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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

CF Next door killed our plant

71 replies

NewNeighbour007 · 07/06/2024 18:17

Last autumn, our neighbour asked if he could move our climbing plant off the shared boundary wall so they could paint the fence top bit (it's a brick wall with some spiky bits on top if that makes sense).

It's technically our boundary. I’d said I wasn’t bothered about painting the fence bits as the plant covered the spikes anyway but he insisted as they’d built the wall, that he wanted to paint them all (he was doing the other sides around his property.

The was full of huge gorgeous flowers. So I asked him to wait till they had bloomed and to not kill the plant. He agreed.

After it finished flowering, I gently lifted the plant tendrils off, and asked them to pop them back on when they were done.

We had a lot of building work going on ourselves (scaffolding up) at the time, and then winter and a family bereavement, so can't really remember, but I'm sure I put the plant back on the fence.

Last week I noticed there was hardly any of the plant left (and nothing on the fence). I presumed it had died back over winter. it was starting to sprout new leaves. I noticed they never painted the fence either but I lifted the tendrils back onto the fence, carefully threading the few strands that were regrowing round the fence.

I’ve just come home to find they’ve cut them all off!!! They’ve virtually killed it which must’ve meant they came onto our property to do so, without our knowledge or consent.

I’m pretty annoyed (f*cking furious) but don’t know how best to handle this.

I don't think I'm being unreasonable btw to be upset about this but didn't know what other heading to put this under,

OP posts:
KTheGrey · 07/06/2024 18:23

This is very odd behaviour. They came into your garden and cut back your climber that wasn't even on their fence? Or you had put the tendrils back onto the fence?

MaryMaryVeryContrary · 07/06/2024 18:31

So they said they would paint the fence, you lifted the plant off so they could, put it back at some point you think, then found it some time later with half the tendrils missing and thought it had withered naturally, so threaded some back and now they’ve been chopped off? Is that right?

NewNeighbour007 · 07/06/2024 18:35

MaryMaryVeryContrary · 07/06/2024 18:31

So they said they would paint the fence, you lifted the plant off so they could, put it back at some point you think, then found it some time later with half the tendrils missing and thought it had withered naturally, so threaded some back and now they’ve been chopped off? Is that right?

Correct.

OP posts:
NewNeighbour007 · 07/06/2024 18:36

KTheGrey · 07/06/2024 18:23

This is very odd behaviour. They came into your garden and cut back your climber that wasn't even on their fence? Or you had put the tendrils back onto the fence?

I had placed the few tendrils back on and threaded them through the fence last week.

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Zingy123 · 07/06/2024 18:37

Anything over their side they are quite entitled to remove.

WingSlutz · 07/06/2024 18:38

Knock on their door, hello, just wondering if you've seen anything odd as someone has cut back our plant? Thinking about going to the police as they would have to have been on our property without permission.
And see what they say.

Bankholidayhelp · 07/06/2024 18:38

If it's his fence he could be objecting to you using It as a plant support.

Doesn't explain him coming into your garden to lop it off though.

LivelyTraybake · 07/06/2024 18:40

I cut off the bits of my neighbours horrible vine when the come onto my side of the fence. I don’t like it, I don’t want it in my garden. If it wraps through and round the fence I cut it off.
This is completely legal, as long as you offer the clippings back, which I did she said it was hers I was not to touch it. I know cut it off and drop it back over.

NewNeighbour007 · 07/06/2024 18:40

Zingy123 · 07/06/2024 18:37

Anything over their side they are quite entitled to remove.

It wasn't round their side, it was a plant growing on our side but needs something to cling onto. The plant was there for years before and the little old lady that lived there was hugely proud of it. She even taught me how to look after it! Technically the boundary side is ours but apparently they built the wall (before our time). They must have also come round our side to cut it back which I'm furious about. Speak to us if you don't want it on your fence at all, but that wasn't the conversation or agreement that was had.

OP posts:
Rollercoaster1920 · 07/06/2024 18:42

Beware the 'anything on their side they can take off' approach. A fully owned fence should be installed fully on the owners property, with the outermost part of the fence usually the wooden posts. So the plant growing through a trellis isn't on the neighbour's side until it passes the line at the outermost part of the posts.

NewNeighbour007 · 07/06/2024 18:43

Bankholidayhelp · 07/06/2024 18:38

If it's his fence he could be objecting to you using It as a plant support.

