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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think trees don't need 'tidying'

27 replies

StopItAndDontTidyUp · 29/05/2015 15:27

Going to out myself if my neighbour is also on here, but massively peeved that our lovely tree has been massacred into a box.

Neighbour told my husband she was having work done cutting back her trees and hedges in the adjoining (semi detached) front garden. He thought she was only letting us know as they'd been in our garden for some of the work. Fine. But....a tree in our garden has been massively cut back on our side, and trimmed on the top. Basically it now looks like an undernourished hedge. Too much was done before I realised the work was actually being done on our side. When I went out to talk to the neighbour she was still talking about tidying the tree up on top.
Aside from the fact that this is our tree, firmly on our side of the boundary - AIBU to think that trees are tree shape and do not need 'tidying'.

I'm very particular about organisation in the home generally (even to the point of lining up bottles, shoes etc), but I really hate the sanitised garden look.

AIBU??

OP posts:
Eigg · 29/05/2015 15:30

Trees can need tidying but she's only entitled to trim yours where it hangs over into her garden.

Buttercup27 · 29/05/2015 15:31

YANBU in the fact that she shouldn't be cutting a tree that belongs to you.
But
To keep a tree healthy pruning dead and old wood keeps a tree healthy and safe (nobody wants falling branches) but it depends on your pov on what is pruning and what is a massacre!

icelollycraving · 29/05/2015 15:32

Was it the branches on her side?
If not I would be going bat shit crazy. Doesn't bring tree back for now though.

MyDogEatsBalloons · 29/05/2015 15:33

We do pollard our tree every year - our gardens are fairly small, and if we don't it throws way too much shade over next door's garden. Also the branches can get way too heavy and break off in bad weather.

I'd be fuming if someone came into my garden and touched it without my permission though!

MrsTerryPratchett · 29/05/2015 15:33

I have no comment on the tree, but commend your User Name. Grin

steff13 · 29/05/2015 15:37

You are unreasonable to think trees don't need tidying; it's healthy for them to keep them trimmed a bit.

However, you are NOT unreasonable to think that she shouldn't have trimmed your tree if it wasn't encroaching on her property.

MoreBeta · 29/05/2015 15:38

She basically cut a significant amount of your tree down without your permission?

Was it shading her garden.

She should not have done that. It is your tree.

wanttosqueezeyou · 29/05/2015 15:39

YABU. Trees need tidying, esp if they're in a small ish space. Stops them blocking light from windows and becoming to big to cut back yourself.

Your neighbour however, is totally out of line to do so much on your side and you should mention it or she will think its ok and repeat this.

Original poster
StopItAndDontTidyUp · 29/05/2015 15:39

I just can't understand why she's paid someone to basically cut our tree back?? I understand the overhanging bit and was expecting anything on her half of the boundary to be cut, even to completely removing some overhanging shrubs/trees that are on her side. But - this tree has only been cut on our side.

And yes to pruning, but in a tree shape surely? This tree is now square ??

OP posts:
hellsbellsmelons · 29/05/2015 15:42

I wish I could 'tidy' the tree behind my house.
It now blocks a good hour of our evening sun.
It's overgrown and sheds leaves into my garden all the time.
And the leaves aren't green so it's very noticeable.
Drives me insane that I can't do anything about it.
I wouldn't even consider cutting it back.
Your neighbour has crossed a line (literally)

Goldmandra · 29/05/2015 15:44

Did she do it to prevent your tree from growing and affecting the light in her house/garden?

Not saying that's OK.

HereIAm20 · 29/05/2015 16:09

By law she is only entitled to cut back anything overhanging her boundary and she is obliged to offer the branches cut off to you. She is not entitled to cut anything within your garden or within your boundary. You need to tell her in person or by polite note so it doesn't happen again

NorahDentressangle · 29/05/2015 16:25

Tell the gardener that you will give him a bad review online if he does this again. He was trespassing too. Really don't think he should have done it without speaking to you first regardless of what the neighbor told him. They are not stupid, and he prob suspected something was fishy. Even if he believed you wanted it cut he should have spoken to you about how and how much.

