Excuse me Mr Neighbour, your ivy is a bit massive.

[funnylittlekaty]

We have a big ivy problem. Our side return and wall of our house (end of terrace) backs on to another garden where a right funny (not haha) chap lives. He has an ivy which has grown right up over his house obscuring one of his windows and right up our wall and is working its way into our chimney. We really need to get rid as it doesn't help our winter damp problems and could be working into the mortar between the bricks. I've knocked a few times to ask him to cut it down but he's not been in and as it is covering his whole house and garden, I don't imagine he's too bothered. Can we ask him to pay to get it dealt with? Whose responsibility is it? Don't want to be stuck with a massive bill because he hasn't kept his foliage trimmed. (Snort)

its your responsibility to cut it surely. i think you can cut anything off that is on your property and you have to offer the foliage to him, which he can then reject if he wishes.

ivy is a nightmare. our neighbour has it. why anyone would grow such an invasive weed i don't know

Some advice (which I can't vouch for) here.

It may be that your neighbour has some responsibility in law for dealing with the ivy problem, but as there's no prospect of him doing so any time soon, by the sound of it, your choices seem to be getting embroiled in a legal dispute or dealing with it yourself. The bill for getting someone to remove the ivy might well be less than the cost of going to court.

Send one of the DCs round while he's out and cut it through at the base. Watch it wither away.
Save yourself a fortune.

CuttedUpPear - I have two ivies which I'm desperate to kill. It's a year since I cut through them at the base (and in one case even removed a 6 inch section of the main stem). They're still both as green and lush as ever. The adventitious roots must be keeping them going. I'll be using napalm Brushkiller next.

Following advice I received from mumsnet, pull back as much as possible before you kill it. It's much easier to remove while it's green!

agreed - easier to dislodge from your brick&mortar when is still alive...

Oh yes Maud I know that cutting off at the base will encourage new growth. I was just suggesting a quick fix to save the OP's masonry. And it was a last sleepy post before bedtime!

Stumpkiller is my friend. But sending a DC round with that and a brush might be a bit dangerous, that might be a mission for the OP after some fortifying draughts of .

Have put a note through his door after steeling myself and knocking only to find him out. I've been round 3 times now! He has cardboard boxes in his window and his letterbox is held on by blue tac. My hopes for splitting a whopping bill are dwindling. We need access to his garden at any rate, even if we have to pay for it ourselves. Like the idea of creeping round, all boozed up, on a ivycide mission. Armed only with liberal doses of ivybegone and an empty bottle of prosecco...

Fingers crossed for you!