Neighbour dispute

duckychick

HI, we have a party wall with our neighbour. The wall is about 5ft and we have fence panels on top of this on our side meaning that we cant get to the top of the wall.  For some time neighbours have been weeding their side and top of the wall (quite an old wall so does have weeds etc growing out in spring/summer) and putting all the weeds etc under our fence onto our patio area.  Do they have a right to do this given that it's a party wall ? We have never put any of the weeds we take  from our side into their garden we just put them in our green bin!!     Many thanks for any thoughts.  

swingaloo

Are you saying they are weeding your side of the top of the wall as well as theirs because you cant weed it yourself because of the fence panels?

anselld

Seems an odd thing to do even if they think it is your wall.

However, is it worth having an argument about compared to just putting the weeds in the green bin?

pinkshoes

I wouldn't call this a dispute!

They're weeding the wall which is a good thing, and leaving the weeds on your patio, which is a bit annoying but not the end of the world.

I'd rather spend 5 minutes sweeping up the weeds and popping them into the garden bin than 20 minutes weeding the wall!

duckychick

Yes they are weeding the top of the wall but the majority of the weeds grow on their side of the wall not the top, but its all  being put over to us after they've done it.  I do just sweep up and put in our green bin but I was just curious as to the question of do they have a right to do this because its a party wall? I just wondered if that's why they were doing it, I have actually tried to politely ask them but I got a mouthful of abuse. I know its not exactly a dispute but I wasn't sure where else to post it? 

GrumpyDil

Ignore the point of it being a party wall.  The ordinary rule is if your remove greenery which is growing into your garden from your neighbours plants you should offer it back to your neighbour but in reality I don't know anyone who has ever done this.

In your case it just sounds like your neighbours are being petty and quite frankly not worth risking escalation into something that might cause problems further down the road.

LoopyLoops

Do they also pay for a green bin? Maybe they think they are doing the weeding and you can just pop it in your green bin? So they feel you are both doing your part for weeding the wall?  

kazwookie

Water can of weed killer should do the job, use a step ladder to reach the top of the wall.

duckychick

Thanks for all your comments, they do have a green bin which is usually next to them when they are putting weeds over wall back to us, I take the point that they are just being very petty for whatever reason and its not worth the escalation into something more, I will just continue to sweep up the mess and shake my head and wonder why! there's nowt queer as folk !!!!

prettyandfluffy

There is an urban myth that if you remove vegetation from a neighbour's property - tree branches, hedge clippings etc - you have to return it to them as it's their property.  This is nonsense but it persists so that might be why they're doing it.  If you happen to be chatting to them you could say that the weeds go straight in your green bin so they can just bin them if they wouldn't mind?

anselld

prettyandfluffy said:

There is an urban myth that if you remove vegetation from a neighbour's property - tree branches, hedge clippings etc - you have to return it to them as it's their property.  This is nonsense but it persists so that might be why they're doing it.  If you happen to be chatting to them you could say that the weeds go straight in your green bin so they can just bin them if they wouldn't mind?

It is not a myth, but it only applies when something clearly belonging to a neighbour grows across the boundary.  And in that case the requirement is to offer to return, not to return unilaterally.  

Irrelevant in this case anyway because the weeds in question originate on the neighbour's side.  They are just being perverse.