Huge tree, big clear up.

robinia pseudoacacia is one of the worst for spreading roots. It's a shame because it's very pretty when in blossom. We once had one and the roots crept up the roof drainpipe.
OTOH some pines have very shallow roots.
Hoping that applies to our neighbour's pine which is huge and spreads over our roof. I quite like it otherwise - it seems to attract the birds.

I split the cost of lowering a boundary hedge with my neighbour in my last house. I actually paid for the removal of a chestnut tree from my present neighbours garden.

No you're not unreasonable.
A couple of years ago our next door neighbours asked us to fell the trees along our boundary. Although the trees had been planted because we were ordered to do by the local Planning Board when we built it, we complied.
We only had to look at them to see why the neighbours were worried, so we got them cut down and removed.
It cost us a lot of money which was a bit unfair, but I'm glad they've gone all the same.
Do be friendly and polite when you broach the subject (as I'm sure you will).

Would it be possible for you share the cost with your neighbour? Alternatively tell her how difficult it is for you to clear the leaves, and ask her to help - perhaps with coffee and cake afterwards

Ah, the dreaded tulip tree! My neighbour has one that is massive, it’s far enough away from me but the leaves that fall cover my grass with their big soggy leaves.I’d take it down in a second if it was mine but next door loves his tree, mind you he doesn’t bother to clean up the leaves, says they are good for the bugs.

What was there first, the tree or the house? Without trees, every air breathing creature will die. Don't moan about trees.

Similar problem here, very tall trees on both sides of my garden which takes light off my borders and lawn. Last year I paid to have one cut right back and had a word with the neighbour on the other side but they just seem to plant more. Last year they planted a conifer within three feet of my house together with another tree now shading my flower bed for most of the day. The amount of leaves is horrendous from everyone elses's trees on both sides. They laughed when I said it can damage the drains (which are right underneath the latest two) and my property. Although we get on very well with them it seems they're not concerned about the size of the trees right next to my fence, one must be 100ft tall and has doubled it's width. If I want to cut them back I will have to pay myself for anything overhanging my fence.

quizqueen

What was there first, the tree or the house? Without trees, every air breathing creature will die. Don't moan about trees.

When there's a possibility of them damaging your foundations or property then you have a right to complain. I love trees but in the right place.

Trees are not the problem. It's human beings

The trees probably were in the right place but the houses are not if the trees were there first.
Although the one in our front garden was planted by the builder.

We do have a moan about the leaves each autumn but if we can't cope with that and the rest f the garden, then I think it would be time to move.

Conifers and laurels - I have no worries about them being chopped down.

I love trees but in the right place.
Perhaps the trees are in the right place but the houses are not.

I thought I was replying to the above but 'paste' had other ideas.

We have an enormous protected Ash two doors down. It sheds millions of leaves in Autumn for neighbours either side to clear up. Also every couple of years it has a branch trim and a lot of the bits and pieces flying around end up in our gardens to flatten whatever is left in our flower beds. But what can you do? We all love trees, the planet loves trees and the owner of this one is so apologetic and charming and always offers to send one of her strapping sons to help with the clearing up!

I understand no one has a right to light but as Avalon pointed out there are a variety of ways to solve the problem.

Nonogran. if you offer to pay for any tree work you want her to do then she might accept your offer.

I guess you are one of the many people who unfortunately for wild life just dislike plants unless they are tidy plants..

Get a leaf blower which chops up the leaves, put in bin liners, leave ‘til next year - hey presto, leaf mulch for your beds.

We have a 150 year old cedar tree in our suburban garden. Remnants of a arboretum planted in the garden of a mansion our houses replaced in the 1950s. We truly love trees but this is a park tree not suitable for a suburban garden. Every storm we have is a worry and cedar trees will drop branches unexpectedly in the summer. Somebody was killed at Kew in this way.
Obviously it has a TPO on it and we have spent much money on surveys and reports, even appealing as far as the Secretary of State. But the tree is “a community amenity”we were told.
Meanwhile our neighbours who had a sequoia were allowed to remove it because it was a few centimetres closer to their house than our monster is to ours.

we 'pick up' leaves with the lawn mower. much much easier. As it breaks them down, it reduced the volume massively, and as it mixes with some grass, it composts really well.

