AIBU to resent being asked to pay for neighbours cutting back our tree?

[Eatyourgreensplease]

We have lived in our house for 20+ years in most of that time the house next door to us has been rented out with various families having lived in the house in that time. Recently the landlord evicted a family and is making extensive improvements to the house because of the damage caused.
We have a tree on our boundary (think ornamental blossom type) which we keep shaped and tidy on our side. We have done the same on the neighbours side in the past but recently the tenants in the property have not been in agreement to us doing this. As a result the tree has grown into the neighbours garden quite significantly and no attempt has been made to keep it trimmed. Today the landlord has asked us to pay to have the tree cut back to the boundary line and for the debris to be removed. Apparently the letting agent has advised them that if we don’t agree to do this, then the branches should just be thrown over into our garden!

We agreed will cut back the tree and deal with the debris, but am I unreasonable to think the landlord and previous tenants are CFs who should have not allowed it to get to this state? And while I recognise that it is by law their right to cut back the tree that has grown onto their property, it’s also unreasonable to expect us to pay to deal with that? Surely that’s just something we all take care of in our own gardens?

I have looked at this before, but my council wanted something like £300 just for them to come out and look at it. Plus, before that you need to have attempted to solve the problem amicably, and/or via mediation. I can assure you this won't be solved by me asking politely.

And it isn't just one set of neighbours...honestly, it's really not me that's the problem, although I do appear to be the common denominator here! I'm just surrounded by people with gardens they are unwilling to maintain.

They can cut it back.

You have no obligation to pay for it.

They should offer the cuttings to you.

you can decline

they should not throw them over - but they probably will.

The High Hedges Act does not apply to deciduous trees.

I have read the last paragraph, OP talks about is it unreasonable to expect her to pay for it to be sorted. Hence my comment about a tree surgeon 🤷‍♀️. Yes, she says “we agreed will cut back the tree” but she doesn’t say she’s personally going to cut it back. Maybe she is, not overly clear.

But with two comments in the OP about paying to have it cut back it didn’t seem a crazy jump to think she’s talking about a tree surgeon. 🤷‍♀️. I doubt she’s paying a sparky to sort it.

I agree I can understand why you got where you did 😊 just hope they can work it out and arrange a plan for them to maintain their own garden choices rather than expect their neighbours to worry about it.

Be as patronising as you wish but it was you who has not read it properly. They tried to keep up with the maintenance, they were told they weren’t allowed. LL/EA should have told the renters to sort it when they were there, considering it’s part of their contract to keep up with things like that while residing there.

Our neighbours asked us to remove some branches of an oak tree and I realised the tree needed work on our side too. I paid the whole cost of the tree surgeon and they came with a shredding machine and completely cleared up both gardens.

I'm not trying to be patronising, just following your lead reread your original comment to me. My comments stand, when I read the first few paragraphs they seem like the perfect neighbours, read the last and the real issues come out.

Why would you need legal advice? The neighbour who owns the tree doesn’t have to pay to trim it on your side, you can legally trim it from your side only up to the boundary and then offer the cuttings back

Very strangely it's the person that owns the tree complaining, not the neighbours it's most odd.

OK, it costs £300 but what does it cost for you to get it cut?

All you need to do is write to them and ask them to talk to you about it, if the answer is no then go to The Council.

I suggest making one application for the lot

You're right - I will look into it again. Thanks for the kick up the arse!

Yabu. It's your tree, you should deal with it. You should also be asking whether they mind your tree growing over onto their side, as a courteous neighbour.

I always trim my trees so they don't encroach on neighbours. I have one that's a bit questionable and I've said to the neighbours they can remove any branches that annoy them, or I'm happy to.

Yes but the comment I replied to was saying if they were the neighbour that didn’t own the tree.

@PlutarchHeavensbee Is a laurel hedge deciduous? I don't know exactly what type it is, but I thought they were evergreen.

Sorry, I've just ended up grumpy due to people expecting others to deal with their stuff, can you imagine if we put our car in their front garden and expected them to deal with it cause it was in their garden. Not a you thing apologise again.

You're just making rubbish up. This has no legal basis.

Be as unaware of reality all you want, that is how it works and there is nothing else to say about the matter. Pay for it, do it yourself, or leave it.

Why plant your tree on the boundary. I would never entertain buying a property that does for exactly the situation you are in.

Trees live for years!
I have a huge tree on my boundary that predates the houses being built - should I get that dug up and moved too?

Often on MN posters just like to post a silly, snippy "you should have" post but this one really takes the biscuit.

What utter nonsense.

What if you bought a house that happened to have a tree on a boundary which many have?

If I like the tree then I’d prefer to pay and get it done in a way I find aesthetically pleasing, I also don’t see much difference in doing it annually versus once every few years.

yes you can refuse, but thr risk is you won’t like what it looks like.

There are classic types of MN posters who simply love to post blaming posts like this with silly "why didn't you?" advice that is of no use to the current situation.

It's an odd character trait but it takes all sorts I suppose.

As a previous large trees in garden owner, this is the cost of those trees IMO. You took that responsibility on when you bough the house and knew you had a tree on a boundary.

There is a compromise with the neighbour about who / how / cost should be sorted.

FWIW, I do not think a boundary dispute (which affects any house sale in future) is not worth falling out over tree surgeon costs. Get it trimmed, pay up, move on in life and enjoy your nice tree.

My concern would be if they hack it back will the tree survive whereas if you pay someone they will probably do a better job. It’s the wrong season for tree trimming it’s much better done end of autumn. I’d be tempted to point out any nesting birds and get the whole tree trimmed when you’d normally do your side.