Neighbours...

[Pigmy Pony]

On one side of us we have a couple a little older than us, he a retired owner of Chorley's only hifi shop. He still gets a couple of hifi mags each month, which he passes on to me, and I in return give him my Which? mags. They love Anita's cottage pies, so she always makes extra, neighbours wife makes a mean bread and butter pudding for us, so there is a constant back and forth of goods and services. Quality neighbours, and I hope they feel the same :)

Then there's the old bag on the other side.

A few years ago our gardener cleared a lot of weeds from under the shrubs which border our garden, and she went into full screaming skull mode.

But then she accosted Anita in the garden one day, wanting the number of our gardener. She took him on to sort out her jungle/garden, made unreasonable demands on how she wanted it, chipped him on the price, then loudly sacked him for arriving half an hour late the following week. Then came knocking on our door complaining about his unreliability because he wasn't answering her calls.

She works in a charity shop I think, so the gardener knew when it was safe to come to us.

She has two trees whose branches come over our garden. What are my rights regarding butchering her trees? I'm the gardener these days, and I may not handle her complaints as sympathetically as the last bloke.

[mikeyb]

https://www.gov.uk/how-to-resolve-neighbour-disputes/high-hedges-trees-and-boundaries#:~:text=You%20can%20trim%20branches%20o r,court%20for%20damaging%20their%20property.

Don't just throw the cut branches back over to her side as that can be construed as Fly Tipping.

You're within your right to cut them but she's a witch so expect grief whatever you do.

[Pigmy Pony]

https://www.gov.uk/how-to-resolve-neighbour-disputes/high-hedges-trees-and-boundaries#:~:text=You%20can%20trim%20branches%20o r,court%20for%20damaging%20their%20property.

Don't just throw the cut branches back over to her side as that can be construed as Fly Tipping.

You're within your right to cut them but she's a witch so expect grief whatever you do.

Thanks Mike, that's helpful. I'll just do them while she's at work, then await the flak. As the saying goes, 'It's easier to ask for forgiveness than to seek permission' :) She may not notice anyway. And we're all detached bungalows, I can go for weeks without seeing her sour puss.

I wonder where I stand legally if I put all the cut off branches in her wheely bin? Only kidding, I'm not going to push my luck.

[Macca]

There most probably isn't but if there is tree preservation order in your area I think you need to get permission to prune them. Not from the old bag but the council - or someone.

None of that round here the council cut down all the trees so no-one can sue them for tripping over the roots.

[Pigmy Pony]

There most probably isn't but if there is tree preservation order in your area I think you need to get permission to prune them. Not from the old bag but the council - or someone.

None of that round here the council cut down all the trees so no-one can sue them for tripping over the roots.

As well as the tripping-over-roots thing, there's also the proximity of your houses - the roots can really do a number on foundations.

A few years ago we were at the planning stage for an extension, and a bloke from building control came with some charts listing various species of tree, and how close to them you could build. And the trees had to stay, they were documented and had little numbered metal discs on them.

[Macca]

As well as the tripping-over-roots thing, there's also the proximity of your houses - the roots can really do a number on foundations.

A few years ago we were at the planning stage for an extension, and a bloke from building control came with some charts listing various species of tree, and how close to them you could build. And the trees had to stay, they were documented and had little numbered metal discs on them.

old houses round here, they don't really have foundations. Most upgraded now but originally the kitchen floors (the back room of the 'two down') were just quarry tiles laid straight onto the soil.

[Andy831]

As well as the tripping-over-roots thing, there's also the proximity of your houses - the roots can really do a number on foundations.

A few years ago we were at the planning stage for an extension, and a bloke from building control came with some charts listing various species of tree, and how close to them you could build. And the trees had to stay, they were documented and had little numbered metal discs on them.

Yes that would be the NHBC guide for building near trees. Which is generally accepted in Engineering Circles to be the most reasonable guide particularly if your soils are "clay" with the potential to shrink.

[Mikeandvan]

There's a gov. dep. for this sort of thing, Special Branch I think it's called. Leaf it a few weeks before you call them, or she might twig.

[Pigmy Pony]

There's a gov. dep. for this sort of thing, Special Branch I think it's called. Leaf it a few weeks before you call them, or she might twig.

I may be going out on a limb, but I think you've got to the root of the problem there.

[CageyH]

You are barking up the wrong tree.

[Pigmy Pony]

You are barking up the wrong tree.

I can't compete with yew, the pun-master.

[hifi_dave]

I believe you have to get permission from the owner even if they encroach on your property. The cut branches are her property so you might have to return them once cut, though I doubt she'll want them.

[struth]

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/trees/the-law

[walpurgis]

My neighbour has a fallen tree that is now overhanging my garden by a metre or so. I intend to hack it back to their property line! It's a large apple tree that fell due to the burden of ivy that has grown all over it and snapped the trunk, strangely it is still alive after a year and a half like this. I suspect it will mysteriously die soon!