Doesn't explain him coming into your garden to lop it off though.

The plant was there before us, and the agreement we'd had was that the plant would be put back after they'd painted the fence. At no point did he say they weren't happy about the plant being there at all. It was beautiful as well.

OP posts:
LivelyTraybake · 07/06/2024 18:43

Rollercoaster1920 · 07/06/2024 18:42

Beware the 'anything on their side they can take off' approach. A fully owned fence should be installed fully on the owners property, with the outermost part of the fence usually the wooden posts. So the plant growing through a trellis isn't on the neighbour's side until it passes the line at the outermost part of the posts.

That is true. In our case it is our fence and technically the blooming vine is on our land so we just cut off the bits we can see.

Theweepywillow · 07/06/2024 18:43

It sounds like it was dying anyway, cutting a few tendrils off wouldn’t kill it. But it’s not your wall so you’ve no right to put a climber on it.

Zingy123 · 07/06/2024 18:44

@NewNeighbour007

I had placed the few tendrils back on and threaded them through the fence last week.

This sounds to me like you threaded it through the fence on their side.

NewNeighbour007 · 07/06/2024 18:44

Rollercoaster1920 · 07/06/2024 18:42

Beware the 'anything on their side they can take off' approach. A fully owned fence should be installed fully on the owners property, with the outermost part of the fence usually the wooden posts. So the plant growing through a trellis isn't on the neighbour's side until it passes the line at the outermost part of the posts.

It was a brick wall and I'm not sure if it's our side or there side (before our time) but that's good to know, thanks.

OP posts:
NewNeighbour007 · 07/06/2024 18:45

Zingy123 · 07/06/2024 18:44

@NewNeighbour007

I had placed the few tendrils back on and threaded them through the fence last week.

This sounds to me like you threaded it through the fence on their side.

It was woven in and out of the fence bit, yes, as it was before the plant was taken off for painting.

OP posts:
OhHelloMiss · 07/06/2024 18:46

What was the plant?

Stripeysocks1981 · 07/06/2024 18:47

LivelyTraybake · 07/06/2024 18:40

I cut off the bits of my neighbours horrible vine when the come onto my side of the fence. I don’t like it, I don’t want it in my garden. If it wraps through and round the fence I cut it off.
This is completely legal, as long as you offer the clippings back, which I did she said it was hers I was not to touch it. I know cut it off and drop it back over.

But this isn’t what’s happened is it? OP said someone’s been in to their garden and cut the plant down.

NewNeighbour007 · 07/06/2024 18:47

Theweepywillow · 07/06/2024 18:43

It sounds like it was dying anyway, cutting a few tendrils off wouldn’t kill it. But it’s not your wall so you’ve no right to put a climber on it.

The plant was there before we were. We didn't 'put a climber on it'.

The conversation was about moving it only to paint the fence.

They appear to have come round and cut it off on our side.

It wasn't dying, it was sprouting again.

OP posts:
LivelyTraybake · 07/06/2024 18:47

NewNeighbour007 · 07/06/2024 18:45

It was woven in and out of the fence bit, yes, as it was before the plant was taken off for painting.

Yes, this is exactly like the one I cut back then.
I cut it level with the fence so I can’t see it. You need to put up trellis or poles and wire on your side to support it.
You love the plant your neighbour doesn’t.

Zingy123 · 07/06/2024 18:48

@NewNeighbour007 You are contradicting yourself. It was on their side. Therefore they can do as they wish.

LivelyTraybake · 07/06/2024 18:49

It might be that the neighbour cut tendrils from his side, the plant, then unsupported, fell and was eaten by slugs/snails on the ground.

TammyJones · 07/06/2024 18:51

Whose fence is it?
Neighbour has a walk up to the fence , but the fence is yours?

Hotnamehere · 07/06/2024 18:55

It will grow again. What sort of plant is it?

NewNeighbour007 · 07/06/2024 18:57

Stripeysocks1981 · 07/06/2024 18:47

But this isn’t what’s happened is it? OP said someone’s been in to their garden and cut the plant down.

Exactly.

Also it's not a horrible vine, it was a beautiful flowering bush, given half the chance.

And the conversation was to move the plant for painting. No conversation was had about not liking it - it has lived there longer than we have!

OP posts: