Social housing landlord won't remove tree

[MinnieMountain]

Our house and the 2 adjoining it have a passageway which runs along the end of our gardens then ends in a lockable gate. There's a HA property the other side of the passage wall. End neighbours have their garage the other side of their part of the passageway.

A very large willow tree in the HA property's garden is pushing up our gate and end neigbours are concerned about it damaging their garage.

I've asked the HA to deal with it but apparently it's the tenant's responsibility. The problem is that the tenant is not in a position financially to do anything.

Is there any way we can make the HA remove the tree?

Bump

I’m not sure but I don’t think so. HA are responsible for a boundary often just a chain link type of fence. Any additional hedging or planting is responsibility of the tenant. It might be quicker and easier if you and the neighbour decide to fund the removal of the tree yourselves. Not fair to you but may get the job done.

Why can't you and the other neighbour who want it removed approach the HA tenant and offer to pay?

I was seeing if there are alternative solutions before paying.

I've barely spoken to the back neighbour but end neighbour and her DH do. She thinks her DH knows a tree surgeon who might do mates rates for him, so I suppose we'll have to go down that route.

HA tenancies usually include a clause that tenants are responsible for the trees in their garden. The HA could do works on the tree but it would be recharged to the tenant.

Removal of the tree would likely cause more damage as the roots could be quite extensive and cause subsidence.

Best hope is a mad storm, sever damage to the tree, then the HA will have to act at their own expense.

I wish I had your neighbours problem. Mine’s the opposite; we are tenants with a shared front garden containing huge conifer tree that the council won’t let us pay to be removed, even if we replace it with a native species. This is due to a blanket policy protecting all trees in borough.

Old story of having to get legal advice which would cost far more than paying to remove it. Willows are awful though for also sucking water out of the ground...we had one in the front garden and the surveyor said get it felled as a very high priority

I suppose you could threaten the HA with the small claims court? You could send them a notice before claim formal letter which might trigger a response