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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this landlady is ridiculously tight

62 replies

coffeerevelsrock · 25/09/2021 09:55

I have neighbours at a right angle to me who are tenants. A large tree at the back of their house was overhanging my drive and the pavement and making both unusable until they finally cut it back. Ivy was growing up my wall from their garden and starting to cover one of my bedroom windows. It's finally been cut back and is now still on my wall but dead, so not getting worse. When I spoke to them about these matters they were frustrated with their LL as she never checks on them and they have 3 broken fence panels that border my drive - they couldn't be fixed until the tree was sorted as it blocked access to them.

Now the ll is still refusing to fix their fence as she insists I have shared responsibility. I have looked at the land registry documents and it doesn't mention who is responsible for each boundary. I understand in this case it is normal to share but in previous years that fence has been fixed by the ll of that property, though the house has been sold since so it was a different person. The tree never got out of hand in those days either. She has emailed me one of those sheets you get when you but a house with tick boxes filled in by hand saying it's a shared boundary, but that's not a legally binding thing is it? Surely it's only the deeds that show it definitely?

She has quoted me £90 to fix the fence, so my share would be £45 but I really don't have this at the moment. It's been an expensive summer and I'm saving as much as I can having dipped into savings. I don't want a fence there - it's just my drive and doesn't need privacy from my side, though tenants obviously want it as it's their back garden but it's not completely exposed anyway. There's no legal requirement to have a fence anyway and I don't want to pay for something I don't want.

Also, when they cut the tree back I was having my bathroom done and had a skip on the drive. It was too big for the bathroom stuff and I planned to fill the rest with shit I've needed to get rid of for years but when the tenants asked I allowed them to put the tree waste there as I felt bad for them. I feel like that was my contribution to the whole thing, not that I have to make one. I keep all trees on my property under control and don't really want to pay for others as well.

Shouldn't she just pay the £90 to keep her lovely tenants happy? I feel like I feel more guilty about them than she does. I also feel like she could get the dead ivy off my house too rather than trying to push this. It's wrong priorities imo. This has gone on for months now.

OP posts:

Palavah · 25/09/2021 10:02

I'm not sure why you're getting involved in the relationship between landlord and tenant.

Of course you can suggest that the fence is removed rather than replaced but you'll need to pay half of the cost of that/cover half the labour.

Have you asked her to remove the dead ivy from your wall?

Not sure how the skip thing is relevant? You said yes to the tenants but no agreement with the LL that this was your contribution. Surely the tenants or LL could have contacted the council for removal of garden waste?

Mantlemoose · 25/09/2021 10:04

You can cut branches hanging into your garden and you need to take care of what's growing in your garden/on your house. Just like weeds that come from the bird dropping a seed in your garden.

Original poster

coffeerevelsrock · 25/09/2021 10:07

I don't know why I will need to pay for anything? There's no document saying it's my boundary. Yes, I know I had no agreement with her re the skip, but she had told them they needed to sort the tree or pay for it themselves and they were at a loss. They clearly didn't want to pay for anything and felt aggrieved at having to do the work. I felt I couldn't say no. Yet on the other side I have ivy and a holly bush and am always super aware when they start encroaching on my other neighbour and either pay to get it done or do it myself. I felt like they were hinting I should have been cutting the tree back, but it was huge and I don't have the tools. Also, why should I have been keeping it off the pavement?! I know their relationship is nothing to do with me but I kind of feel stuck in the middle.

OP posts:

NailsNeedDoing · 25/09/2021 10:09

It’s a bit hypocritical to call the LL ‘ridiculously tight’ when you won’t pay £45 towards something that you want and doesn’t bother them. The LL isn’t shirking their responsibility if it’s a shared boundary, it should make no difference that a previous owner was willing to pay in full for things that weren’t fully their responsibility.

You are free to cut the branches or ivy that come onto your side.

Original poster

coffeerevelsrock · 25/09/2021 10:10

@Mantlemoose

You can cut branches hanging into your garden and you need to take care of what's growing in your garden/on your house. Just like weeds that come from the bird dropping a seed in your garden.

So high, thick branches I don't have the tools or height for I have to take care of? That's bullshit, and what about it growing over the pavement? I couldn't get to the ivy at all without going in their garden. It might be the law but it's common decency surely to ensure stuff you have planted/kept isn't going out of control. It's what others do and what I do. Don't have this problem with anyone else.

OP posts:

TaraR2020 · 25/09/2021 10:10

The skip thing isn't relevant so just forget that.

If you can't get confirmation of who has your responsibility then you have two choices, to refuse to pay or not.

Would hope the LL would be more interested in keeping good relations for the sake of £45.

If you can't afford it then tell her. If you believe it's not your responsibility then also tell her, but be polite no point in turning it into a war.

Original poster

coffeerevelsrock · 25/09/2021 10:12

It’s a bit hypocritical to call the LL ‘ridiculously tight’ when you won’t pay £45 towards something that you want and doesn’t bother them.

Please read what I wrote. I don't want it; her tenants do. It should bother her if her tenants are unhappy. If they leave she will be out of pocket and could get someone a lot worse. That's what I find odd.

OP posts:

Lonecatwithkitten · 25/09/2021 10:15

The ivy I just don't understand why did you not cut it back as it crept over your wall to stop it reaching your house. Now it is dead just pull it off your wall and house.

