Tall trees

HaydenB

Good morning,

We are looking to move into a new property where the trees from an adjacent house block out the sun from early afternoon onwards. The trees are ridiculously high meaning the garden, including patio, no longer sees much sun though I know it used to be a sun trap as its my parents house that we are buying.

Is there any law that restricts height of trees when it blocks natural height. I havent found anything though my in-laws reckon there is. Please help.

DaftyDuck

If they are in the neighbour's garden then, not really. If they form a hedge along the boundary, possibly. However, buying a property and starting off potentially creating a dispute with neighbours, who presumably like their trees, isn't the best start...

phoenix_w

Have you tried talking to the neighbours and maybe even offered to help prune them back?

Had a similar issue not so long ago. Was dreading talking to the (unbeknownst to me) neighbour for months about it. When I eventually approached him he was quite relieved about getting some help to prune it back as he had reduced mobility and couldn't do it himself. Afternoon session with some loppers and a trip to the tip and all was good in tha 'hood.

HaydenB

My parents have lived in the house for 38 years and the lady with the tree is a friend of the family. She is in her 80s and a lovely lady.

A few years ago about four of the neighbours (who are affected by the trees/sun light) got together and went up to see her to see if she would be happy to have them chopped. She flatly refused and it was left there.

With me and my family now looking to move in, I will of course go and have a chat with her but expect the same response as a previous hence looking to see if there would be any legal weight behind our request. Personally, having known her all my life, I dont want to create any dispute. However, my partner wants to get the trees down so that we get the sunlight in our garden.

andrewf75

If she has refused then theres nothing you can do. Trees are part of the landscape and people are rightly protective of them.

If the lack of light is a problem don't move there. You don't have a right to direct sunlight. Thats part of the considerations you make when choosing to buy a house.

phoenix_w

With an elderly occupant, it's probably not worth going in all guns blazing with "I know the law" etc. You'll probably come worse off for it.

You may be able to use the "Right to Light" act if it's affecting the amount of light coming through a window on your property (not garden!) as long as you got 20 years of daylight through it. However enforcement may be problematic. If the neighbour won't budge after using the softly softly approach, talk to the council who should be able to tell you if they would be prepared to do anything, but I wouldn't stake my life on it...

HaydenB

Thanks for your comments.

PasturesNew

At her age she probably feels she lacks the skills to be able to get quotes in and not be ripped off. There's also the fear of cost.

If you speak to her she might welcome somebody else finding out how much it'd cost to have it dealt with. Then it might be a question of cost.

She might like the tree .... but these things can look daunting to sort out, who do you phone, how do you know you're not being ripped off.

She might just welcome not feeling alone in getting it dealt with.... if she can afford it.

warmhands.coldheart

Would YOU be happy to pay for all off the work as it's you who has the issue with the trees? If so put that to her.... If not, don't expect someone else to cough up for something you want...... Completely unreasonable in my view...

HaydenB

Its completely unreasonable to question whether laws exist over the height of a neighbours trees when it blocks all sunlight onto the garden?

Mojisola

HaydenB wrote: »

Its completely unreasonable to question whether laws exist over the height of a neighbours trees when it blocks all sunlight onto the garden?

It's reasonable to ask the question but, unless the trees are evergreen and form a hedge, there's no way you can force the neighbour to reduce their height.

Even if you can use the High Hedges law, it will cost you to do so.