To ask the man next door to cut down his trees

[FeynmanDiagram]

I'm having some problems with my neighbour and created an account to hopefully get an impartial view from you. I'd be grateful for your feedback.

Approximately five years ago a new neighbour moved next-door to me and inherited a garden that was a bit of a mess. We'd had problems with the previous neighbours garden in that the trees at the foot of the garden overhung quite badly into ours. In the end the we managed to get them to cut them back, but the problems haven't stopped.

Now the same trees are so high that they are blocking the sunlight from getting into my garden in the morning. I'd like to be able to enjoy breakfast in the summer sun from the comfort of my own garden, but can't because of the height and the fact that they are covered in ivy.

Rather than going through the courts, I approached my neighbour and explained the situation and he said he'd go away and look into it. They weekend he came back and said that he'd gotten quotes, but said that he wanted me to pay half!

I told him how in no uncertain terms how ridiculous it would be for me to have to pay for his trees to be fixed when its him that's causing the problem. Especially since I'm on a single income and they are both young professionals with no children.

What are your thoughts? AIBU?

[HeyHoThereYouGo657]

Fuck me a zombie thread

Well the trees are either history now then or OP lives next to a forest

[HeyHoThereYouGo657]

Next to us were ten huge trees (I jokingly called them Redwoods Trees but they were v high) and they were taken down last Summer . The difference it makes is, not surprisingly, amazing .

OP I'd take up his offer personally , the difference in your light will be amazing and its worth it

[Aridane]

Yes, that's very true, Sparkling.

[WeirdAndPissedOff]

I guess they'd be popular enough to show up on Google?
I did necro a zombie once without thinking - found it on Google and was having a good old nosy through, and by the time I got to the end I'd forgotten it wasn't a normal thread, so replied!

[JacquesHammer]

OK. Ok. Its a zombie thread. Surely there's been enough time for the OP to have found a solution and update

[Sparklingbrook]

Have you noticed nobody ever reanimates a thread with about 5 posts on? It's really weird.

[Aridane]

I think I'm probably not on Mumsnet enough to be suspicious of really long threads in AIBU, especially given that AIBU thread length can balloon monstrously in a short time - but will be more alert to this. It's really odd though which zombies get reactivated.

[Blodplod]

Bugger! A fucking zombie!! I've read the whole thing without realising! Jesus wept

[Sparklingbrook]

I have a top tip. If a really long AIBU thread that you have never seen before suddenly appears in Active, it is most likely to be a Zombie. If it was current you would have seen it already if that makes sense.

[ChardonnaysPrettySister]

Good work, Sparkling.

[Squishedstrawberry4]

He doesn't need his trees cutting back because his light is fine. He doesn't mind their size at all. However you want them cut back because they are blocking your light. So yes pay half if you want the job done. Income is irrelevant

[Aridane]

I am not very good at recognising posters - but I do recognise Sparkling in her diligent recognition of zombie threads. My bad for not picking this up as a zombie thread - normally have mor attention to detail - but at least didn't reanimate the talking dead

[Stormtreader]

Just imagine how high those trees are now! :D

[Sparklingbrook]

The place in hell is next to the one reserved for people that reanimate zombie threads.

[ChardonnaysPrettySister]

There a special place in hell for those who cut trees just for a bit more light.

Yes, I know it's a zombie thread.

Still.

[Blodplod]

I have added a picture for perspective but the trees behind the garage/car and fence belong to my neighbour.. when we moved in they were about as tall as the tallest one you see and went alongside the whole boundary out the front of our house (about 40-50ft high/would that be about right?). They definitely blocked out any of our light and our house was covered in green moss as a result. I asked my neighbour if we could cut them back and cut them down.. they were in rows about 4-5 trees thick. It was like a wood really! My neighbours were thrilled! They've never in the 38 years they've lived there spent any money on their house apart from essential maintenance. It took 3 tree surgeons and 15 man days (1 week) to cut them down and we've got enough wood to last us years.. never even considered asking them to deal with it. They got light back into their house which they were delighted with, as were we. Additionally the post and rail is on their boundary but we paid and and arranged it as their old fence was held together with twigs and baling twine and I didn't want their aggressive labs getting into my garden to get to my dog. I think the OP is unreasonable too.

[MagentaRocks]

FFS ZOMBIE THREAD. IF YOU CAN'T
BE ARSED TO RTFT AT LEAST READ
THE LAST FEW POSTS BEFORE
YOU COMMENT.

[Sparklingbrook]

ZOMBIE THREAD

[Aridane]

You are being SO unreasonable.

Neighbour has no obligation to cut his trees - and how conciliatory and lovely that we was even prepared to do so. And throw in 50% of the costs for something you want done and he doesn't have to do.

Think you owe him an apology and a bottle of wine.

[Whosthebestbabainalltheworld]

You're dead lucky he offered to go halves. My mum had similar with a neighbour for 30 years. They refused to do anything with their trees and there was nothing she could do about it. Completely blocked sunlight from her garden for the entire day.

I'd jump at the half cost offer.

[kesstrel]

It's one thing if you've been living in the same house for 20 years, while the trees get bigger. What I don't understand is people who buy a house with a garden that is very obviously overlooked by a large tree, and then complain to the tree owner about it....

[AmserGwin]

Oh ffs ANOTHER ZOMBIE!!!! Why? Speak your mind?

[AugustCarrot]

Zombie

[MagentaRocks]

THE THREAD IS 4 YEARS OLD

[SpeakYourMind]

Over a certain height and blocking light is something to complain about! You have rights if you are not able to enjoy your garden, due to unmanaged trees. You could take up the issue with your local council as long as the tree doesn't have any presevation order you can get him to trim down to a height your garden will receive sun! However I'd suggest you pay half to save falling out about it...that way you enjoy your garden and the neighbours you have to say good morning too. Be awful to fall out over a tree and to come to regret living there!