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

Idiophreak

PasturesNew wrote: »

This is an amusing story of when a man went and cut his neighbour's tree for the view.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-20466753
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/10068984.Axed_tree_costs_man_record___125_000/

He cut down a whole tree.... and got fined £125,000

Ouch. I was going to ask "what's the worst that could happen" - that's probably about it, I think

Makes you wonder, though...our neighbours when I was growing up planted conifers that grew to around 30ft tall, cast a shadow over our entire garden for all but one hour of the day. We did all we could do get them cut back etc, but ultimately there was nothing we could do but just sit there in the shade.

Significantly reduced the value of my parents' property and made the nice sunny patio a rather gloomier place for BBQs etc.

I often wondered "would anyone actually do anything if we just took a saw to them?"...I honestly can't imagine old bill putting down their doughnuts to come and squabble about a couple of unremarkable trees. Obviously in that story the tree was protected, which makes a significant difference.

I view many trees much in the same way I view cats that poo on other people's lawns, boy racers that trev along with the windows down and the system up, people that listen to tinny R&B out loud on their mobile on the bus...it's just selfish and inconsiderate. "*I* want a tree - so *you* have to live with it".

PollySouthend

it's just selfish and inconsiderate. "*I* want a tree - so *you* have to live with it".

Agreed, that view has been shown by some people here.

The offending trees are merging with the hedgerow and about 4-5ft from the boundry.

They don't look like leandai trees, but they are pretty ordinary (and ugly IMO) conifers.

I might give the council a call, doubt they will be much use but under the hedge row act I kind of have a case.

I know I can't really compromise with him, all I can offer is to stop buging him,but seing as he's retired, selfish and unpleasant its probably the highlight of his day when I politely ask him if I can pay to get his tree trimmed. Trempted to spray the top with weedkiller in the winter, just a bit.

QTPie

Is his house younger or older than yours?

The reason I ask is that we used to own a house which DID have covenants on it meaning that our trees could only be a certain height so as not to block the lovely view of the houses above. This was because our house was built after the houses above. Our neighbours - who we never met (houses backed onto each other) - actually contacted us when we put the house on the market to "request" that we trim the height of the trees because they were impinging on their view. Because we didn't want a "dispute with a neighbour" hanging over us, we had to get the two beautiful pine trees cut down (you can't cut 10ft off the top of a pine..) . To be perfectly honest, if the covenants hadn't existed, would not have cut the trees down...

So you might want to check - if their house is newer - if there are smh restrictive covenants regarding the height of trees.

QTPie

I think that poisoning isn't the best idea: it will be obvious that it is you and if he is genuinely unpleasant, you could open a whole new can of worms...

spirit

PasturesNew wrote: »

This is an amusing story of when a man went and cut his neighbour's tree for the view.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-20466753
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/10068984.Axed_tree_costs_man_record___125_000/

He cut down a whole tree.... and got fined £125,000

Lol at the name of the road :rotfl:

nickj_2

PollySouthend wrote: »

it's just selfish and inconsiderate. "*I* want a tree - so *you* have to live with it".

Agreed, that view has been shown by some people here.

The offending trees are merging with the hedgerow and about 4-5ft from the boundry.

They don't look like leandai trees, but they are pretty ordinary (and ugly IMO) conifers.

I might give the council a call, doubt they will be much use but under the hedge row act I kind of have a case.

I know I can't really compromise with him, all I can offer is to stop buging him,but seing as he's retired, selfish and unpleasant its probably the highlight of his day when I politely ask him if I can pay to get his tree trimmed. Trempted to spray the top with weedkiller in the winter, just a bit.

are you not being just as selfish asking someone to chop his tree on his land ,
unfortunately you do not have a right to a view , unless the tree is causing damage to your property then i don't think you've got a leg to stand on
you must have realised whe you were loking at the house that the trees would grow, ...it's what they do , i'm fraid

moneyistooshorttomention

QTPie wrote: »

I think that poisoning isn't the best idea: it will be obvious that it is you and if he is genuinely unpleasant, you could open a whole new can of worms...

That's always assuming he could prove it....

Idiophreak

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

That's always assuming he could prove it....

Not necessarily.

He'd have to prove it to get *legal* retribution, but there are plenty of other avenues he could pursue without proof...

browneyedbazzi

PasturesNew wrote: »

This is an amusing story of when a man went and cut his neighbour's tree for the view.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-20466753
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/10068984.Axed_tree_costs_man_record___125_000/

He cut down a whole tree.... and got fined £125,000

I love that case and was wondering if it would come up - it's one that gets mentioned whenever I go to training on Proceeds of Crime Act. If the view is valuable and you commit a crime to secure the view then you have benefited from crime and can be made to pay back whatever the benefit was. :T

foomanchu

What’s the view worth to you? Offer to pay the neighbour compensation to have the tree trimmed? Don't expect them to help you out for nothing, especially if they like their tree.