Neighbour issues - hedge problems!

[ijustdontknowanymore]

I apologise in advance for what will probably be the most boring post of all time! Soo, long story short ..... Moved into our new house around 6 months ago, next door neighbours are very friendly and welcoming, and will often stop to chat over the fence etc. We hear a lot about the older gentleman who owned the house before us, and how the garden used to be immaculate and the pride of the street etc. To start with this was fine, but eventually it seemed that every time we spoke the fact that the garden used to be so wonderful was brought up, and by implication was no longer up to standard. I'm not a keen gardener by any means, but it's been kept (relatively) tidy, grass mown, occasionally weeds pulled, patio brushed etc, since we moved in. We're renovating so everything inside the house is very much the priority at the moment but the outside is fine by most standards.

So, the crux of the issue. At the bottom of our garden is a conifer hedge, which had grown to well over 8 feet by the time we'd moved in. I arranged for someone to come and cut it, and while it wasn't a pristine job, it was far better with 3ft off the height. The next door neighbour's gardener had also quoted for the work, and was over £200 more expensive which I really couldn't afford.

Following the hedge cut, NDN complained every time I was in the garden about what an 'awful' job had been done, how it was a real bodge, etc. He caught me off guard one day and asked if I wanted his gardener to sort it out - I was rushing and non-committedly said 'yes,maybe'. So she comes over that day and says it will take around four hours at £15 an hour, which I agreed to thinking it would help neighbourly relations given that NDN is obviously quite put out by the newly trimmed hedge. (I really didn't think it was that bad, nor did my keen gardener parents). Fast forward to today and she comes over with an invoice for £190!!! Saying it took much longer than expected to rectify the previous hedge cutter's shoddy work! I was away when the work was carried out so can't verify how long it took, but basically feel like I've been shafted. I wouldn't mind an extra couple of hours but feel this is extortionate, but am also in a catch 22 because I don't want to sour relations with the NDNs by disputing it. So more of a WWYD really? Pay or say it's unreasonable?

[AHedgehogCanNeverBeBuggered]

Twelve hours to sort out a hedge?? This is a huge pisstake - just say no, and DO NOT pay more than you authorised, or else there will be more trouble from these clowns further down the line.

Be firm and calm.

[exLtEveDallas]

12 hours on a single hedge? Bollocks!

We have about 40m of well established hedge around our garden. We had it cut from 12 to 8 ft and trimmed back 2 ft about 18 months ago and it cost us £800. It took the bloke a full day (8am to 5pm) and that includes trimming it down enough to go in his giant truck for disposal.

Neighbour is taking the piss big style. Pay the £60 and no more.

[Dizzydodo]

I think we need a picture of the hedge to see what 12 hours of trimming looks like!

[RootTeeToot]

Pay the £60 you agreed to and say to your neighbour that you are not talking about the garden again. That it is your garden now, not the previous owners garden and what happens or doesn't happen in the garden is your business and not anyone else's. If they wanted a say in the garden they should have bought the house. But they didn't and you bought it.

Stop trying to please him. It's probably never going to happen anyway.

[blueturtle6]

Invoice is unreasonable, don't pay it. To put it in perspective, I had two huge trees and shrub removed from my garden and it was £500.
If you pay and if you pander to ndn now over garden you'll be doing it forever,nothing will be good enough and they'll fall out with you anyway (talking from experience here)
Your house, your garden do what you like. Naked bowls anyone?

[deltacrook]

Pay the £60 and not a penny more. Tell NDN to but out.

[PGPsabitch]

Pay the sixty and no more. That was all you agreed too. Also never use their gardener again and if they moan about the garden then tell them nicely that it's none of their business.

If you pay it you can guarantee that they'll be more to come and likely the gardener will keep trimming without your permission and invoice you!

[SouthWestmom]

So your neighbour is the one who involved the gardener on your say so?
No point you talking to the gardener as you appear not to have done anything more than agree to your neighbour getting the gardener in for a few hours.
Just give the neighbour £60 and be done with it.

[littledrummergirl]

Yy to previous posters.
My hedge is currently out of control (dh has a shoulder injury and can't cut it). We have been quoted £70 to get it cut back. It's half hours work with a good chain saw and the council will take the cuttings.
That's more than I'm happy to pay. If anyone says anything I inform them of the situation, invite them to do it and advise them that it is full of blackbirds (they are gone for the winter now )and the birds need to have room to nest.

[SoupDragon]

I would want to know how on earth it took over 12 hours to do. What exactly have they done?

