next door's hedge

Nonu
House next door is not rented.

I would just ask the landlord to take it up with the neighbours- rather than fight it out, as it can become unpleasant.

Mind you, we had the reverse situation at our last house in the UK. It was a 1920s house with a large garden, with a paddock at the back that belonged to our neighbour, with a covenant on it stating he could not build. But he sold the land to a builder and we ere unable to make the covenant hold, as it was old with 3 owners in-between. We were able to play around with the plans for the development - insisting that next door would be a bungalow with nor permission for raising the roof or adding windows at a later stage. We were not too worried as we had a very tall and old mixed hedge in-between, with lilac, elderberry, rowan, berberis and mock-orange and a fence behind.

The elderly couple who bought the bungalow started complaining right after they moved- writing 10 page letters (the kind with no punctuations- just ranting) complaining that said hedge was taking away their light. I took flowers over and had a good chat, and explained that the hedge was there for a very long time, was protected by law as being over 50 years and mixed, and was there a long time before they came. EG it was there on the day they first came to see the bungalow, on the day they came for second visit, on the day they signed the contract, on the day they moved. Politely and quietly explaining that we certainly loved our privacy and were not so keen on houses being built- but that they could cut anything over-hanging on their side.
Mrs then said that they bought that particular bungalow because it was much cheaper (but exactly the same) as the others. Yes, I politely replied, and there was a good reason why. She even phoned several times to say I had to go and collect 'my' snails and slugs from her patio. I asked how she knew they were mine and her reply was 'you are the one with the hedge, so they must be yours'. Never lost my cool- but honestly!

Hunt Thank you for your suggestion I would willing pay for ALL of the hedge to be removed but I can't see that ever happening. There is already a fence in place it was renewed last year at our instigation and we shared the costs.

Sooner or later our neighbour will have to move as the house + garden + 3 acres of land will have to move. Lets hope the new owners loathe Laurel hedges.

I've done that between S and me! Except I've paid! But since we're both birders, we agreed on a nature friendly hedge! Hazel, beech, hawthornetc also a rowan tree!

Sook, as neither you nor your neighbour are able to manage this hedge, how about sharing the cost of having the hedge removed and having it replaced with a fence?

I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT. I even have the nails! But I'm sure the first thing she would think of is sabotage!
It was planted by her 'babies!' who are know in their fourties!

Butternut does that little tip you gave jeni work on Laurel?

jeni Copper nails dead of night?

Not that I would advocate killing a tree....

The only disagreement angel next door and I have is about the Xmas tree she planted after Xmas in her garden about 20years ago! It is against the fence and overhangs my garden. It is at least 20ft high ans scraggly! It takes nourishment and shades my raspberries!Grrrrrrrrrrr

We have crossed swords (or should that be shears) several times over our neighbours Laurel hedge which they planted when they moved here 25 years ago. Our rear garden is North facing and the hedge which has been up to 15ft at times, bordered the garden on two sides depriving our small garden of available light. The roots from his cherry tree also encroached on our land causing damage to our patio and drains. In the end we sought legal advice and he had to fell the tree, however we were left to claim for the damage from our house insurance.

Every 2 years he would trim it and level it off and my DH would trim our side and throw the branches back over. Our neighbour passed away last year and it's obvious his wife is unable to manage the large garden. My DH has a lot of health problems and is unable to trim the hedge at all now so it is left to me to do what I can. Sooner or later we are going to have to broach the subject again although we will be very very reluctant to offer to share the costs of having the hedge trimmed.

I am afraid people get very precious about their trees and hedges. Personally I think there should be a law in force which prevents people planting trees which are capable of growing to great heights along boundary walls and fences.

Tempers did flare at times I must admit I found it much easier to write down my concerns and complaints always making sure I had copies of any letters I wrote.

We found our local CAB very helpful and indeed they provided us with legal advice which helped a great deal.

Good Luck glitabo

Have a look here Glitabo. scroll down to 'help with gardening if you're not a council tenant'

Suppose it depends how lease drawn up , most expect tenants to keep garden tidy and cared for

The landlord would know who the hedge belongs to. And if it belongs to him he might arrange for it to be cut back. Especially if Glitabo states her predicament.

Not sure who is liable legally, landlord or tenant.

Can't hurt to ask.

Didn"t realise house next door is rented

Well, they may be in breach of the terms of their lease, Nonu if it's up to them to cut the hedge. Or the landlord may have to do it himself if there's nothing specific mentioned in the lease.

Certainly don"t want to seem unsympathetic , but just wondering what landlord can do if it their hedge and not a lleylandi ? Keep fingers crossed they are decent people and realise your plight .

What kind of hedge is it, glitabo? If it is a leylandii hedge you can contact your local council as there is now legislation stating that a hedge must be no higher than 2mtrs if it is spoiling the enjoyment of a person's garden. There is quite a hefty fine for failure to comply.

Thank you everybody. I shall contact the landlord and keep you informed.

Yes, I agree, definitely contact the landlord and ask him whose responsibility the hedge is, and for him to speak to the neighbours about it. I wonder if there's anything specified in your lease? And theirs, of course.

Well, you can't do it if it is 12' high!

Right, so it definitely belongs to them. So they must at least dispose of the cuttings. I would think it would be up to them to come and cut it.

Contact landlord and ask?

I wonder if it could be the landlord's responsibility?

I have just been out to have a look in the back garden.
The hedge is definitely in the next door garden and in places is behind the fence. Also, the original concrete posts and wire is there dividing the 2 houses and the hedge is on the neighbours side of that. Also the hedge is over 12 feet high and has not been trimmed down at all even when they first moved in as they do not have a ladder.
Now I am getting obsessive.

JO4,
On the left hand side (when facing the end of the garden)there is a fence and the other neighbours hedge peeps above it. That neighbour pops round to my garden and cuts the overhang when he cuts his hedge.
The side I was talking about is on the right (when facing the bottom of the garden).
Where parts of the hedge are missing there are fence panels. I had those put in as there were gaps into next door's garden. I paid for some of them and the landlord of my house paid for some.

Anagram, I moved into this house 2 years ago and the house next door was empty. When the new neighbours moved in they cut back the hedge on their side and I asked the young man if he would cut it on my side as well and although he did not do it himself, his father in law did it for me.
I haven't asked him since then. I suppose it is a shared boundary but I am not sure as this is a rented house.
I won't make a fuss about it with the neighbours. I shall just get on with it, but I do feel better now that I have had a moan and a cup of tea.

Thanks Barrow and Anagram for your support and interest.