Neighbour issue - fence and leaves

[ShedThirtySeven]

Our semi-detached neighbour spoke to us recently about leaves from a bush in our garden being on her driveway.

It’s an evergreen, and the leaves she was referring to (about a handful) - contained only a few from the bush.

She wanted me to contact an expert to look at the bush, or to remove it. We’ve not done anything - the bush is fine, although we had been thinking about taking it out, prior to her complaint.

Neighbour does all manner of odd things (sprays water from her hose onto our property, anxiety about any plants from our garden - we’ve cut them all back, regularly asks/demands that workmen enter our garden to clean her property, her workman damaged our front wall and she refused to accept responsibility).

End of last week - she’s going to ask for a fence to be put in all around her front drive due to leaves. This is likely to look ridiculous as none of the other properties have fences at the front, and all because of one bush. It also feels as she is doing it more to ‘make a point’.

DP says he could just go and remove the bush today, but it feels as if we are bowing down to her demands?

She has done this type of behaviour with various other things before, and it feels more like a control issue - than a bush issue.

So do we leave the bush and face having a ridiculous fence put up, or take the bush out and let her ‘win’?

Yes, the struts have to remain within your own boundary. That's the case everywhere.

I like the struts side better: easier to attach vine eyes and wires and just looks more interesting

Sycamores.

They'd drive her potty.

Seriously though, op, if she wants to waste her money let her crack on. Just take plenty of photos of your garden beforehand and make sure your boundary is clearly marked in case she oversteps.

With modern developments it is often written into the deeds that fences and walls are not allowed at the front of properties. Might be worth checking.
We have a neighbour who is very fussy about leaves and debris. He sweeps his drive after he has been out in his car, uses spray cleaner and a nail brush to remove any bird muck from his block paved drive ( I have a video of him doing it) and throws cat poo onto our path ( again ring doorbells doesn’t lie). I wouldn’t mind but we haven’t had a cat for 15yrs. I am collating evidence to show him when he decides to complain. He is very passive aggressive so rarely moans but occasionally summons the courage to confront us.
We tend to let the garden overgrow just enough to annoy him. It’s payback for the years suffering his overgrown leylandi ( he used to use a small pair of scissors to shape them, every week!) He eventually removed them ( they were 12ft high ) when they took down the fence (his) but not before they had damaged our patio with root growth.
He is almost a recluse so as a neighbour very quiet. Otherwise we probably would have moved.

Required by who? There is no law that requires that in the UK.

It’s the nice/courteous thing to do to give your neighbours the nice side of the fence.

Second the suggestion of checking your deeds - if none of the neighbouring properties have them then it could be a condition added by the developer

This tbh

This is me haha

You are my hero @stuntbubbles

Let her do the fence and plant lots more bushes. I would never take out a healthy plant and it's your land!

Keep planting trees and bushes. And ignore her. She is just after attention.

Definitely don't take out the bush - it's total power play & you need to stand your ground.

What someone else does/has in their own property is no concern of anyone else's unless there's significant potential for damage.

Leaves? Mad about leaves? That's nuts.

I have one of these neighbours. Nothing you do is ever enough. I was a muggins when I first moved in, digging out stuff she did not like, until I realised that she wanted total control. She is a plant killing pristine lawn gardener and we are wild life conservationist gardeners. She will never be happyl

I came on to say the same I am
Petty also

I had this with an elderly (70ish) female neighbour. She had similar complaints , about moss in her drive, not asking permission to access our property to place a fence panel ,she just went ahead anyway and did it. It the transpired that she had dementia for several years , her family lived in Cornwall and hardly ever visited her. So probably not medicated properly, and hounding neighbours about stupid things. She passed away a few years ago.

This, or plant a deciduous tree!

”I would put in six or seven more bushes. Every time she makes a complaint or does something mental: another bush. I would out-petty her until the day I drowned in shrubbery rather than dig up a plant because of its LEAVES”

Shes a bully and nothing is going to appease her. Ignore, ignore, ignore. She’s a silly moo.

I agree. You were thinking of taking it out anyway, it's good if she "wins", it'll probably give you brownie points for the future

If you want to remove the bush, do it but in your own time. I don’t think it’ll appease her though and from what you’ve said, she’ll move on to another thing about you / your garden that annoys her.
I have a similar neighbour whom I don’t talk to at all now due to her controlling antics. Imagine the fun I had when her adult son let slip that she likes a nice neat line above the fence line. 🤣. After all the bother I’ve had from her over many years, I decided to just do what suits me best, not her.

Sorry OP - I didn’t realise this was a thread from last year.

Where I live it's required that the more attractive side of fence panels face outward

Thats not an official requirement here but it’s definitely ‘fence etiquette’ and has been for several decades since I was a young child. Plus the side with the supports can stand on the ‘lower railing’, hang into the top and have a good sticky over into the neighbours yard. Needless to say when I was young every household wanted to be the one to get the fence to have this advantage😂.

If you were already thinking about removing it, I'd wait until after she spends money putting the stupid fence up and THEN remove the bush. That will really annoy her 😂

Oh FFS! Why do people drag old threads up?

Our neighbour when I was growing up complained about everyone’s trees blowing leaves onto her drive (which she hoovered). She would knock and tell everyone they needed to have their trees removed or come and remove their leaves (how would you know which one was yours?). She also mowed her lawn every single day in the summer.
Ignore her. She’ll complain about something else if you comply.

I want to know what happened now!

Of course removing the bush won't end it!
It will just signal to her that she can successfully order OP about, & she will fix on the next ridiculous demand.

OP - just stop engaging.
Don't remove the bush.
Don't allow her workmen onto your property.
Don't respond to any demands. When she next tackles you: "I'm not interested in hearing about it." & WALK AWAY, or shut the door in her face if she's come knocking.
Totally ignore her fence - it might be an eyesore, but there's nothing you can do about it unless she builds over-height again.

Essentially, go NC with her.
Make her batshittery none of your business, & it can no longer annoy you.