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?

[dobbythefuckingjizzelf]

And for next year when it starts growing again get it all ripped out and stick a fence up, much less maintenance

As for the bill tell them to shove it and just pay the £60

[honeysucklejasmine]

£190 for a hedge?! Nope. Also agree - pay £60, nothing more.

[KC225]

Magpie is right. The 190 invoice IS conveniently close to the original 200 quote, however since that quote the hedge had chopped by 3ft. Seems the gardener had only made a £10 deduction from the original quote

[Nocabbageinmyeye]

There's always someone on mn that says you should trot out the household budget/plead the poor mouth excuse, it drives me insane, why the deck should she go over like Oliver Twist, please sir I can't afford it and apologise?? This is how people like the neighbour get away with walking all over people

[GrumpyOldBag]

It does take fucking ages to cut a hedge properly.

[Loafingaround]

well grumpy you'd think a professional gardener would also know that and quote the correct time/amount to start with then?! Its over 3 x the amount she originally quoted!

[Sugarpiehoneyeye]

OP, pay them the sixty pounds that you agreed on.
If you are a shrinking violet, and feel terribly uncomfortable, with the situation, I suggest you call in at your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau, they will advise you.
Keep a record of any payment you make, do not allow yourself to be bullied. 💐

[eatsleephockeyrepeat]

We've got a lovely 8ft hedge round our corner plot house, beautifully square with an archway cut into it through to the front door. Takes dp less than a day to cut it.

Used to take me two but I'd get up on that ladder with the hedge trimmer roaring and pose like something from a Benny Benassi video.... so that dragged it out a bit.

[JudyCoolibar]

Were you actually out of the house for the alleged twelve hours? Assuming the gardener took a lunch break and the odd comfort break, to achieve that in daylight at this time of year she would surely have had to start at 7 a.m. Given that it was at the front, it might also be worth making some inquiries amongst other neighbours as to whether they saw all this industry going on.

But anyway, I agree with others: if it was going to be so much longer, clearly the gardener should have stopped work and cleared the extra with you. Pay her £60. It doesn't have to sour relations with the neighbours: if they moan about it, just tell them firmly that's it's an issue between you and the gardener and you don't want to discuss it. Likewise firmly steer the discussion away from the garden every time they raise it in future, maybe with the odd comment to the effect that it's your garden and you're very happy with it as it is.

[eatsleephockeyrepeat]

...thinking about it it must be closer to 10ft tall...

Anyway, OP, pay £60 - nothing more.

[Laiste]

That's a really good point Judy. 12 hours physical work would span longer than 12 actual hours if you include the breaks.

Were you even out of the house for 13/14 hours?

Point still stands anyway. I wouldn't get into arguing the toss about it. Even though it might be fun to.

[dowhatnow]

Ooh another neighbour dispute. Never apologise for one of those.

[MiddleClassProblem]

Worst case, take them to Judge Rinder 😂

But seriously, the gardener is taking the piss. And what you do with your garden is not your neighbours business unless it's a health hazard or its full of all night ravers snorting crack off gnomes

[t4nut]

You need to toughen up. Saying no will not cause the world to end.

You agreed 4 hours at 15/hour. Put in writing that is what you agreed and make that offer.

[pepperpot99]

Our NDN recently had three entire trees cut/lopped/ reshaped and it took about 6 hours - two of them were over 70 feet tall. 12 hours for one hedge ? seriously they are taking the mick . Please do NOT pay more than the £60.

[Rachel0Greep]

This is your opportunity to end the interference from the neighbour also. It's none of their business what you do with YOUR house and YOUR garden.

[Cherylene]

Is it a very long hedge? My DH does ours (15ft+ and at least 40m long, mixing measuring systems) in half a day. Next door's very overgrown one is done to a very high standard in an hour or so by tree surgeons.

Say you will only pay what was quoted. She will have to negotiate down at the very least. And don't have her anywhere near it again!

[DavenotChas]

Did he cut it with nail scissors?

[CoraPirbright]

The gardener is taking the piss. How ridiculous that she can stand there, have a look at the hedge in question and say 'yes, that'll take around 4 hours' and then take so, so much longer!! Or perhaps she is just utterly crap at estimating...but thats her problem, not yours!

[ijustdontknowanymore]

Thanks all; I'm steeling myself to grow a pair and say no, but thank you for giving me the guts to! It's good to have some of your other examples of hedge cutting for comparative costs too.

In answer to some of your questions, the hedge is around 15ft long. We live in a 3 bed semi and the plot it's in is a good size but not huge. The NDN is adjacent to us (not attached), and the hedge runs long the bottom of our garden.

I was away all weekend when the work was carried out, which was probably an error on my part, so I have no way of knowing how long it took, but she did mention that it had been over the two days. We can afford to pay the £190, but it's still a lot of money (isn't it to most people?).

To be honest, I think I'm most annoyed with myself for not nipping this in the bud sooner.

[MoonfaceAndSilky]

Whether you can afford it or not, is not the point. You already paid someone else to do the job, the £60 was just for a trim to tidy it up, please don't pay the £190 out of principle. I'm angry for you

[Sugarpiehoneyeye]

OP, listen to Moonface, complete sense !

[Oldraver]

FGS woman please dont say you are actually thinking of paying the full price ?.

Who gave you the bill the gardener or the neighbour ?

[Sugarpiehoneyeye]

OP, pay them the sixty pounds, and tell them that next year, a friend has offered to remove them completely, free of charge !
You will be replacing the boundary with a white picket fence. 😂😂😂