[Pigmy Pony]

The cut branches are her property so you might have to return them once cut, .

Yeah, I'm not doing that. I like my car too much. Did I mention she's a bit mental?

https://cdn3.whatculture.com/images/2017/03/7476c80f588a33e6-600x338.jpg

[hifi_dave]

You did.

We had a mental couple living next to us back in the 70s. They gave us so much trouble, I phoned the chap we bought the house from and he confirmed they had driven him out - thanks. They eventually drove us out but it did us a massive favour as I had a compulsory transfer to another area. The company paid all expenses, interest free loans, £10K sweetener etc and we did very well there.

[Pigmy Pony]

That was quite some upturn in your fortunes, if it weren't for your compulsory transfer things would have been so different. Lets just hope that karma sent your mental couple the neighbours they deserved :punch: that would be the icing on the cake.

[Macca]

The best neighbours are no neighbours.

[mikeyb]

We're about to get new ones, so far every new one ( 5 so far) has been good so this time we're almost certain on the law of averages they'll be crap.

50+ year olds buying a 4 bedroom house?

I'm thinking bought for rental.

Mind you the one on the end of our street, again 4 bedrooms was bought by people in their 70s or 80s which was strange, esp considering the stairs, they get carers in too.

[Macca]

We're about to get new ones, so far every new one ( 5 so far) has been good so this time we're almost certain on the law of averages they'll be crap.

50+ year olds buying a 4 bedroom house?

I'm thinking bought for rental.

Mind you the one on the end of our street, again 4 bedrooms was bought by people in their 70s or 80s which was strange, esp considering the stairs, they get carers in too.

They sell so fast I suppose people can't be picky if they want to live in a particular area.

One side of mine was empty for years but sold a couple of months back. Needs a fair bit of modernisation, so far nothing's been done so I think new neighbours still a long way off from moving in. Unless they are not bothered about having mod cons like heating and are fond of 1950s decor. Not retro, I think it was last decorated in about 1956.

[Pigmy Pony]

We're about to get new ones, so far every new one ( 5 so far) has been good so this time we're almost certain on the law of averages they'll be crap.

50+ year olds buying a 4 bedroom house?

I'm thinking bought for rental.

Mind you the one on the end of our street, again 4 bedrooms was bought by people in their 70s or 80s which was strange, esp considering the stairs, they get carers in too.

:eek: You've burned through 5 sets of neighbours? I don't want to be the one to tell you... :ner:

[Pigmy Pony]

The best neighbours are no neighbours.

Neighbours? Everybody needs good neighbours.

[Macca]

Neighbours? Everybody needs good neighbours.

Tony Hatch lied to us through the medium of song.

[Pigmy Pony]

Tony Hatch lied to us through the medium of song.

Though he was strangely and brutally honest when he was a judge on "New Faces". I think they called him "the hatchet man". The hypocrisy of some people...

[Macca]

Looked him up, he's still going.

[struth]

Looked him up, he's still going.

must be a decent age now..

[Macca]

93 I think it said.

[willbewill]

I know you don't like her but it might be worth biting the bullet and approaching her to tell her about the branches overhanging and that you would like to cut them back. See what she says - at least you will have done the neighbourly thing and forewarned her, so your conscience will be clear.

[Pigmy Pony]

I know you don't like her but it might be worth biting the bullet and approaching her to tell her about the branches overhanging and that you would like to cut them back. See what she says - at least you will have done the neighbourly thing and forewarned her, so your conscience will be clear.

You're right of course Malcolm, that is the neighbourly thing to do. I'll send Mrs. P round to do it :) It's not that I don't like her, I just tend to keep away from folk devoid of reason. I'm sure she's probably lovely when things are going her way.

[Barry]

You are within your right to cut back any branches that overhang your property. But the cut branches still belong to your neighbour, so need to be returned to them.

[Macca]

You are within your right to cut back any branches that overhng your property. But the cut branches still belong to your neighbour, so need to be returned to them.

If they're not about when you finish the pruning you can stuff them through their letterbox.

It's the law.

[Lawrence001]

I think technically you have to ask them if they want them back.

[hifinutt]

ah neighbours ... got lots of nice neighbours but one side spent several years trying to turn a 4 bed into a 8 bed with no planning permission whatsover . cost me quite a few thousand fighting all their shenanigans . which included one day building a 4-5 foot high patio so they were literally walking on it looking over the fence . there is now a 10 foot high fence there !!! erected by me . we have recovered a bit but wow . just spent 2 years being poa to another neighbour who i knew for years . incredible guys and i did everything to organise funeral and care . wonderful experience but huge amount of work .

[Lawrence001]

Surely if someone does major work without planning permission you just tell the council and they deal with it and prosecute if necessary.

Unless they're in the funny handshake club of course, I could see that would be a problem.