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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
SweetBabyCheeses99 · 25/09/2021 10:33

It should be in the deeds who is responsible. It might be in the little map you get with it rather than the written deeds. A “T” shaped mark on the boundary indicates who has responsibility for it. “H” shape indicates both of you. Might have to order deeds for neighbours property if it’s not on yours. Think it’s only £3 from land registry.

SweetBabyCheeses99 · 25/09/2021 10:34

Sorry I forgot to post diagram to help.

To think this landlady is ridiculously tight
Original poster
coffeerevelsrock · 25/09/2021 10:34

I've done that and it shows nothing at all in terms of Hs or Ts! Haven't got theirs though.

OP posts:
Original poster
coffeerevelsrock · 25/09/2021 10:35

Thank you for the diagram. Mine didn't look like that, much less clear and I did get it fro m land registry.

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 25/09/2021 10:35

@coffeerevelsrock

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.

You agreed to pay for the removal of the tree branches in your skip. Your free choice. But you had the skip anyway so it didn’t cost you extra.

Of course anyone can plant anything they like.

Of course you are responsible for upkeep and maintenance of your own property.

Don’t pay for the fence if you don’t want to. Just be aware of the long-term consequences of saving £45 is all I’m saying.

You’re really angry at the LL and I’m not sure quite why it’s so distressing to you when you didn’t care about the tree and you don’t care about the fence!

IncessantNameChanger · 25/09/2021 10:39

I didnt want my neighbours trees growing over my roof so I paid for tree surgeon to remove and kill the stamp ( with the neighbours permision of course) one cost job done.

Shared boundaries I think in law become your responsibility the moment you touch them so I dont touch mine. Unfortunately it's all part of the cost of ownership.

The house I border with is a two acre villa. The fact it's worth millions doesn't negate my legal duties just because the owner has more capital than me. I took this into consideration when I bought it. Our shared boundary is 20 fence panels. It's on the floor and I'm just waiting to see who blinks first. If they do it great. If they ask me to go halves its a legal request.

SD1978 · 25/09/2021 10:43

If it's her fence and she doesn't care, then you can either pay half or put your own up on your property surely?

findmeaholiday · 25/09/2021 10:54

Christ you sound like an absolute nightmare

Limejuiceandrum · 25/09/2021 10:58

Why on earth are you being so difficult Over £45

Outbutnotoutout · 25/09/2021 11:04

I wouldn't pay for something I didn't want or didn't need.

If you have never paid half then I wouldn't start now...

Just say no

Antinerak · 25/09/2021 11:07

Your money issues and lack of tools to deal with the plant are your own issues. They're not asking for the money to rip you off they're asking for half because it's a shared boundary. You and the LL are both responsible for it, it makes sense to share the cost. For £45 you get your plant issue solved and they get their fence issue solved.

icklekid · 25/09/2021 11:09

My next door neighbours have horrendous ivy all over their garden and it constantly comes through the fence. It wouldn’t be their responsibility to deal with it on my side of the property so I have to. You can’t expect your landlord to sort your property. If she tried to remove it and damaged your property then you would be more cross!

I think the precedent set by previous owner is irrelevant regarding the fence - if your not bothered stay out of it and let landlord and tenants sort it out!

Limejuiceandrum · 25/09/2021 11:10

I also really don’t have a clue what the ivy and tree have got to do with anything.

Viviennemary · 25/09/2021 11:12

Most people go half for fencing. YABU.

Viviennemary · 25/09/2021 11:13

If anybody is ridiculously tight it's you over £45.

Chloemol · 25/09/2021 11:14

So

  1. You gave the right to cut back branches that overhang you garden to the boundary, you could have done this but your posts indicate you dint care if they do
  2. The matter of the pavement is for your local authority to sort, it should have just been reported and they would have dealt with the land owner
3 you say you don’t care if there is a fence there or not, so don’t pay then, and don’t then moan about the landlord being horrible to the tenants, it’s their issue not yours anyway 4 if you want to be considered a nice neighbour then pay up, after all if you come to sell the house prospective buyers are likely to want access to the drive, and may want a fence 5 as to the ivy, that’s down to you to sort it’s growing on your house, and YABU to let it grow across windows and not do anything about it. It takes nanoseconds to knock on the door, explain the situation and kill the ivy at the root

Over to you if you want to be a nice neighbour or not. It’s £45 not thousands

heldinadream · 25/09/2021 11:17

Doesn't matter where the ivy comes from once it's on your house it's your problem.
Plants do what the fuck they like. We're the ones who create boundaries.

LittleOwl153 · 25/09/2021 11:17

I'd just respond to the landlord saying that the fence was put in by the previous owner of the house and therefore has nothing to do with you. If she wants it repaired then it is up to her.

You could say that the fence was damaged by the tree in her garden but from what you say that is likely to result in her blaming the tenants.

You probably need to take a step back from getting involved with the tenants problems with yes what is coming across as a tight landlord. They should have said no to dealing with the tree. It is quite clear what it is reasonable to expect tenants to be responsible for in terms of garden maintenance and I wouldn't have though mature tree maintenance fits into that.

I can understand why you don't want to pay £45 for something you don't need. And whilst £45 is not alot for some it is significant to others. I can also see a landlord who is wanting to spend as little as possible so perhaps she doesn't think the fence needs doing - as it is not unsafe - but because the tenants do she is saying OK- but they can bear some of the costs - like is often done with carpets/decor etc.

CoronaPeroni · 25/09/2021 11:26

Bloody hell op, stop stressing or you'll give yourself an ulcer! No one knows whose responsibility the shared boundary is so just be prepared to halve costs for now. Look on £45 as a bargain not a huge cost that you can't afford, Cut down stuff that grows on your property, don't look at the dead ivy until someone you know can help you out and forget about your skip 'kindness' - nothing to do with the landlord. Keeping the peace over minor stuff is so much better for your mental health.

Original poster
coffeerevelsrock · 25/09/2021 11:52

Well, it's an eye-opener to me. I'm a nightmare why exactly? So everyone on here lets their plants go out of control on other people's property and says tough shit if they haven't the ability or tools to deal with it. I was mortified when I realised my ivy was going onto another neighbour's house and got it cut back at once. But, yes, I'm a nightmare.

And I'm out of order for 'letting' someone's ivy grow across my window?! I had no way of seeing there was ivy there until it appeared in front of my window, when I did take a 'nanosecond' to knock and tell them. I swear some people want to come here just to tell people how UR they are whatever.

Yes, I should probably just pay the £45 but I do think as a ll I'd look after my tenants better than trying to wring some costs out of a neighbour for months. I think the tree does cause issues with the fence and once I start paying I'll be liable for ever more but yes it's all my fault.

OP posts:
heldinadream · 25/09/2021 12:05

You're very defensive OP. I don't think anyone's saying it's all your fault so much as you're overreacting and sound a bit hysterical (I know, shouldn't say that...) and also sound confused about what is and isn't your responsibility and when it might be good for everyone concerned to share the responsibility anyway. Given these things are ongoing you probably need to try and calm down a bit and give it some rational thought.

PurBal · 25/09/2021 12:08

You don’t want the fence. The owner of the other property doesn’t want a fence. No fence. Tenants might need to suck it up. Not your problem.

RipleyBelieves · 25/09/2021 12:24

Just say 'no thanks I don't want a fence there'.

Ask the LL for permission to go on their land to access the ivy wall and remove the ivy.

You felt sorry for the tenants and gave them permission to use the skip but that's not got any to do with the other things.

findmeaholiday · 25/09/2021 12:27

Why on earth come on AIBU if quite clearly you're absolutely definitely not BU?

Even though you absolutely definitely are

WallaceinAnderland · 25/09/2021 12:29

This really has nothing to do with you if you don't want or need a fence. Just tell her you won't be contributing and be done with it.