Returned home to find neighbour in my garden

[OyO]

I don’t know what to think about this.

I’m supposed to be at work all day, as normal. Came home early with some kind of sickness bug to find my neighbour standing in my garden chopping away at a hedge.

I was completely startled and said ‘hello? Can I help you?’ To which she responded: ‘well you were never going to cut it’ and brazenly carried on. I asked her to get out of my garden, she took her time and then climbed a ladder to go over the fence and back to her side. She’s now leaning over the hedge into my garden and still trimming it.

I’m at a loss. She’s so brazen I’m not sure if I’m being unreasonable in thinking she’s cheeky or not.

We have a 6ft fence separating us half way then a 5ft hedge. The hedge belongs to her and sits on her boundary. It’s an unruly hedge which overhangs into our garden and has done for the last 3 years (since we moved in). Our cat lounges under the overhang as it offers shelter and we have a family of dunnocks that live in the actual hedge. They’ve been there for years and we feed them daily plus have a bird bath for them.

The cat is now terrified hiding indoors right now and the dunnock nest has clearly been disturbed due to how far back she’s cut the hedge.

It’s a private garden. She’s in her 70s and doesn’t speak to anyone except to police their gardens. She once collected up all of the blossom from her front garden that had fallen from someone’s tree and dumped it on their drive (it blew back again ).

She’s right, I was never going to cut it back because I didn’t want it cutting back. Is she allowed to do this?

I’m also worried that she may pop into the garden whenever she feels like because she really didn’t seem to fussed about me catching her.

Thank you all. I’ve used the RSPB form and reported her, I included photos of her leaning over to trim it but have more of the actual nesting site now so have sent them separately.

What a weird day. Why are people so strange?

In answer to the question on how she got down, we have a table and bench by the fence (which I will definitely be moving) and she used that when I was there. It’s one of those fences with horizontal planks every few inches on our side though so she could use that to climb down too I guess.

I’m now wondering how many times she’s done this before. We let dandelions grow and pick them for our local rescue as they’re great for small animals like rabbits. We noticed they were covered in some substance a few weeks ago and so had to bin them all then we haven’t had many grow back since. I’m now thinking she may have hopped over to cover them in weed killer.

Well, tbh, if I came home to find someone doing my gardening for me, I'd have given them a hug!

I'm confused by the nesting birds thing though. My huge, rural garden is massively overgrown. At some point over the summer I usually just hire someone as a one off to come and cut the whole thing right back to nothing and it all starts again. This includes 2 huge trees, bushes, roses and masses of nettles and other weedy type plants. There must be loads of animals in an overgrown space that size. I really didn't think that would be my responsibility, is it? If fact, I have an official responsibility in my tenancy to keep the garden under control. I get that wild animals take priority in the wild. But in a garden? Obviously, I would never knowingly kill anything but a big electric trimmer/strimmer won't see it till it's too late. And this woman wouldn't have known either, whichever side of the fence the nest was on.

YANBU not to want her on your property against your knowledge and wishes though, of course!

Might be time to actually get cctv if she does stuff like that.

I also think you need cctv. This woman is bonkers! And creepy.

The trimmings belong to her, you are obliged to offer them back to her. My offering would be to dump the whole fucking lot back in her garden.

I live between 2 sparse gardens where people use the power tools a lot. My garden has many nests at this time of year, we have accidentally disturbed nests, so now we look out for where birds are flying in and out. Gardens are the last refuges for many birds as rural land is a lot more industrially managed now in scale.

I would be so sad if this happened to me...tho a neighbour did try to lop mine but I was straight out there saying about the nesting birds.

Shame so many people are ignorant, whether on purpose or accidentally, too.

@manicinsomniac Gardens are invaluable to wildlife. The regulations focus on wildlife, no matter where they are, not just within natural wildlife areas.

What is illegal is disturbing a bird nest that’s in use. So you can definitely do your gardening in the spring, but you’re supposed to check first if there are any birds nesting in trees or bushes. If they are, you’ll have to wait until the nest is empty.

www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/wildlife-and-the-law/wildlife-and-countryside-act/

Actually with reference to an earlier post, isn’t she fly tipping?

