Neighbour says we cannot replace our hedge...

blue_monkey_2

Any ideas on this one please. we live in a HA house and have recently done our garden, we have on old hedge on our side that is mishapen and cannot be straightened as it is brown and dead inside, it has those tiny little leaves, not sure of the name.

Before we arrived here the neighbour cut it (badly) for my neighbour who was elderly. He cannot see the hedge really as it is tucked behind his bushes but it really is an eyesore and protrudes on our side by around 2 ft as it bulges out but it is not straight it goes up and down. On his side he has cut it nice and straight. Ther eis also and old wire fence inside the hedge. My landscaper said if I cut it straight (as I originally wanted) it'll just be brown twigs and will not grow anymore as it is just a mass of twigs inside.

I want to replace it with nice new bushes. The hedge roots are on our side, as I look into the garden the hedge is on the right.

In the back garden he has erected a 6.6ft fence on the left side (as I look down the garden. However, he has put this fence across our boundary and the fence comes into our garden. He also has an oak tree 8ft from the house (on his side) and he has a huge conifer that is on the fence line and so comes into our garden.

I've told the nieghbour, out of politness, that we are going to replace the old hedge in the front garden with a nice new one, he asked whose it was, and I said ours, the roots are on this side. He has said no, it is not OK, he will 'talk to me later about it' as he was in a rush.

I am not sure what to do now, what are my rights, does anyone know? Do I actually need his permission? Why should he have a nice looking garden while we are stuck with this crap looking hedge. He is a bit of a pillock, I do not want to upset my neighbours but he is one of these people who wants his house to look the best, etc... he did not speak to me for a week once the landscapers came in to start the work. He asked me whether I was going to put a huge fence up in our back garden now ours was looking nice because our other neighbours garden 'is a mess' (in his terms). Because we are housing association I am worried that he might cause waves and get us evicted or something but we are good people, keep ourselves to ourselves and just want somewhere nice to live so look after the property. Can anyone offer some advice on whast to do please.

I did think I would cut it so there was a few inches left on his side and put a nice hedge in my side as my new hedge would cover it and he could look at the !!!! side. :rotfl:

BitterAndTwisted

I suspect the wire fence probably marks the boundary, so I'd have no hesitation in cutting/digging up the hedge back to there.

blue_monkey_2

Great, I never thought of that, tis a good idea, thank you. As long as I keep it trimmed and it does not go over his side I should be fine, I can do that.

My husband reckons we only have to inform the HA that he has nicked some of our back garden and put a fence on it and they will deal with it. Does anyone know anything about this?

RAS

I would strongly advise that you contact the HA and ask them to clarify where your boundary is.

I would be very surprised if it were not the wire fence line, but do ask first.

BitterAndTwisted

blue_monkey wrote: »

My husband reckons we only have to inform the HA that he has nicked some of our back garden and put a fence on it and they will deal with it. Does anyone know anything about this?

I'd stay well away from doing anything like this, it could impair your relationship with your neighbour permanently and you probably don't want that. Now, if you'd bought the property it would be a completely different thing altogether

bitsandpieces

First, speak to your neighbour and see if you can agree something you're both happy with. Whether or not he's being unreasonable - and whether or not you're legally in the right - it's much nicer living next to someone who's not p****d off with you. It's hard to bite your tongue when talking to a neighbour, but it can definitely be better than a war of attrition that might last years :eek:

By the way, are you not meant to tell the HA if you're planning on removing the hedge?

poppysarah

privet?

Horrid stuff needs cutting 3 times a year. BUT the birds love it and it's full of spiders and other insects.

And if you think your garden has been stolen have a quiet word with the HA.

joflo_2

It will be leylandii. There is a nice side that gets the sun and a browner side. If you trim it back to the brown stuff it will take a while to regrow. I had six of these in my front garden and I had the dark side (now replaced with nicer slower growing hedging). The roots go down a long way as well as on the surface so you might have a bigger job than you think digging it up and putting something new in.

i1189

If you're stuck with a brown twiggy hedge, you could maybe plant some honeysuckle or a clematis to grow through it? That way you would have nice flowers too

blckbrd

Your neighbour may not be so much of a pillock if he was gardening, albeit badly, for your predecessor. Perhaps try a different tack with him.

Or if he is a cheeky, garden stealing so-and-so, nothing you do will please him so just please yourself but do everything through the HA.

Bermuda_John

its bonfire night ............. set it on fire and then it will need to be replaced!