Neighbour wants to hire tree prumer to cut overhanging branches and send us the bill

unforeseen

rach_k wrote: »

Why don't your want your ("lovely") tree properly pruned rather than hacked at by an amateur?

If it's your tree, it is unfair to expect the neighbours to put up with overhanging branches if they don't agree that it's lovely. They *could* cut it themselves but there's a risk they will make a real mess of it and then your tree will suffer, and if it's 20m high, how exactly do you expect them to do that safely? While they may not be able to make you pay for it, I think common sense and human decency would have me pay for my own tree, especially if I was fond of the tree in question.

They are quite happy for the tree to be pruned by a professional if the neighbour wants to employ one. They don't want to pay for it as they have no responsibility in law to pay.

EachPenny

rach_k wrote: »

If it's your tree, it is unfair to expect the neighbours to put up with overhanging branches if they don't agree that it's lovely. They *could* cut it themselves but there's a risk they will make a real mess of it and then your tree will suffer, and if it's 20m high, how exactly do you expect them to do that safely? While they may not be able to make you pay for it, I think common sense and human decency would have me pay for my own tree, especially if I was fond of the tree in question.

At a guess, the tree was there before the neighbours moved in and therefore they knew what they could expect? If they didn't like the tree they should have looked elsewhere, in the same way you'd look elsewhere if the view at the end of the garden was something else you didn't like.

Our urban areas already have too few trees, and far too many are being destroyed by people who've watched too many home improvement programmes and only want decking, concrete and artifical grass in their gardens.

In this case it sounds like the tree is the innocent victim of a neighbour dispute, it is not fair that the law currently allows people to hack a tree to pieces (and potentially kill it) just to spite the person who happens to live next door to them.

Hence my advice to the OP to check very carefully on the TPO/conservation issue, and ideally get some expert advice on the effect of the work on the long-term health of the tree. Even if the tree doesn't have a TPO the council's arboricultural officer may be able to help find a solution.

PasturesNew

I think you're digging your heels in; this is nothing about their "jealousy" that your tree shields an ugly church for you and not them. I think you're just being obstinate because ... you can and you will... and you'll stomp your little feet.

There is nothing that can make you responsible for the bill for cutting the tree back...

But ... why wouldn't you want to be a good neighbour? Big trees are the bane of boundaries. Why'd you not simply get a bloke round yourself, point to it and say "big tree.... prune it, so it's safe etc.... but cut it so I can't see the church"..... and with him doing it, you're in control of whether it'll fall on your own house in the night or not.

If you're not prepared to be a responsible tree owner, it should be taken from you .... if I were the neighbour I'd be googling all sorts of ways of digging into the roots to inject stuff to hopefully make it just go away.

You're being obstinate for no good reason... except you get glee from knowing that somebody else's life is blighted by this monstrosity.

JP1978

Use this incident as an olive branch to reach out to their better nature (pun intended).

Offer to get the tree pruned proffessionally and you would also get your side done as well.

You have the satisfaction of knowing its been done correctly and have a record that you are been the adult in the ongoing dispute.

Maybe write to them saying that although you are under no legal obligation to pay, you feel it is the right thing to do for all concerned.

David_Aston

I must ask. Is this hideous church in said neighbours garden?

poly192

. . . . . .

prowla

My understanding is that a neighbour can chop off any branches overhanging their garden and they have to offer them to you. If there were good relations with the neighbours then you might collaborate, but it doesn't seem to be so in this case.


As for the Police offering advice on law, I was on another forum talking about trademark law and counterfeit goods and an ex- policeman came on and told me I should shut up because I didn't know what I was talking about. A few pages later, and with the help of some links to the actual law, they posted again admitting they had got it wrong.

globetraveller

Instead of what ifs- pay a professional to do it. All you are going to do is make things worse. It's your tree- look after it. I am suspecting you want to just carry on the fued. Overhanging branches can be an annoyance.
Life is too short
You may have already made things difficult when you come to sell if police are already involved.

Davesnave

Let's be clear here; no one will be pruning a 20m tree at a high level unless they're a pro, or an idiot. Even tackling a 6 - 7m tree is quite difficult without the proper climbing gear and a top handled saw.


The chances are, the neighbours want to lop off a few lower limbs, which might not matter too much overall, but until they get going you won't know, by which time it'll be too late if something more drastic is envisaged.


You ought to know much more about the tree, like it's ID, possible problems arising from the species etc, and be 100% sure it has no protection order. Breach a TPO and it could cost you thousands, but just as importantly, it could dissuade the neighbour from doing anything silly too.

Money_maker

You'll need a photo of the tree & leaves so we can identify.