I would make it clear that I only authorised 4 hours work at £15 per hour. In an attempt to minimise any neighbourly dispute, I would offer to pay half the bill (so, an extra hour or so). Then i would stop talking to them beyond minimal pleasantries and practise a bland smile and the phrase "that is not a priority right now"

[CrazyCatLaydee123]

12 hours! Were they doing it with nail scissors?!

[May09Bump]

I have paid 140 to a company to trim a whole garden of hedges and significantly reduce a massive one. In the south east too - just for a comparison. Neighbours are not your friend, and are trying to take advantage when you are hassled. I'd be growing dividing hedge, not chopping them!

[MagikarpetRide]

As others have said, this is a business transaction so contact the gardener directly and refuse to pay more than the agreed amount. It would not surprise me if the gardener cleared the extra time with your neighbour, in which case he is liable not you.

[Magpiemagpie]

Very convenient that's it's only £10 less than the orginal £200 quoted

[Laiste]

He caught me off guard one day and asked if I wanted his gardener to sort it out ... So she comes over that day and says it will take around four hours at £15 an hour, which I agreed to.

she comes over with an invoice for £190!!! Saying it took much longer than expected to rectify the previous hedge cutter's shoddy work!

Right so the neighbor's the 'he' and the gardener's the 'she'.

Down to it's bare basics - the neighbor has nothing to do with this.

You had a face to face unwritten agreement with a tradeswoman for her to do 4 hours work. If she ended up spending 12 hours on it that's her look out. You agreed to £60's worth of work - and that's what you'll pay.

Sod what the neighbor thinks.

[DoreenLethal]

Pay the £60. Anyone who misquotes like that definitely needs to sharpen up their practices. This experience might help them.

And that's from a Head Gardener!

[Phalenopsisgirl]

Gosh, I'd be very cross. Is £190 not a lot to you? Unless your garden is over an acre and you obviously could pay then just apologise (not that you should have to, but it keeps it polite) and explain that you had 'found' £60 in your household budget and you had been quoted this by ndn (pushing the fault to them) and unfortunately you just can't afford more. Also point out you were previously happy with the hedge but agreed to work for ndn benefit. My guess is this has happened due to ndn implying you authorised it. However if you are midway through a half million pound renovation you'll look petty not paying so in that instance just suck it up.

[Laiste]

Phalen - you had been quoted this by ndn

No, the only thing the neighbor is guilty of is offering his gardener friend's services. OP agreed to a face to face quote from the gardener in person.

It's really not the neighbor's fault here. OP I think the fact that he's been too vocal about how wonderful the garden used to be has made you a bit oversensitive and it's clouding your judgement. If you'd employed a bloke to come in and clean your carpets (for eg.) at £60 for 4 hours and then gave you an invoice for £190 you'd laugh at them surely? It's nothing to do with who recommended them.

[ToffeeForEveryone]

I'd want to speak to the gardener directly and establish that he did actually spend 12 hours on the work. If so, I wouldn't want him to be out of pocket so I would pay, BUT make it very clear that this is not what was agreed with NDN, work wasn't authorised and you are being generous in paying for work that wasn't agreed!

I would be having a word with NDN to that effect too. He sounds awful and you really need to be firm with him early on or he is going to become increasingly unreasonable.

[RunnyRattata]

Pay the gardener £60. If she gets arsey, tell her that Trading Standards might be able to help solve the issue of the triple bill and ask her if she will call them or will you?

[Loafingaround]

OP please only pay the £60. Also in complete agreement you need to stand firm with this busy-body of your NDN.
Next time he brings up previous garden, make comments like "Its great they clearly had such time on their hands to dedicate to the garden but afraid as you can see we are renovating house and pretty busy right now, but as i'm sure you can see we are still ensuring we keep the garden neat and tidy, have a great day". Shut it down. Give firm, confident smile but be brisk and don't let conversation escalate or him dominate it, you do the talking and you shut it down in a polite way. Change the subject. A few times of doing this, he should get the message.
So so cheeky of the gardner, had it gone over the 4 hours any decent worker would call you to ask if you wanted them to continue or just tidy up within timeframe and leave at the originally quoted timeframe and amount.

[Phalenopsisgirl]

Ah sorry I see you did meet the gardener and she did quote you directly, in which case absolutely no way should you pay, even by 'estimate' standards £190 is nothing like the £60 estimate if it was an estimate. In fact you have grounds to be very cross

[RunnyRattata]

Do not deal with the neighbour other than to tell him to ask the gardener to call round your house to discuss payment.

[Laiste]

Yes, i was thinking about the 'estimate' vs 'quote' thing too. (Tradesman DH and DF). £60 to £190 is a ridiculous jump, so don't let her start giving any bull shit about quotes and estimates either OP! There was nothing in writing anyway.

(Quote is binding, Estimate is supposed to be a close guess).