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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbours trimmed my bush 🫢

46 replies

Raaraathelionrah · 02/09/2024 22:16

Any advice welcomed!

We live in a semi detached house. Between ourselves and our neighbours on our front garden is a hedge dividing us. No idea who owns the boundary , the hedge is to the right of my house. Anyway, there’s a large hedge separating our front garden, 80% is in our garden and 20% in there’s. We also have a huge bush at the end of the hedge near the road , that’s tall and offers us privacy from the houses opposite. It also had lots of lovely birds living in it happily . It’s more like 90% our bush and I imagine the man who lived in our house before planted it as we have more of these bushes.

Today I came home and found the neighbours had got a gardener to come and they cut the hedge that’s on our side and our bush right down. (I’m talking from 3 meters to 1 meter) We now have no privacy at all and the birds have all gone . The gardener didn’t come on our property (We have cctv) and must have got ladders to cut our side and leaned over. We’re quite upset as now everyone can see into our lounge and the hedge and bush won’t grow back this winter, and it’s on our property and we are trying to have privacy.

Now the problem is the neighbours are in there 70s and I imagine thought they were doing us a favour maybe.

I don’t want to upset the neighbours but would I be unreasonable to go and ask them to not cut our side again? I really don’t know who the hedge belongs to , the bush I think is ours. And if so and they wanted there’s cutting down would they be cross as our part of the same hedge would be tall?! Oh the politics of hedges 🙈

We’ve lived here 6 years and it happened last year but I assumed it was a one off prune and decided to not rock the boat. Now I see it’s a yearly thing .

please advise! You can tell me to get a life and I’m being ridiculous… I’m just gutted we are now on display for the whole road to see !

OP posts:
RollerRunner · 02/09/2024 22:24

If you didn't say anything last time then it's not surprising they thought it was ok to cut again. It's really expensive to have shrubs cut so maybe they are just trying to save themselves some money and cut the full years growth back in one go.

What type of shrub is it?

Original poster
Raaraathelionrah · 02/09/2024 22:27

Yeah I didn’t say anything last time as it’s the first time they’d ever done it and I hate confrontation.

No idea what shrub it is or hedge. This summer it grew back enough from last year so gave our privacy back.

Are people allowed to cut things in your garden in your boundary and property because they’re attached?! I’m unsure

OP posts:
EsmeSusanOgg · 02/09/2024 22:30

The hedge is a bit difficult, it depends on whose it is/ is it the boundary or their side or your side. Check the info in your deeds.

But the shrub is on your property anf they should not have touched.

parietal · 02/09/2024 22:31

if the hedge and bush are on your land, then they shouldn't cut on your land. they can only cut bits that overhang their land. so if you are going to get into an argument about pruning, better work out exactly where the boundaries are.

better still, have a chat to them and ask them not to get it cut back next year. But if it is a plant that grows from 1m to 3m in a year, it must be pretty vigorous and will need some kind of annual prune if you don't want it to become a vast tree.

Original poster
Raaraathelionrah · 02/09/2024 22:36

Photo below- right of the line if there side, left is ours .

Neighbours trimmed my bush 🫢
OP posts:
CableCar · 02/09/2024 22:37

Why don't you just ask your neighbour whose boundaries are whose? If they're in their 70s then presumably they've lived there much longer than you and probably know which boundary is theirs? Just ask them. And if it's their boundary then the whole hedge is their property, so they can change whatever they like. Technically if you cut the hedge on your side, then legally you ought to give them the trimmings as the trimmings would be theirs, despite them overhanging your side.

From their behaviour, I highly suspect they own the boundary.

RollerRunner · 02/09/2024 22:38

They should cut a shrub on your land but if I were you I wouldn't mind if they did it a little bit if you hedge is causing them to have to pay for someone to come and cut it back every year. It sounds like it's very fast growing. I have some trees that have branches that overhang my neighbours garden. I always offer to cut the branches back for my neighbour as I would hate for them to incur any additional costs because of my tree.

Is your shrub an evergreen? It sounds very fast growing.

ReadWithScepticism · 02/09/2024 22:39

I don't think the birds will have been affected at this time of year, since we are well past nesting season. Since you don't know what types of plants these are, or where they stand in relation to your legal boundary, perhaps one approach would be to ask your neighbours what their understanding is of both these questions. It may well be that a vigorous pruning is appropriate, and perhaps their understanding about the property boundaries is different from yours.

Original poster
Raaraathelionrah · 02/09/2024 22:39

Yes I imagine the boundary is theres. If you can see the photo the majority of the hedge is in our land .

OP posts:
FuzzyDiva · 02/09/2024 22:41

I think you need to talk with them and check your deeds to see whose boundary it is.

CableCar · 02/09/2024 22:41

Raaraathelionrah · 02/09/2024 22:39

Yes I imagine the boundary is theres. If you can see the photo the majority of the hedge is in our land .

So if the hedge is the boundary, then they own it and can cut is as they like, sorry OP. It's probably that previous owners to your house haven't bothered maintaining it, hence why it's massively overgrown on your side, but remained neat and small on theirs?

RollerRunner · 02/09/2024 22:41

Sorry x posted. I'd double check the boundaries and then have a chat to them. They might well think they are doing you a favour but if they are your shrubs (with the stems definitely on your side) then you can ask them to leave them alone.

