025 15:46

No5ChalksRoad · 24/10/2025 15:34

When healthy trees are felled for no good reason, it's a big loss for all of us, and other species.

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Whilst I understand the trees being cut down is awful (I live surrounded by trees and woodland and would not be happy if they were to be pulled down), I don’t understand why Op is so invested in their ‘friends’ property.

I was worried they'd start pulling out other stuff and flogging it on marketplace.

What difference does it make to OP if the owners start pulling things out of their house and selling them? That’s for the friend to worry about if they’re buying a house as seen and then things change

Sheeppig · 24/10/2025 15:45

I take it these are all healthy trees? Ash Dieback is a big problem in this country and often ash trees have to be removed as become unsafe. (Still make good firewood).
Fruit trees, fortunately can be replanted and grow fairly quickly so your friends could still have an orchard. (We planted ours 2 years ago and have had a great harvest this year). Seems odd to cut them down as I wouldn't imagine they would make the best firewood.
But obviously mature, healthy trees will take decades to replace.
It sounds like the farm has been sold against one son's wishes and I agree, I would be keeping well away.

Coconutter24 · 24/10/2025 15:41

justasking111 · 24/10/2025 15:37

You can't convert a townie sadly

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Well considering I don’t live in a town and I’m not a ‘townie’ you’ve made a wrong assumption there

Original poster
justasking111 · 24/10/2025 15:40

The elm trees which eventually became immune to the disease and flourished.

OP posts:
Daisymay8 · 24/10/2025 15:38

Remember sycamore gap

Original poster
justasking111 · 24/10/2025 15:37

No5ChalksRoad · 24/10/2025 15:34

When healthy trees are felled for no good reason, it's a big loss for all of us, and other species.

Show quote history

You can't convert a townie sadly

OP posts:
BruFord · 24/10/2025 15:37

bluebunnyrabbit · 24/10/2025 14:49

Know a few wood turning and other woodworking artists. It's worth a small fortune even if it's not the best quality. It's quite popular at the moment to take a chunk of flawed wood, scrape out the crappy bits and fill with coloured resin before turning to reveal the interesting patternation caused by of a random bit of rot. A random stump is worth several hundred to the right artist.

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@bluebunnyrabbit Yep, certain woods are valuable. I only know this as I know someone IRlL who owns some woodland.

Daisymay8 · 24/10/2025 15:36

I’m in Scotland and you can’t just clear trees - I think it’s 20 tons but I’m not sure.we were clearing stuff near our house and someone from ?Scottish Woidland rolled up as we’d been reported. Also another area a mile away was cleared and had to be replanted as had done it without permission.

No5ChalksRoad · 24/10/2025 15:34

Coconutter24 · 24/10/2025 15:24

Why would you worry? If it’s your friend buying the house, surely it’s for them to worry?

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When healthy trees are felled for no good reason, it's a big loss for all of us, and other species.

Original poster
justasking111 · 24/10/2025 15:31

YoudonemessedupAyAyRon · 24/10/2025 15:28

@justasking111 I would not touch this property with a bargepole after your posts about the selling family. I very much doubt the incumbent will leave the property and its new owners alone after a sale.

That's a good point actually. They don't live there yet whenever estate agent surveyor, etc has visited they're always hovering around.

OP posts:
Coconutter24 · 24/10/2025 15:30

justasking111 · 24/10/2025 15:27

Some of us care about our surroundings. The loss of flora and fauna. Trees are an important part of the whole picture in nature.

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But it’s not your surroundings it’s your friends

Coconutter24 · 24/10/2025 15:29

Coconutter24 · 24/10/2025 15:27

__

Oops that wasn’t meant to post 🙈 tried to click ‘active’ to leave the thread but the page went wild and I clicked the wrong button 🤦‍♀️

YoudonemessedupAyAyRon · 24/10/2025 15:28

@justasking111 I would not touch this property with a bargepole after your posts about the selling family. I very much doubt the incumbent will leave the property and its new owners alone after a sale.

Dacatspjs · 24/10/2025 15:27

Blinkyblinky14 · 24/10/2025 14:51

Sorry you didn’t confirm whether they are also cutting down the orchard?

What type of orchard?

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Doesn't matter. It still burns so is good for firewood. If they are trying to get as much from the land as possible before it's sold I'd bet they cut these down too

Original poster
justasking111 · 24/10/2025 15:27

Coconutter24 · 24/10/2025 15:24

Why would you worry? If it’s your friend buying the house, surely it’s for them to worry?

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Some of us care about our surroundings. The loss of flora and fauna. Trees are an important part of the whole picture in nature.

OP posts:
Coconutter24 · 24/10/2025 15:27

__

Original poster
justasking111 · 24/10/2025 15:25

Blinkyblinky14 · 24/10/2025 15:22

So again

absolutely no idea about the relationships between the siblings at ALL
But suspect one is doing this without the other having any knowledge?

Quite a leap

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One has lived overseas for 40 years. Never returned to visit. The father wasn't a good man to his children.

OP posts:
Coconutter24 · 24/10/2025 15:24

justasking111 · 24/10/2025 14:34

I was worried they'd start pulling out other stuff and flogging it on marketplace. They're a very strange family who believe it's worth more I suspect.

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Why would you worry? If it’s your friend buying the house, surely it’s for them to worry?

MzHz · 24/10/2025 15:23

Contact the solicitor and tell them that you’re not going to proceed with the Sale if they remove all the trees.

Blinkyblinky14 · 24/10/2025 15:22

justasking111 · 24/10/2025 15:21

Actually we know the family, the parents at least. The offspring, well two of them went to university and never returned. The third remained and never left the area.

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So again

absolutely no idea about the relationships between the siblings at ALL
But suspect one is doing this without the other having any knowledge?

Quite a leap

Original poster
justasking111 · 24/10/2025 15:21

Blinkyblinky14 · 24/10/2025 15:13

Why would you assume that?

they are siblings that you have never met and have absolutely no idea about their relationship!

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Actually we know the family, the parents at least. The offspring, well two of them went to university and never returned. The third remained and never left the area.

OP posts: