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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

They've cut our tree!

291 replies

Auntieobem · 01/03/2022 15:03

We have a twisty willow at the bottom of the garden. I love it. Had it topped a couple of years ago - cost £££ but looking good. It overhang/ overhung next doors garden. Neighbours moved in a while ago - we've only spoken briefly but all pleasant enough.

I've just noticed that half the tree has been cut off. Tree looks ridiculously lop sided. Why onearth didn't they speak to us? I know they have a right to cut off anything which overhangs, but who not just warn us?? I feel really sad. Poor bloody tree!! Don't know when it was done, I've been working from home and never saw anything? They must have waited until we were all out? Aibu for being a bit annoyed?

OP posts:
curlymom · 01/03/2022 23:06

@mumofEandE

To be fair the pic doesn't show a lovely twisty willow!
Very good point. 😂
Mossstitch · 01/03/2022 23:26

I once came home to a butchered pink cherry blossom, not just taken off at the fence but they had obviously leant right over or come into the garden and hacked it into half a tree. It had been perfect and one of the reasons I bought the house, it made me cry it had been so beautiful. It was the last straw, house went on the market and I left having been there for only 13 months (neighbours did other weird stuff although never actually spoke to us😳)

milkyaqua · 02/03/2022 00:34

Lots of tree-haters on MN, I've noticed.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 02/03/2022 07:32

@milkyaqua

Lots of tree-haters on MN, I've noticed.
I don't hate trees. But one that case issues that are not maintained are a pain in the arse.
AllThingsServeTheBeam · 02/03/2022 07:34

[quote sweetbellyhigh]@Ricksteinsfishwife

Don't be rude, or show such ignorance. No self respecting arborist would butcher a tree like that.

And no, people do not have a right to destroy environments just because. Shows huge ignorance and lack of courtesy on theirs (and your) part.[/quote]
Don't be rude?! But the ops neighbours are dicks for doing nothing wrong? Give your head a wobble

rwalker · 02/03/2022 07:58

@milkyaqua

Lots of tree-haters on MN, I've noticed.
It's not the tree's they hate it's the impact of some wanker having a massive tree that shades there garden,makes the lawn mossy ,pants not grow and endless leave everywhere
TheRealHousewife · 02/03/2022 09:24

@Mossstitch

I once came home to a butchered pink cherry blossom, not just taken off at the fence but they had obviously leant right over or come into the garden and hacked it into half a tree. It had been perfect and one of the reasons I bought the house, it made me cry it had been so beautiful. It was the last straw, house went on the market and I left having been there for only 13 months (neighbours did other weird stuff although never actually spoke to us😳)
I've posted similar earlier up thread. Like you ours have done other stuff too and we are actively looking to move.
FantasticFebruary · 02/03/2022 09:29

@mumofEandE

To be fair the pic doesn't show a lovely twisty willow!
That's because it's a) *March & b) been butchered!!
FantasticFebruary · 02/03/2022 09:32

@rwalker

They should go to M&S - much easier!!

BuyDirt · 02/03/2022 09:39

Our old neighbour had a tree growing/pushing against our fence and coming into our garden. We asked her politely to sort it a few times. We replaced the fence panel when the tree broke it TWICE. When it broke the fence for the third time, we had to cut the tree back just so we could get the fence panel in. We put the bits we had cut off in a pile in her garden. She had a huge strop about it, how dare we cut her tree and why should she have to clear up her garden. I’m not sure how she thought we could get the fence panel in without cutting it back. And not once did she offer any money for the fence that her tree had broken 3 times. And apparently we should have also have sorted the disposal of the bits we had to cut off. Some people are just cheeky bastards.

Glad we moved and can barely see our nearest neighbour from our house now. Not a tree hater, quite the opposite, just a cheeky fucker hater.

suzyscat · 02/03/2022 09:40

I love trees, but I don't think it's fair to say people who trim those overhanging their boundaries are tree haters. I trim stuff that hangs over into our garden. TBF not a tree, but tall enough that it stops a lot of sunlight light in at least 3 neighbouring gardens. (Small, urban north west facing gardens so the impact is massive on what we can grow and how much time we have in sunlight.)

I work in the woods, I actively encourage people to love and appreciate trees. I previously was on a local tree planting committee.

To pp who said it's the worst time of year, the tree surgeons in my area have been out all February because it is the ideal time - you can't start work in spring as that's when birds are nesting.

So whilst I get why you're upset, most definitely YABU because you can't expect to control the neighbours own garden.

RedHerring24 · 02/03/2022 10:02

Our neighbours did this to us over a dispute about a new fence. Claimed the tree would be in the way (which it wasnt at all).
They lopped a huge section off when we were out and threw it into our garden (which they were within their right to do as it was our property).
Looking at your photo though it absolutely does overhang massively into their garden. Its way too close to the fence.
It would have been nice for them to mention it but they dony have to ask permission if it is in their garden.

Ihaventgottimeforthis · 02/03/2022 11:39

I think there's a very good chance this tree would take a severe pollarding to give a better shape and come back very nicely. Get a tree surgeon in. I don't know if complete coppicing would work, you could try it and then even if it doesn't grow back you can grow some smaller shrub height willow and hazels and turn the old stump into a wildlife site.

milkyaqua · 02/03/2022 12:27

It's not the tree's they hate it's the impact of some wanker having a massive tree that shades there garden,makes the lawn mossy ,pants not grow and endless leave everywhere

Trees, giving shade! Having leaves! Being trees, ie.

Emilyontmoor · 02/03/2022 13:52

Just to illustrate how resilient twisted willow is here are some branches I had in an arrangement plonked in water and already in their way to be a new tree. I won’t be putting them in the ground though as they would romp away into a massive tree 40ft by 30ft www.rhs.org.uk/plants/82656/salix-babylonica-var-pekinensis-tortuosa-(f)/details and that would not be fair in the neighbours but in a big pot they will look nice and I can harvest them in winter to put in vases. OP could cut the tree to the ground and it would come back as a shrub constrained by the fence and, kept trimmed it would look nice, and not be antisocial?

They've cut our tree!
Emilyontmoor · 02/03/2022 13:56

milkyaqua Don’t be daft. Presumably you think that all gardeners are nature haters. All that pruning, putting the right plant in the right place so it looks good and doesn’t cause problems for others, creating wildlife habitats by making sure our gardens don’t run to ecological deserts of Ivy, bramble and self sown tress. We are also especially bamboo haters…..

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