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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Tree hanging over our garden from next door?

32 replies

Thornita17 · 23/01/2014 17:03

Next door neighbor has this massive tree thats leering over our garden big time, nearly touching upstairs window. This tree also happens to blossom massive purple buds which wasps adore and I ended up with far too many in house last summer (wasp phobia!)
In this situation should we or them cut back the tree?? I'm thinking us as its now in our garden but in which case should we also ask her permission? Or should she do it?? Thanks a lot ladies (and men...?)

OP posts:
WooWooOwl · 23/01/2014 17:05

You're allowed to cut the bits in your garden yourself, but for the sake of maintaining good relations with neighbours, I'd ask them what they want to do about their tree. If they aren't helpful, then cut it yourself.

DangerousBeanz · 23/01/2014 17:05

I believe you are allowed to trim overhanging branches,but that you should offer the wood back to the tree owner.

WorraLiberty · 23/01/2014 17:07

Some good advice here from Which

www.which.co.uk/documents/pdf/the-law-on-trees-153989.pdf

LIZS · 23/01/2014 17:08

Do check it isn't under a TPO. If it is very tall it would be worth asking if she could get a tree surgeon in and if needs be split the cost.

Joysmum · 23/01/2014 17:09

Personally, I'd ask your neighbours round to see the situation for themselves.

We, and our neighbours, have trees in the border and we both doing a yearly prune to ensure our neighbours don't need to have the time, trouble and expense of doing it, or getting rid of the waste.

Original poster
Thornita17 · 23/01/2014 17:14

WorraLiberty thats great... just a bit worried as her sons come do her half and shes been known to get funny over random things in the past.

OP posts:
Shitehawke · 23/01/2014 17:17

Cut it down with no warning, because if you let on that's what you are thinking they might get a preservation order put on quickly.

Then deal with the aftermath in sunny, wasp free bliss!

WorraLiberty · 23/01/2014 17:24

I think I'd let her know that it's bothering you and ask if she wants you or her sons to sort it out.

Innogen · 23/01/2014 17:27

Chainsaw the bastard! Wine

Original poster
Thornita17 · 23/01/2014 18:16

Haha!

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 23/01/2014 18:25

Sit down comfy and listen to my tale of woe.....

My NDN had a huge weeping willow , about halfway down the garden near my garage and guinea pig house

It hadn't been cut back for over 4 years. We asked the owner (he doesn't live there, house was empty for a while)

WRT cutting it back - I trimmed the overhanging branches but I couldn't ask regarding giving them back so I had to get rid of them. We have to buy garden bags so this cost me money Hmm

Then in the storms in October - a branch fell off (just missed me in the garden) and another branch split and hung there.
We had to move the animals.
We couldn't use the garden. (Luckily we hadn't planned any Hallowe'en Party)

It got lopped right back by a Tree Surgeon and is now naked.

You need to be careful with someone elses tree - if you cut it wrong you might damage it.
But it is much easier to deal with now than when you get all the pesky wasps.

(We need to cut one of our trees down too, pear tree.

Original poster
Thornita17 · 23/01/2014 21:03

Haha!

OP posts:
ThoughtFox · 23/01/2014 21:21

Do you know what sort of tree it is?

With the big purple buds, is it a lilac?

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 23/01/2014 21:42

Could be a purple buddliah?

Does it smell lovely ?

ThoughtFox · 23/01/2014 22:07

Ah, the buddleia sounds quite likely. (It's actually a bush, not a tree.)

If so, OP, you just need to prune the branches back to an appropriate place on her side.

Don't just chop them off any-old-where, or you'll end up looking at a load of dead branch ends.

On the other hand, they'll grow back every year, so you'll need to cut back every year.

theoldtrout01876 · 24/01/2014 01:21

My NDN stopped talking to me ( after living here and being friends for 13 years ) over a tree.

I have a beautiful Northern Hackberry in my yard, lots of berries in the fall,the wild life loves it. There was a branch that hung over their fence. The berries dropped into their illegal pool. They wanted me to cut my tree down. The anal twat husband decided that aggressively verbally attacking me on my own drive way while I was holding my then 7 month old Dd2 was a good idea and would convince me to cut my tree down. He really suits that beautiful new arsehole I reamed for him for trying :o.

