New fence - wants me to pay for his bush removal

ey143

I'm a new owner of a property in which my handyman/builder who I asked to clear out my garden jungle has created a 2-3m gap in our boundary bush (predominately neighbour's). The bush overhung into our garden by some 2m and now both sides have lost privacy as everything is cut back to the trunk/stalk.

I msged neighbour to tell him first and apologised. He now wants me to reinstate privacy with a new tall fence. The previous one is my responsibility but totally gone and previous vendor didnt maintain.

He want me to do at least half garden (17m) which I have no problems doing as it is bad and needs doing but he wants me to use his gardener to install my fence and also clear out the bushes on his side of the fence.

I can't afford to fall out with the new neighbour as we need approval for planning permission for a large extension so I have to be sensible about this and look at the bigger picture. Cost of new fence will be £1200 but is it unreasonable for me to assume he should clear out his own bush to prevent it damaging my fence?

I wanted a wall but he said it will damage his rediculoisly overgrown leylandii tree (3-4m wide and 7m tall and blocks my light). Being a good neighbour i even have him permission to ocasionally park on my driveway due to insufficient space on the road when he has people around.

Suggestions?

DRP

get a quote from another source and choose the cheapest?

no reason to pay extra.

how will the bush damage the fence?

ey143

Some of the branches/stalks are very thick, an inch or two and pushes out into our boundary. I'll try and take a pic at some point, but basically the hedge is used to create coverage for privacy.

Getting an all inclusive price is fine, but difficult to break out the clearance cost. Maybe £200ish. Its not a huge amount but its the principle - he should have the decency to offer to pay for his bush removal whilst I pay for my own fence.

cayennepepper

ey143 wrote: »

Its not a huge amount but its the principle - he should have the decency to offer to pay for his bush removal whilst I pay for my own fence.

You said it. Don't let your neighbour walk all over you or he might try it again I the future. Perhaps you can have a word with the gardener and ask him to invoice you separately for the work needed in each garden.

mttylad

So your saying your gardener cut the bush over on the neighbours property?

Or did he cut to the boundary?

F_Bear

tricky one, the main thing for me would be keeping him on side..............esp with u planing a extension.

but dont be a mug :-) Tell him straight, i'll pay for it but dont be taking me for a baked bean.

you dont no the value of good neighbours till they're gone.

ey143

My guy cut only and upto the boundary, not into his garden.

I'm not a push over, believe me, in fact I can be a real **** hole if someone upset me but I do believe in being fair, having good relations with the neighbours ESP with planning permission due on a few months.

I'm irritated he doesn't want me to put up a brick wall in the boundary line and he's even indicated he doesn't want me to remove my small front garden boundary hedge either! But he's happy to keep his trees so high.

I guess he thinks that because the previous owner did not maintain it, he feels this is the perfect opportunity to moan about it and the loss of privacy the perfect justification to push for it now ie next few weeks rather than autumn when my builders will finish their work.

6022tivo

Don't forget if you ever come to sell your house you could end up with a YES in the "Have you ever had a neighbour dispute!". Maybe a good idea to sort it out and live happily ever after.

Norman_Castle

It sounds like you're the only one willing to compromise. The neighbor can object about your planning application but the planning office will decide if his objections are justified.

He want me to do at least half garden (17m) which I have no problems doing as it is bad and needs doing but he wants me to use his gardener to install my fence and also clear out the bushes on his side of the fence.

Jog on, is the polite reply.

Dan-Dan

Its surprising we didnt end up like Germany in the 20`s,30`s and 40`s considering the amount of little Hitlers we have posing as next door neighbours

Hoof_Hearted

A brick wall would look nice, but have you costed it out? It would be much more expensive than fencing.