Trees growing over from next door & over sized fence panels

L

Lone Star

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What Etiquette do people follow these days - Voracious (mostly) Laurels (Tree like) and over growing from neighbours' garden into our garden over the area that has a low fence. Neighbour too lazy to keep them in check. AND Fence panels (slatted ones that lodge between H-posts) neighbour some time ago replaced several of the dividing panels, they jut above the posts by 6 inches and look weird as they are too high for the posts; we contributed even though we had never been consulted (fence is on the our left as you face our house from the road); he also kindly dumped all the old ones in our garden. What would you do ? Note we are dealing with a stubborn individual - a motorbike enthusiast who thinks nothing of revving his engines for some time at 5.30 am of a sunday morning (yes I seem to be in a cluster of these type of people!). I am moving - but meanwhile I'd like to keep our place neat and tidy.
 
The overhanging trees issues has been covered here a few times. You are entitled to cut back overhanging branches, you must offer the cuttings to the owner of the tree, but must not dump them on their property without permission. You must also be careful not to damage the tree so that it becomes dangerous or dies. It would be best talk to our neighbour in advance. They might be more than happy for you to cut away, but might take offence if you do so without consulting them first.

In relation to the fence, the only planning restrictions are that any wall or fence to the rear of a property must not exceed 2m in height, and not be of a palisade or security fence. The best time for the conversation on what was replacing the older fence was when you were asked to contribute towards the costs. Were the costs split 50:50? If so, ask your neighbour to contribute towards disposal of the left over panels.
 
They didn't consult at the time, nor ask for a contribution - I went around with cash to them - as I wanted 'ownership' of what is a party fence and also didn't want to feel like a skinflint (despite being very stuck for money at the time). The dumping the old panels was a bit poor on their part to be honest. anyhoo, that's some people for ya.
 
DeeKie said:
You’re responsible for keeping anything that is in your side of the fence in check.
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What a wonderful world we would live in if everyone looked after there own space and street' but can somebody else do it
 
I know....I'm wedged between two houses of that nature...Strim n Strimmer to the left and Angle Grinder Man to the right - one person in the middle doing 'their' tidy ups. I grew up in a country village and there was very little of this - we all helped one another too. Just did a bit of a saw job on the 10 foot, metre deep woody laurels - despite using my time it is compensated for by the small cathartic element..
 
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Leo said:
You are entitled to cut back overhanging branches, you must offer the cuttings to the owner of the tree, but must not dump them on their property without permission.
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What do you mean you must offer the cuttings to your neighbour!! Is this some kinda medieval law of some kind. I have trees which would overhang next doors, and would be embarrassed for them, if the came knocking to "offer" me the cuttings.

So being pedantic, I say, thank-you for the offering, but you keep them. Apart from it not being very neighborly, what do you then. Were not talking acres , were talking residential here, a couple of bags in the brown bin.
 
If I went over offering the cuttings - angle grinder man would have a fit - I'd then probably burst out laughing when he'd lift up off his feet with madness or else I'd get thick back and then have to heavily restrain myself from opening my thesaurus of expletives and letting him have it. I have reached zero estate living tolerance...oh the joys!
 
I suspect angle grinder man will not hear the dogs barking get yourself an angle grinder dog problem solved,
 
LS400 said:
What do you mean you must offer the cuttings to your neighbour!! Is this some kinda medieval law of some kind. I have trees which would overhang next doors, and would be embarrassed for them, if the came knocking to "offer" me the cuttings.
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The tree and all branches are your neighbour's property, as such you simply cannot take them without their permission. You are entitled to cut any branches causing a nuisance within the bounds of your property, but you must at least offer them back to the owner to avoid problems. As said above, the best approach is to talk to them first. Just say you're going to cut the overhanging branches as you're entitled to do, let them know the law states that you're obliged to offer the cuttings to them and say you'll dispose of them if they don't want them. Most civil minded people will just say crack on, and if they're as lazy as the dumping of the old fence panels suggests, they'll likely just be happy they have nothing to do.

