Neighbours and hedge

[Windmill34]

Don’t want to drip feed so this may be long

we live in a detached in between 2 lots of semi’s

the neighbour on left side is facing a big extension, he started to knock his garage down which is next to our beech hedge
As he did this, the wall fell into our hedge and crushed them
On chatting to him he said he would pay for fence where he’d damaged (fair enough)
We said we may as well continue with the fence down the side to back of garden and was happy to pay half which was 7 panels
He got the quote and told us our bit was £900 which he was having done in 2 weeks
which we thought was a lot £1800 for 7 panels
So we told him we would leave the hedge that needed 7 panels and he just put fence he said he’d pay for. Meanwhile he’s put fence up along the back anyway(so our hedge is in front of it now

In the mean time we had a think and thought it would look daft with
few hedges(front), fence,(he paid for damage hedge) few hedges,now with fence behind. Fence that’s been there few years before they moved in

so decided to get person to chop the hedge down at the back(where there fence is behind) costing us £1700. Well and truly ripped off as we’ve found out since
Well he came round fuming , saying he’s very frustrated with us for taking the hedges out because we’ve got some of his land (about a foot to boundary original post)
we said , your fencer should of put new fence going off the old boundary post
He said his gardener cut the hedge back (obviously not enough) so they put them there.
So he’s pissed off with us and said he’s now going down legal route . Which I replied ok

Today we get another hedge person out to trim the front hedge and down the Right side
So guys been here 5 hours and the husband comes out and says
” Do you think Next time you can tell us”

Dp goes out later to look and right hand neighbours wife says to DP
“ what’s going on”
dp says we’re having hedge cut so I can manage to cut it easily (he’s 70 this year)
hedges are over 6 ft high and 2ft wide
neighbour wife says we should of talk to them about it as because there that wide they go into her garden and he should not of cut them ?
Thing is they’ve never complained when dp has stretched well over onto there side and cut them for last 7 years
Then goes on to say about parking outside our house they have a new 23 reg car and we only have 2 old cars !
how we should speak to them, how dp ignores her dh when he walks passed
bring shit up from years back

I am fuming with both sets off neighbours

am I wrong in my thinking here

According to the law, you aren’t meant to do be doing anything to hedges whilst birds are nesting. What a shame, poor hedges.

Perhaps not quite on topic, but hedges should not be cut or trimmed at this time of year when birds are nesting. Hedge cutting should take place in September when nesting season is over.
That aside - I am not really following who did what with the fencing. If your neighbour has put in a fence that is not to the correct boundary line I cannot see that's your fault. I also do not understand why your other neighbour isn't happy with you cutting hedges that extend into their side? Unless your gardener went onto their land without asking?
What is the parking problem? If it's a public road anyone can park there so long as not blocking someone's drive.
Basically sounds like you and your neighbours do not get on.

Firstly
hedge was checked first to see if there was birds nesting , as we have lived her 20 yrs so do know about nesting birds

Neighbour A
isnt happy because we decided after he’d put fence more over on his boundary than needed because of our hedge ! But his Gardner didn’t cut hedge it back enough on his side to compensate for fence being out on boundary line on

neighbour B
Exactly that
dp has cut the hedge fully over really onto there side off boundary line for years ! Never said a thing .
Now he’s nearly 70 so we’ve had them cut down to about 4/5 ft so he can manage them much better
Now she’s spoken up and said we should of asked them , no going into garden was needed
as he reached with long handle
She’s saying because hedge width goes over the boundary line

parking
when they moved in about 7 yrs ago they had 2 cars,
outside our house(public road) space if close together for 2 cars
no parking outside there’s because they have a council tree
so when dp got home from work years ago, she’d parked her car right in the middle of side place
so dp asked if she could move it back, he’d move his slightly forward (nearer our gates) in order that they both parked in said place
no problem
Now she brings up, she got rid of her car because of the parking issue
what pissed me off more today was she saying
because they have newer car and ours are
old cars !

Could the builder just not have reinstated the hedge! What a palaver.

He’d knackered the roots to the hedge when he(the owner) knocked his garage down

you don’t need to tell me 🤦‍♀️ I’ve had more than enough in the last 2 weeks

New hedging has new roots! So much easier to reinstate with hedging.

So they are all annoyed with you, but there's no issue really.

The hedging/fencing is done, neighbours fault not yours, so just don't engage with them.

