Patio roof under neighbours apple tree

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We live in a small mid terrace house with a tiny back patio (5x6m) bordering with other neighbours.
One of our neighbours has a tall apple tree which drops lots of leaves and rotten small apples most of the summer and autumn. It is damaging my potted plants and the flooring of-course and required constant work!
I just came up with idea to install a temporary patio roof attached to one of my patio walls. The roof will be slanted in a way that most of the apples and leaves will slide/bounce back to the neighbours property.
Not sure how this will look aesthetically but I am just so tired of cleaning the leaves and rotten fruit from my patio.
What do you ladies think? Is this even legal? Seems a bit cheeky but what else can I do?
I have enquired about tree surgeon but will be difficult and expensive because the tree is very tall.

What do your neighbours say?

We did not ask about the roof. Is this what you mean?
Otherwise, I believe it's up to us to deal with dropped leaves/apples on our property.

Sounds like it’d be cheaper to have a tree surgeon cut overhanging branches back...? I’m not sure how a patio awning would be cheaper?

What about a garden sail? Designed for water run off, they are pretty sturdy. I think apples would roll off. Leaves might stick if wet though causing discolouration over time.

Why not just cut the tree back to your property line?

Why not discuss it with the said neighbour before doing anything? It doesn't need to be confrontational, just a reasonable conversation. Like ' can we have a little chat about your apple tree? Are you thinking of having it pruned this year? I'm just asking because the leaves and fruit are a problem for me and the tree is growing very tall'.

For all you know, they might be having it cut back and this would be the ideal opportunity to ask if they would do your side at the same time. If they want to leave the tree, you can then say you will put a sloping roof on your side so fruit rolls back into their garden.

It’s not an Apple tree is it!? Maybe a crabapple. Apples are not small and produced all summer. Neither are they tall trees. So talk to the neighbours first. I’d get an awning personally. Something well constructed to provide shade. A half cut back tree will make it lopsided and unstable in wind. Could even kill it. But you are entitled to cut it back on your side. Will look very ugly though so you will still want to disguise it!

I have a cheaper solution.
Pick the apples up.
Leaves happen. Every year.
Its just nature OP - can’t you just collect the fallen fruit and leaves and put them in your compost bin? Free compost, it would save you buying it.

Wouldn’t your patio roof need guttering? Otherwise rainwater will just pour off it. If you have guttering it will fill with apples and leaves.

to the pp, I have an apple tree, the baby apples that don’t make it to Autumn fall off all summer, I assume the OP means this. All fruit trees shed their weak fruit from as soon as the blossom falls. My bloody plum tree does it as well.

Another one wondering why you’d not just cut back the overhanging branches.

You have the legal right to have the tree cut back if it's overhanging, but you you have to give the cut off bits back to your neighbour. I would speak to them first and do it that way. I think a patio roof would look a bit odd

Have you asked the neighbour to cut back the overhanging branches?

However surely even if it is a big/productive tree, it can't be that much work to just sweep a tiny patio every couple of days?

If the construction results in rain runoff channelling into their garden I think you'll have problems. Guttering has to direct rain down the Down-pipe. Pretty sure you can't funnel rainwater onto your neighbour's property

Agree you'd be better off fitting a sail vs a roof

This is not quite correct, you have to offer the cuttings back. So in a world of reasonable human behaviour, this would be along the lines of ‘hi neighbour, I have these cuttings from your tree, do you want to get rid of them or shall I?’ Personally, I’d just get rid of them myself.

Another incorrect belief is that you should throw them over the fence back onto their side.

If I was the OP, I’d contact the neighbour and first ask if they would cut back the trees themselves. If they won’t or can’t, ask to cut back to the boundary yourself (which is your right unless the tree is TPO’d or you live in a Conservation Area). I’d also get a tree surgeon in rather than hacking at the branches myself so it gets done sympathetically.