Webster said:
throw the cuttings over the offending neighbours wall, after all, they are his!
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That would be illegal dumping. If the relationship with the neighbour isn't great as it is, this will make it go only one way quickly.

This topic has been covered a few times over the past. More external [broken link removed] links.
 
What happens if all the overhanging branches, etc, coming over on your side, which you're entitled to cut anyway, fall back into his garden when cut? Surely you don't have to retrieve them and then offer them back to Angle Grinder?
 
If they fall in as they can do - due to 'springback' and if I'm too short, weak, unable to recover them mid-fall then I would hope that no further action is required. I'm pretty certain if 'I' was an able bodied man and my trees were growing over, causing shade and encroaching a metre over the boundary line I'd do the 'daycent' thing and open my eyes and see the growth year on year, offer to cut it back if I was permitted access and take away the cuttings of my trees' but sure that's the world at present. anyhow c'est la vie and there are always funny ways to rub them up should the need arise!
 
can I ask what is the norm if the neighbours have a hedge and this hedge is growing high and through a panel fence on my side causing damage to my fence, I know that I can chop it off at the top for the amount that it overhangs, but what about the branches that are protruding through my fence and causing the panels to warp and crack,
 
Lone Star said:
If they fall in as they can do - due to 'springback' and if I'm too short, weak, unable to recover them mid-fall then I would hope that no further action is required.
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I've never seen or heard of anything that could be described as 'springback' when cutting branches, any such action that might see more than a twig or a few leaves end up in the neighbour's garden would defy the laws of physics.

The only way it would be possible for significant branches to fall in your neighbour's garden would be if you were cutting on his side of the boundary, and so that would leave you open to trespass and criminal damage proceedings.

Your original question asked to the etiquette people follow in these circumstances, the answer to that is that in the majority of cases people who have such an issue with neighbour's tress overhaning into their property talk to their neighbour, and come to an agreement on how to resolve the issue. In many cases the tree owner may be completely unaware their trees are causing an issue, and be perfectly happy to have the trees trimmed, and may even help. Owning a tree with overhanging branches is by far the lesser of two neighbourly transgressions here.
 

This comes down to what constitutes the boundary between the two properties. If your fence is completely within your property, you can cut the branches on the neighbours side of the fence and still do so within your property. It would be better of you could train these branches while your to turn back from your fence. Attaching a weed control fabric on the outside of your fence should prevent new growth seeking light through your fence panels.
 
Where possible you're better off cutting overhanging branches back to the branch collar at the trunk. Otherwise you end up with multiple re shoots and an even bigger problem down the line. Not as easy to contain hedging but Leo's suggestion above might work.
 
It's not one tree - it's 40 foot or more of dense and high woody Laurels and pines. Sorted now took 4 hours of cutting, Neighbour told me it was my responsibility and that he wouldn't be cutting them, as for transgressions...….we're talking about someone who knows well, and is too arrogant and lazy to ameliorate the situation. #societyofindividualism
 
I have a hedge that grows through our shared boundary metal fence from my garden to my neighbours. Every year for the past 20 years I have cut the hedge on both sides. I have always been happy to do so. I collect all the cuttings and dispose of them.

This neighbour has a similar hedge on the other side of his garden that grows in to his other neighbours garden. He never cuts his neighbours side only his own side and then not very often.

After 20 years I am tired doing this. I am not getting any younger. So last year I didn't cut his side of the hedge and this year I won't be cutting it either.

You get tired of being nice to people at times and getting nothing back.
 
I live in an apartment complex which has a 10 ft boundary wall.Our neighbour has a row of Leylandii trees growing inside boundary wall which are 50ft high.The boundary wall has some cracks.
Some years ago our neighbour cut the branches that were on our side resulting in a very ugly row of dead wood branches with no greenery.
The trees are within 20 ft of my apartment and are shading my rooms significantly.
Our neighbour refuses to cut the trees down.Is there anything I can do?
 
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