Neighbours complaints about my ivy

It really is your responsibility to control the ivy if it is invading your neighbour’s property and causing them problems. You don’t have to completely remove it but they are in their rights to ask you to keep it check.

They also have the right to cut back any ivy on their side of the fence and dump the clippings on your side. This will cause you added problems because if you don’t dispose of it you will have a vermin problem.

It’s not going to stop growing an eventually you will have a much bigger and more expensive problem. Dealing with it now will keep you on good terms with the neighbours and prevent further stress and expense.

Be careful if you have a laurel hedge and own a dog. My daughters dog decided the black berries were a really great snack and hoovered them up. He became desperately ill and ended up at a specialist vet for three weeks. He very nearly died. It turned out laurel berries have cyanide in the stones inside.

Callistemon21

We had a neighbour who complained about an unsightly wall so I planted variegated ivies but they did need a lot of attention and severe haircuts. It was in a rather precarious place and I felt quite nervous getting in there to control it so didnt clip it as often. Then another neighbour mentioned (nicely) that it was strangling their bushes so we had it removed.
It was probably the best thing as it could have damaged the wall which could have collapsed!

We do have ivy in other places which has grown through fences but keep an eye to make sure it's not causing damage.

Bees tend to be inactive over the winter months and you could plant other winter-flowering shrubs if you are worried about food for them.

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2022/11/where-do-bees-go-in-winter/

Ivy flowers are very important for both bees and bumblebees as they prepare for winter hybernation and having kept bees in the past they do sometimes go out during winter... but stay close to home

Ivy ruins brickwork. A neighbour grew it up the front of his house and it was taking over. His wife didn't like all the insects coming inside, so he wanted to get rid of it. It cost him a lot of money to have it all taken down, and the brickwork on the front and sides of his house was so damaged that he then had to pay to have them rendered.

When I walk down my path to go in or out of my house, I have to pass this overgrown ivy bush on this fence, it isn't a next door neighbour but the way I have to go is I do have to walk past this massive bush of ivy.

It now has loads of bees or some kind of small bee buzzing in and out alongside bluebottles. It mean I have to side step onto other neighbours grass to avoid being stung.

The trunk on the ivy is now about the thickness of a cucumber and is now raising the paving stone about an inch making it a trip hazzard. So I am going to have to ask the person to sort it out who is a friend of mine. The trouble is the trunk part is not on their property so they are prob not fussed about it. Ivy is great in the right place but not anywhere near houses .

pascal30

Callistemon21

We had a neighbour who complained about an unsightly wall so I planted variegated ivies but they did need a lot of attention and severe haircuts. It was in a rather precarious place and I felt quite nervous getting in there to control it so didnt clip it as often. Then another neighbour mentioned (nicely) that it was strangling their bushes so we had it removed.
It was probably the best thing as it could have damaged the wall which could have collapsed!

We do have ivy in other places which has grown through fences but keep an eye to make sure it's not causing damage.

Bees tend to be inactive over the winter months and you could plant other winter-flowering shrubs if you are worried about food for them.

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2022/11/where-do-bees-go-in-winter/

Ivy flowers are very important for both bees and bumblebees as they prepare for winter hybernation and having kept bees in the past they do sometimes go out during winter... but stay close to home

I never saw those ivies flower but we have had others which seem to have crept over fences and are still there, which flowered.

This is very timely...mu hubby is out in the garden and complaining about out neighbours ivy! It grows up the side of our garage, in their garden, but also grows under the roof of our garage and in the garage! We can't do anything much as its actually in their garden at the other side of a big conifer hedge (another story) numerous conversations have taken place with our neighbour, who we get on with, but nothing happens! A few years ago he had ivy growing on the side of his house next to our drive and we had to ask him to to remove it ( although to be fair it was self-seeded!) It's a pain!

I think the legal position on plants growing into a neighbours is that they can cut it off and they also have the right to dump it in your land
Incidentally I think glyphosate mixed with paraffin snd applied during the winter is supposed to do the trick but don’t know current legislation is for such a weed killer combination
Personally I like ivy and the flowers provide late season food for honey bees

BlueBelle

Oh it’s the bane of my life it destroys old walls and has grown up the side of my house I ve killed the roots but still have all the old stuff hanging in there I hate it with a vengeance
It’s so invasive and can bring you out in hives ( some people)
I m with your neighbours all the way
My daughter has her neighbours Ivy hanging all over her wall onto her side it’s a menace

When I worked at the doctors we'd often have people coming into surgery on a Monday morning that had been cutting ivy back without wearing gloves. It chokes everything and damages the fence where it attaches itself to it. Nothing grows in my garden anyway so I tolerate it and I have had birds nesting in it in the past but I really struggle to keep it under control.

