Overgrown conifers

imaspud

Hi everyone I’m sure this question has been asked many times.

so I have a pretty huge conifer at the bottom of my garden that is right on the boundary with my neighbours garden. I’m not sure exactly how tall but it is definitely taller than my 2 story house!
Im pretty sure the conifer does encroach on their garden to a degree as they are forever cutting branches off and chucking them over into my garden.
They also continually demand that I have them considerably reduced in size but I’m not really in a position to do this at the moment.

so where do I stand here with A- them continually chucking the branches into my garden and B- their demands for me to have it cut back/down?

I do understand their frustrations with this but I really would like to know where I stand from a legal stand point.

Are they allowed to throw the off cuts into my garden, shouldn’t they “offer” them to me?
Do I really have to give in to their demands to have it cut back?

Any advice is great fully received!
Thanks

Mojisola

Have you seen the tree from their garden?  Is it a problem for them or are they making it a bigger issue than it is?  Would you find it a pain if you lived in their house?

They can't force you to have it cut down but would you if you could afford it?  Would the neighbours be willing to go halves with you to have it removed?

They shouldn't be throwing the prunings into your garden but it's probably an expression of their frustration and their way of  reminding you that your tree is a problem for them.

Jeepers_Creepers

Factors here we don't know about - the size of their (and your) garden? The compass direction of these trees in relation to their garden - does it block much sunlight? 

In general, tho', tall trees which block light and views are deeply unpleasant, and I suspect they have a valid reason to feel frustrated. 

As said above, they cannot demand that you cut them down, tho' I suspect there comes a limit when the local council might feel obliged to intervene if it's clearly unreasonable (eg - they have a small garden, and this blocks pretty much all their light). 

As Moj asks - how would you feel if the roles were reversed? 

Is there any reason why you might want them that high, or 'high' in general? Does it provide screening from a multi-storey house, for example? If not, then the kind thing - and lawd knows we need more empathy these days - would be to explain your current situation; why you cannot do this at the moment, but would wish to do so - and sorry for the grief. If they offer to do the job for you, accept gratefully - but make it clear what minimum height you are prepared to accept, and also that this is a one-of without them asking subsequent permission first. Strongly recommend you put these details in writing and ask them to sign it too. If they cut them down to size for you, buy them a bottle of decent wine... :-)

Oh, and no, they shouldn't really be throwing the branches into your garden, but asking first and then placing them gently over your fence... But, if your trees are genuinely stupid-high, and they are in major shadow, then I wouldn't challenge them on this - it would be churlish. 

JIL

Our neighbours have conifers that run the boundary of the two gardens. We put a six foot fence up to block them out. My husband was forever trimming them on our side.
We nearly had a party last week, when they got someone in who cut them down to a foot on their side. 
What a difference, why anyone wants plants like leylandi in their relatively small gardens is beyond me.

grumbler

imaspud said:
I do understand their frustrations with this but I really would like to know where I stand from a legal stand point.

Are they allowed to throw the off cuts into my garden, shouldn’t they “offer” them to me?
Do I really have to give in to their demands to have it cut back?

Are you really going to sue them?

Yes, they have to offer.

No, you don't have to, but it would be good for both you and them to have these bloody trees cut at last.

Davesnave

Your understanding about the offcuts is correct, but there would appear to be nothing you can do if they persist, unless you are prepared to spend on something like a private injunction.

You don't have to give in to any demands to have the tree cut down/back or take any notice of people airing their personal views here without sight of the situation.

People love most trees. It's just the inconvenient ones they don't like.

giraffe69

Your understanding about the offcuts is correct, but there would appear to be nothing you can do if they persist,

Well you can chuck them back as you didn't ask for them but that won't soothe neighbourly relations. What is your reason for not being able to trim the tree. As said above if if it a matter of money then you could explain that to the neighbours and say you will get it trimmed as and when you can afford it but if they would like to go halves then you will expedite matters.

stevread

JIL said:

Our neighbours have conifers that run the boundary of the two gardens. We put a six foot fence up to block them out. My husband was forever trimming them on our side.
We nearly had a party last week, when they got someone in who cut them down to a foot on their side. 
What a difference, why anyone wants plants like leylandi in their relatively small gardens is beyond me.

Usually people plant them for privacy to screen out over looking windows etc not realising how quickly these trees get out of hand .

theoretica

Do you like the tree?  Even without offering to go halves, they might be sufficiently annoyed by the tree to be willing to foot the whole bill for the job done to their satisfaction.

Davesnave

stevread said:

JIL said:

Our neighbours have conifers that run the boundary of the two gardens. We put a six foot fence up to block them out. My husband was forever trimming them on our side.
We nearly had a party last week, when they got someone in who cut them down to a foot on their side. 
What a difference, why anyone wants plants like leylandi in their relatively small gardens is beyond me.

Usually people plant them for privacy to screen out over looking windows etc not realising how quickly these trees get out of hand .

There is nothing wrong with Leyland cypress; it's the people who own them that are problematic and lazy.

We had a line of them within our last garden for over 15 years and they never got more than 4' wide and 12'-14' high. That's because either I or one of my kids would trim them annually. Brilliant tree for creating privacy, but leave them for a few years and they cannot then be tamed, so the only solution is felling.