Last fucking straw

[sarahC40]

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.

Another question. If I buy a mahoosive tree, maybe up to five metres, what diameter hole am I going to have to dig? I could google it, but you lot seem to know your stuff.

So sorry your b"+*stard neighbours did this - they sound vile - get something like bamboo as well as trees - it grows like crazy - in the meantime is there anything you can put up in your garden to annoy them - large flags, bunting, really tall washing line, etc etc etc and have a bonfire or bbq every time they put washing out

@Vicliz24

Try an Amelanchier they grow really fast and have beautiful Spring blossom and gorgeous new foliage colour and Autumn interest too . Plus they're a big shrub so lots of woody twigs to provide Winter shielding. I'm so sorry about the tree 🌲

Mine's not that big and I've had it 15 years!

I think I heard that Hornbeam can be a good shape for a smaller garden.

There is very little that is no mans land so you should check who actually owns that at the Land Registry- easy to do.

You can buy different types of amelanchier that one in the picture looks like the bush type.

Oh @sarahC40 I too would be devastated about this.

To read some people are so flippant about beautiful trees is so sad and shocking. I would have lost my shit.

Try a dragons claw willow, they grow fast and have a huge branch reach.

OP, from how you are describing the tree it sounds like it will grow back pretty quickly- quicker than a new one would take to grow to a decent enough size to shield your privacy.

My neighbour cut he beautiful cherry tree to a stumpy trunk 3 years ago- and now its back to having quite a large canopy again.

Hi all
yes you need to check with the council and complain !!!
I was living somewhere else years back and there were huge trees ... some people wanted them cut down but the council disagreed due to the fact that it would effect the water table
Plant some trees anyway

We had more or less the same situ happen only flats have been built and they over looked / looked into my daughters rooms and our back garden . This happened a few years ago . We had a shrub that’s grown like a weed and filled in the space very fast to fill in the space . The no mans land here is an alleyway of land between but once cut there’s nothing you can do . However no one should have entered your property to cut anything back .

I had a neighbour who did exactly this OP..
Tree was in ‘no man’s land’ and neighbour had it cut down because it was apparently shedding a few autumn leaves in her garden. There was no issue with sunlight blocking.
She then accused me of having cats that urinated in her garden and complained about the smell !? ( I didn’t have cats and it was infact a beautiful Hawthorn tree that had finished blossoming) 🤯
There are some absolutely idiotic people out there but you have a lot of support on here 💕
Your neighbour is so out of order, I feel your pain.
Also birds are now collecting garden debris and nest making.. WTF is she thinking...
Expose her for a tree preservation order violation, go to the press, report her to the council and vent, vent, vent..
Good luck 😉
Maybe start a social media group to plant trees in your community and apply for lottery funding or council funding x

Other than check for a Tree Preservation Order and potentially get them a fine from the Council not a lot you can do. Silver Birches leave quite a mess on lawns if you want to plant one. That will definitely annoy her, plus they look quite pretty. Could make a fake letter from the Council to put the bejaysus up her, childish but funny!

So sorry to read this thread, I have only just discovered it. I totally understand how upset you are, I would also be devastated.
Definitely investigate the trespassing on to your property. If you are in a conversation area (I know you have already spoken to a planning officer so probably not) all trees automatically have TPO’s.

Re trees for your garden - multi stemmed silver birch, multi stemmed paper bark maple (Acer griseum), or if you really lack space pleached limes or horn beams would be my advice. The nursery you buy them from should be able to advise on planting. But hole should be a least twice the size of the rootball. Add plenty of organic mater to the backfill and make sure the top of the root ball is at the level of the surrounding ground level. Mulch and make sure you water your tree for the first two summers until it is established.
I also wondered if there is enough space in ‘no mans land’ to plant some new saplings. That way in years to come there will be more trees for you all to enjoy! Hopefully the annoying neighbours will move!
Enjoy choosing your new trees.

As awful as it looks now, you say they have left a 20ft high stump? This means the tree has been pollarded and will very like grow back just as healthy. I know it's no consolation right now as it will take a while. You can check if this would have needed permission to be carried out. If it did, and permission wasn't sought first they can be given a hefty fine. Gave a look on the council website, a lot of them have interactive maps so you can check if the tree is in a conservation area or has a TPO on.

Ive read/heard that anything that is on your properly is also classed your property, so not only were they trespassing but they also stole/chopped it down without your permission. So Id be looking in to that as well. I would find out the company that sent the men out to do the job and slate the shit out of them on their web page. Finally, I’d plant another big ass tree. Or better still find a giant one an re plant it in your garden. What a whole bunch of douche bags.

anything that is on your properly

It wasn't actually on her property though.

Check with local authority if there was a preservation order on the tree. May not be obvious but local to me ash trees aren’t permitted to be felled

@Bertiebiscuit

So sorry your b"+*stard neighbours did this - they sound vile - get something like bamboo as well as trees - it grows like crazy - in the meantime is there anything you can put up in your garden to annoy them - large flags, bunting, really tall washing line, etc etc etc and have a bonfire or bbq every time they put washing out

Be careful with bamboo, it can damage foundations and you would likely get the bill! 🙈

@sarahC40 I think the hole needs to be as wide as the tree canopy and as deep as the root ball - but I would think the nursery you get them/it from will give you proper instructions? It could probably do with some additional nutrition in the hole to help it settle in?

No - don't go for anything invasive! Bamboo, even 'contained' will get out of hand and look wild after a few years. A lovely tree only gets better! But don't get anything that will get too big.

Cherry blossom? I have a small garden and it is beautiful in spring. Not much cover at all in winter though?

Yes absurd

If they've left a 20 foot stump surely they haven't cut it down, rather than back as in pollarded it, as some trees need to have done? We have an enormous willow tree in our garden, about 40 ft high or more, and we have to pollard it every few years - it leaves a tall, branchless stump but it comes back better than ever!