Overhanging trees...

[willow2]

So neighbours tree is now massive, hangs over the alley between our houses and over my garden. Also blocks sun as is directly in line with sun as it starts to set. What do I do? Ask them nicely to cut it? Ask the council to cut it? (It does overhang common round before it gets to me.) Should add that don't know them - house backs on to ours but is in another road. What I do know of them I'm not keen on - when their kids sent yet another football over into the garden, landing on our supper and sending glass flying, I went around to ask if she could get the boys to be a bit more careful. I would have offered to pay for the broken wine glass, she barely apologised.

I think the advice is always to start with the tree owner - so ask her nicely? You could also make preliminary enquiries with the Council and see if they will cut it, if she doesn't co-operate? And I guess if you really don't want to speak to her, and the Council will cut it, you could just get them to do it and she presumably need never know that the original request came from you ?

Message withdrawn

Also, anything that is actually overhanging your garden you can cut down yourself (I think you have to give the cuttings back or it's theft, you'd have to check that). That's what we do with the huge lilac tree that overhangs our garden - we just hack great big bits of it off each year. We don't give it back, btw, neighbour is not a great gardener and so far has not objected to us hacking at his tree.

If it overhangs your garden,you can cut it-just make sure that you offer your neighbour the cut off bits back.

If you live in a conservation area,check with the council first or you could end up with a fine if the tree is protected.