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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?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
minipie · 13/11/2020 14:02

OP didn’t ask neighbour to cut down the trees, she just told them about a low hanging branch in her garden.

pepsicolagirl · 13/11/2020 14:07

you bought a house and have just moved in and you want the treehouse you should have seen on viewing the property and which may have been there for a number of years taken down? Are you drunk?!?!

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 13/11/2020 14:11

OP didn’t ask neighbour to cut down the trees, she just told them about a low hanging branch in her garden.

What did she expect when she started complaining about that? That someone will have a word with the branch and it will start growing in the other direction?

Sorry, but she brought this on herself.

crowsfeet57 · 13/11/2020 14:20

But you didn't investigate enough before you bought the place, I think its unreasonable to ask them to remove it

If you read the thread you will see that the OP did everything short of abseiling into the neighbour's garden from a helicopter.

custardbear · 13/11/2020 14:30

@ChardonnaysPetDragon - firstly the OP has already said that she had pointed out that the neighbours tree had a 5 foot branch in her garden - how does that lead to all the trees being chopped? It's 1 branch

Secondly if you look at the photographs you cannot see the treehouse - once they took away the natural screen it unearthed this beast of a treehouse! They've got a small garden and the kids can see into their house and garden. Plus if you'd read the thread you'd have seen that it requires planning permission, which they haven't got

So, essentially the neighbours are at liberty to sort this, not the OP who could actually go directly to the council and ask them to tear it down, which she hasn't and isn't doing, she's finding a way to resolve this gross invasion of privacy in a civil manner

Spooked7 · 13/11/2020 14:30

@ChardonnaysPetDragon Are you a loon? A huge bough of their very tall tree split in high winds and fell down towards our garden, protruding about 5ft or so, dangerously, where it could have fallen on my children at any point. That’s all. I informed them of it because it was dangerous and it was still semi attached to their very large tree. It is not my responsibility to remove dangerous branches from other people’s trees and would have needed to enter their garden with chainsaw, ropes, ladders etc and some sort of leverage system to bring it down safely.

OP posts:
Spooked7 · 13/11/2020 14:34

pepsicolagirl

you bought a house and have just moved in and you want the treehouse you should have seen on viewing the property and which may have been there for a number of years taken down? Are you drunk?!?!

Sorry but did you see the photo I posted of the garden before they removed the branches? How mad would I have looked calling at the neighbours houses and asking them could I examine their hedges and trees for camouflaged play equipment! It wasn’t visible from our side, at all, and as it was under the canopy of two very dense trees at the reset of a 25m garden behind their home, there was no way in hell that it was visible from the front of their house either. How on earth else was I going to spot it?

OP posts:
ChardonnaysPetDragon · 13/11/2020 14:53

I would't say I'm a loon and I certainly don't appreciate personal attacks.

But it does seem you got what you asked for. No more branches. So, rejoice.

TrickyD · 13/11/2020 15:01

I would't say I'm a loon and I certainly don't appreciate personal attacks.

I see no personal attacks. The OP asked, not stated, if you were a loon.
You 'wouldn't say' you are; others might disagree.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 13/11/2020 15:04

whatever.

OP only has herself to blame for chop and might as well enjoy the lovely tree house view now.

Runnerduck34 · 13/11/2020 15:10

Did you ask them to cut back trees? I think that was their mistake, obviously trees were hiding it sufficiently for you not to notice it before.
Officially they need planning permission for it but I think if its been in situ for 4 or more years its not enforceable.
Is there a way it can be screened? How long before trees grow back? Will it be better in spring when trees are in full.leaf?
I wouldnt like neighbours DC looking into.my garden if i was honest.
Your can either contact council enforcement, speak to neighbours or see if there is any way you can screen it yourself.

MaggieFS · 13/11/2020 15:28

You're going to have to talk to them. Ask why they instructed the tree surgeon to remove so much more than just the dangerous fallen branch and ask what they're going to do to reinstate your privacy.

I wouldn't let on you didn't know the treehouse was there. Avoid an argument. Just carry on as if you didn't mind it being there as long as you don't have to look at the damn thing. Your issue is privacy and not the treehouse.

stackemhigh · 13/11/2020 16:01

@ChardonnaysPetDragon seems put out that OP has a backbone.

