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Original poster

HELP. Dream house, Freaking out about big bush.

102 replies

Chickenandeggz · 06/01/2023 21:52

Long story short as I appreciate it could be very boring.

After ages, and I mean AGES, of looking for a home to buy we finally found a lovely house.
Offer made. Estate agents did their thing to drive up the price. More negotiation etc etc. Made our best and final. Offer accepted. BOOM.

Fast forward a few weeks later. Phone call from EA to inform us NEIGHBOR of the property has told them that there is an ongoing dispute between him and said property over neighbors massive bush. This is the first we had heard of it.

Upshot is.... after several years of back and forth the council have ordered neighbour to cut bush height by 4 meters (it's huge) as it blocks out all light from ground floor and the sky is not visible.
Neighbor has refused to comply as he feels it negates the privacy of his swimming pool from which he entertains for 6 months of the year- he has thus appealed which means the case has gone to the planning inspectorate 5 counties away. I have been told by caseworker this is unlikely to be sorted for a very long time.

So the house (our house) is a lovely 1980s job. Kept lovely but nothing's been updated so could be £££ (just had a quite as it needs new windows...£25k!) I really like it but its fairly run of the mill when compared with the neighbors massive multi-million pound pile.

Location is ideal for kids school etc and it really is sooo hard to get a property in this community.

At the time I attributed the dark rooms to the fact it is north facing and its a bleak time of year. I thought through these implications and decided I could live with this. I am unsure as to what to do about this. I'm stressed- we are living in a moldy rental with 3 small children, our last house fell through so we came out of the chain so as not to lose the people who bought our house.

Husband is a light worshipper. He is really not happy and quite rightly he's gutted that we could inherit this ongoing war.

Had wr have known this we definitely would not have offered top dollar. Reason being is if worse happened and the bush remained I'd want to extend out the other side in order to maximize light and happiness. We couldn't afford to do this given the price we are paying.

I feel sad.

WWYD?

OP posts:
Yarnosaura · 06/01/2023 23:29

If the neighbour has a pool does this mean the gardens are pretty big? If so I'm struggling to see how one tall 'bush' can block so much light. Do you know what species it is?

MakingTheVeganYorkshirePud · 07/01/2023 00:03

@Yarnosaura it's 132ft (10 metres) in the UK. I've lived here all my life and I'd have called something that height a tree. I've never seen a bush that big. Think the OP might gave got the measurements wrong.

MakingTheVeganYorkshirePud · 07/01/2023 00:03

32 feet sorry 😞

RubyPip · 07/01/2023 06:49

This is a really tough one.

Whether I would walk would depend on just how rare the house is, how many boxes it ticked, and price.

The Bush issue may well get sorted, but ask yourself if you would be happy living their if it doesn't get resolved.

I bought a house with a neighbour dispute, I decided to risk it and I went out of my way, and I mean ridiculously out my way, to 'win' that difficult neighbour around and after a few years (it took a while) she voluntarily did what I wanted (similar issue with bush/tree height).

But my offer did reflect the dispute.

I would lower your offer by however much you feel is appropriate, submit the offer via your solicitor to their solicitor.

Explain that you were NOT aware of the dispute at the time of offer and as such, your revised offer is X amount.

Remember there is always another house, if you have doubts, and it's better to lose out a few thousand now than move in and regret it.

Personally, I'd offer at least 10% lower and if they reject it, walk away.

watchfulwishes · 07/01/2023 06:59

after several years of back and forth the council have ordered neighbour to cut bush height by 4 meters (it's huge) as it blocks out all light from ground floor and the sky is not visible.
Neighbor has refused to comply as he feels it negates the privacy of his swimming pool from which he entertains for 6 months of the year

There are three issues - bush height, hostile neighbour, pool parties.

No way I would proceed with this. Withdraw and start searching again.

RubyPip · 07/01/2023 07:45

living there* not their

Original poster
Chickenandeggz · 07/01/2023 07:50

It's 10 meters. I know seems crazy but it is! Leylandi. A tree. Also known as a bush :)

Their house is huge. They don't have a garden they have grounds. Patio area, formal garden and lawns. Their pool is movable (it's a good quality put up job and they have staff to help) but they apparently like it in the same place.

Their house/ pool is quite far away from us as they probably sit in a couple of acres so not too concerned about parties as such.

OP posts:
Witsendwilly · 07/01/2023 07:53

I am confused.

so the issue is that the bush might have to stay the same as it was when you viewed and fell in love with the house?

Had you spotted it and decided you would want to approach the neighbour about trimming it when you viewed? If not, then what has changed?

PurBal · 07/01/2023 07:54

I’m not sure to be honest. A family member is going through a boundary dispute (the neighbour took a hedge down, they both believed it to be theirs) and it’s been going on about 3 years at vast expense, estimate £60k. Fortunately it’s covered by insurance but if you know about the dispute moving in then I doubt it would be. I’d assume the hedge isn’t going anywhere, so if it’s a problem then I’d look elsewhere.

CoffeeBoy · 07/01/2023 07:56

I’d be more bothered about the neighbour entertaining at an outdoor pool for six months of the year to be honest. Sounds like noisy hell on Earth.

