Cutting boundary hedges and trees

Sireewiree

Living out in the sticks, my nearest neighbours make the Harry Potter Dementors seem jolly. Despite efforts to get along, they have made it very clear they have no interest in being civil. However, most of the time, this matters nothing to us.

But we need to cut the increasingly massive shared boundary hedge and trees. Most of the hedge is evergreen laurel and it cuts the light form one side of our house. Likewise, some of the trees are massive and block light all afternoon. A mutually agreed cutting of the hedge in 2010 almost led to war, as they complained it allowed them to see a corner of our house (aaaagghhh). We've left it as long as poss but we have to get it cut.

Despite the risk of having our souls sucked out, we intend to approach them and tell them that we'd like it cut. I am aware of the 2m rule and the possibility of getting the council involved. I'd rather not do this (as I'm nice), but we will if necessary.

Id love some advice on...

Whether we can just cut the hedge where we can reach. (it's a shared boundary). But I assume I can't cut their side, as that's trespass.

There are a number of mature trees in excess of 50'. When in leaf, they cut all the sun from our garden. We'd like to fell some of them (no protection orders). Absolutely no way of agreeing which side the trees are on, as it's such an old boundary, it's unclear.

Help! What's my legal position. They're sucking all the happiness out of my garden........:eek:

Thanks in advance.

BlondeHeadOn

Try posting this on the Gardenlaw website or similar, you may get a lot more responses there!

Google Garden law for possible sites.

HTH