On 2009-05-26 09:19:30 +0100, "Kate Morgan" said:



A neighbour has some trees which are right up against the boundary and they
are growing across my garden, how can I make him prune them so I do not have
to suffer their presence?


Our neighbour complained about some of our trees and we told them that
they could cut back anything on their side that was bothering them,
their answer was that they didn't see why they should do it or indeed
pay someone to do it when they were our trees.They wanted us to cut
back hedges as well, the matter has not been resolved as yet.

kate

Don't you think they have a point, Kate? They didn't plant the trees
or hedge but both are impinging on their garden. They're not planted
in their garden but they belong to you and are giving your neighbour a
problem as a result of your ownership. If they were e.g. your dog, or
cat, or your children, wouldn't you expect to deal with the matter
yourself?
Perhaps you could offer to go into their garden and do the trimming,
taking away any debris? That way, nobody is out of pocket but honour
is satisfied. Honour, in this case, being good relations with your
neighbours. It will be much easier for you to keep those trees under
control once the initial cut is made, too! And is it worth falling out
with the people to whom you are closest? ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials
South Devon


With respect, but in my own defense I need to say that the hedge and
trees in question have been there for a very very long time, long
before we bought the property and long before our neighbours bought
theirs. Our property is 16th cent. and we have seen Victorian pictures
of the property and the same hedges/trees were there then,it is made up
of mixed planting full of wildlife and serving a purpose, one of the
purposes is to protect our property and next doors from the wind that
sweeps up the Bristol Channel.
I don't like to use age but as I am in my early 70`s I am not able to
cut/trim the growth - even if I wanted to - there are several other
reasons why I do not wish to do the work but I have no intention of
getting petty. None of you know the situation and I am surprised by the
reaction to a few lines in answer to another poster. We are in a rural
area and all have big garden`s and a bit of land, most of us have big
hedges and trees and I do not wish to fall out with our neighbours or
any members of this newsgroup whose friendship I value.

kate

Funnily enough, just this morning my daughter told me that her
neighbour who keeps his back garden extremely trim, has allowed the
hedge in the front to grow up so as to hide the view from her kitchen
window towards the Severn. She's going to ask him to cut a 'window' in
the hedge so that both her light and her view aren't spoiled further.
He asked her if he could trim some branches from one of her trees that
were shading his garden and of course, she said 'yes'. We have to
hope that he'll bear her co-operation in mind when she asks the same of
him, even though he was, of course, within his rights to trim her trees
where they impinged on his garden.
I wasn't accusing you of anything unpleasant but hoping to suggest an
amicable solution to a situation I've been in myself. I had a
neighbour who wanted to cut back some branches of my tree in full leaf
because (he said) it was dropping leaves and pollen onto their washing
line. This was nonsense as there was no washing line nearby but he was
one of the awkward squad at the best of times! I told him I'd cut the
branches back in late autumn and I did and paid someone to do it
because it was my tree growing over into his garden, although it wasn't
a tree I'd planted. I'm sorry if I've offended you because that was
certainly not my intention.The other thing that concerned me was that
if I got the person who did the work and I paid for it, I knew it would
be done properly and not just have someone half butchering it.
Obviously if there's more to the situation then any answers given can't
encompass the unknown. For all of you, and for Hugh's problem, too,
would it be possible/worth it, to band together to get someone to come
in once or twice a year to do all hedges and necessary work and all
share the cost? And presumably, your neighbours must be aware that the
hedges and trees are providing a windbreak? I ask only because if
they're not that interested in gardening, they might not realise the
importance of a shelter belt.
If the trees have been there a long time, all of you knew they were
there when you bought your houses, so it's not as if any of you have
planted trees just to annoy others, so perhaps all joining forces to
clear the 'nuisance' could be the answer.
--
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials
South Devon