Huge tree, big clear up.

The High Hedge Act covers hedges which means at least 2 trees together. One tree does not count and there is no right to light.

We have a Holme Oak on the border of our garden between the two houses. Neither our neighbour or me own it and it is the bane of our lives. It drops leaves all year round, is breaking up our driveway and regularly interferes with the telephone wires. It is expensive to maintain but the neighbours don't want to get rid of it. Even the romantic connotations with it being the tree my husband and I used to canoodle under when he walked me back home do not warm me to this tree! I do love the squirrels it harbours though.
In the back garden we have laurel hedging, half of which planted in the neighbour's garden, half in mine. It grows rapidly upwards and outwards putting shade on all my garden. However, they want to keep it so it stays. At the back end of the rear garden, a huge oak and Leylandi (not there when we moved in) invade the garden. The oak leaves are many and the fruit starts off new mini oak trees if you don't get them up. The branches have fallen on our summerhouse and shed roofs damaging the shingles. It's like the Day of the Triffids round here but I'd sooner have happy neighbours than ruin our relationships by continually complaining. I save that joy for my husband!

Paperbackwriter, the high hedge act isn't straightforward to put into action. I've spent considerable time (and effort), over the last 30 years, cutting back a neighbour's high Leylandii hedge on on side of my garden.

It's 100 feet long and about 16 feet high so I need to scale ladders to trim my side and the top (as far as I can reach). They just get gardeners to trim it!

My local council would consider whether it needs reducing - but only if I apply and pay £500!

I think it's very hostile and 'un-neighbourly' to just dump leaves in the tree owner's garden. It's fly tipping too. Surely, according to the prevailing wind, we clear up next door's leaves - but then the other side clear up ours?

I thought there was a law about the height of trees and your boundaries, maybe I'm wrong. It would do no harm checking with the local council or even Citizens Advice. I would worry about the roots going under foundations if it's very close. My home insurance asks questions about trees, etc. I was out clearing leaves that came from the bungalow opposite me yesterday and I'm looking at the tree now and it still has loads on it. Hopefully if we get high winds it will blow the other way because it is a pain gathering them all up for the bin.

We had a similar problem with our neighbour. We had rows of very large trees that should have been cut down years before but she was adamant that she couldn't afford to have it done. Then came the awful winds and many of the trees came down onto our land just missing a large garage/workshop. She was still adamant that she she couldn't afford to get the remaining trees topped so to our costly expense we had to get them topped. But on a brighter note we had 2 open fires and the wood we had kept us going for years. Not a nice situation to be in as it left a bad taste between us both.

We were lucky as we realised that the sun was never in our small garden once September arrived. The reason was due to two huge trees which are in our neighbour’s garden so my husband approached her to ask if she’d be prepared to have them taken down by the maximum that the local council will allow. She immediately agreed to have this done at her own expense! We were absolutely delighted as they have a huge garden and we have a very small one so the impact on us was significant and she had not realised this. Now that’s what I call good neighbourliness!

We want to cut our lleylandii but the neighbours like them!! It is a big garden, but they are turning into monsters, too big for us to do the job ourselves. We have cut things back for our neighbour, overhanging vy and rogue trees that self-seed because they won't. If you have offered to contribute already, maybe try again pointing out the danger to their property as well as yours. Perhaps they'll be more willing this time. What a shame you have to change your sleeping arrangements in your own house. Neighbours can be such a pain. Don't get me started!

When we moved into this house 20 years ago there was a small thorn bush next to the back fence. It grew to be 40ft tree and we have just had it removed!

A large ivy-clad beech tree crashed down the wooded bank in our garden and narrowly missed landing on the fairly newly built houses below. The branches damaged a garden hut and a neighbour's fence. It was shocking at the time and we paid quite a bit for the restoration of their property and for the tree to be properly felled by a tree surgeon (get several quotes) who told us that this innocent looking tree was actually diseased. The disease was hidden by the ivy.
We periodically have our trees inspected but there is actually no knowing if and when they will fall. Our insurance didn't stretch to that.

Good luck with your tree and neighbour problems.

Not just the house footings but drains also !
My neighbour had problems with her drains and when cameras were put down the neighbours tree roots had broken through, it was a very costly repair that the insurance company would not cover.

I had a large, beautiful silver birch in my garden. It was planted when my first child was born and had become a feature of the garden and fun rope swing for my grandchildren. My neighbours said it interfered with their Tv signal and was a nuisance. I couldn't possibly afford to have it removed,so in the end, reluctantly,agreed to its removal. They had to get planning permission and pay for it though. It was a sad day when it was chopped down. The irony is ,it made no difference to their signal!

We get heaps of leaves from everyone else's trees plus one of our own.
They're lovely trees and probably not near enough to cause damage but it's a big job every autumn.

Our first house in Berkshire had a beautiful willow tree in the garden. I loved that tree, but in the summer of '76 I could see the routes travelling under the lawn towards the house (looking for water). I started to panic and we decided the tree had to go. The neighbours came to help us - they said they were sick of clearing up the leaves and were glad to see it go!!

