Difficult neighbours and hedges

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.

mrbadexample

It's easier to say sorry than get permission. :whistle:

ventureuk

Do it once, properly and with fire.

Or

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-387410/Ire-Asbo-millionairess.html

Sunshine22_2

Your boundaries should be marked on your deeds / footprint.

If not, they don't like you already so what harm can it do?!! Maybe ring the council and check the legal position then chop it down in the middle of the night!!

S x

Davesnave

If the trees are 50' high, you will need to hire a professional, who'll soon tell you that it extremely difficult to take them down without some limbs going into the neighbour's plot. Taking down the tree will probably mean climbing it and removing limbs, not behaving like lumberjacks, sawing a v-shaped groove and shouting, "Timberrrr!!!"

You may find someone who's willing to give it a go in the face of hostility from the neighbour, but the thought of litigation, claims for damage, or just being videoed will put many off. They will have had it all before.

I'm not being unsympathetic, just realistic. I also live in the country and have a loony neighbour although fortunately he's over 200m away. When the threats began I just upped the anti and cut down some smaller trees. As Mr Bad Example implies, actions achieve more than words. I would never cut my big oak trees though, but then, they're not in my garden.

lostinrates

If the neighbours are so awful why would you want to see and heart them better?


I would do judicial chops from your side in the first instance, perhaps aiming for dappled light at first.

Sireewiree

Thanks all. Loved the Mail article; makes my neighbours actually look charming. deeds are unfortunately no use - just show 'shared boundary'.

The trees are a tricky one. I'm actually qualified to take them down as have training and you're right in that they couldn't come down without loads of sawdust and limbs landing in the Forbidden Garden. Hedge first....

What they fail to understand is that with careful management of the hedge and trees, we could get a very thick 2m hedge rather than the rather thin and see-through border we have in places. Then we'd see and hear them even less!

I too am in deepest darkest Devon. I'm sure there's nice neighbours somewhere.

Davesnave

Sireewiree wrote: »

I too am in deepest darkest Devon. I'm sure there's nice neighbours somewhere.

Nearly everyone in my part of Mid Devon is fine, and it's the kind of place where everyone still says 'Hello' in the street... but there's one local and an incomer couple that I wouldn't rescue, if they all somehow fell into a slurry tank.

Sireewiree

Davesnave wrote: »

Nearly everyone in my part of Mid Devon is fine, and it's the kind of place where everyone still says 'Hello' in the street... but there's one local and an incomer couple that I wouldn't rescue, if they all somehow fell into a slurry tank.

Thanks! I'm mid Devon too, and you're right in that most people in my village are lovely. However, there's always some nutter somewhere that lives in their own little bubble...

newbie8

I wonder if your neighbour has seen this thread?? xx

Humbug_2

Take your deeds to the nearest Citizens Advice Bureau (if you have one!), explain the situation (pictures etc) and get impartial advice from them on where you stand. Had a similar dispute with neighbours re. a shared boundary myself. CAB helped me write a very legal-sounding letter to them which was a big help to resolve the problem. Good news for you is that the borders are joint owned, so you should be able to do something reasonable with them as they are legally your responsibility. But don't take my word for it (or other well meaning folk on here), get some proper advice.