neighbour asking me to get my trees lopped

[ladylush]

AIBU in being irked that a neighbour who lives diagonally behind us knocked on my door the other day and asked if we could cut our tree? It is a Sycamore (actually there are two side by side) and it is established. It was here before we bought the house and was pruned back hard (18 months ago). The neighbour complained that she had no sunlight in her garden last summer because of the tree. It is not wide but it is tall (no leaves at the moment so only an issue in summer) - about 18ft. I told her that whilst it may be a nuisance for her, it is a benefit to us because it provides screening (which is great when we want to use our garden). In the winter she can see straight into our house from her bedroom window. I also told her that we would not be paying a tree surgeon to cut it every year. She then offered her to send round her son's friend (a tree surgeon) next week (who would do it as a favour for them) and that we would only have to contribute towards the cost of removing the branches. However, we discussed it and decided that we would prefer to employ a tree surgeon of our own at a time that suits us and that when we do get it cut back, we will not take as much off as she would want. I think if a sunny garden was that important to her she should have bought a house with a large garden with a southerly aspect instead of a west facing 35ft garden.

I haven't, no.

Have you thought of calling yourself ladybitch in rl?

er..........yeah whatever Pointy - I welcome feedback. I've had lots - positive and negative. I think your tone was completely unnecessary and - for want of another word - bitchy. Did you read the whole thread and make a considered comment? No, thought not.

Completely agree with whoever suggested you should go round to her garden and see for yourself. I think you may be surprised, especially if your garden is elevated.

Whoever said these are not trees for smallish gardens was right.

Btw, am speaking as a past owner of two sycamores

Zog our garden is about 50x40 - so yes it is reasonably small. I think because of where the trees were planted, their span is small but obviously they do grow tall. My husband and I thought lopping approx every two years would be reasonable. I think my neighbour would want them cut back to the knubs (?sp)every year which would make it pointless having them. If anything, their garden sits on an elevated plot.

Actually I with you on this, despite the fact that my neighbour has an enormous Ash tree 3 m from the boundary.

Her tree is taller than my oast house (a three storey tower with a tall pointy roof) it shades our back garden almost completely every afternoon from 3pm. It also shades our neighbour the other side (so right across our garden into theirs), we have both spoken to her about it.

I wish her tree was only 18 ft, it would be lovely!

Def pay for your own lopping, then you have control over what is cut. Agree with a previous that go in her garden and see what the problem is before taking action.

TWO sycamores in that size garden

I think I'd be tempted to see if there's some middle ground to be had. Go round and see exactly how bad the problem is, then get her tree surgeon round plus one or two of your own to give quotes/advice. Maybe there's one that causes her more aggro than the other which wouldn't make much difference to you in terms of privacy?

It must be pretty bad for her to have come round, don't you think?

i would get some advice on whether it will actually damage the tree or not, and then armed with this advice i would remove as much of the tree as you can to give her some light.

it is very easy to buy a nice bottle of some lethal weedkiller, pour it on the roots of the tree over the fence, and hey presto the tree will be dead next summer.... as well as anything else that is growing near by.

i don't think you appreciate how annoying it is to have your light blocked by a tree.

Yes I think we will do that. It's a good idea. We would need to go in the spring/summer when the tree is in leaf. Even more reason not to let them lop it now.

She can't reach our garden because our boundaries are nowhere near. I suppose she could always ask her neighbour to do it though.

Zog - it's quite difficult to explain to you without a photo but they are not huge by any means. As I said before, they are very thin trees (with tiny trunks) and the tallest is 18ft, the other about 12 ft. I would estimate the width across the top of both to be about 8ft max (combined width).

To be honest, I'd always opt for keeping the neighbours sweet. (Although our neighbours have some irritatingly tall plants, I have to say, it's better than having to look at them - they are fuckwits).

The fuckwits next door planted a willow in their backgarden. The garden is only about 7 metres long by 4 metres wide. They planted it in the far corner (not on our side - thank fuck - we got the silver birch on our boundary instead). It has doubled in size in the last 4 years, and it almost entirely over hangs their other neighbours garden. She's not in a position to cut it down (although probably the least of her worries since her husband died suddenly last year leaving her to bring up their 2 younger children).

Really - truly - the trees are just not worth it. Get net curtains instead.

I had a look through the gap (they have a side return) - saw a very unassuming tree. However it is winter, and I do appreciate that it is a different story when in leaf. That's why I think we should go and look in the summer as Norty and others suggested.

Oh, and the leaves it drops in autumn are really not funny - especially when you have a pond.

Sycamore's have those big old crispy leaves with stiff stems, dont they? And the seeds.....?

Well VVV with neighbours like yours I can see that trees must surely be the least of your problems.

Yep - a lot of raking.

I can ask DH if you like - he has a business doing this this sort of thing & giving advice

I thought Willows pull up foundations as their roots spread so far looking for water?

That's great. Thank you Whizz

For everyone.

Our neighbours are awful and incredibly selfish. He parks his HUGE mercedes sprinter van on his illegal drive which blocks out everything on the right hand side of our sitting room. He does DIY at every available opportunity - which usually means evenings right up until 10-11pm at night sometimes - or weekends where he gets an early start in at 7-8am.

His son attempted to vandalise our car one night - we saw him do it - we were just below our loft velux window when he did it and so it was undoubtedly him - no suspicion - caught banged to rights. When we knocked to say please make sure he doesnt do it again, the dad squared up to DP!!! I mean - we could have just called the police for the damage! We have to share a wall with these people 24/7.

Which is why i say - always make nice with the neighbours. It's not worth it

Yes - they do ladylush.

Which is interesting because he has since built an (overly high) extension out the back (did it all himself - oh the joys - over a period of 9 months which included him 'using' our garden to work in as and when he felt like it). So now the tree is only 4 metres - tops - from his house. The sewer/drain is only 4.5 metres from the tree too so it will be interesting to see what happens.

VVV - I know the value of nice neighbours. We have a whole street of them and have been very lucky to move here and find such nice people living around us. I have lived among people similar to those you describe (and possibly worse). However, there are times when a neighbour makes a request/demand that one might not agree with. It is up to the person whom the request is made of whether they acquiesce or not surely. If there are valid reasons either side of the argument, why should one side be expected to fold? A compromise is the ideal solution obviously, but I don't think a compromise is what the neighbour in question wants.

Sycamores are only one step away from weeds IMO. I don't think you can harm them if you tried; they will keep coming back even after all other plant and animal life has died, there will still be sycamores.
I can understand her point of view and yours too.
I think her offer was a very generous one and I would only see her suggestion as a positive one.

You seem very calm about it I must say

Sycamores are horrible, huge and they grow like wildfire.
If the shoe were on the other foot....wouldn't you like her to be reasonable?
Is she likely to be looking in your windows?
I really value a sunny garden so I am biased. Perhaps you do not.

Rowlers - it wasn't generous really. She isn't paying and she gets what she wants. She will then expect us to cut it back hard every year which will mean it doesn't get leafy.She will still get what she wants but just have to wait a little bit longer.

I can see where you are coming from. I really can. But to my mind, I think that it takes quite a bit to get someone to actually pluck up the courage to ask such a thing (usually...) and so it must be really bothersome to her.

Whereas your need to keep the trees is something that can be remedied in different ways, yes?

It is your tree, and it is is your property and your home. But, I just dont think a tree is worth all the ructions it could cause.

Her offer is a very reasonable one, and sounds as though it comes from someone who has a very real concern about her situation AND not wanting to upset you at the same time.