Apologies to your other neighbours if the gardeners went into their garden to reduce the hedge on that side. Doesn't matter if your DH used to reach over to cut the hedge, it's common courtesy to ask your neighbours permission to allow/instruct contractors to enter their property.
I would have also pre warned them you were going to reduce the hedge height. These things affect both neighbours and you want to keep relations with your neighbours on a good footing.

Re the parking, your neighbours are being dicks, just grey rock them on that. It's a public highway, anyone can park where there is a space.

No gardener went onto neighbour’s property
He had long handle cutters and step ladders

Just let me get this right
so if you have hedges, privets , laylandii between you & neighbour
you tell them your having them cut
so you get their permission?
your NOT going on their property

is that right ??

Correct me if I'm wrong but -

Neighbour asked if you wanted to go half to have a whole new fence put I'm for 900.. you said no cos seemed expensive.

Neighbour paid for fence any way, and tried to cut the hedge back his side to get it as close to his property line but realistically he was never going to get it cut back enough to sit on his property line.

After the fence was in you decided that you wanted rid of the hedge now, so paid to have hedge removed?

Tbh, I think you are in the wrong and if I was your neigh our I would be annoyed. I would have assumed you said no to a fence because you really wanted to keep your Bush and your neighbour was respectful of that decision. Then you cut the bush down as soon as he paid the full cost of the fence and had to sacrifice a foot of his land.

Also with the other neighbour it is difficult to judge who is being unreasonable. But I'm guessing it prob you again. From what I can gather the neighbour simply said it would be nice if you had let them know, which it would have been. And I imagine the amount the hedges are cut back by fro. When you usually do them to a professionaly Gardener prob makes it look alot different that usual. Especially if alot of height was taken which helped maintain privacy.

Well he is right, the physical boundary on the ground appears to have changed to anyone looking at it. I'm not surprised he's annoyed.

Spacerader

Reason we did it in the end was because
down The side between us was the hedge from from to back apart from 4x6ft fence which was already there when they moved in .

its hard to describe but
we have about 3 ft length hedge, then 6ft of length hedge where neighbour knackered them with garage wall falling wrong way (which he said he’d pay for fence) then we have another 6ft length of hedge then it the fencing that was already there.
when we looked at it after he’d put new fence in
it looked ridiculous
hedge fence hedge fence all different lengths
hence why in the end we had them out which was way more than £900 he wanted from us

I can see he thinks we did it on purpose and I told him the reason why but he kept going on about him loosing about foot of land now hedge is out
There is no way we want his land , and with him (well fence erectors)putting them in wrong place it makes it so awkward when we come to downsize because of his foot of land now on our side of fence. The original old smaller concrete post are there from when the house was built which our hedge was in front off

Its turned into a nightmare of an episode
wish he hadnt started his huge extension and were on 3 weeks in
i thought living in a detached house we’d have no neighbour disputes

Sounds like u have annoyed all yr neighbours, it won’t be a pleasant place to live now.

If the original concrete posts are still there, can you clearly mark the boundary with wire between them? Then you and neighbour can take photos to preserve evidence of the correct boundary.

Yeah but it was the neighbour who put up the fence in the wrong spot not the OP so it's not the OPs fault. The neighbour can move the fence back to his side of the boundary (or if the deeds specify the fence should be on the boundary the neighbor can move it onto the boundary).

The other neighbour is just whinging. I wouldn't worry about it.

Skybluepinky

no intention of annoying neighbours, why would we want that
every year for past 20 years dp as cut the hedge, neighbour B has never ever said anything in last 7 years since they moved in
Even when he’s cut the front bit, I’ve actually brushed the leaves out of their garden
because as I thought, we cut it we clean it
So because it’s a foot shorter at front they’ve spoken
Never spoken to say thanks for the last 7 years thou.
only reason we had them lowered was dp is 70 and there too high to cut safely

Swissrollover

i have done this temporary with string to actually show him we don’t want his land

I will take photos

I don't think any of this is the OPs fault.

She isn't responsible for the neighbours fencers putting the fence in the wrong position.

I'm not suggesting you are asking for permission, just that you might let them know.
You may live in a detached house, but your house sounds like it is very close distance wise from your neighbours. So you are going to affect each others lives. Hedges, parking etc.

You may need to buy a detached house with more space around it and a drive/off-street parking if you want more privacy.