Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Last fucking straw

591 replies

sarahC40 · 09/03/2021 15:34

Handhold please and advice (on how not to utterly lose my shit or get arrested for this). It’s not been a great lockdown.

Saving Grace: my garden. Lovely tree, probably in the wrong place but predates the houses, was cut down without warning, so that my view, which was of said lovely tree, is now of the back of someone’s house. They have now closed all of their blinds because, yes, we are now overlooking each other.

The tree is in no man’s land between the gardens - it doesn’t belong to them. They’ve got down everything that overhung my garden (my son woke up to find men climbing over my fence and most of tree gone) and they’ve left a twenty foot high stump. My other neighbours were open mouthed in shock, so this isn’t just me sounding off; it’s horrendous.

I know there’s nothing that I can do, but I would like some vengeful suggestions that I won’t act on but will help me as I try to stop crying at the fucking awful sight of their fugly house.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
purplebagladylovesgin · 09/03/2021 16:05

I need to add, if it's been pollarded as previous poster suggested and not chopped down, get onto the council and ask for the tree warden to visit you ASAP. Say exactly why in your email. Send pictures.

It's fairly easy to get a tree preservation order put on a tree. This will protect it greatly from further attempts to prune it.

In future an arborist will have to apply to even touch it.

My friend is our local tree warden.

Get an order on it!

MajorMujer · 09/03/2021 16:05

Eucalyptus grows quickly op.

okokok000 · 09/03/2021 16:06

Sorry if I've missed this / it isn't relevant but have you posted about this before (recently)? Sounds very familiar.

Notaroadrunner · 09/03/2021 16:06

Can you find out from the council if the tree had a TPO placed on it? If so then they'd have needed permission to cut it.

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2018/03/tree-cutting-permission/

Original poster
sarahC40 · 09/03/2021 16:06

@WombatWomb

Did you ask the new daft cow why?
I’m waiting for my husband, who is going to have to hold me back I’m afraid. We are going to be civilised and explain why it was inconsiderate and I’m going to try hard not to hurt anyone. I can’t go around yet because I’m covered in snot from sobbing. It’s pathetic and I am furious, but it’s been a tough few months and I can’t stop walking up.
OP posts:
LemonadeBudget · 09/03/2021 16:07

I'd be raging!

It's on both of them though, if they shared costs then it wasn't the new neighbour on her own. Did your 'old' neighbour say why they didn't like the tree?

Original poster
sarahC40 · 09/03/2021 16:07

@Freddiefox

I k ow you say it was in no mans land, but I don’t really understand.. who’s garden was the tree stump in?

If they climbing over your fence I’d contact them to discuss why they thought it was ok

The tree was actually between all of the gardens in a space between all of the boundaries. God knows why but it was.
OP posts:
GoryGilmore · 09/03/2021 16:08

We’ve had great success with photinia hedging to block out the neighbours. It was already about 5-6ft when we bought it, but within a couple of years it was easily reaching 8-9ft, and the wildlife seems to love it. It’s bushy enough to screen well but not so dense it blocks out light.

Original poster
sarahC40 · 09/03/2021 16:09

@LemonadeBudget

I'd be raging!

It's on both of them though, if they shared costs then it wasn't the new neighbour on her own. Did your 'old' neighbour say why they didn't like the tree?

She did like the tree but described her new neighbour as assertive and didn’t know she hadn’t spoken to us - we don’t back onto her, although I’ve just noticed that I can see into her house too. My son is talking about spray painting rude gestures onto the back of his blackout blinds and keeping them down all the time.
OP posts:
Crayfishforyou · 09/03/2021 16:09

Get 3D artist to chainsaw the remaining stump into the shape of a penis?

Original poster
sarahC40 · 09/03/2021 16:10

@okokok000

Sorry if I've missed this / it isn't relevant but have you posted about this before (recently)? Sounds very familiar.
No, only happened today. Sorry if anyone else has been through this. Got an anguished message from my poor son to say get home quickly just after I’d finished my last lesson.
OP posts:
LemonadeBudget · 09/03/2021 16:10

You don't shell out cold hard cash to chop down a tree you like though surely?

Original poster
sarahC40 · 09/03/2021 16:11

@Crayfishforyou

Get 3D artist to chainsaw the remaining stump into the shape of a penis?
That or I paint one on the back of the house.
OP posts:
Emeraldeyes20 · 09/03/2021 16:11

That’s absolutely awful, when we sold my dad’s lovely Victorian house the lady buying it casually mentioned she didn’t like trees. I though she was joking until I saw that the beautiful beautiful oak tree was cut down . I could have cried, my dad would turn in his grave!! Their garden looks awful now like a car park but I guess it was their choice !! I still feel upset about it Confused

Original poster
sarahC40 · 09/03/2021 16:11

@LemonadeBudget

You don't shell out cold hard cash to chop down a tree you like though surely?
Apparently she also got them to replace part of a fence and then discovered that it belonged to the new neighbour.
OP posts:
Original poster
sarahC40 · 09/03/2021 16:12

@Emeraldeyes20

That’s absolutely awful, when we sold my dad’s lovely Victorian house the lady buying it casually mentioned she didn’t like trees. I though she was joking until I saw that the beautiful beautiful oak tree was cut down . I could have cried, my dad would turn in his grave!! Their garden looks awful now like a car park but I guess it was their choice !! I still feel upset about it Confused
I refused to sell a house to someone on those grounds. It’s only round the corner from me and I like walking past my old house and admiring the cherry blossom in spring.
OP posts:
LemonadeBudget · 09/03/2021 16:13

God what a wet lettuce!

Anyway Flowers for you, I hope you give them a piece of your mind

Original poster
sarahC40 · 09/03/2021 16:13

@Freddiefox

I k ow you say it was in no mans land, but I don’t really understand.. who’s garden was the tree stump in?

If they climbing over your fence I’d contact them to discuss why they thought it was ok

Yeah will be adding that to the list of questions (after I’ve choked her - only half joking)
OP posts:
Nith · 09/03/2021 16:13

Can you put a fence up? I know it would be limited height but at least it would block off some of the view of their house.

EvilPea · 09/03/2021 16:14

I’m so sorry. I’d feel the same. They are a marker of seasons, life and hope. As well as a provider of life for nature.

What tree was it?

1forAll74 · 09/03/2021 16:15

What kind of tree was it, not the point really, but could it have just been pruned down a bit. I hate people cutting down trees,if they are not causing any damage,as in too near a house in cases of roots causing damage to walls and drainage etc. You can't do much about it now, except to wait for your anger to disappear, and then perhaps grow some other trees or shrubs in your garden to concentrate on.

EvilPea · 09/03/2021 16:16

If you go for the right species tree the birds will eat the berries and shit bright coloured acidic shit all over her house and car, which sounds like it will bother her more than you.

Original poster
sarahC40 · 09/03/2021 16:16

@Nith

Can you put a fence up? I know it would be limited height but at least it would block off some of the view of their house.
Already a fence and trellis on top. Sitting in my bedroom I am now overlooked by four bedroom windows as the previous owner built a loft extension described locally as the watchtower. That was another massive irritant, but my beautiful tree had a large canopy so most of the year you couldn’t see it. Now I can to stare vengefully into their house...thinking of buying a sex pool (hot tub) to put by their fence
OP posts:
Original poster
sarahC40 · 09/03/2021 16:16

@EvilPea

If you go for the right species tree the birds will eat the berries and shit bright coloured acidic shit all over her house and car, which sounds like it will bother her more than you.
Genius.
OP posts:
SquirtleSquad · 09/03/2021 16:16

Fuckers. Report them to the council. Maybe speak to RSBP too.