RollerRunner · 02/09/2024 22:43

It might be that the main stem is on you neighbours side as they might have been urging back their side of the hedge whereas your side has been allowed to grow into your garden. Iyswim

ReadWithScepticism · 02/09/2024 22:43

CableCar · 02/09/2024 22:41

So if the hedge is the boundary, then they own it and can cut is as they like, sorry OP. It's probably that previous owners to your house haven't bothered maintaining it, hence why it's massively overgrown on your side, but remained neat and small on theirs?

Show quote history

Yes, this is what I think too. If it is their hedge, but overgrown into your property, then they might well feel it appropriate to cut back the height across the whole of its width

Original poster
Raaraathelionrah · 02/09/2024 22:47

ReadWithScepticism · 02/09/2024 22:43

Yes, this is what I think too. If it is their hedge, but overgrown into your property, then they might well feel it appropriate to cut back the height across the whole of its width

Show quote history

Can I then cut the whole thing up to our boundary then so it’s not on our land at all when we draw down the boundary line? We’ll just put our own hedge in on our land. And we can grow it up as much as we want . I’m confused by it as we had no problem it being on our land when it was tall but now it’s short we wouldn’t have it like that , the rest of our hedge round the garden is the height of how it was originally.

OP posts:
freakyfriday23 · 02/09/2024 22:48

OMG i'm a keen gardener and also EXTREMELY private. I would be furioius if they had done that to our side, what a fucking cheek. I would have to say something tbh. I'd be so upset

RawBloomers · 02/09/2024 22:49

Can I then cut the whole thing up to our boundary then so it’s not on our land at all when we draw down the boundary line? We’ll just put our own hedge in on our land. And we can grow it up as much as we want . I’m confused by it as we had no problem it being on our land when it was tall but now it’s short we wouldn’t have it like that , the rest of our hedge round the garden is the height of how it was originally.

Yes. You can do this. A less ridiculous first step would be to talk to them.

Original poster
Raaraathelionrah · 02/09/2024 22:50

freakyfriday23 · 02/09/2024 22:48

OMG i'm a keen gardener and also EXTREMELY private. I would be furioius if they had done that to our side, what a fucking cheek. I would have to say something tbh. I'd be so upset

Ah thank you! We were as well- I love sitting and watching the birds- the gardener cut through the bird feeder! It feels odd someone can lean into your property and cut things down without asking! I know they can cut there side but ours as well?!

OP posts:
vipersnest1 · 02/09/2024 22:50

@ReadWithScepticism, it's not about what you think. You can't just go cutting a plant beyond your boundary - you need to ask the neighbour for permission.
They might be happy for you to go ahead or not - the choice is theirs.
The only way of legally controlling the growth beyond the boundary is to cut the plant back vertically to the boundary line, as I found out when a neighbour cut back a massive growth from my side that then re-entered further up. There was nothing I could do about it.

vipersnest1 · 02/09/2024 22:51

@Raaraathelionrah, X-posted with you, but relevant.

Original poster
Raaraathelionrah · 02/09/2024 22:53

vipersnest1 · 02/09/2024 22:50

@ReadWithScepticism, it's not about what you think. You can't just go cutting a plant beyond your boundary - you need to ask the neighbour for permission.
They might be happy for you to go ahead or not - the choice is theirs.
The only way of legally controlling the growth beyond the boundary is to cut the plant back vertically to the boundary line, as I found out when a neighbour cut back a massive growth from my side that then re-entered further up. There was nothing I could do about it.

That’s what I thought . Let’s say yes it’s there boundary, yes it’s there hedge but the stuff in our side wasn’t there’s to cut? Is that correct? I mean they are the loveliest of people, we get on well, hence why I’m upset but haven’t said anything as I think they’d be upset to think it’s caused bother. They aren’t bothered by privacy as they keep there blinds shut. We have ours fully open so we can see the birds / the sun!

OP posts:
CableCar · 02/09/2024 22:53

Raaraathelionrah · 02/09/2024 22:47

Can I then cut the whole thing up to our boundary then so it’s not on our land at all when we draw down the boundary line? We’ll just put our own hedge in on our land. And we can grow it up as much as we want . I’m confused by it as we had no problem it being on our land when it was tall but now it’s short we wouldn’t have it like that , the rest of our hedge round the garden is the height of how it was originally.

Show quote history

Yes 👍 you could do this!

Original poster
Raaraathelionrah · 02/09/2024 22:56

CableCar · 02/09/2024 22:53

Yes 👍 you could do this!

Show quote history

Thanks - as it feels odd if it’s their hedge so they can lean over into our land and do anything they want as it’s their hedge (potentially I’m guessing it is and their boundary). I don’t think we will and I’m sure I’ll send my husband over for a chat instead and it’ll be fine but if i had got it wrong I wouldn’t have . As now we have a meter of useless short hedge taking up our garden space for no benefit.

OP posts:
vipersnest1 · 02/09/2024 22:57

@Raaraathelionrah, you've got it.
You can cut back their hedge to the boundary line and then plant and grow what you want on your side.
They can have their side however they wish, but cannot legally cut your plants except trim them back to the boundary line.

Greydays3 · 02/09/2024 23:02

I would be telling them very firmly that you are very upset.
They should not be cutting on your land.
As they have shown a complete lack of respect for what you might want, i would be cutting away and removing that hedge which looks so ugly now and putting in your own wall/fence with hedging on your side.
Otherwise this will be an annual thing with them.
Its a hideous job he has done too.
Really poor.
I would be so furious.