To ask the man next door to cut down his trees

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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?

'Tis sad to me that people just want to cut down trees all the time.

This

My neighbour cut down a beautiful tree on the border between his back yard and ours, at the (bizarre) request of another neighbour from a few doors down who claimed it was interfering with his satellite signal
I was really sad and annoyed actually, as our backyard isn't the prettiest and some lovely greenery made a world of difference.
I always find trees being cut down terribly sad because I am an airy-fairy hippy type at heart

Just be thankful you're not the neighbour of this bugger www.express.co.uk/news/uk/197961/Overgrown-trees-cover-house

Unfortunately there are plenty of really ugly trees which are often planted in completely the wrong place.

The secret is to replace the ugly trees with other prettier and more suitable trees. Tree hugged or not I challenge anyone to like leylandii when there are so many beautiful trees about.

People plant leylandii because they are cheap and grow fast. This may be a good reaon if you are a commercial farmer and need huge windbreaks or you really hate your nieghbours but Its often a verybad idea.

You can kep on top of leylandii and there are slow growing varieties so it not always a disaster to plant them but I can't stand them myself and I am a tree hugger at heart

My dh goes around chainsawing through ivy that covers the local trees. We have some beautiful oaks that are covered in ivy and it's a shame to see them so smothered. They are on public land so he gets out his chainsaw and cuts through the ivy roots. It can take them a year or two to actually die back but they will eventually, otherwise they can and will smother and kill the tree.

That quote he got was quite reasonable. Tree surgery is expensive. You can cut the trees back successfully and still keep them living but it does take a lot of manpower and safety equipment. As for the logs, you can actually advertise logs on freecycle and people like my dh will come and take them away for firewood.

OP, I suggest you approach your neighbour and apologise for being rude. Tell him it was generous of him to offer to pay half and explain that you can't really afford to contribute this time but you are talking to other neighbours to see if between you all, you can't all contribute some towards it.

If all else fails, hang up some bird feeders and have your breakfast each morning to the sight and sounds of the hundreds of birds which will make their homes in the trees.

If your neighbour has any sense he'll realise that to make the property re-saleable and to keep on friendly terms with the neighbours, it's better to keep the garden tidy and have plenty of light coming in.

In future a little less haste and a little more research might be more prudent.

I have just Googled Leylandii as I didn't know what they looked like, and it turns out the fast-growing behemoth in my other neighbour's front garden is one

It grows over into our front, but I can't say I find it ugly. I'd rather it was there than not. I think I just derive a lot of comfort from greenery and shade.

Our neighbours had some overgrown bushes and shrubs (you know those thin spindly tree type ones?) in their front garden when we moved in. We asked if we could trim them down from our side and they agreed.

If you are reasonable with the neighbours then they are more likely to be reasonable with you. You certainly don't want a neighbourhood war on your hands.

Leylandii have a terrible reputation and I'd never get one. They are horrible trees. I think the council can do something about those now.

Your neighbour was more than reasonable with that offer.

I have massive trees in my back garden, just before the fence that backs onto another neighbours back garden, I wouldn't chop down my trees if I was asked and if I did for some reason give in then I wouldn't pay a penny as I like them and there are loads of birds and nests in there and wouldn't agree with touching them.

My friend had a similar problem and when the neighbour who owned the trees offered to pay half, she nearly bit his hand off as she couldn't afford it all.

I think you've blown it now op re getting your neighbour to pay half.

PS if you do decide to pay, please don't ask the tree surgeon to kill the tree, just reduce its bulk and height and it will be easier to trim in the future. Also please don't do it until the autumn, there could be nesting birds.

Hope you get this sorted OP.

We're in your neighbours' situation (we aren't your neighbours btw - those trees don't look like ours ) and my thread about it is here.

They've asked us to cut our trees back as they are blocking their light, but they are right at the bottom of our garden and we like them, as they screen off the houses. They don't cause us an issue.

We're willing to get them cut back but hopefully we won't have to pay someone to do it, DP will do it with a friend. But we're wondering if the neighbours will help us to get it done quicker and without having to pay someone - but apparently we're being unreasonable.

I cant understand - am I right in thinking you are happy to pay £300-400 to go to the council to force him to cut then down but wont go halves on the £600 quote he got?!? If you have the £300 just deal directly with your neighbour and keep things friendly for everyones sake

BringOn2014. Nope, you have it wrong. The high hedge legislation doesn't even cover the OP's nieghbour trees so the OP is not going to the Council.

I apologise profusely for the thread hijack but I was hoping all you people would perhaps be able to offer some advice regarding trees so I can pass it on to a lady I know.

She's significantly disabled and currently having problems with benefits so is not in a position to fund this herself she's a council tenant.

In her garden she has 2 trees I think they are leylandii but have extreamly limited gardening knowledge they are always green and no grass grows anywhere near them. They are huge taller than the surrounding houses and to my untrained eyes don't look very safe. And they have electricity cables going through the middle of them she hates them they frighten her most of her neighbours hate them ( one likes them) the ones that hate them are constantly complaining but not keen on helping out with the cost of removing them.

