Ivy problems - next door’s creeping into my garden. Fence destroyed

[Profpudding]

Hello, so I am gradually doing up my house and I’ve started to tackle a little bit of the garden.
Next Door has Ivy growing, Which as you can imagine had completely covered all along the fence. I couldn’t even see the fence to see where mine began. We’ve got a problem with the gate so we had to cut it right back otherwise we literally couldn’t see where our post was
I’ve gone out this morning to a note saying please do not cut back the Ivy on my side which is fine
But then don’t they have to?
Is there any way and I can’t see how there is but I just wondered that it can be contained on her side.
Currently it’s grown up to about 4 foot and my plan is to put a 6 foot fence in. But surely that’s just gonna push it down

If it's not your fence and not over your boundary, there's nothing you can do. Have you talked to them?

No, she’s just left me a note.

So it is my fence
But it’s her Ivy
Destroying my fence

if it is your fence she shouldn't be growing anything up it, nor hanging anything off it. I'm sure I read how it is criminal damage, although suspect not many neighbours would want it to get to that stage.
I would be explaining about possible (or already happened) damage, that you will give them time (give them an actual date) to dig up the ivy they want to save and re plant it, but it can't be on your fence.

When we had high winds recently the only part of the fence that stayed up had Ivy on it. We also have birds nesting there. Can you embrace the Ivy and just keep it trimmed?

You need to come to an arrangement with her to have it cut back. You can cut anything touching your boundary on your side or going over into your land. But she must know ivy isn't a good thing to let overrun.
We have to spend a lot on gardeners cutting it back and if it's not a joint effort between neighbours it won't work.

If it's your fence then I'd rip the full lot out. She has no rights and sure as hell won't pay to replace the fence when it's destroyed.

The note is fair enough, but talk to her like normal neighbours would and come to an agreement! Fences are boring to look at - perhaps you could both grow something non-destructive and/or evergreen like honeysuckle, clematis, jasmine, climbing wisteria, perennial sweet pea - or all of them.

If it's your fence then I'd rip the full lot out.

Not possible if the roots are on neighbour's side. Unfortunately. (I have similar problem)

Fences are boring to look at - perhaps you could both grow something non-destructive and/or evergreen like honeysuckle, clematis, jasmine, climbing wisteria, perennial sweet pea - or all of them.

The weight will damage the fence eventually.

Well, you say that, but at the moment I have got access.

I’m ripping out all the old Fencing which is picket I think
But there’s lots of light damaged slats with bits missing. This is my point if I just cut back everything that’s on my side.
Everything is gonna die on hers anyway

She will not spend a penny on her Maintainence apparently her husband left her 20 years ago and she’s trying to keep everything exactly as it was a bit like Miss Haversham 🤦‍♀️

I’ve just had another look if you imagine this picket slats and the roots of this IV have actually grown all the way around and sort of looped my fence

Double check it’s your fence on your deeds. It’s not unusual for people to think they own a fence when they don’t.
They can’t grow anything up your fence, attach anything to your fence or paint your fence unless they have your permission to do so. You can remove the ivy and put poison along the base of the fence when you renew it. He ivy will probably still try to grow up your new fence but you can renew it. I find leaning over MY fence with a hoe and pushing down clears ivy well. Ivy wrecks fences and fences are crazy expensive to renew.
If your neighbour doesn’t like the look of your fence or finds it ‘boring’ she can pop her own fence up on her own land.
Ivy is nice for wildlife but so are lots of other shrubs and plants, ones that don’t wreck your fence.
Id write her a friendly note back and let her know that you are renewing your fence and don’t won’t her to allow anything to grow up it.

If it is rooted in her side, cutting your side won’t kill the plant surely - it seems unlikely that it is erupting out of her soil then straight under or through the fr de and then up and over from your side?

I feel it’s time for photos so the water part which was completely covered with IV and neither you snore or ornament until I sniffed it all away. He’s on her side. That root that I am literally pulling away is on my side of my fence

Try again in English!
i feel it’s time for photos so the water butt which was completely covered with Ivy and neither use or ornament until I snipped it all away. Thats on her side. That root that I am literally pulling away is on my side of my fence.
Honestly, I thought the note was gonna be a thank you and here’s a fiver for your son for doing it

I manage to keep my neighbours ivy under control. I put poison down on my side and spray any that’s grown up my neighbours side. Technically I probably lean over into their land but hardly. I get on with my neighbours so it’s not an issue. Doing the ivy is something I have to do a couple of times a year. It’s just one of those things.

hmm, that needs some strong poison. You will have to keep doing it as it will keep coming back. Don’t get rid of all the leaves so that you have something to spray the poison on. You could remove all the leaves then drill holes into the stump of the ivy and pour strong weed killer in it. I’ve done that before and it’s worked.

Gawd. Could you send her some info about how ivy damaged brickwork etc? If it's on her house.

I guess you have to just maintain it from your side. Annoying as it may be. I guess you could try and go through small claims about the fence, but it could be a real pain.

Could you explain again how it literally is damaging your property, and you don't want to go down the legal route? And give her details of a decent local gardener, say if he does both at the same time it'll be easier/ cheaper etc?

If she then still won't budge then it's legal or just cut from your side.

Also, as you are likely to have problems in future I’d use concrete posts and gravel boards with slide in wooden panels. It’s more expensive but would be loads easier in the future.

Years ago we had a huge wall at the back of our garden (we no longer live there) and Ivy was coming over the top and growing downwards.

A ladder would be needed to chop it off at the top so I bought a spray bottle of weedkiller and sprayed the ends of each tendril that hung down.

It only killed the plant in parts so that only the lower part of around two foot would shrivel up and die.

The rest of it all ( it was huge ) was fine and it was the easiest way to tackle it foe the benefit of both neighbours.

I was thinking, I might get those due post composite Fencing. This is why I’ve gotta get rid of that bloody plant because it’s about five grand for the fence.
She gets really upset if my dog runs out into the garden, So it’s not like she’s not got a invested interest in me fixing it

We had neighbour wars over ivy, I hadn't realised it was such an emotive topic! No amount of neighbourly conversation was going to resolve it, and to an extent, discussion made it worse because it gave them the mistaken belief that they had rights they didn't have. We waited till the end of nesting season, because we knew they would get upset about the birds and then got the chainsaw out. We are barely on nodding terms now.

You have my sympathies.

I like your style and intended to copy it.
I don’t have the money immediately to replace the fence, but I had to take down What was there because it was going to injure somebody if it fell.
but yes, she goes away for a holiday shortly for two weeks and when she comes back her garden will be transformed
For the better

You may legally remove any ivy that is growing in you garden, ie, the ivy on the fence on your side. The only stipulation in law is that you offer her the aforementioned cuttings.

As long as you don’t encroach on the neighbours side you can remove the Ivy from the neighbours side too. My fences are technically built just inside my land so I can remove Ivy from both sides the fence. This is fairly normal.