Avalon, was quite shocked to read your advice, even with the proviso. Friends of ours had a tree die on their property which has been argued over with neighbour. They got a Solicitor involved and got specialist to dig around the roots on both sides of the fence- and confirmed 'your' method had been used by neighbour. They had to pay all costs, and replace the tree with a mature specimen which cost them over £2000.

What was there first, the tree or the house

Well my house was built 90 years ago and there is no sign of the sycamore in pictures taken 30 years ago when we moved in. It was not planted, it will be a seedling (in fact I think 2 side by side) that has been allowed to thrive. That is why the previous owner refused responsibility on the grounds he did not plant it! If it has grown to twice the size of the houses in that time I wonder what it will be like in another 30 if left to itself. In fact if I get to the point where I can not manage weeding out the seedlings, my whole garden will be a sycamore forest. Very good for the environment, not so good for the occupants.

Right I am going to go and do something else, I have completely depressed myself even thinking about the bl**dy thing!

Sycamores do tend to grow likexweeds!
They are not native to the British Isles either.

Blimey who knew trees could cause such anger. I have several trees in my garden planted by me and a few that predate me moving in. I love them and despair that I seem to be the only one who has trees. Everyone else just seems to have grass. I did remove about 6 or 7 leylandii about 20 years ago. It didn't cost anything because I did it myself and took the remains to the local tip. As for leaves, yes I get it they are a pain but sweep them up and put them in a black bag stab a few holes and stick them behind the shed or whatever, give it a year and you have lovely mulch, great for the garden and the environment and it's free. I wouldn't dream of damaging anyone's property because it caused shade, I'd grow shade lovers. I keep my trees within reasonable bounds, so trim anything that's causing issues, but they're trees they are meant to be tall. Gardens should not stop at fence height what a stupid idea. Jeez I'm glad my neighbours actually talk to me and I to them and things do not get out of proportion. No I would not ask anyone to pay towards my trees being kept within reasonable bounds and nor would I pay towards theirs. I have two sons who would willingly undertake such work for myself. Our mixed hedge out the front was getting somewhat high recently so my younger son used the tower I had hired to reseal the bathroom window so that he could remove several feet from the top. No one had complained and I'm sure they wouldn't but you don't need complaints before taking action. Same thing last year, neighbour asked if they could trim the branches overhanging their garden out the back. Simple answer was of course and I'll give you a big builders bag to put it all in and my son will sort it out from there. They were over the moon. No need to fall out, I can't see what's going on over the fence but it's no skin off my nose if they remove what I can't see. It's my tree so I take responsibility for disposal, can't say I'd feel the same if they just threw stuff back over the fence. They wouldn't do that though so not a problem.

Trees protect us from pollution to give us clean air. In 1971 my LH and I bought a house in a square which had recently had 12 Canadian Maple saplings planted around its centre. Over the years the trees grew and, in our case, protected our South facing house from intense summer heat; and from traffic pollution from a once quiet country lane which house building had turned into a major road.

By the time I sold my house in 2016 the tree outside my house the only one of twelve still standing, due to more recent residents complaining about leaves. My neighbour and I fought to save that old tree on more than one occasion. Why on earth do people buy properties with trees around them and then complain?

By the way, root pruning is something not to be undertaken lightly since it can make a tree unstable and dangerous in windy conditions.

Alexia A standing joke in our family, a friend who if any plants in her garden bend over, and regardless of variety, she stakes them up straight like soldiers at attention. At times the funniest sight imaginable.

I was quite old when I learnt that people had issues with leaves

I grew up in a rather large house with trees in the grounds

Leaves just fell to the ground. My father might half heartedly rake some on to the flower beds but that was about it

We have trees as do our neighbours. I am pleased we don't have any complaints about them

Yet!

I recommend buying a leaf vacuum for sucking up the leaves. They're brilliant. Best used on a dry day though. Our road is lined with big lime trees I think they are. A bl..dy nuisance. We get sap sticking to the windows and everything in the spring and a garden full of leaves in the autumn.
The price of the leaf vacuums range from about £40. Mine has a zipped bag for easy emptying.

I would advise killing a tree surreptitiously but I don't think it is unreasonable to write to your neighbour and ask for the tree to be cut back. Does the tree overhang your land. In England you can legally cut back any overhanging branches but you have to give them back to your neighbour.

Sorry that should read wouldn't advise.