Username7521 · 25/09/2021 10:16

Honestly I think you’re muddling a couple of things here.
Personally I would pay the £45 for the fence. They are your neighbour and you say they are nice and good. If they move you could have nightmare new ones which isn’t only the LL problem but yours too.
Don’t loose perspective.

SeasonFinale · 25/09/2021 10:18

You have said that the deeds aren't clear and also that the documentation provided to her on sale states it is a shared boundary. She doesn't want to pay for it all and thereby set a precedent that you would want to rely on to shift your responsibility.

Nanananani · 25/09/2021 10:18

Why are you getting involved in discussions about a fence you don’t care about?

PPs are correct, if it’s growing over or onto your property it’s up to you to remove it if it’s bothering you. You can’t force the LL to do anything here, legally speaking.

Original poster

coffeerevelsrock · 25/09/2021 10:22

I couldn't cut the ivy. It's planted on a wall I can't access without going into their garden. It's like my side wall is their back boundary with no fence. Then it just grew up the side and crept round to my back upstairs window. It can't be reached from my back garden as I have no tall ladders AND there is an extension workshop thing to my garage that juts out. I wouldn't walk on it. All irrelevant anyway as unless killed at the roots it would just keep growing back. I don't buy this 'it's your problem if someone else's shit grows into your property, just buy ladders/tools you can't afford and have no other use for and sort it.' It may be the law but it's not decent and not what most people do ime up to now.

OP posts:

NoSquirrels · 25/09/2021 10:23

Setting aside “common decency”, the skip, the ivy etc. you have 2 choices with the fence.

Say no, I don’t care about fence panels on that boundary, I’m happy for there to be no fence there, so I won’t contribute.

Pay £45 as a gesture of goodwill to keep relations less strained so that the LL hopefully deals better with you in the future.

I’d pay £45. If you’re a homeowner that’s just a small maintenance cost. You say “I really don't have this at the moment. It's been an expensive summer and I'm saving as much as I can having dipped into savings.” That’s not “I don’t have £45” that’s “I don’t want to contribute £45”. Own your choices.

Original poster

coffeerevelsrock · 25/09/2021 10:24

@SeasonFinale

But the precedent has been set as up to now the fence has been repaired by the owner of that property, even if that wasn't her. What responsibility would I shift? You don't have to have a fence anyway.

OP posts:

Kneesaregood · 25/09/2021 10:25

If the deeds say it's a shared boundary then you share the responsibility about maintaining it, which means either going halves on the cost of repair or halves on the cost of removal.

The other stuff is annoying but it's irrelevant to your responsibility for the boundary.

Kneesaregood · 25/09/2021 10:27

The previous owner doing the work was doing you a favour btw, not setting legal precedent!

Original poster

coffeerevelsrock · 25/09/2021 10:27

Also, people are ignoring that the tree wasn't only blocking my drive (didn't bother me too much as I don't park on it) but the pavement. People were having to cross over. Was that my responsibility too? yes, I'll probably end up paying but I'm fucked off and yes, the ll is tight but no one agrees (or hardly anyone) as I should take responsibility for everything growing from her garden and pay for it's removal and pay for half the fence while she makes a profit with minimum expenditure.

OP posts:

NoSquirrels · 25/09/2021 10:28

WRT the Ivy - yes the roots are in their garden but if it ruins your render or bricks it would still be your issue to deal with and pay for. Then you’d need the cooperation of the LL (and the tenants) to go into their garden and use their land, if that’s the only access.

So being difficult about £45 could really cost you in the long run. Mutual cooperation is much, much better.

SaddenedByItAll · 25/09/2021 10:28

Just check with the skip company as I think you may be charged extra for any parts of tree that are greater than 4" in diameter

Original poster

coffeerevelsrock · 25/09/2021 10:29

Kneesaregood The deeds don't state anything. The tick boxes aren't deeds. He was not doing me a favour! I don't want a fence.

OP posts:

NoSquirrels · 25/09/2021 10:29

Forget how you feel about the LL personally. It’s doing you no good.

Original poster

coffeerevelsrock · 25/09/2021 10:29

@SaddenedByItAll

Just check with the skip company as I think you may be charged extra for any parts of tree that are greater than 4" in diameter

Skip went months ago, but thank you.

OP posts:

Avenueofcherryblossom · 25/09/2021 10:30

Isn’t it the tenant’s responsibility to look after general garden maintenance such as keeping ivy under control? You are blaming the landlady for the ivy on your house when the ‘lovely tenants’ should be cutting it back. The house next to me used to be rented and their ivy grew across to my house I just kept an eye on it and cut it back to the boundary as and when necessary. If you were concerned about the tree branches hanging over the pavement you could have contacted the council about it.

friendlycat · 25/09/2021 10:31

£45 is worth it for good relationships with neighbours. Just pay it especially since it can’t be determined who owns the fence.

You may need the LLs help yourself one day and quibbles over this won’t stand you in good stead for the future.

If it were £450 you might have to really think about it but it’s £45.

Original poster

coffeerevelsrock · 25/09/2021 10:31

Mutual cooperation is much, much better.

Can't see what's mutual about it to be honest. They plant what they like and it can go anywhere but I have the responsibility to maintain it and repair any damage done. I pay for the removal of the tree, including bits blocking the pavement and not my property. I pay for half a fence I don't want at all.

OP posts:

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