Neighbouring treehouse

[Spooked7]

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?

Why not invite them round for a coffee/tea and chat and then kindly show them what it looks like from your perspective and explain how due to overgrown trees that they had just got trimmed that you had not seen when purchasing, explain politely how it intrudes on you privacy.

A house that overlooks our garden has a huge 2 storey playhouse. When we moved in we went round and and said hello, then asked who built it as we wanted one in our garden so our kids could look into their garden too!!

Yes! Build your own structure to the same height, directly in front of the treehouse.

Itbis difficult, but the people you bought from would have been aware of the structure being built. The owners probably think you were aware of it when you moved in.
I would be very hesitant in speaking up now, it gets dark early and is cold and wet so the tree house wont be used that much over winter. The trees will grow back and in spring give privacy again, do you really want to start with a dispute?.

If this was my daughter-in-law she would be saying ‘well they haven’t said anything so they must be ok with it’ 🤷🏼‍♀️ I hate confrontation but you’re going to have to say something. Write down what you want to say so you know in your mind what you would like them to do about it etc. Good luck x

YABCU, it was there before you, ask them to put up a screen.

If you are planning on selling in a few years, OP, I think I would tread carefully to avoid ill-feeling and a dispute which you would have to declare. I would try to come to an amicable solution if you can- going in all guns blazing or raising official complaints with the council as some pp are suggesting is just likely to get their back up.

Obviously, if you can’t come to a mutually agreeable conclusion you may have to think again.

I think there is a chance you will cause conflict between you and your neighbour, but if you feel strongly about it then it may be a risk you are fine with.

I do feel a bit sorry for the children who will lose their treehouse. Would you be happy if they could screen the treehouse similar to before (given that you did not object to the trees appearance before it was cut back)?

I suspect the treehouse wasn't there when the OP viewed and the neighbours had it built during the lockdown summer to keep the kids amused.

Why don't you pop round next month with an xmas card, and some inexpensive sweets for the children, and then have a chat, it doesn't have to be all or nothing, why not have a friendly chat and find compromises, maybe see if it would be possible to move the tree house to a position that's less obtrusive, and remove the covering which flaps.

With regards whether it will have an impact on the value of your house.......it didn't impact on your purchase, and if it becomes a problem, by then, hopefully you will have the type of relationship where you will be able to talk to your neighbours.

@PanamaPattie

I suspect the treehouse wasn't there when the OP viewed and the neighbours had it built during the lockdown summer to keep the kids amused.

This! I have been reading all these posts with this thought in my head, especially when the OP said she viewed in February

I would put money in it that this was only built in the summer. First they have thought we need to get something in to entertain the kids in case lockdown happens again and let’s get it up before the new neighbours move in.

@PanamaPattie

I suspect the treehouse wasn't there when the OP viewed and the neighbours had it built during the lockdown summer to keep the kids amused.

I know people think this type of thing doesn't happen....

My friend viewed a house that was going through probate after an elderly lady had been in a home.

Everything went through very quickly as the house was empty possession.

Anyway they are 6 months in the house and it's summer and her in laws visit, her slightly PITA FIL is convinced that there has been a land grab as he doesn't remember the new back wall by the house backing on to the garden.

My friend knew the wall was new but she's not a gardener and wasn't stressed, the garden was approx 90ft long...she really didn't care..

Her FIL, newly retired, bored, needing a project.....was so exercised, needing a distraction.... this gave him a new lease for life🤣

Long story short he wouldn't let it go and plagued their solicitor, got his own involved.

Turns out the land grab was 13ft deep by 70ft wide.....

Solicitor only got behind it because he knew he wasn't going to get rid of him.

The funny thing is my friend never really cared.
The wall did come down and has been rebuilt. Talk of the neighbourhood....complete CF's....FIL was there like a Sargent major supervising the whole thing like it was the Berlin Wall (showing my age).

There is hardly a man, women nor child for 30 km that hadn't heard the story.

He has been dining out it for the past decade......how he prevented the crime of the century.

The lovely result was that his marriage has happily survived his retirement (not guaranteed as he's a PITA)and because of his tenacity in this matter he is regularly approached for advice on civil matters.

