HA responsibility question

[Usernumber1234]

Hi,
I wonder if anyone can advise me with HA (housing association) garden issue?
I am a long term tenant, same property 10+ years.
3/4 of my garden has 6/7’ fence but the remaining 1/4 the fencing is approx 3’.
The fence itself wouldn’t bother me were my neighbours to maintain their property.
The patch remains overgrown. Trees, nettles, briars etc. I cut this down regularly. I have a set of swings, slide activity set up (prior to them moving in).

I’m having to regularly climb up a ladder & cut the tree down, nettles etc so that it doesn’t cause any issues with DC using the equipment.
Im a single, full time working parent.
My neighbours, 2 Parents, working husband.
I don’t want to cause grief with my neighbours particularly.. I don’t know them very well but I have a grievance with the HA as over the years I have seen them fix this issue with newer tenants prior to them moving in.
Where do I stand with this? Reason for asking is I’ve just cut my grass this weekend but to be able to cut it without injury to myself I’ve had to cut their side back as it was actually preventing me.
I think the HA should be responsible for this as I am having to put myself in danger.
There are way more issues than this, such as said garden is used as a dog toilet, litter etc which I’m keeping separate. I realise that I’m frustrated as when I do maintain my garden, said neighbours close their curtains purposely so as if not to notice I’m cutting down/struggling with their side……
Can I write to my HA pre-informing them that I will lodge a claim if they don’t do anything?

If I'm reading this correctly, your problem is that your neighbours don't maintain their garden and brambles etc are growing over your fence along with tree branches which you are having to cut back to the fence line otherwise the branches could cause injury to anyone using your climbing frame.
If so it's not your HAs responsibility to maintain your garden that's your job including cutting back weeds and plants that grow into your garden. You are allowed to cut back trees to your fence line.
If you fall and injury yourself gardening that's not the fault of the HA and you will not be able to sue anyone. If you feel unsafe cutting the tree back you can hire a professional to do it, also you can move your climbing frame.
Unfortunately it's a fact of life that if you have a garden you will end up trimming back weeds, ivy, trees and hedges unless you pay to fully enclose your garden with a six foot fence and even then you still have ivy, brambles and trees to deal with.

You can report them to the housing association as they would be expected to keep their garden maintained to a certain standard but it’s not likely to be very successful as if they were to continue with any action against your neighbour it’ll take a very long time

why don’t you replace the fencing with higher fencing? They’ll let you do that

edited to say- not sure what you mean by lodge a claim but you don’t have a legal claim or anything

I get that it’s not their issue to maintain, however newer tenants have had their fences replaced so that it is not an issue……

Following , because my DM is the one with the tree that her neighbours hate. It's on her side of the fence but the blossoms fall onto their garden and the wife has severe hayfever .
My DM is poor, single on a state pension and they want her to go halves on cutting down the birds and squirrels home tree and she refuses.
The HA want nothing to do with it .

Do you mean you just want them to replace the fence? That’s a totally different question, just call them and ask.

housing associations rarely replace fences unless they’re blown down though, and most tenancy agreements say they are the tenants responsibility. What does yours say?

Did you not read that I’m the single parent?
Neighbours younger than me. 1 works. 1 doesn’t?
Maybe read the thread?
An elder person I would completely understand! No comparison!

I Think you must’ve misunderstood that poster wasn’t having a go at you! Just following to see who was responsible

@AquaPeer ok, reading back I’m willing to accept different circumstances. Thank you for your input

That's irrelevant. Your fence is sound and the HA is not responsible to replace it just because you want a higher fence. Before a new tenant moves in the HA will do a walk around and check things such as the stability of the fence and will replace any that needs replacing after that it's generally the tenants responsibility to maintain it.
Look I get it it's shit and annoying my neighbours have let their side of the boundary hedge grow to over 10 feet tall and I've been in an 18 month argument with the council to get it cut down (local bylaws and tenancy agreement says no higher than 6 feet), the council have finally agreed to cut it down to 6 foot and bill the neighbours but can't do it until after nesting season.

It will likely tell you in your tenancy who is responsible for the fence or you can call and ask.
in my HA i an responsible for fence, my friend in another area the HA replace when needed so its all different.

I probably should have mentioned that the fence line in question would usually fall on the neighbours responsibility

That’s interesting. I’m talking at least 15’,

I am having to get on a ladder to cut it down

Individual trees are generally exempt from high hedge laws unless your talking about a hedge of conifers unfortunately

Ok, so I wanted to post as to see other people’s opinions. I guess I’m being unreasonable, so how do I approach this?
i am willing to accept I’m being unreasonable with the HA, but I am trying to take one step at a time.
So, regardless of it not being my responsibility or HA, deliberate litter (plastic bottle's,. Dog poo that means the back doors can’t be opened etc, even in summer how would you suggest dealing with this? My responsibility to clear up neighbours mess?

Because I want to use the garden?

We live in a HA property and there will be nothing they will do. The garden is the tenants responsibility entirely, all you can do is cut trees and anything else back to the fence line.

You complain to the HA about the rubbish, lack of garden maintenance and the smell caused by it and the dog waste.
You contact your local environmental health department about the dog waste and rubbish (if we're talking about bags/piles of rubbish not just the odd bit)
Finally if you believe that the dog is being neglected you contact the RSPCA.
The council and the HA have a duty to act if the garden is a biohazard but they'll drag their feet about it. 1st they come out and asses the mess and decide if it's a statutory biohazard or not (be prepared to push back on it), if not the environmental health department will wash their hands of it (try to get them to come out when it's sunny and particularly stinky). If they do agree that it's a biohazard then they will send a letter telling them to sort it (which the neighbours are likely to ignore), they will repeat the letters several times and finally tell the HA to deal with it. Your best bet is to get multiple neighbours to complain repeatedly (I found weekly worked best) and know that your in this for the long hall.
I'm going to guess that the rubbish and dog mess are the real problem and the weeds/tree are just the straw that broke the camels back, which is understandable but still unreasonable so don't bring up the weeds/tree as you'll be pegged as a nuisances, just concentrate on the rubbish and dog waste and accept that you'll be lucky to get it sorted by summer 2026 unfortunately and then may have to go through this all again before the HA will evict them.

Have you asked the HA to deal with the dog mess etc? Have you asked them if they'd replace the short fence? I doubt they'll do the fence but I'd guess they may write to them about the garden mess and risk of pests and damage to fences etc. if I were you I'd save up for a higher fence.

Unfortunately it’s just the way it goes with neighbours. You can’t control their behaviour you just have to live along side them

try all the reporting and complaints suggested here

the fences responsibility isn’t relevant as such because the fence doesn’t need replacing, you just don’t like it because it’s not high enough.

regardless of ownership it’s highly likely you can replace the fence for a higher one at your own cost. I know you don’t want to pay for it, but if no one else will that’s the only way the fence will get big enough to hold back their over grown garden.

presume the dog poo and bottles are in their garden, they’re just smelly/ overflowing into yours? A taller fence will fix that

Have you actually spoken to your neighbours?

Well you can start by apologising to me, for your ranty response, I was kinda sympathising with you, but not so much now .
Good luck I guess 👍.

@Doingtheboxerbeat I did say I misread your comment. I didn’t intentionally mean to misinterpret it or to rant.

I immediately felt bad for posting that, sorry for piling on and I do understand 💐.

I’m cleaning stressing too much 🌷