Garden boundary

bouicca21

There are lots of reasons why the neighbour doesn't answer the door. Sickness, disability, acute shyness, anxiety about OP being belligerent or confrontational about the letter. Being weird is just one possibility. Being a vampire who can't go out in the daylight can probably be ruled out.

At some stage OP will be able to strike up a conversation with the neighbour, that's the point at which to start making judgments. And as Dave suggested, the other neighbours will soon alert OP if there is something seriously off.

mrschaucer

Isn't this just like saying "A previous owner gave me permission to keep my car in your garage. I know it's your garage, but I don't use it and it's been there years, and I'VE GOT PERMISSION, so there."
Unless there is a covenant in the deeds, this carries no weight at all. If I didn't like the hedge (give it a bit of time to see if it shields you from anything horrendous!) it would be coming down. The neighbour might be persuaded to open his door if (after a few attempts to talk to him came to nothing) a letter giving notice of its imminent removal was delivered through his letter box.

Debbie_Savard

Also depends if you're detached, semi- or terraced. A NFH can make your life miserable in a semi while not doing anything technically illegal

pimento

Dig the hedge up and when he asks say "what letter?"

bris

Garden law states you can cut any of the neighbours growth intruding onto your property as long as you give the cuttings back to them. So cut it down and throw it into their garden.

Mojisola

bris wrote: »

Garden law states you can cut any of the neighbours growth intruding onto your property as long as you give the cuttings back to them. So cut it down and throw it into their garden.

As long as you ask them whether they want the prunings. If they don't, you have to dispose of them yourself.

There's no need to get awkward about the hedge.

The neighbour put it there with permission - that permission can be withdrawn and the neighbour will have to remove the hedge.

When the OP is ready to deal with the issue all that's needed is a letter to the neighbour saying that the hedge is no longer allowed and give a couple of weeks to get it removed.

Don't wait until Spring if it's large enough for birds to nest in it or that will delay the removal.

Hermione_Granger

bris wrote: »

Garden law states you can cut any of the neighbours growth intruding onto your property as long as you give the cuttings back to them. So cut it down and throw it into their garden.

Getting prosecuted for fly tipping wouldn't be a great start to life in a new house.

moneyistooshorttomention

pimento wrote: »

Dig the hedge up and when he asks say "what letter?"

Another possibility indeed. I don't usually advocate telling lies - but it might be excusable in this instance.

Such inefficiency as an EA losing a letter is quite believable in this country.:cool:

If the neighbour is refusing to even answer their own door - then there's not a lot of chance they will come out and knock on OP's door to rant at them about it.

In this case, of course, OP would need to dispose of the hedge themselves - as they would be pretending they had thought it was their hedge all along (as indeed it may be in fact...).

NB: As Mojisola said - the hedge does need removing before the spring (because of possible birds nests).

Davesnave

You could do some research on the hedge before deciding to remove it. At present, it seems to be just 'a hedge' which suggests that you haven't any idea what it is, or what it could be, given a bit of care and maintenance.

If it was something like Lonicera nitida, or badly hacked and half-dead leyland cypress, then I would probably want it out, but many hedges can be rejuvenated to look good and behave themselves.

It really depends what it is.

Anyway, I'd do it when it suited me, when the other jobs I'd need to do on a new-to-me property were sorted and I knew what would be a good replacement. Being reactive isn't always the smartest way to respond to a new situation. Bear in mind that if it's any size, a mini-digger will be the tool of first choice, if one can reach that part of your plot.

moneyistooshorttomention

I'd agree re the mini-digger.

One of them will make short work of removing anything like that - an hour or two and it will be history.

Easiest way to deal with this with no aggro from presumptuous neighbour would be to wait until they've gone out for a regular slot in their social or work calendar and have the digger in then. Job done and dusted by the time they get home.

Maybe having some large good-looking plant pots with plants in in your back garden - that you then get the person operating the digger to place along your boundary just after they've removed the hedge.