This is a source of enormous joy for him as he gets to tell his stories to a new audience.

My pal has her extra 13 ft but still has zero interest in gardening 🤣

I admire him. I don't like CF's.

I know some PP have said they might have built knowing the house was empty and hoping they didn’t get “caught”, but given the year we are all having, perhaps they were just trying to find ways to keep the children entertained at home... (or maybe the parents built it so they had somewhere to escape from the children/each other!!)
Perhaps approaching from the pov of what a tough year it’s been and how nice the kids have the treehouse to enjoy, but you’re worried about the knock on effect to your property and would they consider growing tree back to provide more cover? If they seem very put out you could suggest they instead pay for beautiful plants to grow on your side, or push for them to remove or lower it completely. But it may well be that they hate the lack of tree growth as much as you, even though it’s further from their house... and if you all liked it more overgrown, and there’s no immediate rush, then aiming for that might help keep things amicable.

If people looked into my house, they'd get very bored. I support children's right to.treehouses as long as they don't seriously disturb the neighbours.

I appreciate you don’t want to fall out with neighbours but you may not be able to avoid it if you don’t want this intrusion - sorry!! Maybe talk to the neighbours first but I can’t imagine they will take it well. It’s stupid and thoughtless of them.

I’d just say “ look guys, since you cut back those trees - we are a bit on display here. So what do you propose we do?”
And see if they say “ oh crap- didn’t really think about that! Can we move it? Can we screen it for you?”
You don’t need to be confrontational about it - just state the facts.
I agreed with others that have said “ If you’ve not mentioned it they assume it’s fine with you”

If it was me,I’d already have been to the council or started to watch pornography on the widescreen and see how the parents felt about that lol

Not worth future aggo. Pop round and ask them if they're okay with you adding some screening / raising the height of your fence as you usually give yourself a Brazilian wax outdoors at the start of summer in prep for your naked tanning.

Take so photos and ask them to discuss it.
How old are the children, tree houses don’t engage kids forever or in all weathers

Wow that's a cool tree house and Wow that would piss me off. I think you should show the neighbours the picture they probably don't realise

I think you should speak to the neighbours first, explaining how intrusive it is and asking them a) to try to screen it and b) to talk to their children about privacy. For the kids, they've suddenly got a new and exciting view, rather then a bunch of leaves (which may well grow back in a year or two anyway).
If things don't improve, then you'll have given the neighbours a chance to rectify things and made them aware of your discontent before you take more drastic steps, ie the council.
Don't try to screen it yourself - make sure the onus is on them. It's their treehouse.

YABU

@TrickyD

Clematis will grow fast in containers and will look pretty. They will twine round the branches which still seem to be in your side. Otherwise ‘Unleash the plant of war!’ Which is what we say when putting in a Russian Vine to screen an eyesore. They are not called ‘Mile a Minute’ for nothing. Google says they will be OK in big pots. Lots of people use them as quick cover.

Russian Vine is NOT okay in big pots! We inherited one in a big pot that previous owner had used to cover an unsightly bit of wall that for some unfathomable reason had been included in the grade 2 listing and therefore couldn't be replaced. Within two years of us moving in, it had spread into the roof tiles of our neighbours on both sides, and when we started getting rid of it before it got any worse we discovered the roots had burst out of the pot and through the patio and into the brick wall. Cutting it back and incinerating the stuff took two full weekends, it grew back substantially out of various places where it had sent in new 'sucker' roots so that was another full weekend. Afterwards I would use neat Round-up and a small paintbrush to knock back any shoots that crept out of cracks in the mortar. It took eighteen months to finally kill it off.

I know this isn’t helpful but I don’t understand why it matters if their children can see you in your garden.

This is hideous..
Why do neighbours do this type of stuff?
I'm amazed there is such debate about this!

QueenOfLabradors, that's exactly why we call it the Plant of War.

Why don't you simply let them know whats happened with the tree being thinned so much and just ask if they can add a side to the treehouse? It's not that hard

i think id buy something prickly tall huge even, and plant directly in front of platform. You can get shrubs trees pre grown for around £300-£500 + from online garden centres. Problem solved without even speaking to neighbours.