To not want to cut my tree?

[Rhodri]

I have one tree in my garden. It’s a mature tree about 20ft tall. It’s on the north side of my garden so it casts a shadow over the fence into next door. They have flowering bushes growing in that corner but the surrounding grass is in dappled shade and is a bit mossy.

The neighbours are whinging that they don’t like the shadow and want to cut the tree back. I said they’re permitted to cut it level with the fence even though that won’t make it look very nice from their side (I won’t see the hacked branches from my side so I don’t care). But it’s not the overhanging branches that they’re complaining about - it’s the height. Cutting it level with the fence won’t do anything to reduce the height.

I don’t want to start hacking at my tree. It’s a lovely flowering tree and is a nice natural shape. The rest of their garden has full sun. Doesn’t everyone have a shady corner? Surely people just put a shed there or something, or grow plants that enjoy shade? Also I’m not convinced that cutting 6ft off the top of my tree will do much to improve the shadow in their garden - to get rid of the shadow I’d literally have to cut the tree to the height of the fence.

AIBU to refuse to reduce the height of my tree? They’re threatening to cut it themselves if I don’t. I’m worried they’re going to mutilate it.

The problem is tress create such division. People plant trees which are wholly inappropriate for small urban gardens, then wonder why wars erupt.

I love trees. Absolutely. But not the huge sycamores which are over 100ft high and surround my tiny garden. Apple trees where planted when the houses were built. But these monster weeds have taken hold and haven’t been controlled.

It is selfish to plant inappropriate trees then let them take over other people’s gardens. I don’t hate trees or have plastic grass, I just want to occassionally see daylight at the back of my house😊.

People become very unreasonable on this topic.

I'd get ahead of this with a solicitor's letter warning them not to cut the tree or you will have them prosecuted.
You should also be telling them to not park across your drive. Sometimes people who have lived in a place for longer than their neighbours, start thinking they are entitled to more say. But the fact is, they own their house, not yours and you need to speak up.

Please don't prune it now if it's a flowering cherry - as a pp said it will bleed sap and you'll possibly kill the tree. My neighbour did this a few years ago to his beautiful tree and it died back - he had to have it removed which can't have been cheap!

My daft neighbours cut back my cherry laurel trees last year (without discussing with us first) and there were loads of birds nesting in it. Horrible as my cat just got the chicks when the nests fell out of it.

I like trees but would very much agree that some trees are not suitable for smaller gardens. All the trees we have are on dwarfing root stock so that they cant get out of hand. Also, not a fan of flowering cherry trees. A few weeks of blossom then nothing to show for it. An apple would give you blossom and then fruit.

I’m in a similar situation, only I’m the neighbour. Our lovely old neighbour used to have a gardener in to keep the garden tidy. When she died, it was sold and converted into flats. We’ve been asking the landlord to trim it back for eight years, I’ve offered to pay half - every year he says he’ll get round to it. The tree is now around 60ft, and blocks out all of the afternoon sun to not only our garden, but the garden it’s in. Our neighbours have also begged him to do something, as they would like to enjoy their garden too.

It also blocks it the light in the kitchen, so much so that we have to have the lights in during the day.

the only time that a tree should be cutdown is if its causing problems to a house or its sick & could either fail down (dangerous) or the disease could spread to other trees (dutch elm or the like) & even than its actually illegal to cut tree in nesting season
How near is the tree to your neighbours house op? Be aware if a tree does cause subsidence to your neighbours their insurance may go after yours (is the tree within 30ft of their house?) If its just shadow - the tree has been there all the time & you need to tell them categorically that they are not allowed to do anything until Sept ( I think?) & even than its your tree.

An apple would give you blossom and then fruit.

Then neighbours complain about wasps.

Of course you don't have to cut it down!!!

However, if you want to stay friends, you could suggest they pay a tree surgeon (of your choice) to thin it out a little.

If they damage the tree beyond pruning back overhanging branches (and even then, if it kills the tree), they will be liable to replace it and/or pay you damages.

If you REALLY want to make sure they can't touch it, contact your council and see if you can get a TPO (Tree Preservation Order) on it.

Of course trees can be cut down if they are the wrong tree in the wrong place. We have just taken out two flowering cherry trees so that we can replace them with something useful (like fruiting cherries). We had bought the flowering cherries believing them to be fruiting ones. Obviously the trees hadnt read their own labels!

Hadjab, that must be really frustrating.

I agree that trees in forests and in the country side shouldn’t be fit down but tress that are far too high need to be controlled.

I often wonder if the ‘never cut a tree down’ brigade ever buy anything made of wood😂.

They can't force you to do anything, nor can they cut it down themselves absolute crap!
Section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for starters.

Honestly before sprouting “acts” make sure you understand them!!!

I plan to speak to them about it more once lockdown is lifted, otherwise I will start writing legal letters.

Fucking nuts.

You can’t allow trees in gardenS with neighbours to become unruly.
For all those who are pro trees no matter what if you couldn’t use your garden because it was permanently shaded by giant trees, what if one grew out of control to the point it leant on and damaged your fence, what if someone grew a completely inappropriate tree that caused subsidence.
There are lot of scenarios where trees need to be controlled and it is the owners responsibility to do so!

Absolutely don't cut your tree for this reason.As another poster said,the trees are short lived and being deciduous will cast very little shade for half the year. A tree surgeon would be expensive in these circumstances as it's not like an adult oak tree which will need worked on to mantain it's longevity.

A 20ft cherry blossom is not a problem tree. That is a beautiful tree of an appropriate size to have in your garden.
Some of the replies likening this to their issues with overgrown leylandi and the like are ridiculous!

A 20ft cherry blossom is not a problem tree.

Depends where it is. Our neighbours have one that is 3m from my house and shades most of our small garden.

It is incredibly selfish to have a large tree on a boundary.

Shade is part of life.

You buy/rent a house, you check if there are trees and if you think it will be too shady for your liking you move on. No one makes you take a house you don’t like.

Also, in the increasingly hot summers we have shade can a a very good thing indeed.

@Hadjab

There’s a bit here about right to light. Could you and another neighbour club together & speak to a solicitor?

www.whnsolicitors.co.uk/newsroom/news/neighbours-tree-blocking-sunlight-garden-can-chop/

Shade doesn't stop you using your garden. Trees are essential. Unless a tree is causing damage it shouldn't be removed.

You cant expect full sun exposure in your garden if you live in a built up area.

Get it pruned properly.

You buy/rent a house, you check if there are trees and if you think it will be too shady for your liking you move on.

And if the tree was planted after you move?

You buy/rent a house, you check if there are trees and if you think it will be too shady for your liking you move on.

Or you buy/rent a house and see there is a tree in your garden and think 'that's something I am going to be responsible for' if that is more responsibility than you can deal with then you move on.

It goes both ways.

Definitely photograph it fully and tell them you have done so.

Re the keeping the neighbours sweet, the house next to me have a lovely elderly couple.
A new couple moved beside them and nagged them about taking down some trees that bordered both properties.

Eventually my neighbours capitulated and took down several lovely trees down.

They sooooo regretted what they agreed to.
Relations have NEVER recovered and are chilly.

Those trees had been there 80 years and hadn't been doing any harm, bar dropping some leaves in autumn.

Some people are heathens.

I do not include those whom have sun light totally blocked by massive trees in their back gardens.

Nottherealslimshady of course shade can affect you enjoying and using your garden. I think people on this thread don’t realise how small some gardens are- the tree that over shadows mine is on a slight raised area above my small terrace garden- it’s not overlooking a tiny patch at the back of an acre long garden.