I've got a shed at the side of my house and it grows into the shed through small gaps.

I love my Ivy.
I have ut on fences only though so no damage to brickwork and covered in insects.
Theg can chop off whatever is going over to their side!
How rude.

MaizieD

I've read all the posts and I can't see anything that says why the neighbours want the ivy removed.

Is the fence that it's growing on theirs?

If not, I'd tell them that they're welcome to cut it back if it's spoiling their garden and I'd keep it cut back on my side.

I agree that ivy is a menace in the wrong place, but it makes a fine hedge and can easily be trimmed back.

It's useful for decorating the house at Christmas, too...

Agreed- it is also a superb safe nesting site for all sorts of birds, and the fruit in winter an excellent source of food for them too.

No they don't! "have the right to dump it in your land" this is fly-tipping.
They, in fact, ought to ask you if you want it back! If you say no they have to dispose of it.

merlotgran

It really is your responsibility to control the ivy if it is invading your neighbour’s property and causing them problems. You don’t have to completely remove it but they are in their rights to ask you to keep it check.

They also have the right to cut back any ivy on their side of the fence and dump the clippings on your side. This will cause you added problems because if you don’t dispose of it you will have a vermin problem.

It’s not going to stop growing an eventually you will have a much bigger and more expensive problem. Dealing with it now will keep you on good terms with the neighbours and prevent further stress and expense.

the "dump the clippings" thing is not true. What the law says is that clippings must be offered back but if the neighbour doesn't accept them then it is the cutters responsibility to dispose of them.https://www.problemneighbours.co.uk/problems-with-neighbouring-trees-action-guide.html

Its really key to know who owns whatever is supporting the ivy. If the neighbours own the fence/wall/support they can require you to remove the ivy. If its your fence/wall/support, then they can only remove anything that is growing into their garden.

I can see your neighbours' point of view, and yours too.

If the ivy is spreading into their garden, I think you would be wise to try to stop it from doing so. This will be hard, as ivy does spread, which is why many people do not like it.

I have no idea what the law says about hedges planted along the edge of two properties - your local council or Citizen's Advice ought to know and before involving yourself in expense, or difficult discussions with your neighbours ,you would do well to find out the exact legal position.

And to ascertain whether this hedge is entirely planted on your property, or as a dividing fence, as this too may make a difference.

I do not believe your neighbours have any legal right to tell you what you should or should not have growing in your garden, but again find out what the law says before mentioning this to them.

If in the interest of keeping on reasonable terms with them, you do decide to have the ivy dug up, I suggest you insist that you will only do so if this is a joint venture and that they foot half of the bill for getting a firm of gardeners in to remove it, plus half of the expense of erecting a fence or planting a hedge that you both like. And make sure that the firms involved agree to send half of the bill to each of you and clearly understand that you will only be responsible for half of the bill.

It sounds to me as if it will be impossible to get their agreement to anything you suggest, so perhaps the compromise is to tell them that they may dig up any ivy that is actually encroaching on their garden and trim their side of the hedge once or twice a year and that you and they agree how tall this hedge is to be and keep it at that height.

On neighbour’s borders are covered in ivy because she can’t be bothered to weed, so it grows into my borders. The other neighbour has ivy because she’s unable to weed, but at least she occasionally gets a young man to do some gardening. I’ve successfully killed the stuff using glysophate with a bit of washing liquid in it where there was a big expanse growing up my tree, but it’s a case of hand weeding with the rest. Believe me, the ivy which grows along the ground does nothing to help bees, and I hate and resent it with a vengeance As others have said, however, if it’s your fence it’s your choice.

Op has asked about rights not if we like Ivy. I’m not keen tbh especially not if it’s wild Ivy which grows over the fence and all across the borders if unchecked. Although I cut my side back it keeps coming through but I have no right to ask my neighbour to cut the roots on his side. I could appeal to his better nature but he doesn’t have one and would just laugh in my face and be glad he had annoyed me. The fence is his responsibility to maintain.

