Surely this cannot be right - housing developers!

[Dmanny30]

Good afternoon all,

I’ll try & keep this short if possible!

7 years ago I bought a new build house off a good reputable developer & moved in, in the summer 2016 & all has been really well.

well, on Friday I was sat doing some work in the office when I heard voices coming from the back garden. I looked out to see two young lads in my back garden after managing to get through the gate. I went out & they were from the property developer. I said how they cannot just come into my garden when they feel like it but that’s hardly here nor there at the minute.

they are wanting to plant a tree (quite big one actually) in the middle of my back garden. Literally the middle. I explain that surely they cannot just come & do this but he explained that it was part of my contract when I bought the house (turns out, it actually was) but surely not after 7 years though?

I have rang & Emailed to complain & even tried to meet them half way saying I’m happy for it to be here but can I choose where it goes at least? Told nope & I have come back from work to find a tree in the middle of where my son & husband play football.

AIBU with this?

oh, I’m under no circumstances to chop said tree down & it’s completely upto me to maintain it too! I know it was in the contract but surely not after 7 years!?

It was probably a deed and therefore 12 years limitation (in England and Wales).

I had the same thing happen in my new build although it was only a year after we had bought the house. I was furious - we'd spent ages over the summer getting the grass sorted because the ground hadn't been prepared correctly and then they came and cut a section out to plant this weed-like stick that's supposed to be a tree.

what about digging it up, and replacing it with a dwarf cherry/apple/pear tree near the back corner of the garden. If anyone ever checks or notices just play dumb.

Just get a few mates round to dig it up and move it to where you want it. You don’t want roots too close to the house. This was almost certainly a landscaping stipulation that the developer didn’t do. It’s not bad to have a tree but what is it? Some trees are too big for gardens. This matters!