Is my neighbour being cheeky??

[Rainbows41]

I would like to know who's responsibility is it to clear the overgrowing brambles and ivy from this person's fence?
This person thinks it's mine.
Their fence isn't attached to my property, however...
My house is a terraced house. The house immediately on one side has a garage, along with mine, in its own car park. This car park is 2-3 houses away. The garages are not backed up against anything and stand freely.
My garage is on the right, with car park space around it, before there is a fence, fencing it off from a house.
This house has a huge tree over hanging my car park area where the birds are obliterating my car.
The people from this house very recently cut down a few trees from their back garden, leaving just this one. The entire tree overhangs the cat park, so literally just it's trunk remains in their garden.
I knocked and politely explained the issue I am having with the bird poo, and the tree over hanging etc. I asked if they could look into cutting the tree down.
He ummed and awwed, and agreed it will be done, at some point but not immediately.
That's fine. I'm happy with that. There's nothing more I can do, I guess.
However.....
When he came round to the car park to view the tree from my view point, he asked who owns this land.
I'm not entirely sure, but i would assume it's part of my property, as it's exclusively for mine and my neighbours garages. He pointed to his fence, which is 90% covered in half dried, half alive vegetation, brambles and god knows what. All of this growth is over spilled having grown from his garden, up, over his fence and down onto "my side".
I was honest and said to him, it looks like overgrowth having come from his garden.

Who is responsible for this?
He said it is damaging his fence. I feel like he may be taking the liss if I'm honest, but I'm not entirely sure.

I will draw a diagram to show you where my house is situated, where the cat park is and where this person's fence is.

Look for the roots and see which side they are on.

My fence is falling down and the ivy from our neighbours side does not help. I just pull it off and lean it over their side

As for the tree, if its overhangs your property then you can cut it yourself.

I'd you're not sue its your land then check your deeds.

You can trim anything on your side up to the fence. If it’s your neighbors fence it’s their job to repair it. They could choose to leave the brambles on their side.

On the other hand, you could just agree to split the difference and get the brambles sorted once and for all to have a clean car. The fruit acid and bird poo will likely cause more damage to your property than just chipping in to sort it properly and quickly.

If the roots are on his land that is an easy solution for him, right??

I will draw a diagram

👏

Just trim whatever is over hanging in your area. They don’t have to cut a tree down from their garden because it inconveniences you

I have colour coded each house to its corresponding garage.
My house is the red one, as is the red garage.
The dark green house to the right of the car park, is the house who have overgrown brambles etc on their garden fence.
(Just incase you're trying to work out what the pink flat is all about, their flat is a coach style property, which spreads out like a bridge over the entrance of the car park.)

Thank you for your reply.
Their tree is taller than my house and arches entirely over their fence, like an umbrella over my side of the car park. It is entirely impossible to "trim" anything as it has boughs that are extremely thick, and again, ridiculously high.

You could get a tree surgeon to chop off everything overhanging your side of the fence.

That's a good idea - but would it not grow back?

Could you ask them if they’d be ok with you getting someone in to do it properly then? The over hang is the affected person’s responsibility but the tree owner doesn’t have to get rid of a tree. (Sounds like the tree itself is an issue and not just over hang)

That's fair. Thank you.

It might be just me OP, but it would have been helpful if you'd actually marked the tree on your diagram, as I personally am struggling to make head nor tail of where it is??

Ok, one sec....

Why don't you park your car in your garage, it's safe from the bird poo then. Tbh I think he's just annoyed about you complaining about the tree and bird poo so is complaining back at you about random brambles and ivy. Personally I think it's a shame to cut a tree down so an inanimate object doesn't get poo on.

anything overhanging your property if he does not want to cut back you can hire someone to come in and cut it back at your own cost. In law you must offer what you cut off back to him (throw back for when they used this to burn).

But he isn't obliged to do it but you can either anything overhanging

Yeah I also agree. I'm against cutting trees down, as they're lovely.
Unfortunately, these garages were not built for the care of today, which means the car doesn't actually fit inside it with room to open doors and get in/out.
My issue was more about the fence issue really. He's already agreed to get the tree sorted, because it was already on his list of things to do, so I'm more than happy knowing that it will eventually be going. The tree is pointless, as it's growing at such an awkward angle as it is, and actually it's roots are doing more damage to his fence, than what the brambles are.
I did also wonder whether he got his back up a little, and decided to be a tad petty about the brambles. It had honestly never occurred to me up until that point, that they would be my responsibility? I mean if they are, I will get them gone, but I'm not doing his work for him, if he is just being tit for tats

It's expensive having tree work done so he probably just doesn't want to get it done so is being weird and petty about the brambles/ivy. Check your deeds, it will show if the bit of land next to the fence is your responsibility. I never used the garage for the car at my old place, was too lazy to muck about opening and shutting the door.

Fair play for finding markers and colouring pencils to draw your diagram. No post such as this is complete without a diagram.

I would think the brambles are entirely his responsibility since they start on his side? They are not bothering you so you don't have an issue and don't need them removed. I would also think the tree is his responsibility to sort but you can cut branches if they over hang your property. This may be expensive but worth it to get rid of the bird poo issue.

Are you sure the land where you park is actually yours or communal? Is there a management company? It seems odd (but not implausible) that the car park around your garage is your land.

If it's not your land then you can't cut the branches yourself. I think I would be as nice as possible to him and see if you can come to some arrangement to get the tree branches cut asap.

Now that I know where the tree is, I agree with 'CommentHere' and think it unlikely that the land actually belongs to you. You may have a right of access over it, but the fact that it appears open to anyone to drive through, makes me think it doesn't actually belong to you. I would suggest you check your Deeds, as your land will likely have a red line around it to indicate where your boundary is.

I wouldn't worry about the brambles. I honestly think he's spent a lot of money having trees taken down and doesn't want to spend anymore. I bet if you offered to pay to have the tree cut down he'd probably let you as he doesn't sound against it coming down. But if it's big it could easily be thousands to remove and get the stump out.

Thanks everybody for taking the time to reply.
You've helped loads.