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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Neighbouring treehouse

518 replies

Spooked7 · 12/11/2020 13:27

I will append a diagram if it helps, but AIBU to ask neighbouring family to take down large wooden treehouse that sits above the level of our fence and dominates the view?
I don’t know the neighbours and don’t want to start a dispute with them, especially as we only recently moved in. However, we had no idea there was a treehouse overlooking our garden. It was disguised by overgrowing trees as the previous owner of our house had passed away over a year before we viewed the house...and the trees hadn’t been cut back for a while. After a few days living here we started to see heads of small boys popping through the trees about 4 feet above our fence. I still didn’t realise it was a treehouse. Then a month later they employed a tree surgeon to cut back the trees as they were overhanging our (small) garden and blocking light from getting in. This exposed the entire, very large, wooden treehouse. It is a platform about 5.5ft off the ground, with a see-through fence panel about another 3 ft in height around its edge. The whole structure sits above the level of our fence. It has some bits of camouflage netting and a sheet of canvas loosely attached, that flap and wave in the wind. It is both intrusive and unsightly and I have no idea what to do about it without angering the neighbours. I have had advice from the council who said they will happily go round and investigate anonymously whether they should have sought planning permission for it, but it would be completely obvious that we instigated it, as it doesn’t really affect anyone else. I know that if/when we decide to sell our house this treehouse will put a lot of people off. It dominates our very small garden.

Has anyone managed to resolve a similar issue without it leading to a dispute?

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SoupDragon · 12/11/2020 13:35

You might do better asking them to screen it rather than remove it.

That said, without planning it can only be 2.5m high if it's within 1m of the boundary. I suppose the problem is that you don't know how long it's been there for.

Spooked7 · 12/11/2020 13:41

I have the phone number of the person who built it, so I could ask, but they may not be willing to tell me. Other neighbours say the think it was built fairly recently. It’s not much more than a foot from our fence. I guesstimate it’s 8.5 ft tall, but depends on the ground level on their side, which is lower than ours, so probably taller than that.

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contrmary · 12/11/2020 13:41

Generally you'd need planning permission to build a treehouse, and part of the consideration for this would be whether it would allow them to look into other people's property. Ask the council to look into it and hopefully it will be taken down.

There is a risk it will sour neighbourly relations, but is that worse than having your quality of life diminished?

Failing that, now it's getting darker in the evenings, could you wait until they've gone out, hop over the fence and pull the thing down? Use a windy night as cover.

UnconvincingUsername · 12/11/2020 13:43

Honestly, YABU. You’ve just moved in and you want to tell your neighbours to remove a treehouse that you failed to notice when you bought the house?

If you object to seeing it, put up some sort of screening yourself.

emilyfrost · 12/11/2020 13:46

YABU. The treehouse was there when you bought the house; it’s not the neighbours fault you didn’t look thoroughly enough at and around the property.

Flamingopants · 12/11/2020 13:46

I would just ask the council to investigate. Whether you speak to your neighbours first or go straight to the council it will cause a bad feeling so you may as well go via the official route.

Spooked7 · 12/11/2020 13:48

Well we can’t fail to notice it now.

Neighbouring treehouse
OP posts:
DickBastardly · 12/11/2020 13:50

Well if you are new to the street and want to make enemies by forcing them to tear down treehouses and uprooting the entire community with your demands, then sure, YANBU.

Spooked7 · 12/11/2020 13:52

Well I clearly don’t want to make enemies, which is the reason why I posted, hoping for helpful responses, unlike yours @DickBastardly.

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WhatATimeToBeAlive · 12/11/2020 13:52

That would piss me off too. Maybe plant some Leylandi to block it off!

DickBastardly · 12/11/2020 13:55

Well I clearly don’t want to make enemies, which is the reason why I posted, hoping for helpful responses, unlike yours

I was being helpful. I told you i think it’s a bad idea.

5zeds · 12/11/2020 13:55

Plant something along the back of your garden ?

marthastew · 12/11/2020 13:56

I would be asking the council to check on it. Looks very intrusive.

44PumpLane · 12/11/2020 13:56

I agree with the argument "the tree was there first" in these kind of circumstances, but the argument "the hidden man made structure that violates planning regs (probibly given the description) was there first" doesn't really hold water.

We aren't talking about the OP wanting more light or wanting to cut down an 80 year old tree. The OP is after some privacy in their own garden that has actually been brought to their attention because of some tree clearing activity.

The neighbours may have put the tree house up in the past year, knowing the house was empty and hoping the new buyer wouldn't notice and would then not kick up a fuss because "it was there first".

Ask the question of the council, if its not allowed they will need to take it down. If its allowed then you'll have to think of something to screen it.

SunShinesStill · 12/11/2020 13:58

OP, that really is awful. You can speak to the neighbours and ask them to screen it now they’ve exposed it as they’re looking into your garden or you can just ask the council to get them to take it down, whichever you can live with more.

Venicelover · 12/11/2020 13:58

I think you need to make your own screening arrangements if it was there when you bought the house.

OrigamiOwl · 12/11/2020 13:58

Either speak to them directly or out something up on your side to screen it off (bamboo etc?)

SunShinesStill · 12/11/2020 13:58

I think @DickBastardly has just recognised their kids treehouse from the picture!

SunShinesStill · 12/11/2020 13:59

If it was hidden by trees when you bought the house, of course you can still raise it now. I agree with the PP who said they built it when the house was empty hoping the new neighbors couldn’t complain if it was there pre sale.

Spooked7 · 12/11/2020 14:01

@5zeds any suggestions of something that will grow taller than 10ft? The bottom part of the garden is a small decked area so that would have to be removed if I were to plant anything...unless 10ft plants can grow in containers...

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Spooked7 · 12/11/2020 14:01

@SunShinesStill you could be right! 😂

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Spooked7 · 12/11/2020 14:04

@Venicelover I have thought about ways to screen it from our side, but it would have to be 10ft tall to hide the kids themselves when standing on it, and would probably look worse!

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OOAOML · 12/11/2020 14:04

Does your council have an online planning portal? On ours you can search addresses to see current and previous planning applications.

SoupDragon · 12/11/2020 14:04

If it's 8.5ft high it might be below the height needed for planning permission. Take a photo of it and go round to discuss screening options with them.

Poorpigletsrevenge · 12/11/2020 14:06

@spooked7 did you ask them to cut the trees down that were hanging on your side? Or did they do that unprompted?

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