Furious at my neighbours!

[Summersalmostgone]

They have built an extention which has majorly impacted on us but we have been as understanding as possible.
They have decided to replace the fence along our shared boundary. I specifically told them several times that I didn't want any damage to a hedge/shrub in my garden that was intertwined around the trellis at the top of the existing fence. I asked them to cut the trellis and push the hedge back over my side before taking the fence down. Well instead their builder has chopped down my hedge and burned it!!

My neighbour has apologised but seems not to think it's that big a deal. Also they have dug out the old concrete posts with a digger so all along that side my garden now has huge holes and is pretty destroyed. Is this normal?? I get the impression from
My neighbour that he thinks I should have expected this. But surely people don't go destroying their neighbours gardens when they out up new fences??

I think you need to make it very clear what you expect your neighbour to do.

Show your neighbour the damage in your garden, not just over the fence, if you haven't already seen it and request that they replace the shrubs/hedging plants you have lost and make good the holes - personally I would go down the route of asking them to pay your replacement bill and for the topsoil you'll need. Give them a list plus prices before you buy anything.

If we had a builder who had done that, I would be making good and giving you something on top as an apology.

My neighbour and his builder seem to think that they should be able to just do whatever they need to do and that the rest of us just need to let them get on with it! There's no understanding of the fact that only they are benefitting from it.
They even asked to knock down and rebuild part of our house to make their builders job easier!!!

Ask them outright how they are going to put things right for you. If they shrug, etc you might have to lay it on the line for them. State how accommodating you have been and list everything, but say they have pushed their luck too far now by ruining areas of your garden despite your very reasonable requests. You might get them to sit up and listen.

Some people are self-important arses unfortunately.

Arghh! I feel for your pain. I get so annoyed when neighbours don't respect your property. It's like they think we have jobs to pay bills for the fun of it.

As mch as you can, try to stay calm, but be assertive, and say you expect it to be put right. If they don't, or can't reasonably put it right, then ultimately if there's damage to your home you can claim on your home insurance - who will in turn claim on theirs / seek the money from your neighbours.

I'm 100% for good neighbourly relations, but remember, they're not your family or friend. You don't owe them anything.

That's a really good point about insurance.

The thing is that our garden is a bit of a mess as we are getting it landscaped soon. I'd planned to save certain plants but won't be able to now . I will be asking the neighbour to buy a replacement for the shrub/ bush thing if I can figure out what it was. Since they burned it I don't have anything left to help me id it

The neighbour told me they had to take it down as it was so close to the fence but he doesn't seem to realise they had no right and should have abandoned the digger and dug posts out by hand if necessary. I mean even if there was no choice but to remove it surely you go and discuss it first not just hack it and burn it?

I'm still furious!

Yes they definitely should have stopped and discussed it with you - I'd be very cross about it too, it can take 4-5 years to really establish a lovely flowering climber - do you have any old photos of it so someone can ID it?

Builders couldn't care less about gardens, it's all just mud and bits of wood and concrete to them, that they can shove about willy nilly.

I'd be suggesting to their builders that if they don't make good the damage, fill in the holes and replace the topsoil, and pay you compensation for your hedge so you can buy replacement plants then you will be taking them to court.

Like the insurance idea, maybe mention that to your neighbours.

Make sure you take loads of photographs.

I got £50 out of my neighbour's builder who trashed a beautiful ancient rose bush of mine, despite me actually going into the garden and pointing it out to him and telling him not to damage it, or else.

I've no photos as we've not lived here long and haven't used the garden much.

Can you describe the climber they dug out? We might be albe to help you ID it.

It had very dark green leaves and a thick bark trunk that had wound around the trellis on top of the fence( but definitely a shrub rather than a tree I think). It had white flowers.

I think possibly a choisya but I can't be certain.

Does sound like a choisya - were the flowers scented?

I'm not sure as we've not spent much time out there. The flowers are all gone now so I can't even recall exactly what they looked like.

Take a pic of the leaves if they've left any and maybe we can help. I love trying to identify a plant!

They burnt it on their bonfire so there's nothing left.

I know how you feel. I've had that kind of experience before. The only difference was that we got it settled. She gave compensation and fixed the damage. My take on this is to let your neighbor see the extent of the damage. They need to understand the inconvenience and destruction made by his builder. They need to be held accountable for the damage.

I think I'd decide it was a choisya or something personally, I think it might look a little strange that it was a special plant if you can't remember the name. It doesn't excuse them doing the damage but for the sake of the argument determining the what is a bit important.

Take photos of the damage. Then see the builder and the neighbour, and tell them both with no uncertainty that if they do not fix the damage within a specific time scale, you will be seeking damages through small claims court.