PritiPatelsMaker · 07/01/2023 07:57

I've read your updates and I'd still walk away.

CoffeeBoy · 07/01/2023 07:59

Also the neighbours argument about privacy is surely bollocks, a 4m bush is still massive and gives privacy. You don’t need a 10m high one. So neighbour is definitely a twat.

piedbeauty · 07/01/2023 08:01

You've dodged a bullet. The owner should have told you of the dispute.

If your h loves light so much, how come he didn't notice that all the rooms were dark?

I'd hate a neighbour who gave pool parties for 6 months of the year.

Run away and look for another house, would be my advice.

boboshmobo · 07/01/2023 08:02

Pool parties are very noisy! I'm amazed they are allowed with neighbours so close in gardens!

We had one in my childhood home and the create a lot of noise all summer ( we didn't have anyone close by)

ittakes2 · 07/01/2023 08:04

I think you need to check yourself - you saw the house and was happy. You didn't say I am happy with the house but when I move in I will need to have the bush cut.
Second thing is its illegal for the owner to not tell you about the dispute. This happened to my friend and she realised after she had bought the house she was not told about something and she received legal advice and was given the option of not taking the house at no cost to herself or a £80k reduction in price (which she took). Go back to your seller and negotiate a discount.

sausage767 · 07/01/2023 08:05

I’m confused, you viewed it with the bush as is, and decided the light in the house was acceptable. Surely if you let the ‘problem’ neighbour know you have no objection to the bush, he will cease to be a problem?

But agreed, constant pool parties could be an issue.

PritiPatelsMaker · 07/01/2023 08:06

Also think they are selling it to you in the winter so that the disturbance from the Pool Parties isn't as obvious.

ittakes2 · 07/01/2023 08:06

Personally I would be telling the neighbour you are fine with the bush and hope you get invited to the pool parties - and I would be telling the seller they should legally have told you about the dispute and asking for a substantial discount.

JustWhattheDoctorOrdered · 07/01/2023 08:18

If they are leylandii you can’t trim them at the top. They don’t regrow from the cut part. I know this as we have a row of them planted by previous owners. They have got massively tall, block the light and the roots are so big that no grass will grow over 50 percent of the garden. I got a tree surgeon to cut the tops and he warned me they would look weird. And they do. They’ve got stumpy tops now and always will have. They will have to be removed completely at some me point but I can’t face it or afford it right now.

Movinghouseatlast · 07/01/2023 08:18

As someone who has been involved in a neighbour dispute that nearly killed me I would not move next door to this man.

The pool.parties may be acres away but sound carries. You need to ask your vendor about the nature if the noise. My neighbour a quarter of a mile away plays loud music in his garden and I can hear it as clearly as if he was right next door.

Witsendwilly · 07/01/2023 08:21

Someone is going to have to explain to me why this is a problem!

If the bush was going to be yours and you were banking on it for privacy, and the neighbours were wanting it doe then I see why it would be an issue. Since you were apparently happy to buy the house as is, and it’s the neighbours bush, then what’s the problem? Just withdraw the request to have it cut and there is no longer a problem.

Notcontent · 07/01/2023 08:29

Witsendwilly · 07/01/2023 08:21

Someone is going to have to explain to me why this is a problem!

If the bush was going to be yours and you were banking on it for privacy, and the neighbours were wanting it doe then I see why it would be an issue. Since you were apparently happy to buy the house as is, and it’s the neighbours bush, then what’s the problem? Just withdraw the request to have it cut and there is no longer a problem.

OP wants to buy house. Neighbour owns very tall bush. Neighbour has disclosed that there is an ongoing legal dispute between owners of house and neighbour about the size of the bush.

Witsendwilly · 07/01/2023 08:31

Notcontent · 07/01/2023 08:29

OP wants to buy house. Neighbour owns very tall bush. Neighbour has disclosed that there is an ongoing legal dispute between owners of house and neighbour about the size of the bush.

Show quote history

And? Just agree with the neighbour that it stays?

OP had no issue with it (that I am
aware of) until the neighbour told her that the current owner of the house OP decided to buy with the bush in situ wanted it removed.

Just make peace with the neighbours and agree it can stay, then look forward to a decent relationship with them and invites to party’s.

calmholly · 07/01/2023 08:38

Go and talk to the neighbour, ask if it's just the war with the current owner he's stuck on or really keeping the bush. You definitely don't want this headache. It also shows what horrible neighbours they are. Even if you resolve this issue then you know they won't be neighbourly and could pick another issuer to row over. Could you get a huge discount and still proceed?

Ariela · 07/01/2023 08:40

I would go visit the bush neighbours, explain you really like the house and ask if they can tell you the history of the dispute over the bush. It may be it's a 'neighbours don't get on' situation that's just got worse and worse. We had this between a pair of semis in our road, the elderly couple one side didn't get on with the younger arty family next door, to the extent they didn't speak, only the women did. When the elderly couple died their daughter and husband moved in and carried on the feud. Their house was sold a couple of years ago to a young pair who are always round with the neighbours and get on fine.
See what their thoughts are next door re reasonable neighbours next door - is there any room for compromise eg moving pool, reducing height of bush etc