Enormous tree in neighbour's garden

[treewoes]

I live in a small terraced house. At the bottom of my next door neighbour's garden there's a huge tree. I'd say it's at least three times taller than the surrounding houses... probably about 100ft if I had to guess?

Every day the tree blocks the sunlight in my garden for about 3 hours solid in the early afternoon, before the sun swings back round again in the late afternoon/early evening.

I would really love to get the tree either significantly reduced in height or removed altogether, but obviously it's on my neighbour's land so it's not my call.

I don't know the neighbours at all well (we only moved in six months ago and have barely seen them) and am really nervous to ask them, in case they're annoyed or think I'm interfering.

I'd be willing to pay for some or all of the work if the neighbours weren't happy to do so. DH thinks we should go halves but since we're the ones who have an issue with it, I think it's only fair that we cover the full cost if need be.

Does anyone have any advice on how they would deal with this situation? Do you think it's worth exploring getting the tree cut since I do get sunlight in my garden for about 6 hours a day (but none at all from 12-3)?

And does anyone know how much it would cost to get such an enormous tree cut back or chopped down? Logistically it could be a challenge as the tree is located between two rows of terraces.

Thank you!

Frost how do you know the neighbours like the tree ?
They may hate it but not have the funds to cut it down or reduce its size. They may not know where to begin Ito sort it. They may be glad of someone offering to help.

I would definitely ask OP, they may say no but they may also want it gone but the cost is putting them off, good luck

There is an annoying tree in our next doors garden and I think if we offered to pay for its removal or making smaller the ndn’s would be pleased, fortunately it is not that annoying for us to need to do this and pay a lot of money

@Djimino I'm actually pretty pissed off that that comment got deleted, because it makes it look as if I was indeed being rude to the OP. In reality that comment just said to stop being a planet killer.

@frostedviolets

You are deliberately asking someone to remove something they like just because you personally don't like it.

How that isn't rude I don't know.

As the OP said, you don't know they like it, you're assuming.

And asking politely is not rude. If you don't ask, you don't get.

@gwackybacky i think you're pretty rude to tell OP 'Get a grip' and 'Get over it' all in post. Aggressive and unnecessary too.

So you bough a house after presumably noticing the huge tree, you lived there for 5 minutes and are now whinging?

Trees are needed for humans to survive as a species. Please have a read on the subject.

@MaPaSpa

The only reason we cut down our 100+ ft tree is because it was troubling our 20+ year neighbours foundations. Loved that tree and for anything less especially a newbie wouldn't have considered it. it might be a bug as might not, but yabu either way.

So you wouldn't have cut the tree down if it was troubling a new neighbour's foundations? That's rude.

Just ask your neighbour politely and offer to pay. That’s all you can do. You’ll probably have to pay for some serious landscaping around the roots too. You’re probably looking at a good £1000 if you’re removing a big tree and making the area it was nice.

Personally I’d say no if I was your neighbour- possibly I’d agree to thinning branches and trimming it. It would be a shame to see a mature tree taken down.

I’m completely baffled by the way some people have spoken to you. It’s bit unreasonable at all and happens a lot. We have a very tall tree at the bottom of our garden but it’s just inside the neighbours’ boundary. It blocks the light for a few terraces that are perpendicular to us. Anyway a few years ago some of them clubbed together to have it cut back. There was no issue at all. The only thing is, it did of course grown back and it’s now back to its original height.
It’s also leaning more into our garden now, physically leaning into our summer house. I posted on here about it in fact as I’m worried a storm might mean it falls into our garden. I don’t think it would reach the house but would flatten the summer house! We went to see them and they said they’d get someone to assess it. They haven’t yet and it’s still standing...
Anyway, in short, there’s no problem in asking and you could ask neighbours if they want to contribute.

*not unreasonable

Who said they would have someone assess it, @Karwomannghia?

The neighbours

It seems unfair expecting your neighbours to do all the work and pay for it?

Do you own your home?

Oh sorry just realised it's in the neighbour's boundary.

But I do think it would be fair for you to contribute.

Sorry I will admit I haven't read the full thread. We had a tree I our own garden which did the same. Our tree surgeon 'thinned it out' for us. Reduced weight, but left height. So our neighbors still had cover but my washing dried better. Try asking them if this would be acceptable.

I don't understand why you've got such a pasting OP. I would bite your hand off if you offered to pay for my tree to be cut down. We also live in a row of terraces, and some absolute twat planted a birch about ten foot from our back door, which has now grown huge and shaggy and is leaning sideways. We have not been in the house very long, just over a year, we have been saving the money and looking for someone to remove the tree and have only just got to the point where someone will hopefully be coming out to do so next month. It's been a bloody nightmare. I love trees, but this one can fuck off.

Unnecessary And patronising response Chardonnay.

Of course trees are important. And in the right setting They are beautiful.

But some are not appropriate for urban and suburban settings, they are just too big. If the tree can be reduced, and if the neighbours are happy it’s hardly a crime against nature.

I have been roasted on mumsnet for trimming a tree. What’s next, don’t cut the grass???

I had exactly this situation- I was the tree owner. It had apparently been an issue to our neighbour for years but they didn't say anything. They had even started a petition with other neighbours before they came to talk to us!

When they eventually did, we said they could cut it down. They paid.

Definitely talk to them but don't ask them to pay anything towards something they don't particularly want.

You are deliberately asking someone to remove something they like just because you personally don't like it.
But the neighbour might not like it either. Or might not be bothered. I don't get how how it's rude or entitled to find that out.

It must be exhausting to be offended by people asking you questions.

Are you talking to me? We went to the neighbours and talked about our concerns, weren’t really sure what to expect. All very amicable. They said they’d get someone to look at it, their suggestion.

I think it was about £450 btw.

Are you talking to me

Is who talking to you? Unless you've been quoted or had your name bolded then probably not.

@Chloe84 But those weren't the posts that were deleted. The deleted post said stop being a planet killer. Not sure how that's unreasonable or rude. Its what's happening. 🤷‍♀️

Dappled someone asked me something about my reply to op and then said another comment after I’d replied to them. I could tell if it were to me or OP. But thanks.

*couldN’T tell.