The house I lived in previously partly backed onto a garden with a huge tree. When the leaves fell they mostly dropped onto my very small lawn and garden path, this was dangerous in the wet weather and caused me and the grandkids to slip. I approached the owner and she refused point blank to have the tree reduced in height in the grounds of cost. The tree in question was enormous and blocked the light to a great extent and also interfered with the satellite tv signals locally. My neighbour, a lovely fit young chap and equally inconvenienced by the same tree, sourced a supply of copper nails and duly hammered them into the trunk where it met his property.
All the leaves I and my family had to clear up were just dumped in her doorstep!
Based on the fact that overhanging branches should be offered back to the tree owner before disposal when trimmed I did the same with the bloody leaves!

I think leaves are just one of those things that we all should just accept. If everyone had to cut down their trees because leaves drop into neighbours gardens, it would be a very sad thing. We have a neighbour with a large tree that sends lots of leaves into our garden, but I would hate for it to be removed. And its lovely in the summer and birds nest in it. Blocking light is annoying. But trees can be pruned back. Our neighbours had theirs done and it made a big difference. But it isn't cheap to get it done properly. Maybe you could offer to help with the cost.

We had a large tree removed as our neighbours didn't like it. (It was 60 feet away from their garden and house.) I really do miss the shade, though, and regret it now. I should have had a TPO put on it instead.

How often do trees fall on houses? Really, that's a silly reason to remove them when they can be checked for safety.

They rarely cause damage to foundations or drains, either, although they can contribute to subsidence and heave on clay soils.

I think it's reasonable to ask for a safety inspection. Otherwise, if you really want it removed, offer to pay for it!

My house adjoins a small river in which trees are frowing, rooted in the water, on the far side from my garden. Over the years, these trees have grown to several times the height they were when I moved in, destroying the view I originally had over the distant hills. I found out that the trees are the responsibility of the landowner across the river as a result of riparian rights (to the middle of the river). Myself and my next door neighbour negotiated with the woman property owner to have the trees cut back. We had to pay, though, as she said she couldn't afford to, so I suggest that your nighbour is more likely to agree if you offer to go halves or even stand the cost yourself, since it's you who wants the tree pruning.

I read you can kill a tree without anyone knowing by digging a hole down to its roots and filling it with Epsom salts or bang copper nails in or better still pour a copper sulphate solution in and then cover it up. It is of course illegal to damage your neighbour’s property.

Craftycat

We have a similar problem with Leylandii at the end of our garden. 1/3 of our garden is not useable at all because of these trees. It used to be a nice low- well kept hedge but when the house behind us changed hands the new owner just left the hedge to grow & now it is 12 huge trees. We used to have a fruit & vegetable garden down there now I have just covered the whole space with black weed control fabric to stop the weeds growing out of control.
When asked if he would keep them cut back he replied his wife likes them! They cannot actually SEE the trees from there house as they have an 'L' shaped garden. I am sure they will come down in a storm at some point as you can see the roots out of the ground already. Then he will have to do something about them.

Isn't there some law about hedging (particularly relevant to Leylandii) that says they can't be more than 6' tall? I think you could reasonably invoke the law on this and get your neighbour to chop the damn things back. They're a complete blight - I don't know why anyone would ever plant them unless they are blocking out the M1 or something.

Nonogran, in your shoes, if I had no joy from raising this concern with the neighbour, then my next port of call would be Environmental Health at your council. They should be both helpful and discreet in dealing with enquiries. And they ought to be able to advise you regarding where you stand. As other GNs have mentioned here, there are issues such as your "right to light", plus the physical safety aspects (for both your and the home) of a large tree growing so close to your property. Even under the current pandemic restrictions, I think Environmental Services should have personnel working from phones/computers, thus they should be contactable, so someone from there ought to respond to an enquiry in due course. Good luck!

Oh lordy, a tulip tree! I had one of those in the middle of a small oval lawn. The tree was quite little but we also kept cutting it back as it grew. Then one day I was walking through Trebah garden in Cornwall and saw another tulip tree. It was at least 150 feet high. Mine was removed at the first op. They really aren't remotely suitable for a domestic garden. My sympathies to you and I hope it gets resolved OK.

I have a Neighbours very tall tree (higher than all the houses) in their open plan front garden that is causing a problem for several of the residents including me. I have written to our local council in Suffolk who say there is nothing to be done unless the owner wants to do it. No laws that can make it be crowned etc and no laws about possible damage of property until it happens. Very frustrating.

We have a similar problem with Leylandii at the end of our garden. 1/3 of our garden is not useable at all because of these trees. It used to be a nice low- well kept hedge but when the house behind us changed hands the new owner just left the hedge to grow & now it is 12 huge trees. We used to have a fruit & vegetable garden down there now I have just covered the whole space with black weed control fabric to stop the weeds growing out of control.
When asked if he would keep them cut back he replied his wife likes them! They cannot actually SEE the trees from there house as they have an 'L' shaped garden. I am sure they will come down in a storm at some point as you can see the roots out of the ground already. Then he will have to do something about them.

Try to get the Council on your case quickly, a friend of mine had her entire patio and part of the house destroyed because of her neighbours tree roots growing under her houese, she is in the middle of having the inside of her house repaired then the patio repaired, its a huge job all beause of the neighburs stubornnes not having the tree cut down,The said neighour is deceased and the tree is down, its a bit like bolting the stable door. Please try and get some response from your council.