I'm devastated, any advice please ?

meer53

Hi,

I went out today to collect my daughter from her Dad's and when i got back i discovered that one of my neighbours has cut 5 feet off half of my conifer hedge. Not just cut it off, it's been hacked off and dumped in my garden.

I've had no contact with this neighbour for about 4 years, no falling out or anything, just that we don't see each other. The hedge was due to be cut next week by my gardener, it's trimmed twice a year and at least 18 inches taken off on one of those trims.

The hedge runs along another neighbours garden too so i now have a hedge which is 5 feet higher in one half than the other (it's about 10 feet high in total) . It's not been done professionally, it's been chain sawed off and pushed over. The hedge doesnt impede my neighbours property in any way, it's a good 5 mtrs from the back of their house, their living room is at the front.

I've lived here for 25 years, the hedge has been in since 2001 and is on my land, not theirs. I've been round to see them but there is no-one in. To say i'm furious is an understatement, i burst into tears when i saw the hedge (or the stumps that are left) it will never grow back.

I know that they can cut any overhanging trees on their side but are they allowed to cut the height as they have done ?

What upsets me most is that they waited until i'd gone out to do it and have never been round to ask me about it, if they'd wanted to take 3 feet off i would have agreed. Does anyone know if there is anything i can do ?

amcluesent

There's no need a for boundary higher than 2m between properties. When you're on the 'gloomy' side of a leylandii monster shooting up, direct action is sometimes needed.

Leif

Although I agree with amcluesent, that is no way to behave. Your neighbour should have come round and had a chat so you could try and reach a mutually satisfactory agreement. I suppose all you can do now is go round, or write a polite letter, explaining what you have said in the first post, which is polite and reasonable. Point out that you are disappointed that they did not come round for a chat, try and be friendly, polite, non confrontational, but express your 'devastation'.

I suppose if they only cut what overhung, then they were within their rights so strictly speaking they are doing what is allowed, still, it is best to chat first isn't it? Does it block light? Is it in any way a thug, or a nice hedge, from your neighbours view. Cutting so much only on one side is very strange. It does not achieve anything except annoy you, I assume anyway.

VegGrower

amcluesent wrote: »

There's no need a for boundary higher than 2m between properties.

That's not really the point though is it, the op has already stated that they would have been open to discussion regarding height.

Op, I'm sorry theres nothing helpful I can contribute, just that i can understand why you're upset and would have had the same reaction. I hope you come to a resolution with your neighbours.

lostinrates

As a gardener with a fondness for being in the nude i prefer a garden boundary higher than two metres.
(fwiw we have installed new boundaries intended to grow overn two metres, and discussed it with our neighbours first, as we also discussed removal of some huge evergreens and what we hope to eventually replace with. If our neighbours had have expressed other prefemrence we would have discussed i with them till we found mutually aceptable solution.)

Op, i can understand your reaction BUT i would caution you to deal with this with a cool head. Losing your privacy in this way might be in your eyes bad, a worse situation might be having the reduced privacy from a neighbour you develop a dispute with.

gazza975526570

amcluesent wrote: »

There's no need a for boundary higher than 2m between properties. When you're on the 'gloomy' side of a leylandii monster shooting up, direct action is sometimes needed.

Totally agree. Whist the OP may love it maybe the neighbour didnt.

Our neighbour has some the same - From his house which is about 50 foot away from the boundary im sure it looks ovey however from my house about 10 foot away it looks awfull - just like a wall. I often hack at it and to be honest would happily spray the darn thing with anything that would kill it.

scrummy-mummy

I agree that their actions were unreasonable. But I do feel it's unreasonable to let a hedge grow that high in the first place. It's hard. Perhaps worth dropping a note when you feel a bit calmer so that it won't happen again?

GreenFly_2

its clearly criminal damage and can be reported to the police if you wish to escalate the bad feeling between you and your neighbour. You will need to prove ownership of the hedge, once established it is illegal for your neighbour to change the height of the hedge. They can cut the hedge on their side and return the cuttings. To change the height your neighbour needs to apply to the council as the high hedge could be classed as anti social behaviour but an order would have been needed to establish that prior to the hedge being trimmed.
gf

juliebunny

Anything over 2m and your neighbour can complain to the council to get them to force you to cut it back but it's cowardly and spiteful of them to just cut it back IF they have never previously raised a complaint to you.

Bear in mind that any neighbour dispute will have to be declared if you try to sell your house.

gazza975526570

GreenFly wrote: »

its clearly criminal damage and can be reported to the police if you wish to escalate the bad feeling between you and your neighbour. You will need to prove ownership of the hedge, once established it is illegal for your neighbour to change the height of the hedge. They can cut the hedge on their side and return the cuttings. To change the height your neighbour needs to apply to the council as the high hedge could be classed as anti social behaviour but an order would have been needed to establish that prior to the hedge being trimmed.
gf

Maybe the bit they cut off was over their property. If so they are perfectly, legally able to do so.

For the neighbout to do this in the first place they must have been at their wits end with it. I cant see how going to the Police would do anything than lead to further problems with their neighbours. Do the neighbourly thing and cut the whole thing down to a reasonable level.

marleyboy

Unless neighbour had prior permission by either the Council or those in authority, they have committed an offence, criminal damage and trespass. Report it!!