Best way to approach potential neighbours about tree problem

teneighty

I was under the impression that conifers are a low subsidence risk because the root ball is shallow and water demand is low. It also depends on the type of clay sub-soil and depth of the existing foundations.

I think you need to do some more investigations before you ask the neighbours to prune/remove their trees.

Mister_Arboreal

!!!!!! wrote: »

The last person you should be talking to about large conifers in clay soil is a surveyor.

Get hold of a good tree surgeon/arborist and find out their opinion.

teneighty wrote: »

I was under the impression that conifers are a low subsidence risk because the root ball is shallow and water demand is low. It also depends on the type of clay sub-soil and depth of the existing foundations.

I think you need to do some more investigations before you ask the neighbours to prune/remove their trees.

Thanks. I think that I will go ahead with getting a tree survey.

I have had a couple of quotes today in the region of £400+VAT, does that sound reasonable?

pimento

You won't be able to do anything without the agreement of the neighbour. I wouldn't spend another penny until I'd spoken to them.

Mister_Arboreal

pimento wrote: »

You won't be able to do anything without the agreement of the neighbour. I wouldn't spend another penny until I'd spoken to them.

Yes, I think it does make sense to speak to them first.

However, even if they do tell me that they have no intention of doing anything to the trees, I suppose that a tree survey would be a good idea.

If the survey tells me that the trees are OK, and will be OK even if they get bigger, then it shouldn't matter that the neighbour refuses to cut them.

If, on the other hand, the survey tells me that they likely will cause a problem without being cut, then if the neighour refuses to cut them I'll have to walk away.

It would be surprising if I had a survey that showed the trees might causes damage to the properties, and the neighbour was happy to let them grow, but you never can tell.

I understand from the aborists that I've spoken to, that they wouldn't absolutely need access to the neighbour's front garden to do the survey, but that it would be better to get access.