How can I make my neighbour trim her bush?

[sizeofalentil]

I’ve asked my neighbour to trim her bush, and I’m afraid it hasn’t gone down well: she is point blank refusing. Her bush backs on to our garden, so she is our backside neighbour.

Her bush has grown so massive that it’s blocking out the light from half our garden. Because the houses are built on a slope her garden is about 30ft (however big a house is?) above ours. Her bush hangs over her back fence and reaches the bottom of our garden! I’ve managed to trim about 8ft of bush, but it keeps growing back and it can only properly be trimmed from her side.

She’s under the impression that because it has grown so big that it’s technically ours, as it has grown over her property. The roots are on her side and we can’t actually reach to cut it because of the 30ft drop. Also, even if we did trim her bush ourselves, it would just grow back.

It’s not only blocking out our light but it’s stopping wildlife from visiting our garden - because the birds can’t see the artfully placed birdtables and because our cats are now hiding in the bush to pounce on birds if they do try. When we did cut a massive slice of the bush off a load of birds descended down.

We’ve called in two tree surgeons who have said not only is it a massive bush, it’s in danger of pulling down the wall and toppling everything down in to our garden. We’ve presented her with four quotes - £350 from a specialist bush trimmer, £250 from a guy who just likes to trim bushes, £100 from a bloke who won’t do the most perfect job but can scalp it - but she is ignoring us. She says she prefers the natural look (she won’t even cut it herself).

One of the tree surgeons is trying to get a council order (or something) to make her trim her bush - so she’ll have to pay £350-£400 if this goes through. I can’t afford to pay, also, it will make a mess dragging all the rubbish through the house. Last time I trimmed it herself I had to pay for someone to take away the rubbish. Also, also - it’s her damned bush. It’s her responsibility to make sure her foliage doesn’t inflict itself on her neighbours!

Going to go round there again tonight and speak to her boyfriend to see if he will be more reasonable. Going to argue that if he trims it the birds will love it, and if nothing else, it’ll make his deck look bigger.

Anything else I can say to make my neighbour trim her bush?

Sniggering at trim her bush (misses point)

Ffs auto correct! The op is not Ionia

* If someone told me that I had to pay to improve the look of their own garden, I'm afraid I would not be much pleased about it. If it offers her privacy then she is not going to be wanting to cut it down too much. *

I'm not sure if I've explained this very well, but we're 30ft below her, so the floor of her garden is 30ft above us. Then she has a wall above that. The bush is on her side and sort of spills over - so she's not getting any extra height from it, it's just spreading outwards away from her garden and creating like a canopy across our garden. Even in our topmost bedroom we couldn't see in to her garden.

Because it is spilling over and growing outwards it's really heavy and is pulling the wall down.

I don't see why she should pay £100-350 to keep you happy.

^ Because otherwise a wall will fall down in to our garden. It's already leaning. It's going to cost her more in the long run to fix.

are you going to be able to see into her garden?

^ No - she's 30ft up. We're at the bottom of the hill and she's at the top. If the bush went she'd still have a 30ft wall, then her wall on top of that. I wouldn't be able to see if even from a top bedroom in our house.

* OP, I honestly think your best bet is to get the £100 bloke, tell your you'll pay for it, and hope she agrees. I know you've said you can't afford to pay but if it gives you the benefits that you say then it is worth saving up for. Otherwise you could ask a friend if they would do it for free. To reduce that by half doesn't look too complicated to do. *

^We've asked this, but she isn't keen. Another neighbour has offered to help too, but she's still not keen.

* Anyway I would just do my side and throw it back over. I do think thee rid any way you can make her do it.*

^ We can't reach it though. We're 30ft below her, then there's her wall on top of that. :(

There is no nesting birds in the bush - that we are aware of. And if there is/was they would become cat food because the low-hanging branches mean ours and the neighbours' cats can climb in to the bush. It's become a sort-of cat treehouse at the moment.

It's actually one of the reasons why I want it trimmed back - to stop an inexperienced bird parents nesting in there and meeting an untimely cat-based end :(

Please STOP - I'm CRYING with laughter!!!

It sounds really dangerous! I am not a lawyer, but I think it sounds like it might fall under the area of garden law called 'actionable nuisance' and that you might need to do something called a section 211. Can I suggest you repost your query on the garden law forum (gardenlaw.co.uk). You will get good advice there.

I would make sure you have good cover on your home and buildings insurance too, including legal expenses!

ps. sorry for short replies… Not being arsey - trying to slyly MN at work…

Hmmm...

Hmm, if you've offered to get £100 guy yourself and she's still not keen then there's not much you can do.

The privacy thing might still be an issue for her. You won't be able to see into her garden, but if the bush goes, she might be able to see into yours. I'd rather look at greenery than into someone else's garden really.

Your first suggestion might be a good one. See if you can ask her partner about it. Does she own the wall? If so, then you would need to be careful when you cut the bush back in case you weaken the wall further. If the wall starts to fall down at that point then I have a feeling that she will be putting the blame at your door.

Stick!!!!

She says she prefers the natural look
At the moment I do too, but DH prefers the minimalist look. Does she have a partner? He might be keener on her having a trimmed bush?

I can't be the only person who got their hopes up at the thread title?

^this!
I had a bit of an immature giggle!

oh stop i am having hysterics..

its the juxtaposition between the goody two shoes who are earnestly posting about sensible garden matters and nesting birds ( hope they are not thrush) and the rest of us desperately trying to de-rail the thread

Do you remember the poster who complained that her neighbours were pinching bits from her holly tree one Christmas? She said she didn't want her bush on the table as a Christmas centre piece. 😁😬

Utterly hilarious

OP - I hope you get it sorted.

I am also very impressed with the amount of times you said BUSH in your post

Can you post a picture from a different perspective OP? Cos that doesn't look like a bush growing over a wall from a house 30 ft above,it looks like a perfectly normal bit of greenery to me. Where's the wall? Underneath it?

You are annoying me now. Did you read the nesting birds links?

A bird in the hand is worth two hands in the Bush. The birds may not like your lady garden.

Has anyone considered topiary?

Howtoorbuild - yes I clicked on it, but not sure if I'm missing something - there's no nesting birds in the bush. Birds don't even sit and sing in it. It's one of the things the tree surgeon checked for.

This thread is

OP how are you managing to ignore all the bush comments?!

I was thinking the exact same thing Blue bell!! OP HAS to be taking the piss, surely??!! Otherwise it is too hilarious.

Also, I want a tree surgeon to check my bush. I've been missing out.