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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my neighbour is being unreasonable

135 replies

princesstiasmum · 24/11/2018 13:12

I have a very large fur tree in my garden which hangs over my neighbours fence too
I know it was cutting some of the light out of their garden so go someone to cut it down quite a lot.also to cut at the sides as it was getting very bushy and spreading enough to cut light off from my living room
The young man has been to do it this morning , and cut loads off
I havjust had a phone call from my neighbour to ask why he hasnt cut some off their side of the fence, she had apparently already had a go at him, and he said i didnt ask him to, but the general rule is to cut only the side if the person whose tree it is.
Anyway she rang me again and i said ididnt know how it worked only that i had asked him to cut it down to a certain point and cut the top off, which incidentally wasnt bothering me,
My neighbour said well its your bloody tree, and i am not paying anyone to cut my side,
I had told them last summer and before that they could cut some off if they wanted to
I am really annoyed and sad that it has come to this and her being nasty, as i have lived here for 35 years, and looked after their house when they went away etc, and also offered to shop for them as they have both got health problems,
I told her i couldnt afford to pay anymore, couldnt really afford this but apart from the sides the height didnt bother me
I wish now i had left it,
We are both pensioners, but they are older than me and much better off
When the tree was cut down at the top i rang her and asked if it was better and lighter, she said yes much better, but now being nasty because he hasnt cut at her side ,low enough not to cut any light out
Just wondered if it is usual to cut just one side or go all round, in others experience

OP posts:
TheQueef · 24/11/2018 13:14

It's unusual to trim half a tree.
Get him back to do her side, it isn't worth carrying on it's bothering you.

SaucyJack · 24/11/2018 13:18

No, I don’t think she’s being U if it’s your tree.

I don’t think the fact that you’ve done shopping for her in the past is that relevant, sorry.

Ellisandra · 24/11/2018 13:20

There’s a possibility that you have a legal responsibly to trim their side, under the Right of Light Act 1959 - if they’ve had light for 20 years and your tree has since grown to a size to block it.

It sounds quite an odd and un-neighbourly thing to do, to be honest, if it’s really blocking their light.

Regardless of the law, it’s your tree causing them a nuisance - I think you’re unreasonable not to keep on top of that.

nakaji · 24/11/2018 13:21

I don’t think that’s the general rule at all. I think the general rule is if a tree, bush or plant is infringing on your neighbour’s property it is your responsibility to attend to that. I think it’s odd that someone came to trim your tree and ignored the area of the meighbour’s garden - you should have informed your neighbour he was coming and asked what they wanted done on their side.

Jayfee · 24/11/2018 13:22

The rule is you cut down what is on your side, as far as I know

BookMeOnTheSudExpress · 24/11/2018 13:24

You know your tree is infringing on their property both with overhang and light blocking, get your fella to trim your side and not theirs and it's them being unreasonable?
It really isn't.

TheGoodEnoughWife · 24/11/2018 13:24

If the tree is yours and rooted in your garden then you cut the whole tree! Why wouldn't you?

BorisAndDoris · 24/11/2018 13:26

Why on earth wouldn't you have had the tree trimmed on all sides properly. It is pretty crappy to just cut what's bothering YOU on a tree YOU own.

The neighbours didn't plant it and you are well aware that it's big enough to bother you, it must bother them too.

noenergy · 24/11/2018 13:29

Its your tree why wouldn't you get it cut on both sides.

It's different if it it's a hedge to border the 2 gardens then I would say each do their own sides.

sanpelle · 24/11/2018 13:31

Is the Right to Light act currently in action? I could do with using that against my neighbour since they block out all the sunlight from every direction!

Birdsgottafly · 24/11/2018 13:32

Why didn't you at least tell them and got a quote for their side?

By rights you should have been footing the bill for the whole lot. What you've done is a piss take.

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 24/11/2018 13:32

If it was so big, it was pointless doing one side. It’ll make it look silly. Get him back to trim it into a decent shape.

Birdsgottafly · 24/11/2018 13:35

"Is the Right to Light act currently in action?"

Yes it is, I've used it against the HA, who own houses around me. They tried to say that it's the Tenants responsibility and they accept the house with the tree.

So I asked if a homeless person fleeing DV, which my neighbour was, should turn down their one offer of a house and live in a hostel with their children because there is a tree in the garden.

They agreed that they shouldn't and had the trees cut back.

HoleyCoMoley · 24/11/2018 13:37

I always thought that neighbours can cut back tress and hedges that overhang onto their side back to the border. We have a large hedge at the bottom of our garden that we regularly get cut back and always do the neighbours side too but have always been told it's not our responsibility.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 24/11/2018 13:38

Of course YABU it’s your tree infringing their property- why would u only trim down half of a tree?!

Racecardriver · 24/11/2018 13:38

You should have gone round first to ask them if they wanted their side trimmed.

ciderhouserules · 24/11/2018 13:39

I thought the neighbours were within their rights to trim any branches overhanging the fence. I certainly do, with anything coming over from next door.
Having said that, one neighbour has a huge willow that is cut every so many years, and they cut all round. I think it would cause it to become unstable if only one side was cut.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 24/11/2018 13:39

My neighbour has a tree overhanging into her garden from the house behind hers- the tree surgeons said they won’t cut it back without the permission from whose land it’s rooted in

cupofteaandcake · 24/11/2018 13:40

I don't agree that the OP is responsible for cutting her neighbours side. The neighbour has every right to cut back anything overhanging her property. Our neighbour has horrible fir trees, we trim our side. I would dearly love to chop the tops off but can't, the trees belong to them. Your neighbour is being rude and unreasonable.

AviatorShades · 24/11/2018 13:40

Wot Ellisandra ^ said Smile

Such a pity it can't be felled completely. Drastic (and expensive) certainly, but it's a problem that will grow to become a problem again, in time...

For now, tho, it really does need to be cut evenly.

Sorry, OP. All the best.

wrenika · 24/11/2018 13:44

I don't think you have to trim their side. We had trees like that when I was a kid which overhung the neighbours garden - and had happily been there far longer then the neighbours new-build house! We didn't trim them at all but our neighbours were quite garden conscious and they trimmed the branches that reached into their garden, and they put them back over the fence for my dad to dispose of since it was our tree. We burned the branches along with other garden rubbish. Everyone was happy.

MrsStrowman · 24/11/2018 13:47

You planted the tree, it's having a negative impact for them and infringing on their light and side, you cut it back, you should have spoken to her about the tree surgeon coming and said I realise it's causing an issue for you, he won't be able to reach it all from our side can he pop into your garden so we can cut it back to stop it blocking your space and light. I guarantee she would've said yes, what you've done is very CF.

Bigonesmallone3 · 24/11/2018 13:47

As far as I'm aware, she is responsible for whatever is hanging over her land but the rules are anything she cuts down has to be returned to u!

Snowwontbelong · 24/11/2018 13:48

Ndn butchered a beautiful climbing tree growing out of the dividing wall.
My tree
My wall
Twat..
Your ndn can cut whatever is hanging in her garden and needs to offer you the branches back.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 24/11/2018 13:49

For those saying it’s the neighbours responsibility, if the tree is too tall and therefore requires a professional which costs money would you pay? I wouldn’t pay to clean my neighbours windows or clear their gutter why would I pay to cut down their tree