Print out the council rules (if there are any or you could write a letter asking for clarification and hand it to her.

Tree will grow back quickly if roots are not damaged.

Oldraver · 29/05/2015 16:29

Do you know who the tree surgeon was ? I would be asking them why they have decimated your tree.

WinterOfOurDiscountTents15 · 29/05/2015 16:32

It won't have been a reputable company, as they would know that trimming your tree on your land on the neighbours say so constitutes both trespass and criminal damage.

DayLillie · 29/05/2015 16:32

It does not sound like they did a proper job - I would be getting someone round to give a quote for remedial work and advice. Then charge her.

What sort of tree was it?

Most trees want to be the size of their roots, so it will grow back fast, with a bit of tlc - although what shape it will be might be a different matter Hmm

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 29/05/2015 16:38

Give it a couple of weeks and it'll be fine, trees always look butchered at first after a tidy up. It does them good to get cut back. Some benefit from a severe cut back and come back better the following year.

silverweed · 29/05/2015 16:38

I'd be livid, I must say. Wonder if the tree surgeon made a mistake about which part they were supposed to cut back??

Disagree that trees need 'tidyng up' for health, unless there is frank disease eg section with dead leaves, fungus etc

They don't need to be pruned as OP says they will grow to a tree shape but can be pruned to control the size or shape of course if the natural shape does not suit the OWNER or if the OWNER sympathises with the neighbours issues and agrees......How and when to do that depends on how big you want it, and the species/shape /look you want (eg pollarding vs trimming all over or selected branches every few years etc). (and yes I believe you can cut overhanging branches on your side of a boundary)

Original poster
StopItAndDontTidyUp · 29/05/2015 18:09

I think the tree is some sort of flowering fruit tree - it had blossom on it until a month or so ago. It's nothing special; just provided a nice bit of coverage for the front of the house and looked quite nice. It now looks shorn - think cut, exposed branch stumps. And they weren't tree surgeons, just two blokes who seemed to be odd-jobbing. I had to go out in the beginning to warn them about our newly planted hedge shubbery that they were letting heavy branches fall on.

OP posts:
icelollycraving · 29/05/2015 18:27

Well if she got a couple of bodgers in,I'd be popping round for a bollocking chat.

NorahDentressangle · 29/05/2015 22:06

Think I'd be planting a couple more trees just to spite her.

KittyLovesPaintingOhYes · 29/05/2015 23:20

Trespass and criminal damage, possibly?

Not all trees benefit from pruning, some won't grow back from old wood or react very badly, some can only be cut at certain times of year to avoid dieback or excessive weeping from the cuts, you can't just let rip on a neighbours tree even if it blocks every photon of light from every window in the damn house. She wouldn't be getting a polite note from me!

I've recently taken down 15 badly placed trees around my own property (Leylandii, yay) but when the official contractors trimming branches away from powerlines twice got a bit overzealous and came onto my property and attacked my 150 year old Scots pine without consent I went batshit. Unfortunately no amount of apologies could replace the removed branches but it was made very clear that if they did this a third time it would be a legal matter.

MrsMook · 29/05/2015 23:54

I seethed after the rear neighbour ruined our young silver birch by cutting off the top causing it to split into two trunks. It wasn't large, due to its age and was chosen to be appropriate to the size of the garden. They could not complain about light when it was the replacement for 6 mature leylandii that we removed from the corner- another neighbour commented that it gave them another half hour of light in their house.

Some people are just ignorant vandals.

(I'm still annoyed after nearly a decade, and I don't even live there anymore)

Lweji · 30/05/2015 00:07

So, what did you tell her?

Orange6358 · 30/05/2015 00:18

Ours need tidying to be safe and to avoid blocking views. Wouldn't trim a neighbours though