Confusion over boundary hedge responsibilities

[annatha]

DH and I moved into our (rented) house just over a month ago. We met neighbours on both sides who seem nice, have settled in well etc. Today a neighbour knocked round asking if my DH could cut the hedge between our driveways as it's grown quite unruly on their side. She was really nice about it and I apologised as it looks fine on our side and as we live on a cul-de-sac we'd had no reason to walk past her house or look at the other side of the hedge. She agreed that it was neat on our side and joked about it growing on one side etc. Anyhow, it was all very friendly and I told her I'd get DH on it.

I text DH and he said he doesn't have anything to cut the hedge with as no gardening tools have been left for us at the house and if it's on their side then surely they should cut it? He'll do it to keep them happy, but he doesn't get why it's our responsibility as it's directly down the middle of the two drives, which to me means that we take care of our side, they take care of theirs? It's sods law that she knocked today as he's on a 10 day week at work after a few days off so who knows when he's going to have the time to do it.

I just wondered if anyone had any idea about this sort of thing. He's going to knock round to see if neighbour has any tools he can borrow to cut the hedge. We're only here for 6 months so we don't really want to be forking out on gardening tools that we'll barely use.

If it overhangs on their side they can cut it. It may be that previous residents have done it for both sides hence the request. Ask your ll whose responsibility it is.

Boundary hedge = each of you looks after your own side. My horrible neighbour comes round asking me to trim the bit of hedge that borders his drive - I kid you not, it is about 2ft wide by 4ft high. Why on earth he doesn't just spend 10 minutes doing it when he wants to, I don't know. He doesn't work, I do.

I just went on problem neighbours.co.uk and it states that if it's your hedge, it's your responsibility to maintain BOTH sides. So that's your answer. I think practically speaking most people would do their own side, but if they insist on you doing it they are technically in the right....I say technically, because where I live people maintain their own sides. I've got climbers in my garden and I do my side and what I can reach for next door but other than that they'll do their own side I should think....we'll see, they are only baby climbers at the moment so maybe they'll be a knock in a year's time!

Normally it would be their responsibility - it's on their side after all.

However, it could be that the previous tenants/landlord wanted the hedge and agreed that in order to keep it they would maintain it.

Or your neighbour could be piss taking. Or they might not be physically able to do it.

Hopefully when your DH goes round asking for equipment to borrow, the reason for asking will presumably come out.

www.problemneighbours.co.uk/rules-on-hedges-and-roots-growing-into-your-property.html

They can cut the bit on their side up to the boundary. I wouldn't do ti for them i would just say feel free to cut it up to the boundary.

Just take this carefully. I speak from bitter experience when I say that boundary issues are a minefield (however I do live next to two utter psychos)! Diplomacy is the watchword.

You can look at the legal obligations...

1. Who owns hedge (speak to your landlord, if it's relatively modern, then it'll be in the register of titles). If it's the neighbours' hedge, then they do their own side. You can still do yours, where it overhangs on your side.
2. Shared? Both do your own side.
3. Yours? You do your own and theirs if you want (with permission to go on their drive). You don't have to maintain their side.
4. Get you landlord in the case!

BUT! And this is a big but(t) (unlike the lovely Kimmy Kardashian, it is not perfectly formed)... In reality, please go for the diplomatic-not-quoting-the law-approach. As tenants, I think you have no obligation to cut. A nice chat perhaps, about your lack of tools, but you'll call the landlord and hopefully, your decent neighbour will do it themself... When law gets involved it's expensive and terminal, in terms of neighbourly relations!

Good luck and remember to smile

That's not right. It would cause far too many issues re access onto other people's property. A houseowner is responsible up to
their boundary. The other side can cut back to the boundary and should offer the cuttings back to the hedge owner. If the hedge owner doesn't want them,the neighbour is not allowed to just chuck them on the owner's land.

That's in response to that other website.

S'what the website says, I've genuinely got no idea. I tend to think if your neighbours are physically able they should cut it themselves. raising it with your landlord is a good idea in the first instance because once you've cut that hedge once you'll be doing it forever more and they may just be chancers.

You can smile, say sorry landlord hasn't left us tools, we have notified him that it needs doing. That lets you off hook and then they can choose to do it or not.
(you should however tell landlord!)

I agree with the PPs saying it's not OP's responsibility. Neighbour can cut back the hedge to the boundary if she wishes. This applies whether the trunks of the hedge are solely on OP's side of the boundary or whether they straddle the boundary.

OP - just explain that you haven't the tools to do it, but as it seems to overhang her side she should feel free to cut it back as far as the boundary if she wishes.

Good grief. Next thing you know she'll be asking you to come round to replace the toilet roll.

Totally agree collaborate.

Good grief. Next thing you know she'll be asking you to come round to replace the toilet roll.

Ah, you've clearly met my neighbours...

On their side. After all you are not supposed to go round their side unless asked. We have always had this situation. We have always seem to our hedge on our side and neither side has appeared in each other's garden unless permission has been asked,

Cheers everyone, we don't want to fall out so assuming dh can get hold of some tools he's fine to do it but it's nice knowing that I'm right in thinking it's an odd request. If it was the other way around I'd rather do it myself than have a stranger stood on my drive but hey ho. I just hope they don't mind waiting a week or so until dh has time to do it.

annatha, I think this is definitely the way ahead if you're not bothered by it. Good relations with the neighbours are so important. Yes, I reckon you could refuse and be within your rights, but so what.

The dispute started by my neighbours (with a totally mad solicitor's letter out of the blue) ended up costing them many many £1000s... And resulted in them ending up in a worse position than they'd started with! Now every time I see them, I want to kill them look the other way, and I'm quite a forgiving person!!