Next door cutting down my hedge......

Sensible_Jess

The_Economist wrote: »

Take alook here might be of some use.
http://www.gardenlaw.co.uk/phpBB2/index.php

That website gives sage advice such as..

Do it. Worry about the consequences later.

Exactly what I fear the gardeners will do - give half an inch and they will take a mile. As I am not here to supervise the cutting of the hedge what will stop them cutting down as much as they like?:(

DVardysShadow

Sensible_Jess wrote: »

The hedge is a border hedge between the two houses at the rear but it is completely on my side (ie not a boundary hedge) and due to neglect probably overhangs their garden. .....

I am fine with them cutting back the overhang on their side and have no problem with that (the house has been unoccupied for about 12 months so I have had no chance to cut it) However, I do not want them to cut the top as a) I am happy with the height b) it is my hedge and on my side of the garden and c) I work full time and would not be here when they cut it to control how much they cut off.

The problem with having a boundary hedge which is all yours and insisting that it grows to a certain height is that you create a cutting task on the neighbour's side up to that height. Which may cause conflict.

Ivrytwr3

Hominu wrote: »

He then called the police when I got fedup with this behaviour and personally took a dump on his lawn.

you took a dump on the neighbours lawn?! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

princeofpounds

Since 2005 or so councils have had the power to force people to cut back too-tall hedges, particularly leylandii.

The way this power is excercised varies but I believe it is quite common for the limit to be about 2 metres. It sounds like you are there or thereabouts, so it might not be an issue for you but be aware of it.

But if I were you, I would just get in direct touch with the gardeners (as you seem to refuse to contact the neighbour - surely she can't be that inaccessible if her or a relative is instructing gardeners?), express your concerns in a friendly way.

Then if the other side care enough to involve the council let them do it and cut them back if you are ordered to.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4596685.stm

Physical protection like the canes is not necessarily a bad idea, but do remember that as a landowner you have some duty of care to people even if they are trespassing, so don't do anything that could injure people or damage equipment, particularly if it is in some way hidden from view.

Finally, try to have a really cold objective look at the situation. Tall hedges can make it miserable for next door gardens. Would you be happy to have the same done to you? And is your '6-7' feet estimate accurate or is it really 7+? I would imagine 2 metres is pretty fair in almost all circumstances, but take care beyond that.

paddedjohn

The 2metre limit only applies to evergreens, the copper beech hedge is deciduous. OP, tell the gardners they can trim their side no problem but you don't want the height cutting back.

Mr_Thrifty

It sounds like there is a very easy solution to this.

Phone up your neighbour, and tell them you're OK with them trimming the hedge on their side but you don't want its height reduced.

Just talk.

pinkteapot

And just to clarify, your neighbour is legally allowed to cut back any overhang into his/her garden. Technically, by law, the cuttings are yours and they should throw them over to your side. I've never actually done this when cutting back overhang as I think the neighbour would think I was taking the pee!

Our neighbours have some fairly out of control shrubs that grow up and then lean over the fence between us. I cut up in a straight line from the fence so they're not over-hanging. Unfortunately, by default this sometimes reduces them in height slightly because it's usually the tallest bits that are overhanging.

Slinky

Re the comment, it'll grow back, it will, but only if the neighbours let it. My neighbour had a gardener in to cut the tops out of some conifers and some other plants growing on their side of the boundary. They also cut all the top off our hedge growing on our side of the boundary (I'd gone out at the time), so it was down to about 5ft and we can see into their garden, they can see into ours.

I sent an email to my neighbour telling him I was peed off about this and can they please let it grow back to about 6ft so we can have our privacy. They've decided to ignore this and the new growth has been hacked back as far as they can reach over from their side...... There can't be any confusion as where the boundary lies as between us is a 3ft wire fence.

Very annoying.

Surbybird

WestonDave wrote: »

If you don't want it cut down, get some of those green plastic coated metal "canes" at the right height and embed them in the hedge - that way if they try to cut along the top they'll get a surprise!

I did similar but with wooden trellis so that my neighbour couldn't cut my hedge back (it's entirely on my property) in order for him to be able to gain access to my garden easily. It was a 6ft hedge, it got cut back to 4ft so I have installed 2ft of trellis along the entire length and am growing it back up through the holes.

Neighbours, eh?

K

paddedjohn

Slinky wrote: »

Re the comment, it'll grow back, it will, but only if the neighbours let it. My neighbour had a gardener in to cut the tops out of some conifers and some other plants growing on their side of the boundary. They also cut all the top off our hedge growing on our side of the boundary (I'd gone out at the time), so it was down to about 5ft and we can see into their garden, they can see into ours.

I sent an email to my neighbour telling him I was peed off about this and can they please let it grow back to about 6ft so we can have our privacy. They've decided to ignore this and the new growth has been hacked back as far as they can reach over from their side...... There can't be any confusion as where the boundary lies as between us is a 3ft wire fence.

Very annoying.

You were on friendly enough terms to have their email address but you weren't civil enough to knock on their door when a problem arose? Sorry but if my neighbour did that I'd keep cutting the hedge until they came and spoke to me, how do you know they even got the email?