neighbours tree is starting to block the view of the valley from my house

moneyistooshorttomention

mart.vader wrote: »

I think you can get your own insurance co to write to the neighbour / or their insurance co, putting them "On Notice" of the risk they will be under, by failing to manage or remove the tree. This may encourage some action.

I believe that might be one way to deal with this. I am trying to remember the details of what I did now and cant remember whether I told my own insurance company in the event or no. In the event the problem was resolved, as far as I can recollect, without having to officially notify my own ins. company, but its certainly one route OP can check out.

There is always the risk that a rogue householder won't have insurance. I was shocked/surprised to read recently that quite a high proportion of home-owning households don't actually have insurance (think it was somewhere approaching 50%!!!!!). If the neighbour has a mortgage, then his mortgage company will insist he has insurance. If he doesn't and isn't even very careful about his own interests, then he may not have insurance.

It is possible to find out whether a householder has a mortgage or no and who it is with via asking the Land Registry as I recall (think it was the Title Deeds it states the owner and other interested parties on?) and, if so, then there definitely will be the necessary insurance cover.

Worth a try though..

PollySouthend

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

There is indeed a yellow version of leylandii and I know exactly what you mean. Yep...you ARE onto 3' growth rate a year then and the oldest leylandii in existence is still growing and was last heard of heading for 200' tall:eek:. That type of tree is sometimes planted by people who have every intention (to start with) of keeping them trimmed, but then "stuff happens" (like the owner getting ill/broke/depressed) and they often aren't...

Bear in mind that some insurance companies can get a bit iffy about trees over a certain height near a house, even if it isn't your tree (but, according to life on Planet Insurance Company, we all have control over the height of neighbours' trees, though they don't explain just how.....). I investigated (ie when there was one near my last house) and there didn't seem to be any way to find out the name of that neighbours insurance company, so as to get them to write to their own client explaining that "in order to continue your insurance coverage....." etc. The tree wasn't allowed to be more than about 25' high, as I recall, and I was certainly in a flat spin, as it was heading for that height.

EDIT: Just checked back to Post 74 (as it now reads) and...errr....I'd be willing to lay a bet on Mr Ted being your neighbour. I repeat "Do NOT post those photos". Was the hint on how to deal with this broad enough to pick up?

Thanks a lot for all that, that is another avenue I will also pursue!

I think maybe you hints were too broad, something involving the roots and something in a bottle I might pickup from a garden centre? I do wonder if a little bit of this would kill it slowly, or just stop it growing so much.

Not my words but;

Hedges and trees should be subject to planning constraints on the basis that they damage buildings, drains and property and impose on neighbours. No one would build an 18foot wall without permission. If they get over an appropriate height within an acceptable limit of a boundary a council officer should be able to order removal with no debate, just as they can enforce tree preservation orders.

moneyistooshorttomention

My hinting was to effect of getting his insurance company to tell him to trim the tree and keep it short. If you cant find out his insurance company, then find out his mortgage company (if he has one still) and send them a letter requesting them to tell his insurance company.

PM following on thoughts I have re how to find out his insurance company.

chrisw

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

and, if so, then there definitely will be the necessary insurance cover.

Not necessarily. They will only check you have insurance when you take out the mortgage. If you cancel it the next day, the mortgage people will be none the wiser.

I'm not really sure why you think any insurance company would want to get involved in this case.

moneyistooshorttomention

chrisw wrote: »

I'm not really sure why you think any insurance company would want to get involved in this case.

To protect themselves from a potential hefty claim from a tree suffering in a gale and heading for the ground, hitting a roof or two en route. It has happened to some people...

Or, on the other hand, a subsidence claim because the neighbours tree roots had "travelled" far enough to be a problem to someone else's house. That also happens sometimes. I understand some subsidence problems can be pretty darn expensive to deal with. That was certainly my main fear when I got an idiot neighbour planting a leylandii near my last house, ie that its roots would head for the foundations of my property.

Davesnave

chrisw wrote: »

I'm not really sure why you think any insurance company would want to get involved in this case.

Me neither. This tree is apparently small enough to be broken in half by a human and 10metres from the OP's garage.

It's also supposed to be a leylandii, which have quite compact root systems.

But let's not allow what few bits of info we have to get in the way of a good wild goose chase, eh?

Mojisola

PollySouthend wrote: »

I bought a house mainly because of the amazing view it has down the valley.

The person in the house below me has two big trees that have grown 4ft over the 12ft high hedge that borders our property in the last two years.

Davesnave wrote: »

Me neither. This tree is apparently small enough to be broken in half by a human and 10metres from the OP's garage.

It's also supposed to be a leylandii, which have quite compact root systems.

But let's not allow what few bits of info we have to get in the way of a good wild goose chase, eh?

And the tree is lower down the valley so how could it fall on the OP's house?

nickj_2

Mojisola wrote: »

And the tree is lower down the valley so how could it fall on the OP's house?

i suppose it could always be gnawed by a beaver with a grudge to settle

Dan-Dan

PollySouthend wrote: »

Sadly I think compassion and thinking of others is a rareity in society.

Just spent two hours sat in first class where some inconsiderate person had their phone playing music aloud while they fell asleep. Reminded me of this situation.

Wow...colour me jealous , first class eh , thank god you weren't in economy with real scumbags

Colin_Hunt

PollySouthend wrote: »

Well I can't really offer him anything other than appeal to be unselfish. I struggle to stay in the black at the end of the month and he has high end cars...

Dan-Dan wrote: »

Wow...colour me jealous , first class eh , thank god you weren't in economy with real scumbags

hmm............