Tree in my garden

[PumpkinP]

Just had a letter posted through my door from a neighbour, must be the house behind, saying they want me to cut my tree down, I have never spoken to this neighbour so this is the first I’ve heard, they have said that they have been in contact with the council to get the tree cut down, before even speaking to me?! (Mine is a council house) and that the council will be contacting me to arrange it but that it may take up to a year and that apparently they are not willing to wait a year! They are also saying they’ve had issues since 2010 but I’ve only lived here since 2015. Aibu to not want to cut my tree?

Bernadette it’s a council property not privately owned.

Whoops wrong thread ignore the link

I think the hate for them is making me feel bad/guilty. I want to keep the tree, it is only one tree. But maybe it is the right thing to do to cut it down.

Bernadette it’s a council property not privately owned

My statement stands. OP is responsible for trees inside her council property. It will be covered in her tenancy agreement. The council will only remove trees from the gardens of council properties in the instances I gave.

You don’t need to have it completely chopped but for neighbourly relationships it should be kept in order and maintained every year and not allowed to grow too high/too wide. That’s a lot of expense for such a tree which Is why they tend to end up left to run wild. You could easily get privacy with something much more fitting and less of an eyesore pain in the arse to the neighbours.

If it’s at the end of the gardens, why wouldn’t you have it cut down by the council if they are good enough to do it and then plant some fruit trees? Far more appropriate. Birds like them and you get blossom and fruit of you choose the right mix. That’s so much better than one over grown inappropriate tree.

Having sort of the same issue. We are private , next door is council. We complained last year when the house was empty about this huge tree in the back garden. It's covered in ivy and leans in the wind rather violently. Council said it the tenants issue. Explained while house was empty it was there's . Anyway. New tenants don't like the way the tree moves. If it fell it would hit 2/3 houses it's that big.
Council have now agreed and tree is being cut down next month. Had numerous people with clipboards out looking at said tree. I won't be sad to see it go

You don't need to take the tree down, neither do you need to feel like some sort of second-class citizen as a council tenant, only allowed to live in a way which is tolerated by your betters! The council has no more right (or interest) to tell you what to plant in your garden than it has to tell you what sofa you can have or what colour carpet to put on your stairs.

If the tree is causing no legal difficulties, then I very much doubt that the council will wish to waste any of its resources placating your neighbour anyway.

Don't allow yourself to be bullied! It's your house and garden.

To be honest OP, it isn’t up to you whether to keep the tree or not - you can’t just cut it down. You’re a tenant; the tree belongs to the landlord and they get the final say on whether the tree stays or goes.

If you like the tree, don’t do anything at all unless your landlord instructs you to cut it down.

Plant another tree. There are some lovely trees available that won’t ruin your neighbours enjoyment of the garden.

The landlord has agreed to cut it down! But the wait time is a year. The neighbour doesn’t want to wait a year. So it can be cut down and something way better could be planted. I’m assuming it’s a conifer thug so having better trees is an advantage to everyone.

I won’t have the money to cut it down, he claims the council will make me cut it but I’ve spoken to them and they’ve said they won’t. I don’t know what to do tbh as I am not a green fingered person so wouldn’t know how to go about planting another one. The council are going to come out and inspect so I will discuss with them see what they think.

So don’t do anything, OP. Just ignore the neighbour and chat to someone from the council if they turn up.

They can trim branches back to their boundary and offer you the cuttings but cant trespass on your property to cut tree down . Not sure what council would do if its a council property, but i suspect neighbours are trying it on. I would contact council yourself to check the position, are you in a conservation area?

@womaninatightspot we do use our pole saw on it - but it only extends to about 2/3 metres, this tree is nigh on 30ft tall.

Sorry. I thought the council were cutting it down but the wait time was a year. Don’t pay to have it cut down if you cannot afford it. I would argue it should have been dealt with before you moved in. By the landlord.

What would the neighbors be ''trying it on'' for? OP doesn't say she has a bad relationship with him. He may have instigated the request badly but I imagine the tree is causing actual problems. I doubt he got up one day and thought he really fancied writing to some neighbors and get some trees cut down?

@PumpkinP just wait what the council does. Don't worry yourself. But I can honestly say that if the tree goes, you will see massive difference in the garden. Everyone will.

You don't need to take the tree down, neither do you need to feel like some sort of second-class citizen as a council tenant, only allowed to live in a way which is tolerated by your betters!

No one even suggested OP is second class citizen. You could be an owner, millionaire philanthropist and people would still say the same about the shitty tree. Because that's what the tree becomes when overgrown, unkept and in wrong settings.
Do you want some salt and vinegar with that chip on your shoulder?

Read this, OP. Anything over 2 metres and you can be made to cut it down if it’s a leylandi (well, the council, not you as you don’t own)
www.leylandii.com/leylandii-law/

Tbh, leylandi/huge conifers are a total pita, we have some and I’m after chopping them right down, they’re just out of control. The neighbour complained about a couple that are only 10 feet high the other day, I’m happy to get rid of them.

neither do you need to feel like some sort of second-class citizen as a council tenant, only allowed to live in a way which is tolerated by your betters!

Eh, what now? No one suggested such a thing, the answers would be the same about the tree irrelevant of her home ownership status, the only discussion has been about whose responsibility it is as it would be in any rented accommodation.

The neibours all along my my stretch of terraces have been arguing with the the people who own these for 4 years, block all light, look bloody awful and lots of pigeons live in them so anything within a 200 mtr radius get constantly shat on.
Bloody horrible things.
You should really go round and speak to him, see what issues its actually causing.

Dont think pic will add

OP, you’re fine to leave the tree as it is, or to tell the neighbour that if he wants any work doing to it then he can pay for it, as long as you still have as much tree as you want left on your side.

I had a similar issue, although both of us neighbours were owners. My neighbours wanted a tree in my garden cut down, just keeping it trimmed wasn’t good enough for them. I reluctantly agreed to allow them to cut it down, but there’s no way I would have paid for it. They wanted it done, so the £600 was theirs to pay, not mine.

@Downinthedumps99 is that a cherry tree I see? Ah. Envious.

Not envious of that mess behind. Would be beautiful in wild. Not so much in this setting

Wow that tree is massive Downinthedumps99 I don’t feel too bad now as I don’t think mine is that bad but maybe I’m deluded! I will think on it some more as I do want to keep it maybe it can be trimmed down.