Neighbour has cut down my tree!!

moneyistooshorttomention

Well - I guess Monty Don is the nearest one comes to "The Bible" on gardening matters - so if £300-£400 is his take on things....

EDIT; just googled for "mature trees uk" - and one website google came up with, for instance, was:

https://www.ornamental-trees.co.uk

EDIT; Also found https://www.barcham.co.uk and one can put "mature trees" in their search box. One type, for instance, came up at £186 for a "medium tree". So - put like that - £300 should cover it for cost of a mature tree.

steeeb

I'd be more worried your neighbour is a mentalist. Who goes into their neighbours garden and cuts down a tree then retreats. Also, who did they get to do it - surely they'd have been uneasy doing it knowing they're clearly going into someone elses garden.

Unless the houses are rather new I've always known that the measurements on deeds are approx. - When you bought your house they'd have asked if the boundary were altered and that question would have been asked down the line from the original purchaser. So it's very likely the fence is still at the original boundary.

It's mental your neighbour has done that rather than:
- First disputing the boundary.
- First mentioning about the tree being annoying and they'd like to get rid of it - perhaps you're not bothered about the tree and would of happily got rid of it if she covered the costs anyway?


Whether I liked the tree or not I'd be livid someone would think it's okay to do what she has done.

moneyistooshorttomention

Just looked up "mentalist" - and it means = an eccentric or mad person.

What an odd thing to call someone - as well as, almost certainly, inaccurate. I am surprised at that - in these politically correct times of the 2010's (ie when one has to "walk on eggshells" rather than even using an accurate word to describe someone).

Not sure how many times the message has to be repeated - The neighbour believed the tree was in THEIR garden because THEIR deeds say that that is THEIR land. So the neighbour has good cause to believe it is their tree - and therefore they can do what they please to it.

What we are trying to establish is just whose land it is.

silvercar

My thinking would be that the tree has grated on the neighbour for years. Impulsively she decides to act and the boundary issue is an excuse. Now that the tree has gone she has happily retreated.

So the only question is whether you want the costs of replanting a tree. Some may say she has done you a favour.

silvercar

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

J

Not sure how many times the message has to be repeated - The neighbour believed the tree was in THEIR garden because THEIR deeds say that that is THEIR land. So the neighbour has good cause to believe it is their tree - and therefore they can do what they please to it.

What we are trying to establish is just whose land it is.

Even though the boundary fence has been in place for years? and the neighbour said nothing?

Davesnave

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Mind you - there isn't actually any need to get the tree stump removed even. You could:

There might be, if one doesn't want to encourage honey fungus in the garden.

I wouldn't plant a large tree to replace the old one, or exactly in the same place. Large mature trees are all very well for shows and commercial enterprises with the resources to provide auto watering etc, but they're a lot of faff for the average person. Without due care, they can fail to thrive.

Any major change in a garden is a chance to re-assess, but not necessarily repeat. A stand of 3 Betula Jacqumontii might look much better all year round than whatever was there before, and if the OP's house is on the sunward side, they might even like some of the light shade these would provide in a slightly different place.

Davesnave

silvercar wrote: »

My thinking would be that the tree has grated on the neighbour for years. Impulsively she decides to act and the boundary issue is an excuse. Now that the tree has gone she has happily retreated.

It happens.

A friend of mine was asked to trim trees for a lady who, on the day, decided she'd rather have them down.

He obliged, leaving the trunks neatly stacked and bonfiring the rest.

Then the owner of the hedge and the trees turned-up!

steeeb

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Just looked up "mentalist" - and it means = an eccentric or mad person.

What an odd thing to call someone - as well as, almost certainly, inaccurate. I am surprised at that - in these politically correct times of the 2010's (ie when one has to "walk on eggshells" rather than even using an accurate word to describe someone).

Not sure how many times the message has to be repeated - The neighbour believed the tree was in THEIR garden because THEIR deeds say that that is THEIR land. So the neighbour has good cause to believe it is their tree - and therefore they can do what they please to it.

What we are trying to establish is just whose land it is.

It's not a normal, rational thing to do.

If there's a garage that has been built at the back of my garden, on the other side of the fence which was there when I moved in years ago - then several years later I check my deeds, get out the tape measure and *think* it belongs to me and knock it down when he's out without first engaging the neighbour. It's quite a crazy, eccentric or mad thing to do.

Davesnave

steeeb wrote: »

It's not a normal, rational thing to do.

Agreed, but the behaviour may contain an element of rationality in the sense that it's an act which cannot easily be undone and probably confers sufficient advantage to make the risk worthwhile.

If one asks, there's a significant risk that the answer will be, "No."

Present a fait accomplis, mutter the words, "They can't hang me for it," and if the opposition has been weighed-up correctly, there's a good chance of getting away with it.

paddy's_mum

I'd bet money that the "deed" the neighbour has is a map as part of the conveyancing paperwork which will say, very clearly, 'all that parcel of land edged in red shown on the attached map for the purposes of identification only".

Bearing in mind that the Land Registry themselves state that all measurements on deeds/certificates they produce are 'general outlines only' and are plus or minus a metre in accuracy, it is easy to see how situations such as the OP's come to pass.

For the neighbour to ignore the straight lines of fences between houses and streets that have been there for years is to invite a full blown, and very expensive, boundary dispute.

OP might like to get and read a copy of John Anstey's book and once read, pass it on to this idiotic neighbour.