Complaints about my garden - am I required by law to keep it tidy?

Rainmaker_uk

Whilst there may or may not be laws etc for this. I think that the fact you are even asking the question means that you are aware that you not 100% in the right here...

If it is upsetting other people - why not just do something about it?

Life is too short for stressing others and yourself out - be the better man and sort it.

lilac_lady

I can't understand why you wouldn't pay someone to look after your grass while you're abroad. If you've annoyed the neighbours they may try to block your plans for paving over your front garden to enable parking on it.

Do you need permission from the Council to do this?

Canucklehead

Hi...sometimes folks do things without being compelled by law or coercion...you know..being a responsible citizen. I know...a novel concept for some.:eek:

Canucklehead

donmaico

longforgotten wrote: »

We're talking about some long grass here.........if the OP had a rusty clapped out car would you want him to replace that too so as not to lower the tone of the area. How about people who have lots of gnomes in the garden. Tacky christmas lights maybe unwelcome.

I'm afraid I think for the sake of some long grass the neighbour should have kept his opinion to himself and be grateful it was not something worse !

Next time sprinkle some wildflower seed in the grass and perhaps that would be perceived as being OK.

Anyway come to think of it, if the OP works abroad how come a good neighbour did not offer to mow it for him ! ??

i am afraid there does seem to be a great deal of good old fashoined old nimbysm going on here

mazinmouse

Reading your post the following occurs to me..

If you get someone into quote for the work they may look at your royal untidiness in the garden and 'up' the price to get it cleared before work starts.

Either because they'll think you're a sap who won't realise there isn't much difference between clearning mown grass or unkempt grass - or because they think you're not very savvy about keeping a home in good order and therefore less likely to be up to speed with things such as costs to clear a garden or even cost to pay a man to cut the grass and what is and isn't acceptable standard of workmanship. Or it may actually make it harder to clear and they price accordingly.

(I don't know if it does cost a lot more but it probably disguises the state of the ground so they can't see what they have to deal with before starting work.)

We've been having quotes for work in our home and I have made sure that it is as tidy, clean and well presented as possible because I don't want there to be any misconception on the part of the builders that we are happy living with mess, untidiness and will accept a shoddy job... because there are some builders who make a mental note of how you live and and use that to get a feel for how much they might get away with!

That's just my own view of things.. and so far we have had only really lovely contractors work for us.

sunshinetours

donmaico wrote: »

i am afraid there does seem to be a great deal of good old fashoined old nimbysm going on here

Yes coming on to a forum asking for ways to avoid cutting your own lawn makes everyone else seem silly and petty doesn't it...........

donmaico

sunshinetours wrote: »

Yes coming on to a forum asking for ways to avoid cutting your own lawn makes everyone else seem silly and petty doesn't it...........

If you read the OP it states he was away a lot and couldnt do anything for a year on the garden and only asked if anyone had the right to threaten him if he didnt do something about it.They havent unless he is breeding vermin.Now if the neighbour had approached him differently he might if got a different response.
i am a gardener myself an d occasionally i have to tidy up gardens that have been badly neglected.The neighbours might not like it buit there is nothing they can do about its save removing anything that encroaches onto their gardens.One client of mine has his done once every 3 years.He gravelled the front in order top satisfy his neighbours, but the back garden is none of their business and its how he likes things

Imp

Couldn't the OP just buy some astroturf and lay that down on top of the existing grass - the grass/weeds will die off and the neighbours will get the appearance of a well kept lawn.

sunshinetours

donmaico wrote: »

If you read the OP it states he was away a lot and couldnt do anything for a year on the garden and only asked if anyone had the right to threaten him if he didnt do something about it.They havent unless he is breeding vermin.Now if the neighbour had approached him differently he might if got a different response.
i am a gardener myself an d occasionally i have to tidy up gardens that have been badly neglected.The neighbours might not like it buit there is nothing they can do about its save removing anything that encroaches onto their gardens.One client of mine has his done once every 3 years.He gravelled the front in order top satisfy his neighbours, but the back garden is none of their business and its how he likes things

No he chose not to do anything for a year, there is a difference that as I say some seem to miss. As I said originally many seem to want to know their rights but not accept any responsibility these days, and this is a form (albeit pretty minor) of anti scoial behaviour purely because of laziness - nothing else. The situation with the neighbour would not have arisen if he had at least made an attempt to maintain his property.

diable

Just park a dilapidated caravan in your front yard and an old rusting washing machine or two ;o)))))) and tell your neighbour you have rented the house to Romanian Gypsies and can he make sure that they are met with a friendly welcome.