Help! Advice needed after garden bush cutting accident.

[C0rdelia]

I'm going to have to put this in points due to the panic.

1. My husband organised gardeners to cut down the overgrown bush at the end of the garden.

1. Gardener cut bush but didn't realise he was also cutting the bushes belonging to garden behind.

1. Neighbours behind have just sent us a letter suggesting court and assuming we did this on purpose.

blimey how much did they cut? seems a bit OTT!

Does gardener have insurance?

Are your neighbours normally so aggressive? Could they not actually try talking to you first?

Tell them to chill out and wait for it to grow back.

It was an accident. These things happen. They're only bushes.

Could you apologise (lots) and offer to buy new plants to fill the space left?

You need to go and talk to the neighbours, and ask what you can do to put it right.

You should have done this straight away, with an apology.

You and the neighbours are both out of order. Suggesting legal action before speaking to you is unreasonable, but maybe you're always out when they've come round? Or maybe they're just arses.

Disappointed this was about real bushes 😒

If the bushes were overhanging your garden you have every right to cut the back to the boundary.

I very much doubt any decent gardener would cut beyond a boundary without explicit permission from both landowners.

Gardener cut a foot off the top of their bushes.

Neighbours have had huge firework parties which scare our cats and leave us covered in detritus but we clear everything up, without comment, because we are aware these things are only once a year.

Lynette. My husband spoke to the neighbour and apologised immediately. That's why it's a shock to get the letter

Let them take you to court and watch the judge try to suppress a snigger at any monetary claim that they make for the stress and loss of earnings that having their bush cut has caused.

Are neighbours minted? It would be v expensive to take you to court for criminal damage for bushes that will grow back anyway. And what a dickish way to conduct neighbourly relations! Have they asked you for something specific - money to replace bushes? New bushes? Apology?

Didn't the gardener see the fence or a different type of bush?

Speculatively, this seems like the gardener's deal, not yours. Can you hand them his/her info and send them on their way?

Let them take you to court.

Does the letter containing the threat say what they want from you to prevent them taking you to court? Money? New bushes? What?

It is a bush. It will grow back.

Is it a letter from them or a solicitor? Can’t you respond by letter explaining it was a mistake and you are happy to sort it out without going through court. Suggest giving them money to replace the bushes you cut down - maybe offer a reasonable sum?

I'd suggest Judge Rinder, I'd like to hear what he thinks of the neighbors bush.

On a serious note, the Council was replacing fencing and destroyed shrubs that were in myvrelatives garden. Her Grandmother had planted them, so they had sentimental value.

They got the cost of replacing them and nothing else.

They'll probably have already grown back by the time the case is heard. How would they prove the bushes used to be taller, anyway?

It will have grown back before they could get it to court. I know it sounds serious, but their over response is quite funny.

Point them in the direction of your gardener.

Also disappointed this is not about real bushes.

It'll grow back, what's the issue? Can you go round and try to reason with them?

Bollocks. You know what j mean

Let them take you to court. Dickheads

Oh dear,my mind is in the gutter today..I thought you meant lady garden

So it's not a solicitors letter? What else do they suggest, do they want a monetary amount (bet they do -out for a quick quid!).
I would be tempted to call their bluff. Unless you have done irreparable damage to said bushes then they will very quickly grow back up.