Someone has cut my hedge

[MeltingSugs]

I got home yesterday to find that half of my hedge has been cut

For context, the garden has needed a tremendous amount of work here. I do not proclaim to be a super gardener, but the hedge has improved a lot since we've been here with the right pruning - I am always out in the garden. This year, I have been letting the top of it grow up to even out the height ready for cutting in the autumn. To get home and find (half) of the top of it has been cut right back, and wonky, has made me quite cross.

Neighbour on the opposite side has no idea what's happened, neighbour on the side with the hedge is (so far) ignoring my text.

So as not to drip feed, the hedge is entirely on my land, it is not 'on the boundary' and therefore on my neighbour's land. The half that has been cut actually protrudes into my garden as it grew wonky, meaning my neighbour has some of my front garden. Prizes for guessing how long it's going to stay like that now!

Providing it is the neighbour, how do I be firm but fair in discussing this with them? I want to make it very clear that they are not to do anything on my property ever, but I don't want to fall out. This neighbour has told me that they felt out with the people who lived in our house before us. I think the friendship is definitely dented now though

It is fucking outrageous! You have every right to be absolutely furious!

My neighbour has a small patch of garden right by my gate which is never gardened. It is rib cage deep in weeds and I hate it - it might be his garden but its making my entrance look bloody derelict. However, I wouldnt dream of doing anything about it - its not my land! I have made my bit on the other side of my gate look as nice and tidy as possible so that no one thinks that this bit is mine and I am being neglectful. I would love to rip out all the weeds...but I cant!

How on earth these people think its ok to come on to your land and do this? (and can people please read the OP - it clearly states that this is not a boundary hedge).

Can someone please copy and paste pictures?

I can’t see the pictures

You need to find out why they thought this was a good idea

And its property damage, you have every right to complain to the police.

Can’t see photos.

Wow! I’m so massively territorial it’d drive me insane

I'd go fucking batshit. I have two large neglected hedges which we inherited when we bought our house last year. I know one neighbour would love nothing more than for us to rip it out. I went to talk to them after we moved in, made it clear the hedges were staying - they are on our land inside our boundary line. But I promised that I would get it back under control and that it would take me 2-3 seasons to do so. They have been very understanding because I explained that it wasn't going to be an instantaneous process.

If I'd come back and found they'd been on to my land and cut them down, I'd be making it clear that they needed to cough up for costs - mature hedges are expensive.

I'd be livid.

Ugh. Our neighbour did this to us in a rental / came home one day to discover half the height of the beech hedge gone! As it was 100% not in her garden, and to cut it you’d need access from our side, they’d entered the garden while we were out and lopped it all.

When I went round to find out what had happened to half the hedge, she said “we did knock but you were out”, and “I always cut the hedge and your LL doesn’t mind”.

Well, I DID mind. She never did it again!

Happened to me this week. I could see someone in my garden, though a bush was in the way, so I opened the patio door and called out. He disappeared over the fence leaving a partly severed branch hanging. The tree was completely in my garden,and no part of it was over his side. I use a walking frame, so had to wait until my daughter came round to speak to him. He said he thought he had permission, because a couple of months ago I let him lop the top of a tall conifer that cast a shadow on his side (on the rare occasions that the sun makes an appearance!).

That looks hideous OP! Can see why you would not be happy
Waiting for outcome...

Only on here can someone post about an act of vandalism done to something in their grounds and posters say, ‘Don’t fall out’!

I’d be furious and threatening court action.

Bloody hell, if they were going to trim it you would think they would do it at least straight and level.

Any what daft bugger goes around doing more gardening than they need to?

Looks like a teenage first attempt to me: neighbours offered teenager money to tidy garden and they went a bit over enthusiastic on the hedge?

There are loads of hedge-murdering bastards out there, though. Now we live in a house on a street with a very wide pavement. Our front garden has bushes and trees behind a knee-height wall. Most other houses along the street are the same. Someone walks along and cuts off any foliage that they feel is encroaching over the walls and onto the public space of the pavement.

Fair enough if it was all overhanging and narrowing the pavement, blocking access or impeding/inconveniencing pedestrians by swinging in their faces. But this is to the level of obsession - every garden down the street has had the chop chop treatment as soon as a leaf dares to stray.

I’ve never caught them - must be an early morning or late night dog walker with a Swiss Army’s knife!

I can't see the pics but I'd be livid with a neighbour who did something on my property without my permission.

Can anyone repost the pics?

If the people who do this kind of thing think it’s perfectly ok, then why do they always wait till the home owner is out? And what is it that they think is going to come of it? Nuts.

Repost of pics

What the feck...?!

Why. Just why on all levels would someone do that?

🤣🤣🤣 that's really bad cutting!
Have you spoken to them yet OP?

I can't work out what on earth they have done?! Was it really one level before they got at it?!

Tell her you've seen her on cctv with another neighbour from down the road. Ask her why?! Also if she does it again that you 'll call the police.

Ah, thank you applepineapple! Now I can see them.

Hurrah I can now see the pics!

OP that's awful! Cheeky bastards.

I would go and stick a 10ft fence on the boundary on the other side of your hedge. Maybe something garish like bright pink on their side so they have that to stare at while you grow back your poor hedge.

Thanks apple!

I'm that anyone could think this was OK!

I had a minor upset with neighbours over a big flowerbed that straddled the boundary once. It was very over grown, I didn't mind, looked a bit wild and nature garden esque. Anyway, they moved in and weeded their side within an inch of its life and planted bedding plants. Absolutely fine, but made my side look a bit shit. So I weeded my side too. What I didn't realise was that the boundary was wonky, (I'd never seen the deeds, we were renting, and there was no way to guess it wouldn't be 90 degrees out from the house) and I inadvertently weeded the bits they'd left on purpose. Complete misunderstanding, I apologised, they apologised, everything was fine.

What I didn't do was sneak into their garden and hack at the shrubbery and pretend not to know anything about it. Why are people so bloody weird?!