Neighbour asked us to trim the hedge

elsien

plumb1_2 said:

Why do you feel the need to ask people on the internet, it’s clearly a moral judgement.
Your hedge that is causing the problem, a simple enough task to rectify, and be a good neighbour.

Or absolve yourself and let the neighbour cut back the 5cm plus another 20 cm to delay the overgrowth. And get a bad neighbour in return.

It’s not a moral judgement. The OP was just asking because they seemed unclear on the legal position.
if it was me because I wouldn’t want to set a precedent of trimming the hedge on their side forever more,  I would probably just say that I had no plans to but they were well within their rights to do it themselves. 

I wonder what the arrangement with the previous neighbour was because it is coming across as quite entitled on their part. No reason they can’t just do it themselves.

marcia_

elsien said:

plumb1_2 said:

Why do you feel the need to ask people on the internet, it’s clearly a moral judgement.
Your hedge that is causing the problem, a simple enough task to rectify, and be a good neighbour.

Or absolve yourself and let the neighbour cut back the 5cm plus another 20 cm to delay the overgrowth. And get a bad neighbour in return.

It’s not a moral judgement. The OP was just asking because they seemed unclear on the legal position.
if it was me because I wouldn’t want to set a precedent of trimming the hedge on their side forever more,  I would probably just say that I had no plans to but they were well within their rights to do it themselves. 

I wonder what the arrangement with the previous neighbour was because it is coming across as quite entitled on their part. No reason they can’t just do it themselves.

 My thoughts exactly. They can take care of their own garden and I would just suggest they cut it back themselves. 

[Deleted User]

Hi,

any chance of a photie?

Mr.Generous

elsien said:

plumb1_2 said:

Why do you feel the need to ask people on the internet, it’s clearly a moral judgement.
Your hedge that is causing the problem, a simple enough task to rectify, and be a good neighbour.

Or absolve yourself and let the neighbour cut back the 5cm plus another 20 cm to delay the overgrowth. And get a bad neighbour in return.

It’s not a moral judgement. The OP was just asking because they seemed unclear on the legal position.
if it was me because I wouldn’t want to set a precedent of trimming the hedge on their side forever more,  I would probably just say that I had no plans to but they were well within their rights to do it themselves. 

I wonder what the arrangement with the previous neighbour was because it is coming across as quite entitled on their part. No reason they can’t just do it themselves.

I can see that someone who doesn't own a hedge may not want to purchase a hedgeclipper.

I'd just cut it. If it means I have to trim my own hedge on the neighbors side so what? I'd be trimming it anyway.

elsien

Plus there’s a little bit of a difference between “hello , welcome to the neighbourhood I am your neighbour Jo. Pleased to meet you” versus hello, When are you cutting my hedge?

ThisIsWeird

I'd suggest there's no clear rule here, certainly morally. (Legally, I understand the neighbour's side is the neighbour's responsibility). 'What to do' will likely come down to a number of factors, including how able and prepared the owner is to do such a job, and the attitude of the neighbour.

This example sounds like a short section of low, front-of-house hedge that the owner would regularly be trimming on their side in any case, so in theory the small additional effort required to also trim the other side could be worth the good will and relations gained.

If, instead, this was a 30+ metre length of back garden-separating hedge, how many folk on here currently advocating that the OP trims the hedge would continue to do so?

(That's my situation. The lower garden has such a hedge, and I did offer to cut their side when I first moved in - looking back, it was because the guy intimated that I should. However, whereas my side takes 20-odd minutes of quick shaping, at a slow walking pace, and which I do no more often than once a year, his side took over an hour each time, balancing on the top of a wonky stepladder on sloping ground, as my neighbour's garden level is lower than mine - whilst trying to avoid damage to flowerbeds, and just the general awkwardness of being in someone else's property being watched as I did the work! So, I gave up on that after a couple of attempts. He also has extensive 'maze'-style hedging in his garden that he gets professionally done once or twice a year, but was still content to see me tackle the shared boundary - pfffft)

Going on to someone else's property, even in such a seemingly accessible location as the front drive, carries a number of risks. And then there's the 'expectation' of this neighbour; I wonder how often he'll expect this to be done?!

Or, if the neighbour is a brush-their-drive-once-a-day type - would you be happy brushing up the clippings from that? Or if there was a section of trellis you had to navigate?

It's up to the OP, but legally I understand he's on safe ground. Morally, that's his call to make. My recommendation - unless the two of them get on like a house on fire, are very easy-going, and always helping each other out - is to be matter-of-fact; "Hmm, well, I'm really not happy coming on to someone else's property and doing work like this - and, as I'm sure you know, there is no obligation on me to do so. But if you'd really like me to do so this time, then say so, but I obviously cannot take any responsibility for the job done, or any damage caused; that's why it's usual for each side to look after their own." And if the neighbour responds with anything other than a "That's fair enough - thanks", then that will be THE reason for NOT doing this regularly.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

you were intending doing it during your holidays, but don't say when your holidays are.

outtatune

This site is called 'Money Saving Expert', and having a good relationship with the neighbours when you move into a new house is a fantastic way to save money.

Bluebell1000

Our neighbours at the front have a hedge running alongside our drive, and some hedging which overhangs a bit at the back. They hire someone to cut their side, and pay him to do ours as well. It is a lovely thing for them to do and goes above and beyond what we'd expect; we would usually have expected to do it ourselves!

My husband yesterday popped into the drive for the neighbours on the other side, and trimmed our conifer that overhangs his fence. The neighbour on that side tends to mow the whole grass verge at the front, in front of our house as well as doing his section. You don't have to do any of that, but it's a nice thing to do. 

stuhse

The legal position has been developed through case law and is quite logical when you think about it.

1. They are allowed to trim back vegetation that has grown on to their land, but only to the boundary of their land.---This is because it is creating a technical trespass and they are allowed to abate that nuisance.(eg its blocking their drive) They cannot force you to trim back the hedge...the courts have decided growth of vegetation is a natural process which is why neighbouring property owners have been given the above right. (this doesn't mean it might not be the right thing to do)

2.  You have no right to go your neighbours land to trim the hedge...this would be trespassing...that has lead to 1 above. 

Its quite an aggressive start to a neighbour relationship if their opening introduction was to bang on your door and ask this.  Or was it part of a longer 'welcome to the neighbourhood' conversation ?

If it were me id reply similar to as mentioned by an earlier poster...."I am planning to trim the hedge in due course but having just moved house i have a huge list of jobs to do, so im not sure when it will be and i was really thinking of leaving it until after the bird nesting season so as to be sure not to break the law.    Obviously i have no right to come onto your side to carry out any trimming but would you be happy for me to do so whenever i need ?.   You do realise you are perfectly within your rights to cut  your side back to the boundary if you need it doing immediately ?. "

Then a few weeks later when i was round there cutting back the hedge id ask them if there's anything else they have that needs a trim whilst i had my hedge trimmer out, just to show what a nice neighbour i really am.