To reach out of the window and cut this bastarding tree? Diagram included.

[Elision]

I own a flat with a nice long-term tenant. Downstairs owner/occupiers have let a weed tree (hawthorn) grow to cover the bedroom window of my flat completely. This isn’t about a bit of shade, it’s basically completely blocked any view. Neighbours do not answer their door and have ignored polite notes asking them to cut it and offering to do it for them. Leasehold management company sent someone out who said since it’s not interfering with structure or guttering that they can’t do anything.

Can I open the window and lop this bastard off level with my windowsill? It consists of lots of small trunks so a garden saw should do the job.

Leave the poor tree alone!

Yes. Do it. Smuggle the waste out bit by bit - they'll probably never even notice!

yes - i love trees and am fond of hawthorn but thats ridiculus - make sure you wear protection though as its often very spiky...

I might leave one more note saying I will cutting it if they don’t. Then cut it.

Definitely go for it!

YABU to call one of our most magnificent native trees a weed.

Do it.
I'd also get someone to check the foundations of the building because the tree roots will burrow under the building and cause cracks/damage etc.
Trees are not meant to be THAT close to a building.
Your leaseholder should know this.

I don't normally suggest unilateral action, but if you give it a trim, what are they going to do about it? Nothing.

I doubt they care about the weed tree, and if they do care about it, they sound far too hermit-like to bother complaining about it.

Yes get on and cut it. They are being very selfish. My neighbours have bushes and trees that overhang my garden. They don't maintain them so I regularly hack at them.

as far as im aware you are allowed to cut down anything that encroaches on your property as long as you return it, i know this applies to houses. you may need to check for flats as it may be different.
My neighbours have let the bramble run riot, all i do is cut it to the boundary and leave it on their side of the fence.

@Treaclesweet I love a hawthorn but this one has volunteered itself way too close to the wall and has in face been cut down at least once but allowed to grow back in an ugly unstructured way- that’s all I meant by weed. If I could move it somewhere better I would (wood?)

Sounds like it might damage the foundations that close to the wall, no?

I love a tree but in the wrong place that could be seriously bad for both flats.

Can you post a picture?

I'd just cut it to below my window.

Are you absolutely sure there are no birds nesting in it or feeding their young?

www.trees.org.uk/Help-Advice/Public/When-is-the-bird-nest-season

@HappyNOTdriving I can’t post a photo at the moment as I don’t live there, I will ask my tenant to send one when she’s home from work though. In the meantime: imagine a medium sized pvc window completely covered in hawthorn leaves. No view, no light filtering through.

@blanktimes good point- I would think that the person moving and living a foot away would keep the birds away but I’ll make sure to check before I do anything.

We have lots of beating birds still in the hawthorn on our border. Wait till they are gone and go for it, they are very rude.

Do it.