Tree saga

[pinenuts75]

i have a tree in my back garden which admittedly has grown tall, I just can’t keep on top of it, but it doesn’t really bother me, I planted it years ago, my neighbours are complaining it is sat against their fence and want it chopping down, they have offered to do it, but I feel it’s my responsibility and how would they dispose of it all anyway? I have received a quote £200 which I was expecting it to be more to be honest, I just feel reluctant to pay it as the tree doesn’t really bother me, am I being unreasonable to ask them to pay half? As they want it chopping down not me, the thing is I have messaged her now saying I will just sort it out, I was a bit annoyed at the time as we had a bit of an argument about it last night, please help.

Don't cut the tree down! Trees are important for wildlife and for absorbing pollution.

i know but they don’t want it growing against their fence.

If it is likely to damage your neighbours fence you'll need to pay to fix it.

You'll get all the tree huggers telling you to leave it but it shouldn't be a the cost of damaging your neighbours property.

Plant a budhlia to save the bees if it makes you feel better.

How close is it? Can you post a picture?

This

Is the tree now blocking light into their garden? Or pushing against the fence?
Think the mistake was planting it so close to the fence line as a majority of times the trees will grow and affect the fences as it pushes into neighbours garden, so I can see their point.
We had to have our trees cut down as it affected the neighbours (we never planted them, they were here before us).

It might be cheaper to replace a fence panel than to remove the tree though

Issue is if it’s growing against their fence yes it needs to be moved or removed. Or you will have a much bigger bill on your hands. And you’ve already said you’d sort it, so do so.

and yes as much as trees are important it is also important they are grown in areas that do not cause damage, or if they do, it’s important to remove them, it is not trees at all costs.

But she’d need to keep replacing it, as it’s growing in that location, it will never be cheaper, she replaces it, it will just damage the next one.

Here it is

Think it’s just pushing against their fence

You could prune the bottom branches away from the fence at the bottom if you wanted to keep it.

It will change the shape of the tree but you could easily trim it away from their fence and keep the rest of it. They are right though, allowed to grow, the lower branches, which will be quite tough and spiky, will push against their fence and damage it.

That's hardly a 200 year old native bee saving tree, get it chopped!

Also it's likely to grow very tall and be increasingly expensive to remove.

I could but I think it’s just going to keep growing, and I can’t keep on top of it.

If someone has offered to get rid of it for £200 then do it. It's not a great tree and is going to grow way to big for that space and do more damage and be far more costly to remove in 3 or 4 years.

My question is should I just be paying for it? As they want it doing

I would consult a tree surgeon about cutting the tree back, away from the fence.

Wish I had never planted it now, I can’t ask my landlord as he didn’t plant it.

But it will just keep growing

ok That’s a drip feed, that you’re in rented accommodation, if they complain to the landlord he will want it removed, as he won’t be happy with you damaging a neighbours property, yes you will need to remove it.

Yes, it is your responsibility!

(Welcome to grown up life!)

My neighbours tree is much taller its roots appeared in my garden.
I can see her other tree on the other side and all the roots are way above her soil.
Roots can cause big problems to you and neighbours sometimes.
I would remove it but up to you .

Just prune the side that’s touching the fence panel, and encourage it to grow away from the fence with regular trimming (you can google how)