Hedge trimming, who pays?

david29dpo

I have never been able to find an answer to this question.
For a friend.....
House A has a hedge (on there land) which overhangs House Bs garden.
House A cuts there side and top of the hedge, never House Bs side and refuse to do it

In the past House B cuts the overhanging hedge and disposes of the cuttings themselfs.

House B can no longer do it due to there age so pay someone else.

Can House B send house A the bill?

Baldytyke88

david29dpo said:

House B can no longer do it due to there age so pay someone else.

Can House B send house A the bill?

No, but the rules seem to be different when the hedge overhangs the highway.

FlorayG

I'm assuming the occupants of A and B are not on friendly terms? Because clearly the best course would be to ask A if they could do it. Otherwise no, it's B's responsibility, but if B is now elderly and incapable they should pay someone to cut it back as severely as possible so that it doesn't need doing as often

david29dpo

Thanks but why not?

LightFlare

david29dpo said:

Thanks but why not?

Too much hassle with enforcing I suspect

I find it “wrong” that someone can plant a load of stuff that then affects someone else’s property in such a way and yet has no responsibility for it to the extent that it actually costs the other person money as well.

david29dpo

Wonder who would win in the small claims court?
The hedge in question is getting on for 200 feet long, costing a small fortune to get it cut

doodling

Hi,

david29dpo said:

Thanks but why not?

Because it is long standing law that, with certain exceptions, you are not responsible for the natural growth of flora affecting someone else's property.

Those exceptions include (but are not limited to) property adjacent to a highway, certain non-native 'pest' species, excessively tall hedges and I suspect a deliberate intent to cause nuisance.  None of those apply here.

youth_leader

I've been in this bungalow for four years now.  The first year the neighbour did cut my side of the hedge, he was at the very top of his ladder.  He has to care for his two adult disabled children and his wife, and he hasn't done it since.  I think he is struggling and I have offered to help him.

I paid someone to do it late autumn.  My fence is six foot, and the hedge grows above it by two/three foot, and has started growing horzontally into my garden.  

david29dpo

Does anyone have a link to the law please?

Flugelhorn

get it cut back to the boundary and put a fence up on B's land 

david29dpo

Flugelhorn said:

get it cut back to the boundary and put a fence up on B's land 

They thought about that but the hedge is about 8 feet high so it would still overhang a 6 foot fence