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?

I would ask them over to see your vision of it. I don't think they will know otherwise, and talk through screening options or better still - see if it can be lowered.

If they say no, then contact the local planning dept for advice. Send photos or you will seem unreasonable.

I think structures that are raised off the ground have more stringent planning permission rules than other structures. I think people who have installed raised decking have come unstuck before re planning, so I assume a treehouse would be the same, unless it can be argued that it is temporary

So then they got a tree surgeon in who cut more that u wanted.... oh dear

Shame u didn't cut the branch down yourself which u were entitled to do.

I think you have to decide what you want from the outcome - I would go and speak to your neighbours first but I would, by that point, ascertain what the council position is

I think you should get the council round and ask them whether it needed permission - they can see it from your house. But then when you go to the neighbours you can be prepared when you tell them that you're finding it too intrusive.

[quote Spooked7]@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...[/quote]
Bamboo. Grows tall and very very fast.

Go round and show them the photo of it.

@emilyfrost

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.

Calling the council for a kids treehouse ? YABU if the treehouse has to be taken down the children are going to be very upset and of course this Will course an argument with the neighbours. I suggest you put screening up.

OP, that's even worse from the photo! Definitely requires planning permission and they've screened it from their own house with what looks like a hedge! If you feel able i would invoke them around to see what it looks lie from your garden and ask what they want to do about it. Id they apologise and give you wine and cover it up/hide it to your satisfaction then all good, if not then council.

You'd need to buy bamboo that was 15ft and its not super super growing if you want instant coverage and that will be expensive

I wouldn't go to the Council / Planning Department just yet - if it doesn't have planning permission it will have to come down and that is more likely to cause bad feeling - it will be very obvious it was you.

I would approach them, show them the photograph and see if they would be happy to screen (though you will lose light), or be happy to keep the back of the tree with greenery (though you will also still lose light, and in winter months obviously the trees don't have so many leaves on).

At the end of the day we are in Lockdown, it's been really shit for kids, and for families, why would you want to remove something that keeps them occupied and also risk causing upset.

I can however see it is intrusive.

Trellis and some climbers may work, a sail shade, screen, woven fencing?

@Spooked7

If I can find a “before” photo you will see it was just a bank of thick branches and loads of leaves. The treehouse was not visible at all.

And from there they can stare straight into your kitchen plus overlook your garden?

You're going to have to bite the bullet. I couldn't live with that and you shouldn't have to

Lock down or not, I don't think anyone would want kids 1m above the top of their fence peering down into their garden. It looks fairly sturdy - I can see it lasting for years and becoming a great hang out for them in their young teen years with all their mates.

I know you have to declare disputes when selling, but the OP has only just moved.

Why should she have to pussyfoot and not upset the neighbour when they clearly didn't give a rat's arse about anyone else?

How often are their dcs actually up there? I can't believe they spend much more than 10 or 20 minutes max a day there even in summer (when it's shielded by leaves) and less of that time looking directly into your garden.

Are they behaving antisocially? Throwing things down? Watching you sunbathe? If so, you'd be completely justified in asking for it to go but as it was there before you and you didn't even notice it, it seems like you're upset by the potential/ imaginary disturbance rather than any actual issue.

If you were inclined to want to keep the peace I would suggest asking them about attaching screening to the side of the treehouse that looks into your garden. Something like reed fencing should do the trick.

Everyone is going on about planning permission, does the OP know that they didn’t get planning permission?

You really can’t ask neighbours to remove a treehouse that was already standing in their garden when you moved in, just because tree surgeons have exposed it. That is bonkers. You’ll have to lump it or screen it. It’s nearly winter. No one is going to be playing on it for a while, probably.

Goodness, thought that was a fence but it's the actual treehouse, that is so intrusive!

So you’ve just moved in and asked the neighbour to get a tree surgeon to cut down some branches, and they cut back so many branches that a treehouse you had no idea was there before is now visible and you don’t like it and want to complain about that too? If I were the treehouse owner I’d think a pita had moved in next door! It looks as though what has been cut back is laurel, and it will grow very quickly to recover much of the treehouse if you leave it to grow.

I bet the kids love it, so I'd go for a compromise and ask them if they could screen off the bit that overlooks your garden so their kids can't see in.

Seems mean to have them take it down when it was there first (even if illegally)

YABU if the treehouse has to be taken down the children are going to be very upset

Of course it's fine if the OP can't enjoy her garden, doesn't have any privacy in her kitchen and has to look at that eyesore all the time, as long as the poor children aren't upset

I'd definitely ask to have a word with them about it: invite them round to have a look - it's utterly unreasonable to have that looking into your garden - and things have changed since you moved in/ the trees were cut back. What once was probably not bothering the previous occupant now is and I'd put the onus on them to come up with a solution.

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.

I think you try sail screens or ask neigbours to screen it or take the council up on their offer. It does look really intrusive.

You could check with the council to see if they need/have planning permission. The likelihood is though, that they'll just apply for retrospective permission, which they'll probably get.

Alternatively, you could get some fast growing bamboo and plant in sturdy pots. Some grow really, really fast, and tall. I use a company called 'Scottish bamboo', which sells hardy, robust bamboo plants.

Hi OP, I think you're reasonable BUT they have just shelled out for a tree surgeon because you complained about the trees. If you just go round there now (or go to the council) with another complaint I think that could be construed as un-neighbourly behaviour...

What I would do is go over with the photo AND with a proposed solution - i.e. "So sorry, my mistake, I had no idea about the treehouse and I'm sure your kids enjoyed it more with the trees up and we preferred our privacy so I'm going to screen it with either (a) a cream/white sail shade or (b) some woven bamboo or willow screens - here are some photos of what I mean, what would you and the kids prefer?"

THEN I think you've got a fighting chance of solving it (hopefully) without destroying the relationship. Good luck!

I would go down the Council route.