Can't sell house due to neighbours tree!

Suse71

Hi

I recently had an offer on my house and the surveyer then valued the house as £0 due to next doors tree possibly causing damage. A report was carried out by a tree surgeon (from the buyer) and suggested some channels needed to be dug to stop the roots getting through. It was noted on both reports that no damage has happened to my house. A further report by an independent tree specialist was carried out and basically said no damage and any future damage is the neighbours responsibility.

Now, the mortgage company won't loan the money. It's had to go back on the market to hopefully get a cash buyer. I've spoken to my neighbour but she won't kill the tree in a phased way as referred to in the report and won't cut it down.

Is there anything I can do? I've lost the house of my dreams now. I've spent 2 months trying to reason with the neighbour.

Thanks

ilikewatch

Suse71 wrote: »

Hi

I recently had an offer on my house and the surveyer then valued the house as £0 due to next doors tree possibly causing damage. A report was carried out by a tree surgeon (from the buyer) and suggested some channels needed to be dug to stop the roots getting through. It was noted on both reports that no damage has happened to my house. A further report by an independent tree specialist was carried out and basically said no damage and any future damage is the neighbours responsibility.

Now, the mortgage company won't loan the money. It's had to go back on the market to hopefully get a cash buyer. I've spoken to my neighbour but she won't kill the tree in a phased way as referred to in the report and won't cut it down.

Is there anything I can do? I've lost the house of my dreams now. I've spent 2 months trying to reason with the neighbour.

Thanks

Why should your neighbour lose her tree so that you can have the house of your dreams and she ends up living next door to whoever chooses to buy your house (who could easily end up being neighbours from hell!). You need to find out how to incentivise her to remove the tree - she will have a price.

Alter_ego

Perhaps start by offering to pay for removal.

keith969

Seek another buyer, or ask buyer to use a different mortgage company?

If the tree hasn't caused any damage and is unlikely to in the near future, it's not reasonable to want it cut down just on a whim.

Geoff1963

some channels needed to be dug to stop the roots getting through

So that would be a narrow but deep trench, at the edge of your garden, lined with concrete, so the tree can do whatever it wants, and your house is unaffected ? Would the surveyor / mortgage company agree to lend, if this was done ?

sevenhills

Suse71 wrote: »

It was noted on both reports that no damage has happened to my house. A further report by an independent tree specialist was carried out and basically said no damage and any future damage is the neighbours responsibility.

From that do we assume that it is a very young tree, and planted too close?
It is very observant of the surveyor to notice a tree, and its age and type, in next doors garden.

bubblerawk

Is there known subsidence in the area? i am assuming your on clay which is why he is suggesting a root barrier?
As suggested above, it maybe worth offering to pay your neighbour for removal but check there was no concern over heave.

moneyistooshorttomention

My sympathies that you have landed up with a neighbour like that.

I guess you've shown these reports to the neighbour concerned? and they are still refusing to remove it?

I am wondering if there is any way you can find out who the neighbours insurance company are? - as, presumably, they wouldnt wish this neighbour to put them in a position where they might have to pay out a claim for damage to your house. A claim you could prove was her fault basically.

Fingers crossed you find a way to deal with this. I'm staggered at how a neighbour can be so totally selfish as to happily see your house reduced in value to £0 or a cash buyer.

Grenage

Perhaps the neighbor doesn't care about non existent damage. Without distances and tree details it's a bit vague.

greatgimpo

keith969 wrote: »

... ask buyer to use a different mortgage company?

If someone said that to me, I would wonder why, and run away!

seven-day-weekend

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

My sympathies that you have landed up with a neighbour like that.

I guess you've shown these reports to the neighbour concerned? and they are still refusing to remove it?

I am wondering if there is any way you can find out who the neighbours insurance company are? - as, presumably, they wouldnt wish this neighbour to put them in a position where they might have to pay out a claim for damage to your house. A claim you could prove was her fault basically.

Fingers crossed you find a way to deal with this. I'm staggered at how a neighbour can be so totally selfish as to happily see your house reduced in value to £0 or a cash buyer.

I would not remove the tree 'in case' it caused damage. However I WOULD take steps to make sure it didn't (because the damage would be to my house too.).

Having said that, I've been paranoid about trees being too close to houses ever since I saw a Sarah Beeny programme on the TV where tree roots were causing a house to fall down. We have a tree in our garden but it is away from the house.