The electricity board used to cut down trees that have the cables through them but now they don't if they are on private property.all they will do is cut the power for as long as it takes to get them down.

Does anyone know if as her landlord the council could be made to come and chop them down?

If it matters she did not plant them and she has approached one of the only local tree surgeons who has refused to touch it due to the cables.

Oh and so its not a total hijack op I'm sure you've figured out that yabu now. If you can't afford to pay for all if them to be removed why not apologise to your neighbour and ask if one at a time could be done so you can pay for one then after saving up do the others.

SugarPasteGreyhound.

That sounds like a perfect situation for the High Hedge Legislation. Remember the trees are only ever going to get bigger! I wouldn't have offered to help pay for their removal. You have to ask yourself if you are prepared to keep paying every few years when the trees regrow.

If action is taken under the high hedge legislation the owners can be ordered to keep the hedge at a particular height in future.

Here is a link to the UK Gov High Hedge Leaflet

The information in the leaflet is clear and easy to follow. You should try to deal with it informally with your neighbour first but if that is unsuccessful then you should approach the council. It is an informal process.

As for your worries about having to declare a neighbour dispute I would imagine that the fact you have a wall of leylandii so close would put off far more potential purchases than any nieghbour dispute. . Also, If they are that close to your house the roots may be doing some damage (although they are not the most destructive type of tree root)

Any chance of posting a few photos of the trees on your profile.

You should try and deal with this sooner rather than later.

sockreturningpixie

I think that councils usually maintain trees in tenants gardens, I know our local council do. They don't do it for shade problems though.
The best bet is to take a few photos and send an email to your friends local council. I would highlight the problem with the telephone wires.

Good luck.

I'm pleased with the responses here. We bought a house 2.5 years ago and inherited a large tree (higher than the house) at the rear of our garden, the top 2/3rds of which overhangs the garden at the rear. It also blocks their sunlight in the afternoon.

They indicated when we first spoke to them around a year/year and a half ago that they would like the tree removing, and we got a couple of quotes the cheapest of which was £1300. I went round to speak to him and told him that we simply couldn't afford to spend this much (we could, but we'd rather spend it on other things). I didn't want to be so cheeky as to ask outright that he pays half, though had they offered we would have paid the other half.

He made no offer to contribute to the cost. We have now decided that as it would only be cut down to benefit them (we wouldn't be bothered one way or the other), and they don't think it's worth paying even half the cost, why should we contribute a penny? So our view now is that if they want it down they can pay to have it cut down themselves. Otherwise it's staying.

That's exactly what we did Collaborate.
Our tree wasn't as big as yours presumably was and didn't bother us one way or another if it stayed or went, so told the neighbours they were welcome to arrange for it to be removed. Twas only a bog standard conifer - nothing special and there are loads of other trees, so didn't feel too guilty about removing a healthy tree.

OP what are you going to do now?

I think you may have to go to your neighbour with cap in hand and apologise profusely. Tbh you may have a difficult time convincing him to pay anything now. I would be extremely miffed at someone telling me in no uncertain terms that my offer was ridiculous and would now probably refuse to pay anything at all. Perhaps you can ask the other neighbour to split the costs with you and in that way at least you're not completely worse off.

Whatever you do, don't mention the fact that they are professionals with no children - you have no idea of their situation! They may be desperate for children and saving for IVF or saving for something else which is none of your business. You might make the situation worse!

(My friend was told rather crassly that she should foot the bill for sorting out a shared wall as she didn't have children to pay for - it broke her heart as she had had her third failed IVF cycle).

You really already have your answer.
Regardless of what we think should be fair
the fact is he can grow his tree as high as he likes and you have no rights.

I would go see him as soon as possible and apologise, grovel even. Make excuses for your rude bad behaviour to get his sympathy.
Or he may refuse to have them cut EVEN if you offer to pay the whole for the whole job.

You are entitled to cut down over hanging branches.

If I read it correctly it is not a High Hedge.
They are trees on his side of the boundary - completely different.

SugarPasteGreyhound.
That is very generous of you but you really don't have to contribute anything . It is their hedge and their responsibility. I can see that it is nicer to give the money direct o your nieghbour but if ou do that ou have no gaurentee as to what they will do in the future. The fact that they let the leylandii get to the size they did doesn't make me think they are the best of nieghbours.

I would, possible, make a small contribution but I would subtly make it clear that I was aware of the high hedge legislation.

Perhaps, rather than give them any money you could offer to help them clear up.

If you do decide to go ahead and contribute make sure you get to have a say in how high they cut to. (It would be best if they were totally removed) At the very least it would be good if they were cut to a height where it is possible for your nieghbour to access the top of the trees and be able to maintain their height.

Normal leylandii can grow 3 feet a year