Or are my elderly mum's neighbours?

[GracieGrowler]

My mum is a council tenant, has a house she's lived in for 50+ years on a nice estate where most of the houses are now privately owned, including the one adjoining her. She's 83 and a keen gardener, but goes for the cottage garden/wild roses look.
Her neighbours are total arseholes. In their late 50s both physically fit and capable but spend their days moaning and complaining. Every year at around this time they start putting letter thru her door about issues such as ivy over growing (I looked, it was literally 2 leaves) or her hedge. It upsets her terribly and makes her scared to be outside. In the past they have shouted and screamed at her and threatened her, and she thinks they poisoned a fox cub that she found dead.
They've just sent a new letter complaining that her hedge is too high and spoiling their view (of a road). It's probably about 5 foot tall at most. Do they have any grounds to complain and make her cut it legally, or can she just ignore them? It's not going over to their side of the property

I am not a lawyer, but I don't think you're allowed to cut hedges during nesting season.

Just tell her to ignore them. I suggest next time you go over you explain she has a camera on her property that picks up audio on her grounds and if they shout again or touch her property you'll be reporting them to the police. Or something else threatening.

Honestly I'd go round and tell them to stop making demands of your mum, and install a ring camera.

Her garden is none of their business

My brother has been round before and they lunged at him. They are completely irrational and nasty. She had the police involved 😧one time and they 'mediated' but it happens every year. Mum is generally resilient but living next door to them means she's on egg shells. They are the type of people with artificial grass and fake flowers outside. They are also campaigning to have the trees in the wood at the bottom of the garden cut down

Oh no! This is awful for your dear Mum.
If you feel it would be safe to do so, can you or a male family member ask these awful bullies to desist targeting your mum? Would a “cease and desist” letter from a solicitor help?

Tell your mum to ignore these selfish unkind people. Bless her. In her later years, who needs that kind of harassment. It’s so unkind.

suggest they take their complaints to HA and let them objectively conclude either way

Yeah I just wanted to check if anyone knows the actual legal position here. I can't really afford a solicitor's letter but would do it if I thought it would be the end. Every year it's just the same and they won't stop.

are you saying they physically tried to attack your brother?

I'm fairly sure this happened one year and a nice man came out and complimented her garden, but it didn't resolve it completely

They’re welcome to cut back/trim and foliage that grows over into their boundary, but nothing more than that. Your mum is under no obligation to do it for them or change her garden in anyway. Her house, her garden. What miserable bastards.

Most solicitors will do 30 minutes free consultation. You could do the rounds explaining what you know so far to each one and ask about next steps.

@crayfishyum yes - he said they lunged towards him, fist out stretched. The woman is the aggressive one - she's huge (well over 6 foot) and terrifying

The legal height for a front garden fence or hedge in the UK is 1m (3.2ft). If it’s taller you need planning permission.

did he call the police?
was she held back?
can you post a picture of the hedge?

I'd go round and record them with your phone. Explain last time your brother knocked she lunged at him and you'd rather avoid that- tell them to leave your mum alone and present them with a cease and desist letter. Install a camera in your mums house. Poor lady.

but seriously just tell them to address complaints to HA

I'd wait to be told by someone in a position of authority. They sound like scummy people, and I doubt they know the rules themselves, much less how to enforce them. It's a terrible shame that they're ruining her enjoyment of her garden, but if she can, she should just ignore them. As others have suggested, a security camera (or even a fake one) might be good idea to encourage them to be decent human beings more polite. 🙄

I would contact an elder abuse agency or the uk equivalent of “AARP”. Yelling and intimidation are in fact elder abuse. Don’t cut down a single thing. Let them sweat it out or get tired of fussing/complaining. Also send DM outside to enjoy her garden. Put a hat and sunglasses on and ignore the neighbors…feign she is hoh and just garden along and ignore. Right now I’m sitting on my patio looking at my neighbors “the trashes” pool which they haven’t chlorinated knowing it will remain green until they have a party. You can pretty much do what you want on your property but almost zero on someone else’s. Lastly…there was a recent thread about trees. Get an arborist or tree specialist to examine those back garden trees. Surely they are too old or protected or something the council should know about and stop that shit too. This is foreign to me but it seems nearly impossible to cut down trees in the uk. And let them trim the few ivy leaves hanging over….i wouldn’t touch a thing on their property.

Sorry this isn’t true at all

that’s not how it works

If there is a complaint, there will be fairly extensive written communication

this is complete nonsense and a mumsnet work of fiction perpetuated about 10 years ago

I think because she is a tenant she is always terrified of being kicked out so hates to 'cause trouble'.
@crayfishyum I'm sure there was a lot more too it than just a visit but I don't keep records and she's quite forgetful. Normally when they demand something to be cut she just does it.
It's all very well saying 'go round and speak to them' but it has never gone well before and none of us want to deal with irrational aggressive people.

that’s in the past
this is a new issue

just say to them… address your concerns to HA

end of.

i’m not saying go around to them

i am saying the next time they come around, just say to them to contact HA and let them arbitrate

do you have a photo you could post op?