If it’s a jointly owned fence or the neighbour’s fence that the Ivy is damaging then the neighbours do have a right to ask you to cut it. Check your deeds.

The legal position regarding any thing overhanging a boundary fence is that you can cut back to the boundary. Any cuttings should be offered back to the neighbour but if they don’t want them you have to dispose of them, not just chuck it over the fence as some might think.

I think it depends where it is? I had it in my last garden along the back wall, and it covered very unsightly fence panels which needed replacing really, but I couldn't afford it! It actually held the fence up thank goodness. It was a small courtyard garden so I had raised beds in front of it, and I grew 'up' rather that 'out', and it worked.

I have since sold the cottage, and the new owners took out the raised beds on that side of the fence - they have modernised my C1810 cottage (some of it is good mind, like my 'disabled wet room has gone, and I couldn't afford to do anything anyway) but the picture of the garden is AWFUL! You can now see all the broken fence panels ... whereas the ivy was a good evergreen backdrop to the rest of my plants.

Personally I wouldn't get rid - it will be a huge job, and what is it going to look like once it is removed? It is good for wildlife and privacy. A lot depends on why is it an issue for them exactly? They can cut it off, and you could have it trimmed down to a suitable height, and it won't look a mess!

*C1610, not C1810!

I can see your neighbours' point of view, and yours too.

Well, I wish I could.

OP still hasn't told us why the neighbours want it removed when knowing 'why' could make all the difference to the advice that is being given.

Neighbour's gardens can be a problem. My neighbour has huge trees that block all the sun from my garden, I've just spent lots of cash just to have the overhanging branches cut back. Plus there is an overgrowth of ivy, brambles, ground elder where mice and shrews live, that have destroyed my fence that I have had to replace. Unfortunately I also have a cat who hunts the mice.

Precisely Maizie. It does make all the difference to what advice is given, hence I have offered none. We have no idea whether the ivy is causing damage to the neighbours’ property or they simply don’t like it.

I think you’ll find they are Ivy bees, which look very similar to wasps, we have them burrowing in our south facing lawn every year! Very pleased to have them.
www.bumblebeeconservation.org/ivyminingbee/#:~:text=Ivy%20bees%20are%20relative%20newcomers,distinct%20orange%2Fyellow%20striped%20abdomens.

missdeke

Neighbour's gardens can be a problem. My neighbour has huge trees that block all the sun from my garden, I've just spent lots of cash just to have the overhanging branches cut back. Plus there is an overgrowth of ivy, brambles, ground elder where mice and shrews live, that have destroyed my fence that I have had to replace. Unfortunately I also have a cat who hunts the mice.

*Maizie - yes that info is definitely required in order to give advice.

*Missdeke - the house I moved into had that, right against the neighbours fence just out of my back door and all along the side by the neighbours - it looked horrible! One of the first things we did after we moved here was to attack them all with a chainsaw! That did leave a horrid mess which I have had to look for over a year, until June when I won rather a lot of money at Royal Ascot! I have had it cleared and a raised patio built instead, but one of the things that was very good was that my neighbour's head appeared over the fence (had only said hello at that point) thanking me so, so much as she hadn't been able to see in her kitchen for over a decade without having to put the light on!! I have now managed to clear and replant all the way up the side of the house except one bit - some deciduous Viburnum, which will not DIE and is running everywhere! The trunks of it and there are many, are up to 6" thick, as have most of the plants, and I am desperately trying to did it out and cut them off, but as I have no tools, I am trying to dig them out with arthritic hands! This is the last though, but I need someone again with a chainsaw. They panted everything very weirdly, sort of plonked the plant on top of the soil and built up soil around the roots, so the soil around this thing is about 6" above the actual wall of the raised bed as well! The top end of the garden is trees with large bushes down the sides - some are evergreen and ok, but again, they planted a lot more of this deciduous Viburnum, and I have no idea how I am going to get shot of it - one side I have planted an evergreen rambling rose so at least it won't all look dead in the winter next winter if it takes off in the spring, but the other side - ugh! I did cut some back and found a beautiful clematis which once it had some sun romped away, but behind it there's probably 9ft of this stuff, interspersed with Camellia, Euonymous, Weigela, bramble, bindweed and ground elder - I can only manage anything at waist height, and even then not much as can't stand for long, so not really sure what I will do with that sadly!