Serin · 13/11/2020 16:12

My view is clouded by personal circumstances, we were in a bit of a dispute with our new neighbours who want us to cut down a fully grown and really beautiful fully grown tree. It's a rare native species.
It apparently blocks light into their new orangery and spoils the sunset.
We both back onto dense forest that has been there for thousands of years.
Luckily, its resolved now as the council legal team have slapped preservation orders on everything.
Its left an awful atmosphere though.
I appreciate your circumstances are different. There are no kids up my trees, just tawny owls, buzzards, herons and woodpeckers.
I'd ask them to plant something quick growing like silver birch or pear.

Nanny0gg · 13/11/2020 16:20

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

OP didn’t ask neighbour to cut down the trees, she just told them about a low hanging branch in her garden.

What did she expect when she started complaining about that? That someone will have a word with the branch and it will start growing in the other direction?

Sorry, but she brought this on herself.

No, she probably thought they'd cut off that branch

So no, she didn't bring it on herself!

Nanny0gg · 13/11/2020 16:21

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

I would't say I'm a loon and I certainly don't appreciate personal attacks.

But it does seem you got what you asked for. No more branches. So, rejoice.

I don't know what you've got against the OP, but you really are being ridiculous about this.

That is not what she asked for, which you well know.

Nanny0gg · 13/11/2020 16:23

@Serin

My view is clouded by personal circumstances, we were in a bit of a dispute with our new neighbours who want us to cut down a fully grown and really beautiful fully grown tree. It's a rare native species. It apparently blocks light into their new orangery and spoils the sunset. We both back onto dense forest that has been there for thousands of years. Luckily, its resolved now as the council legal team have slapped preservation orders on everything. Its left an awful atmosphere though. I appreciate your circumstances are different. There are no kids up my trees, just tawny owls, buzzards, herons and woodpeckers. I'd ask them to plant something quick growing like silver birch or pear.
I don't think this is in anyway similar and your neighbours clearly are loons.

I hope the council backs you up.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 13/11/2020 16:27

Oh I'm not put out.

I'm not the one who has to look at the treehouse and be overlooked by it.

OP asked and received.

Spooked7 · 13/11/2020 16:38

@ChardonnaysPetDragon You asked if I was drunk and I asked if you were a loon in response.
Anyhow, why are you so angry about my situation? I didn’t ask for them to cut back the trees. I just mentioned the broken branch. I mean, not a small branch. A whole bough of the tree. So how does me asking them to sort out a dangerous branch mean that I am responsible for being overlooked by a viewing platform? The fallen bough wasn’t even in front of the platform. They could have remove it without exposing the treehouse, which, I am sure, not even they wanted exposed.

OP posts:
ChardonnaysPetDragon · 13/11/2020 17:08

Sorry, where did I ask if you are drunk?

Could you point me to the post where I asked that?

I'm not angry. I'm just having some light entertainment on a Friday evening.

stackemhigh · 13/11/2020 17:10

@ChardonnaysPetDragon other people’s lives are not your entertainment. Can you go away now? You’re not adding any value.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 13/11/2020 17:18

other people’s lives are not your entertainment.

If people don't want their lives to be someone's entertainment then maybe they should be posting about them.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 13/11/2020 17:19

should't

jenkel · 13/11/2020 17:43

We have something similar, though it was built while we were in the house, I’m sure it’s illegal, it’s higher than a tall brick wall at the end of the garden , it’s our wall and they actually stood on the wall while building, to make matters worse the children go to the school I work at. It is ugly and potentially they can look into our garden, however a tree is growing and hopefully will eventually block it, we let it go as don’t want to make it unpleasant between us and potentially quite difficult with the kids. So you kind of have to decide if it’s something you can live with. Our neighbours didn’t even ask us before the built it. It’s quite a awkward unpleasant situation to be in, we have always treated our neighbours with respect, pity other people don’t,
.

roxanne119 · 13/11/2020 17:46

Plant something fast growing but in the mean time put some vanity fencing along your back fence think that’s what it’s called 😊