To be absolutely hacked off at neighbour's new tree?

[QuestionableMouse]

Just came home from work to find my neighbours have installed a large (probably 10+ feet tall) tree in their garden. It's so big it looks ridiculous and is blocking out the only patch of sun that my garden got. (mature trees in the street at blocking the rest.) I'm really not happy buy I'm not sure if I'm being unreasonable.

I can't post pics because they're all sat out looking at it. Aibu? Can I do anything?

Birch grow very fast. Wonder why they planted it if they don't look after their garden.

I suspect its because they were asked to leave their allotment plot because they didn't take care of that either. I walk past reasonably often and seem to remember a large tree as part of the boundary.

We have a 25 foot birch next to our garden, it blocks no light as it’s such an ‘airy’ tree.
It has grown about a foot a year for the last 6 years then about three foot last summer. (It was just below the street lamp in 2012)
I’m struggling to believe a tree half this height is blocking any light, and I’m not sure there is any legal right to light anyway.
If you really hate the tiny ten foot tree, throw some weed killer at it over night, every night, for the next month.

Group on are trolling you - I'm getting adverts for trees at the end of this post!!

Groupon are trolling you - I'm getting adverts for trees at the end of this post!! (Screenshot attached. The lilac trees looks quite good actually!)

Groupon are trolling you - I'm getting adverts for trees at the end of this post!! (Screenshot attached. The lilac trees looks quite good actually!)

Not sure why that posted 3 times! Now I'm the troll 🤦🏻‍♀️

If the tree grows tall its root system will also grow. If the gardens are that small it has the potential to cause damage to buildings not just your paving and path.

I think it's a matter of proportionality. OP stated the gardens are very small, and there are already several other large trees nearby that throw shade over her garden, so it's totally understandable that OP would not want another tree nearby, which could quickly add to her shade problem. Very few people want a permanently shady garden, as it limits what you can grow and can be very depressing.

OP, there are often rules on allotments, which restrict the height of any sheds and also stipulate the maximum height for any trees planted, so as to prevent unwanted shade being cast on neighbouring allotments. Sounds like your neighbours fell foul of allotment rules if they had their allotment taken off them, then took the tree with them, probably thinking as they'd paid for it they were going to keep it, no matter how small their garden is, or how neighbours might feel about it. It's a pity that there aren't similar rules/laws to prevent people planting oversize trees in small gardens.

There are lots of dwarf varieties of trees, so people don't have to miss out on having trees just because they have a small garden, but growing something that will potentially end up 20 feet or more, that will significantly shade a neighbour's small garden, is selfish. People can use a garden parasol for shade during the summer, or stay indoors if they don't like the sunshine, but it's mean to block sunshine from others.

Had the neighbours have planted a walnut tree then your post might apply.

Birches are wispy things though, the don’t throw a lot of shade, they just filter the light in the most beautiful way.

They were one of the biggest favourites of the Old Russian Master as for painting. They have lovely white bark and their leaves turn a wonderful shade of yellow in Autumn.

I think I’ll plant one in my garden this year.

I had a birch that my neighbours and tenants asked me to take down. It was higher than the house in the end, but planted at least 30ft from any building. The shade was dappled and pleasant, but I think most people just don't like trees. Shrug.

It’s madness, people don’t like trees because they see them as dirty or because they want more sun even though we are all affected by the increasingly hot weather and the air pollution and the decline in insect diversity.

If anything, we should be planning more and we should be looking after them if we want a survival as a human race.

If it’s a birch, it’s only a matter of time before the honey fungus gets it. Birch trees are dying off everywhere

I had a mature birch in my neighbouring garden which covered my entire garden in shade for most of the day. We paid to have it removed and the difference was amazing.