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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be fed up with neighbours and not pay for this.

50 replies

LooLilly · 03/04/2012 11:59

Long story but I will try to get to the point as soon as possible.

We have a large tree at the bottom of our small garden. It was there before we moved in. Our neighbours hate it, mainly because in a few weeks time the blossom will come off and cover their garden.
I admit it is too big for a small garden but it does look beautiful. It doesn't block light for anyone. We feel in gives us some privacy as we are very overlooked by other houses.

The roots have forced a fence post to move which caused a panel to fall out. The fence belongs to our neighbours but we have replaced the fence panels and repaired the damage as we agree we are responsible.
There are some branches overhanging the neighbours garden. They are not big boughs but quite thin spindly branches. At the weekend neighbour was again moaning that she wanted me to cut the tree down and she commented that loads was overhanging her garden.

Anyway, she has just knocked on my door to say she has spoken to a tree surgeon. He has quoted £120 to trim the tree. It was clear she expected me to agree and offer to pay. I was a bit and just said I would discuss it with my husband later. She then said if we didn't have the money she would pay and we could pay her back when we had the money.

The money isn't an issue. We are not rich but if needs be we could do it. However, the tree doesn't bother me (as I said it gives us some privacyit looks lovely). The branches on her side could easily be lopped off with a ladder and some shears.

So would it be U to refuse to pay. I know I am being a bit stubborn, I am sick of being accosted about it by her and her family every time I step into my garden.

OP posts:

Thumbwitch · 03/04/2012 12:33

Pay her nothing, and remind her that she is at liberty to cut off any overhanging branches in her garden but that's all.

And watch out for any signs of sickness in the tree - a neighbour of my grandparents poisoned their cherry tree because they objected to its proximity to their fence :(

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 03/04/2012 12:39

I think the right thing to do would be for your dh to chop down the branches that overhang her garden, but no more. I don't think you are legally obliged to, but morally you should if your tree is bothering them.

Definatly don't pay for it, especially if it's not someone you have chosen.

pictish · 03/04/2012 12:39

We have several trees that overhang neighbours garden...as have they into ours. It's all very tree-y. We just take care of our own sides. Never a word has been exchanged on the subject.
Your neighbours are being dead pushy.

Original poster

LooLilly · 03/04/2012 12:39

It is a very tall tree but before it grows its leaves it is sparce so I can clearly see there are no nests. It is a cherry blossom. To be fair it will shed a massive amount of blossom in a few weeks and it flies everywhere. However it happens once a year and mowing the lawn clears most of it. That is her main complaint and I don't really think that it's such a big deal.

DH is happy to trim their side but she has made it clear she wants the whole lot doing.
I am going to have to grow a pair and tell her it's not happening.

OP posts:

Kbear · 03/04/2012 12:50

How beautiful, cherry blossom ! She sounds like an old moaner, trees are the life givers of this planet, you are saving the planet FGS - tell her to sod off. !!

Original poster

LooLilly · 03/04/2012 13:09

Kbear exactly. I love my little bit of nature in the middle of town.
My front garden is huge and I have planted masses of trees. None of them overhang her garden but she moans about them as well.

OP posts:

Thumbwitch · 03/04/2012 13:11

since it's not her tree, she can't make those sort of decisions for it. All she can do is cut her side. Be polite but firm with her. And yes, she does sound like a moany ol' lemonsucker - cherry blossom is lovely!

SoupDragon · 03/04/2012 13:16

Good lord, it's shedding blossom not a plague of locusts.

I'd tell her she is welcome to trim whatever overhangs her boundary but you are not prepared tp pay for this or to have the tree pruned.

DodieSmith · 03/04/2012 13:17

How could anyone complain about cherry blossom?How miserable. It will biodegrade within a few weeks. Some people!

ohyouBadBadkitten · 03/04/2012 13:22

I would watch the tree surgeon - in a professional capacity I have had to deal with the aftermath of of some tree surgeons who became 'over zealous' and chopped down some fairly important trees on public land. They were caught in the act, but it was too late to stick the trees back up.....

LIZS · 03/04/2012 13:22

I'm with Sarah , Autumn is much better for the birds and tree. You are entitled to keep your tree and she to trim the overhang. tbh she isn't going to satisified unless you do it her way anyway. We had a similar problem early last year with our sycamores - neighbour and next-door-but-one got a quote from a "mate" for £1k to remove our offending trees even offering to contribute. However when we arranged ourselves with a company we had used before for a trim of 3 trees and removal of 1, at half the cost , nothing was forthcoming

Methe · 03/04/2012 13:25

Is she complaining about blossom in her garden for 2 weeks a year? What a bloody misery

sixlostmonkeys · 03/04/2012 13:26

Tell her she can cut the overhanging bits if she wants, but you don't want to hear any more about it.

Take a photo of the tree as it is now because I wouldn't be surprised if you come home one day and find it had been chopped.

Lambzig · 03/04/2012 13:32

My neighbours at the back of my house have a cherry tree that overhangs our garden. I love it. It frames the view (as well as giving us privacy) and i get the gorgeous flowers, the lovely tree without having to take up any of my garden to have it. Perfect. Yes the blossoms are a mess, but honestly they just go when we mow. What is wrong with her.

Some branches were hitting our shed roof so we just trimmed them back, no discussion about it. Very weird of them.

Definitely dont cut it back unless you think it needs/want it trimmed. I would offer to trim her side only.