It doesn’t matter if it’s your own garden, it’s still illegal to disturb the birds.

It’s a good idea to check for nests and wildlife. Maybe do the clearing in the winter, but check for hibernating animals.

Their habitats are getting really limited. We all have to try and do our best to give them shelter and help them survive.

Soon hedgehogs will be a disappearing rarity.

Bird numbers are falling.

It’s all really worrying.

Our next door neighbour came around to our garden and cut the hedge while we were eating a meal on Saturday night in garden (side of our house)
I couldn't believe it. We're going to talk to him but I think we both both in shock. He didn't make eye contact or ask or anything. He is a bit wierd and rude anyway.

OP I hope you feel better soon

Agree with a pp, if she's throwing hedge trimmings from her side into your garden, it's fly tipping?

As for destroying the nests...ugh.

She sounds terrible. The thing about the petals...!

I am absolute peeing myself at "if you don't want to trim her bush you don't have to" hahahaha!
Sorry, childish moment but seriously she shouldn't be wandering into your garden and disturbing nesting birds. I'd put a note through her door and tell her not to enter your property again or you'll take further action. How rude of her! She sounds nuts lol.

I would hand her the lawnmower and ask if she could do that too

Oooh I’d be raging. Glad you have reported her.....I would also produce a solicitors letter about trespass etc. Why on earth does she think that what you do in your own garden has anything to do with her???? What a fucking awful bitch. Who the hell does she think she is????

Omg!!!!! Call 101 and report her for trespassing

Thanks for the information about the birds and the law.

I'd turn the hose on to her. I'm not kidding.

You could go sit in her garden eating nuts and dropping bits of shell, or maybe have a pick at her plants, and tell her you'll be doing that whenever you feel like it; if she thinks she's entitled to be in your garden without permission, she clearly won't mind that at all .
I wouldn't really though, or it could escalate - but may be worth asking her how she'd feel if she came home and found you in her garden, and refusing to leave?

In Autumn I would hire a hedge trimmer and prune it back to the boundary.This may make the hedge a bit less healthy than it was and thin but if that's what she wants!There should be enough regrowth next year to stop it looking too bad.
Alternatively plant a Russian one to grow over it!

What a loon.

If you are thinking of moving, the point is probably moot. You could cut her hedge back to her own garden (after nesting season). So, everything off your property. Then plant your own hedging. Get older plants to have something established more quickly.

I managed to get some sleep and guess what woke me up? Of course she’s mowing the lawn at 9pm.

She’s always been a bit of a pest but today she is taking the piss.

I’m glad disturbing nesting birds is taken seriously. I’m intrigued to know what happens next, whether it’s someone visiting her or a letter through the door. That should be a fun day

When we come to sell the house I’ll let the new owners know about the birds enjoying the hedge, hopefully they’ll look out for them if she does this again next year.

I would like to leave her with a parting gift though, maybe plant a few blossom trees or lob a dead fish into her conservatory.

Plant some of this near the boundary before you leave. It will drive her crazy.

My husband came home the other week to find our neighbour on the drive cutting his conifer back. His wide would have said hello. He didn't say anything, just took his tools and left. He couldn't carry on as our car was then parked where he needed to be.
I haven't any problem with him cutting it back. Not saying first is OK too. (I think he normally does it when we are not there). The gates were open and he was only going about 5 ft up the drive do no issue re damage. I just think it odd he didn't speak when my husband arrived home.

Thinking back, a number of years ago I looked out and someone was about to reverse a lorry on to our drive. I asked what they were doing and they said they needed to stand on the back to cut back the trees next door. I told them that if they asked me I would give them permission to stand on our drive or use a ladder, but the lorry was not coming in. I think next door had told them they could access from our side without saying!

She is lovely. Don't think I have spoken more than two words with him in 12 yes we have been here.

If the other side need to access to do the fence if the shed they just ask first. I will then usually move things out of the way to make it easier. It isn't a hard concept to grasp.