Dispute with Neighbour

[Pinkpeanut27]

Our next door neighbour has a large hedge which he has planted on the property line . Every year he trims it , so far that’s been fine as it’s not bothered us much , he annoyingly never picks up after him but there you go.
Today I asked him if he could cut it right back to the boundary line as he was trimming it as it was now blocking our side access .Also could be clear up as we have all out tools in storage and he has a leaf hoover
He replied he would cut it back a bit but didn’t want to do too much in case it died and no he was too busy to clear up and even though our wheelie bin was full no he couldn’t dispose of the leaves himself . He said pick it up with your hands and take it to the tip and got very stroppy that he was doing us a favour as most neighbours wouldn’t cut our side .
We both hate gardening and have one small tree and some grass and that’s it as we want low maintenance, so also have limited garden tools .

I’m really annoyed ( possibly over annoyed ) so would it be ok for me to employ a Gardner to cut it back properly, that way it won’t die . DH says I can’t have my own chain saw !

And if I can should I pop a note through to let him know what I’m doing ?

Just to add if I’d planted any thing I would assume responsibility for it
That’s not the law though is it. It would be nice if you so this but you are not obliged. It’s his responsibility to maintain anything on his side, even if the shrub is planted on your side

His job is only to do his side, so he isn't being unreasonable not cutting your side. I would invest in an electric hedge trimmer and just do it yourself, you don't need to ask him. Just take it back to the boundary line. Don't forget you can't do it until Autumn though because of nesting birds, and although you can legally hand back his trimmings, it's rude and ridiculously petty imo so I would just burn them!

If I was in your position I would cut it back to the boundary, return the clippings and then put a six foot fence on my side so it couldn't infringe on my space anymore.

Well I probably wouldn't because that's what my neighbour did and the previous owners of our house put the fence up. We took it down as I prefer to look at green than brown but you are entitled to be pissed off at being forced to be interested in gardening.

PS You don't need a chainsaw, you need a hedge trimmer, but why your husband thinks it is OK to tell you what you can't and can't have beats me

I think that if your neighbour is taking it upon himself to cut 'your' side of the hedge he should tidy up after himself. You may, after all, prefer to cut the hedge yourself at a time that suits you. And how is he getting access to your side? Does he just wander onto your drive? He should be asking permission.

Some posters would clearly be so pleased that he cuts both sides of the hedge that they would overlook the matter of the hedge clippings. You don't have to feel the same way. The solution is to cut your side as you wish, up to the boundary. You are meant to offer him the clippings, not to dump them on his property. Given his previous reaction to your request, I suspect any dumping would be met with serious hostility.

Op, genuinely your assumption was and is incorrect. I'm unsure why you're still repeating it. It's your responsibility. And as a pp said, you don't trim a hedge with a chainsaw, you use a hedge cutter.

I'm also curious as to why your husband gets to decide on a chain saw. If you want one buy one.

YABU

DH says I can’t have my own chain saw !

Why is he telling you what tools you can have? I go and buy my own tools, including chainsaws and do not need permission from my husband.

The younger generation is totally confused.

My husband doesn’t decide ! It was a joke .
I get it now it’s my responsibility and will get a hedge cutter and cut it or a gardener .
Please don’t get personal I asked if I ABU and yes I am and that’s great that’s why I asked and have now cleared up and spoken to my neighbour . Just atm I’m a bit cranky which is wrong and now I’m over it , thanks for your input .

I'd be OK with clearing up if someone had done the cutting.

I thought that you were supposed to offer overhanging stuff back & then dispose of it yourself if it wasn't wanted?

In future though, get it done yourself when you want.

I've a black and decker battery operated one, it's excellent, I'd recommend that. Quite fun as well. You can buy them for about fifty quid if you want on a power cable and your garden is small enough for an extension lead.

www.amazon.co.uk/BLACK-DECKER-GTC18452PC-GB-Lithium-Ion-Trimmer/dp/B01CLJBAXS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=black+and+decker+battery+operated++hedge+trimmer&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1529856704&sr=8-1

My DH isn't allowed a hedge trimmer. I can't afford for him to have one, he's a disaster zone with them!

1st year he cut through the cable, thank heavens for breakers!

2nd year he insisted on doing it just 4 months after a massive heart attack and ended up back in hospital

3rd year he cut through all my phone cables outside by accident!

I paid someone last year, it's cheaper lol

As other have said it isn’t his responsibility to trim the hedge where it overhangs into your garden. It’s a shame though. It’s selfish and idiotic to plant something right on the border when you know your neighbour is going to have to maintain it.

I’m guessing all the posters that think your neighbour hasn’t done anything wrong haven’t lived next to a leylandii hedge.

I planted a beech hedge because it can be hard pruned from the neighbours side. I also left a three foot gap between the saplings and the fence so that I can walk down between the them and manage my own hedge myself.

Cool look good will get one ,
If you think I’m unreasonable my dd has just come out and asked me to tell the neighbour to use scissors rather than his hedge trimmer as it’s disturbing her . To be fair poor girl is revising and she did know it was unreasonable to ask but she made me laugh . And no I didn’t contemplate it .
Yes I have apologised and he has come round to cut all the rest of his over hanging stuff down .
Yes in future I will do it myself and will try not to kill anything or disturb any birds ,there were no nests btw so all is good
. Yes I can order my own power tools should I want ( but really I don’t)
No my husband doesn’t tell me what to do .

I’m amazed people got so animated by my question .

I'd cut it right back and build a fence too

Pinkpeanut27
Fair play to your responses on this thread and for taking on the advice even when some of the posters were a bit unpleasant.

I think you are allowed to still feel a bit annnoyed though.

I think OP was clearly joking about DH not letting her have a chain saw.

Sorry OP PP are correct your side is your responsibility. It is a bit of a pain that someone can plant something that requires maintenance on your side without asking you but there it is. That said we need more plants to prevent flooding and provide a sanctuary for wildlife so you should just trim it occasionally and not worry too much.

BTW What type of hedge is it?

Lidl have a brilliant rechargeable one coming up (might have been today) I can’t recommend it enough.

My neighbour does this, he has a hedge and comes In to our garden to trim it but doesn't clean up. I personally think he should, especially because he always waits till we are not around to do it. I came back from holiday to a lot of dead hedge in the front garden.

No idea what type it’s green !, I said I was rubbish at gardening .i think it’s box hedge ?
I wouldn’t post if I thought everyone was going to say I was right what’s the point !

A green hedge! No shit sorry OP, but that is funny. Though I fail to see how it's relevant. A hedge is hedge is a hedge...

Rachie Sounds like my ex. He cut through the power cord within 10 minutes of getting a brand new chainsaw. And that wasn't the first time he'd done it. And yet he couldn't understand why I insisted he not get the ones with power cords.

Cut your side back to the boundary and put up a fence, that’s what I’d do unless I liked the hedge.

It’s not the right time of year to do this! We’ve got a nest of baby blackbirds in our hedge and their parents are flying back and forth all day working so hard to give the babies a chance. Can’t bear to think of hedges being cut!!!

The law is that you are allowed to trim anything on your side of the boundary but that you are supposed to return the trimmings to him. - no, this is a common misunderstanding. technically the trimmings are his, so you are required to offer them to him. But if he doesn't want them, you have to dispose of them yourself. Bagging them up and putting them on his side is technically fly tipping. The law makes more sense in the context of overhanging trees which may have fruit on them.