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?

[hooper02]

We had a similar problem with neighbours leylandii until 5 weeks ago, then a foot and a half of snow and 69mph winds solved it, they now have 5 huge leylandii lying their garden to get rid of

[HerRoyalNotness]

I would also go for the removing ivy and trimming up a bit. I think it's a shame that a lot of neighbourhoods don't have large trees in them. Nothing like Greenery to detract from looking at suburbia

I want there to be some planning law introduced to include a certain number of mature trees replanted into new developments too.

[iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii]

Wow, hooper what a result. I would have been hooping with joy I hope they landed in the nieghbours garden.

[Mimishimi]

I think him asking you to go halves on the bill is not unreasonable. After all, from his perspective, it's your problem not his. At least he was open to the idea. My dad went halves with the neighbour when they wanted a new paling fence put between the properties ( they didn't likr the old wire one).

[Mimishimi]

That's a bit mean Midnite considering she's said she's single. Hmmm.. there is nothing wrong with asking him if he would mind but expecting him to foot the whole bill for it isn't very reasonable. Especially since she's lucky he did think about it and not say "These are the trees my dad planted over our dead dog Boxer when I was five, I could never tear them down" or something I don't think she would get anywhere in court, looks like most of the ivy is well and truly on his side.

[Floggingmolly]

She's expecting the tree owner to pay half, Mimi, and another neighbour to pay the other half. All to resolve a situation that only she has a problem with.
I'm with Midnight

[giantpenguinmonster]

We have hedge/tree issues with two neighbours. One set sent a man into our garden two days after we moved in and butchered some of our trees without asking us. I went round and they were very rude and suggested they were illegal trees and the council would make us remove them which was utter bollocks. I now allow them to trim the trees once a year to preserve their sea view. If they step out of line one more time I will tell them to fuck off to the far side of fuck. If they asked me to pay I'd do the same.

We have a shared hedge with another neighbour and we pay half to have it trimmed every two years- also to preserve their view. It has little impact on us and I would prefer to spend the money elsewhere but they were nice about it.

I wish we had a sea view!

OP- I would leave it a few months till the birds have fledged then try discussing it again with both neighbours. But you may find you have to pay for all of it. It's up to you to decide if it is worth it. I certainly wouldn't expect the owner to pay for the lot.

[Tortoiseontheeggshell]

I thought I must have read that last post wrong. Surely the OP means she would see if the other neighbour would split the cost with HER, yes? Not with the tree owner?

[iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii]

giantpenguinmonster. Blimey your nieghbours sound awful.

This is a situation where plating a few strategically placed leylandii might be useful



I don't suppose you live in Sandbanks. Seaviews are valued highly there

[giantpenguinmonster]

iii- we call them the 'gin soaked neighbours' and I'm pretty sure they are permanently drunk. Luckily we already have bamboo along that boundary.

[iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii]

Ah yes, bamboo is a great choice. It's often big, fast growing and invasive - perfect for troublesome nieghbours.

[iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii]

actually bamboo isnt a brilliant choice unless you put a barrier in the ground so that it is contained where you want it to be.Depending where you live and what type of bamboo it is etc etc. if you dont put a barrier in the ground it can take over Triffid style

Sorry for that boring interjection...... Ahem

Here is what RHS have to say about bamboo.

[LIZS]

£600 sounds pretty reasonable. We paid around that for attention to 3 trees and removal of one but our neighbour's quote was over £1000.

You say that the problems haven't stopped - they are trees and unless you remove them completely , which is much a bigger job, they grow back ! 5 years or more without needing attention is pretty good going.

[FreddieMisaGREATshag]

So now you're going to ask someone else to pay instead of you? Why not get a tin out and chap every door in the street so they can all chip in for your cup of tea sitting pleasures.

You do really seem to be quite deluded.

[SoupDragon]

If trees overhang your garden, you may cut them back at your expense, but put the branches/offcuts back into the owners garden.

Please don't just dump the offcuts into a neighbour's garden. You are meant to offer them back but should be prepared to dispose of them yourself.

Last summer my rear neighbours not only came uninvited into my garden to chop some branches off my beech tree but dumped the entire branches, whole, at the end of my garden. I have no way of removing them. Given they clearly had a chainsaw at the time, they could easily have chopped them up. They had never mentioned the tree at all nor asked if I minded if they trimmed the tree (which obviously I would have said yes to).
Wankers.

[Floggingmolly]

Yes, the key phrase is "offer". They are actually under no obligation to accept the disposal. I'd have dumped them right back, soupdragon.

[QuintessentialOHara]

But what do you do if your neighbour has planted a whole row of 10 whooping big trees like this, not along their border, but along YOUR border, on YOUR property, but you dont notice until 20 years later when they are mahoosive?

Do you just assume that the neighbour has appropriated about a meter of your land as they are there, and has been for the last 20 years? Or do you just chop them down?
Or do you leave them, save in the knowledge they allow you some privacy, is perfect wind shelter, and not blocking any other sun than that of the neighbour who planted them?

[icklemssunshine1]

I have the same problem. When looking into it unfortunately you do not have the legal right to light & can not force anyone to cut down their trees. I'd love your neighbour & happily pay half - mine won't consider it! Hopefully we'll sell our house & move to a house with a garden free if trees!! And to think when I bought this place I thought they looked pretty ... grrr!!

[Sallystyle]

You know, if it was MY trees blocking the neighbours sunlight I would pay myself. I personally wouldn't think about charging the neighbour half but that's just me. Where I used to live we all used to cut down our huge trees to stop them blocking out the sun for others. I always thought it was my responsibility.

However, I don't think your neighbour is being unreasonable but it isn't how I would personally deal with it.

[pictish]

Just goes to show how some people can get it so wrong.

"I don't like my neighbour's trees...so I have decided he should pay £600 to rectify the problem for me."

Ha ha - jog on...jog on.

The neighbour was generous and very accommodating to offer to go halves. Pity you laughed at him...such was your self importance.

[adeucalione]

My neighbour recently asked me to reduce the height of two trees in our garden - they've been there for hundreds of years, and look lovely, so I didn't really want to do it, but out of consideration I said that he could arrange to have the work done at his own cost. He arranged it all, and paid for it, and gave me a bottle of wine to say thank you. YABU OP.

[DontmindifIdo]

OP - so let's get this straight, your neighbour has found a very low quote of £600 (that is very very low! check it's for all the trees!) to remove the trees - and wants only £300 from you to be certain they will be gone?

Were you very rude when you turned him down? If not, could you go round now and say you're sorry you were a little shocked by being asked to go halves as they are his trees, but now you've had time to think about it, you've realised that you should offer half the costs, that while they are his trees, you are the one who'd like them done sooner rather than later. Then offer him the £300.

Seems much more sensible to spend only £300 to be certain the trees will be gone in time for you to enjoy some of the summer sun, than £300- 400 to put in a high hedges application that might end up being wasted money and probably will be dragged out until winter and will pretty much ensure your neighbours hate you.

Of course, if you were rude and stroppy with him when he asked, you might have burned your bridges, which might explain why you'd rather just spend the same amount on something less likely to get rid of the trees...

[DontmindifIdo]

oh wait, just seen the bit in your OP when you say: 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. I guess "in no uncertain terms" would assume you've been rude and burnt your bridges on the sharing costs and getting them done....