To expect my neighbour to look after her front garden?

[Eurydice84]

My next door neighbour keeps her front garden in a really bad shape. Three huge bushes have overgrown and there are tall plants growing at the back. One of the bushes is blocking the pavement so DD can't go safely on her scooter. The roots of the plants have also cracked the dividing fence between my garden and her garden.

I asked once if I could cut the bits of her plants protruding over my side as they were killing my flowers, she laughed and said to go ahead as she hates gardening. Her teenage DS could help but doesn't.

Is it none of my business? I feel she expects me to trim her plants if I'm not happy and I don't think this is my job.

Unless it is filthy and verminous, or her stuff is damaging your property... yeah, tough titty.

Hoever it does sound like some of it is damaging your property so I would probably speak to her and point this out. You may well find it is quicker and yields a more satisfactory result if you just deal with it yourself though.

Trimming of overhanging stuff is generally your responsibility though, as you just don't like it

I could be your neighbour - I'm having it dug out later this year and can barely manage to get through day to day life in the house. Sorry.

Absolutely none of your business, and she’s already told you you can do the overhanging bits. I bet it’s nicer than artificial grass anyway.

Yes it's none of your business and yes you're being unreasonable. People can keep their gardens however they want including overgrown wilderness bug havens. Also, you didn't need her permission to prune things growing over on your side. I do think people who let their plants block the pavement and wreck people's fences are spectacular twats though.

General picture: much as you might wish that she would maintain it, there is nothing you can do to oblige her to do it.

You have the legal right to remove branches which are protruding into your garden. You are supposed to return the clippings to the neighbour’s side, but it sounds like she would have rather you got rid of them yourself.

If her plants are damaging your property (the fence), then you could take action to oblige her to remove them and make good the damage. You’d need help from a solicitor for that. If the fence belongs to her, I don’t see you can do anything.

Regarding the bushes overhanging the pavement - that’s a report to council job. Councils can issue enforcement notices to householders when trees etc from their property are obstructing the pavement. Unlikely to be a high priority, and may not meet the council’s threshold for action.

I think you'll just have to bite the bullet and do it yourself. We have neighbours who don't look after either front or back garden. We do their front garden as otherwise it affects ours. In the back I ruthlessly pull out the bindweed, brambles and ivy that push through the fence and threatent to choke our garden. It's annoying but that's life in a terraced house.

I think you'll just have to bite the bullet and do it yourself. We have neighbours who don't look after either front or back garden. We do their front garden as otherwise it affects ours. In the back I ruthlessly pull out the bindweed, brambles and ivy that push through the fence and threatent to choke our garden. It's annoying but that's life in a terraced house.

Unfortunately you will either need to accept her filthy garden or sort it out yourself. How much does it irritate you?

You don't need her permission to do anything that is overhanging

You could email the council about anything on the footpath

I did that once and it got cut right back

I was in a similar position and now am in the - to me - lucky position of having two more gardens to look after. My neighbour is delighted as she feels it's being done properly and I'm chuffed as I can get rid of the awful weeds that were forever encroaching into my garden. We're both happy

Obviously if you don't enjoy gardening this won't seem like the perfect solution, but just cutting back the overgrown shrubs and the pavement blocker will make a huge difference, to you personally as well as passersby, even if your NDN isn't particularly relieved it's done.

I don’t think you are unreasonable to be annoyed but the only thing you can do is report to the council what’s making the pavement problematic to use.

You are allowed even without her permission to cut back anything over hanging your property, in reality it’s arguably your job. For anything in her garden, it’s her decision.

Save for that overhanging your property, no it's not your job. However, she isn't going to do it because she doesn't care / doesn't want to / doesn't have time. So if it's bothering you that much, just pop round and say I have the shears out, do you want me to give it a prune for you? If you aren't prepared to do that, you need to stop being bothered by it because it's unlikely to change, and even if someone does bother to prune it once, it won't be maintained.

@Catopia ZOMBIE!

Oh yeah, sorry.... it's the bloody suggestions at the bottom I think.