I told them to go ahead and cut the branch off at the property line but nooooo that wasnt good enough for them.. The didnt want to pay for it. They wanted my almost 50 year old husband to go up the tree and do it for them for free ( certified arborist in his younger days ) if I wouldnt cut it down. I told hem to fuck off ( politely of course :o )

Dh came home early one day about 3 weeks later and found a bucket truck in their back yard leaning over our fence cutting down our tree Shock. They had taken about 1/3 off by time he came home bastards. All hell broke loose at that point,anal twat and Dh yelling at each other etc.

We havent spoken since. My tree is still there dropping berries and attracting wild life. Oh yeah and I planted 3 leylandii right on the property line, that should solve the sun on their pool/deck issue very shortly cunts

MidniteScribbler · 24/01/2014 01:57

You sound like a pretty charming neighbour yourself oldtrout. Guess like attracts like.

theoldtrout01876 · 24/01/2014 02:26

MidniteScribbler ? why is that then,what did I do?.

The first I realised there was an actual problem was when the husband decided to go for me,really aggressively cos he thought he could intimidate me. I will NOT be intimidated. Up to that point I figured it was just a request that I wasnt willing to go with. I said ok cut the branch off at the property line,I have no problem with that. I do have a problem with putting my husband up a tree with a chainsaw,uninsured btw just to save them a few bucks. Their pool is actually illegally placed,too close to property line,not rigged in properly ie run on an extension cord as they cannot get a permit to do it legally. I didnt care,no skin off my nose etc. Didnt report then even though they are overlooking my yard with their deck. I was her friend fer gods sake till husband decided I was fair game to intimidate. Im fairly easy going live and let live but wont take bullshit/bullying tactics. They shut me off

I refer to him as anal twat because of some of the other shit hes pulled over the years since this happened. Ive not caved to his bullying and hes not happy so has engaged in loads of passive aggressive shit and general twaterry just to try to make me uncomfortable.

The leylandii is to stop the sight of anal twat NDN in swimming trunks sitting on his deck,which btw is also illegally placed as in too close to property lines and level with my 6 foot fence so visible from my house and yard. Its NOT fckin pretty let me tell ya. Leylandii grow fast enough that I wont have to suffer this too long and wont have them watching us in our yard. Its just too bad that it will cut off the sun to his deck in a couple years isnt it twat

MidniteScribbler · 24/01/2014 02:36

You're not exactly pleasant as a neighbour either. Yelling and swearing at each other, deliberately planting trees that will cause problems. Two wrongs certainly don't make a right. You've lost the moral high ground by your actions.

echt · 24/01/2014 03:00

Can't see why old trout is getting stick here. Her NDN wouldn't have a problem if they didn't have an illegal pool.

theoldtrout01876 · 24/01/2014 03:03

I didnt yell or swear at anyone, I can ream a nice new arsehole without swearing. NDN and Dh were yelling and swearing at each other after he got someone to cut down "MY" tree on "MY" land without permission.He came to my door btw looking for me,the woman, to try to intimidate but Dh got there before I did

I have a big yard and hey the leylandii serve as a privacy screen between us. If hed put his deck and pool where it was supposed to go my trees wouldnt be a problem. He chose to place them there.Couldnt get planning permission but did it anyways,the privacy screen is all I have.

You have no right to judge. Walk a mile in my shoes,put up with what i have put up with for years before you spew your ill informed opinion.

theoldtrout01876 · 24/01/2014 03:07

echt Thanks :o. Common sense is a wonderful thing

Topaz25 · 24/01/2014 09:57

Old trout, your neighbours husband should not have been abusive about it but you should not have allowed your tree to overgrow over their property and should have removed the offending branch yourself. OTOH, of course they should not have tried to remove the whole tree. But growing Leylandi in response seems petty, doesn't that get out of control quickly? It could cause problems for you and your neighbours. This seems like a tit-for-tat situation that has escalated unnecessarily and unpleasantly.

WooWooOwl · 24/01/2014 11:39

Oldtrout, why do you see it as saving thm money bu putting your DH up there with a chainsaw?

It's your tree, you pay for it to be trimmed, or you take the risk that they will do it in the cheapest possible way and therefore do it wrong.

Their pool has nothing to do with it. Even if it was empty land they have a right not to have your berries all over it.

I feel sorry for your neighbours.

Shitehawke · 24/01/2014 12:49

Op has zero obligation to trim that tree! Let alone pay for it. woowoo is just plain wrong, and shouldn't be making sweeping statements like that.

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