BettySuarez · 03/04/2012 13:36

The law on this is (thankfully) very simple - they are allowed to trim those branches which overhang into their property but no more than that.

You could offer to do it for them (to preserve goodwill) but part of the problem here appears to be that they have 'grumbled' about the tree for several years and seem to think they have the right to ask you to remove the entire thing.

So I think that you need to put them straight on that by making it clear that the tree stays.

You have no obligation to trim the branches overhanging her property - that is her responsibility - including paying for it if they decide to get in the services of a tree surgeon.

Fancy objecting to blossom falling into your garden - I wait all year for that!

cocobeefsteak · 03/04/2012 13:36

We have a really pretty cherry tree in our garden but we also have subsidence and our insurers want to remove the tree :-(

Scholes34 · 03/04/2012 13:40

I do feel for your neighbour. The tree is obviously a big source of irritation for them. Our neighbour is very keen on his trees too. He has TPOs on four large deciduous trees in his back garden, and whilst he was having those put on his trees, he put two on trees in our garden (before we moved in). The large evergreen that blocked light out of our garden died three years ago and he was very happy for us to chop it down for him (at our cost, and we were happy to do this as we had much to gain). We had to pay a tree surgeon to prune our own tree and had to go through Planning because of the TPO. His four trees' roots make gardening very difficult for us. Fortunately, the four evergreens at the bottom on the garden, whilst making it impossible to grow anything down there, don't block out our light, just that of the neighbours backing on to him.

Fortunately, for him, we've not made a big deal of this, but I would doubt your neighbour is going to be happy with anything unless you do a big prune. If you want to maintain good relations with the people you live close to, a compromise might help. You actually might want to take some action soon whilst the tree is still manageable.

ElsieMc · 03/04/2012 13:48

Have been through this myself. Our neighbour does not like a tree at the end of our garden; it was there prior to her moving in. We got a tree surgeon in at her request the year before last and also had our hedge cut down. We put that up to protect our privacy following some very bizarre behaviour on her side. It cost me £450. Unfortunately the demands now come thick and fast and I simply cannot afford to keep up.

She has cut it back on her side and threw all the branches back into our garden without even mentioning it first. I told her that I did not require them back in future.

She is quite within her rights to cut back the tree on her side, but she cannot if it de-stabilises the tree ie causes it to lean. She has now done this and I have had to warn her that it may now become a danger.

She is now saying it blocks out light to her bedroom (summer months only) but she always puts her light on in the bedroom any way because there are trees in front of her house which block out light owned by a business across the road.

I feel I have done my best to accommodate her and I don't care if she falls out with me because she is a deeply unpleasant woman who has never spoken to me since I moved in ten years ago except to moan.

I have a feeling that she will not be satisfied until you cut it down. Be warned.

clam · 03/04/2012 13:54

I'd be wary of the fact that she said if you didn't have the money at the moment, she would pay and you could pay her back. You need to tell her very soon that you don't want it done, in case she goes ahead and gets it cut and then slaps you with a bill for the work, saying "but you agreed."

mirry2 · 03/04/2012 13:57

I feel some sympathy for the neighbour as our neighbour has grown 2 ginormous lyelandii up gainst our boundary fence and we now have cracking in our crazy paving which may be caused by the trees. I'm going to have to get a surveyor in to confirm or not that they are causing damage as I know when we try to sell, any buyers will raise this.

Your neeighbours are entitled to prune any overhang and toss it back into your garden

Thumbwitch · 03/04/2012 14:00

Wouldn't a tree surgeon need access to your property to climb on your tree, and therefore need your permission? If he doesn't have your permission and cuts more tree than is overhanging her garden, surely that is trespass - worth pointing out as well, perhaps (clam makes a very good point about the payment etc.)

Scholes34 · 03/04/2012 14:00

As I said earlier, think about the size of the tree and whether it needs some pruning anyway to keep it, and in particular its roots, in check. Regardless of what your neighbour wants, think about what's best for you, your garden and the tree. You've admitted it's large and your garden is small. Don't dig your heels in to be awkward and end up shooting yourself in the foot (which would be doubly painful if your heels already stuck in the ground). It will be easier and cheaper to deal with at this height than if you let it grow more.

RuleBritannia · 03/04/2012 14:02

clam I agree with your suggestion but, if the OP tells the neighbour that she doesn't want it sone, Op should put it in writing to her. That would give her some evidence about what OP said and she won't have to pay.

Original poster

LooLilly · 03/04/2012 14:34

Thanks everyone for your advice. I will be telling her we will not be paying a tree surgeon but she is welcome to trim her side.

The tree has been there 18 years now so I believe is fully grown. Its roots are quite widespread but are not coming up through the ground.
Her garden is 4 times the size of mine. Obviously in the summer it does cause some shade but not over her patio which is the only part of her garden she really uses.

Daft thing is the previous owners of our house told us they only planted the tree to try and hide the neighbours very untidy garden. I wont tell her that though

I will just lay my cards on the table then keep my head low in a few weeks when the blossom starts shedding turning everything pink.

OP posts:

clam · 03/04/2012 14:44

Blossom is a (beautiful) fact of life. And it has to be kind of accepted that when blossom/leaves fall off trees you just deal with it. My front garden seems to be the focus for a kind of whirlpool wind effect for every leaf and petal in the road, not just from my own (cherry) tree. My lovely next door neighbour does sweep them up every now and again though, as a fair few come from her tree. I wouldn't expect it however. If you don't like nature, buy a flat.

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