Boundary Bushes and how to deal with the neighbours

We have a hornbeam hedge, which has got way too tall this year. I had arranged for a tree surgeon, but it was cancelled due to the Covid situation. I can’t cut them now (birds nesting).

The neighbour (who I don’t know) has always cut back his side, and ‘posted’ the cuttings through the hedge. It seems a good solution to me, and they have never mentioned it as an issue. When I can get it cut next, I’ll ask if they want anything done on their side.

I don’t think you should pay Betty65. There was no agreement that you would pay for disposal. You might have preferred to heap them up, rot them down or otherwise get them disposed of. The law says they should be returned to you, not taken away and billed to you. Not to mention that it is the wrong time of year to cut it down.
It would perhaps be better if you had your hedge, all of it, trimmed to a more reasonable height every year so everyone is happy but that’s your choice.

We had neighbours that would not cut there trees but new couple came in took lot down now we can see the sun. It is tricky question about the trees we was told you can cut them as long as you give them back.

Bit harsh, if you read further you will see she is currently arranging for the hedges to be taken down and replaced with fencing ! She also pays every couple of years for it to be cut both sides and we don’t know how long or large their gardens are !

If we cut down tops from our conifers and they land next door they simply throw them back and we dispose, but as hes is suggesting you pay and its this amount, you could simply say throw back to your side and you remove them however you want to by getting much cheaper quote in any case i think this is steep. So rather than fall out say you are dealing with it yourself but first phone around to get 3 quotes, why should you go with who he suggests the firm/company of, or would the council take away with the green bin or is way too much greenery.

I agree with other comments that say he is entitled to cut anything over his boundary but has to return the cuttings to you. There is something called 'a right to light' he might be interested in, but you don't owe him a penny. Have you put in for planning permission for the fence?

Would it not be appropriate seeing as they are your bushes to ask your neighbour permission to have them cut back at his side when the tree surgeon comes?

If they belong to you, you are responsible for them. Your neighbour if he cut them as they are encroaching on his property is entitled to put them back onto your property. Sounds as if this may be difficult to do though, how do you throw leaves, branches over shrubs. He should have at least told you what he was planning to do and offered you the opportunity to clean up. Otherwise, arrange for the cuttings to be removed.

I have many problems with my neighbours trees.
My understanding of the law is as follows.
You can cut back an overhang but it’s your responsibility to get rid of it.
If it falls in your garden you must tell your neighbours that you are returning it and you can throw it back. If you fail to tell them it’s actually regarded as fly tipping. ( totally stupid in my opinion).
I frequently remind my neighbour that he needs to sort his trees out. (He never will) and I also tell him that I will be returning his property. In winter months I easily clear two / three large wheelie bin full of leaves from his trees but put them all back in his garden. We have to pay for our garden bins. I don’t see why I should pay to have his rubbish removed. If he had his trees trimmed. There wouldn’t be a problem.

Birds don't nest in conifers.

We had large conifers in our garden and the neighbours complained to the council. An official came round and said there was a maximum height and our trees were within that. We had them pruned once a year. I've moved now so I do wonder if the next owner has bothered to prune them, as going by how the front looks, I shouldn't think so.

Posted to early. Any of you reading this please don’t throw stuff back into your neighbours without telling them you are going to do it first. I just inform my neighbour politely that I will be returning his property. If you don’t you can be fined.

The law as I last read it stood that you are allowed to trim any overhanging plants that grow across your boundary, and those trimmings are the property of the person whose plant it is. You are obliged to return those trimmings to the land of the plant owner. So in a way your neighbor is doing you a favor by not just dumping them in your garden. On the other hand if you think you can have them removed more cheaply, ask the neighbor to throw them into your garden and you'll deal with them. That's the strict letter of the law. In fact most of us just deal with all our overhanging clippings in with our own garden waste. If there is really a huge load from your hedge though it would cost quite a bit. It's worth considering what one grows close to boundaries.

Boundaries always seem to cause problems but to be honest he can cut down what he likes that overhangs his garden but if the tress or bushes grow from your side they are ultimately yours. Surely you/he can take all the clippings to a recycling centre for cheaper than £100 which seems a total rip off as whoever does it will probably use a chipper to get it to manageable size, at least that happens here. Tree surgeons are expensive if you want a tree removed or large branches taken off though.
Our problem came a couple of years ago at a house we rent out when a fence panel came down into our garden from next door caused by her overgrown bamboo. She claimed despite an expensive car and things she was very hard up and could not afford a fence panel even though she agreed it was her responsibility and anyway it was our tenants had obviously pulled it down!!! Over a cup of tea we calmly explained about the bamboo and offered to sever the roots to help a bit and if she paid for the panel( I think one like the one down was £10 from Wickes where we had to go anyway) we would put it up for her, and if she felt the tenants were a problem again could she ring us. All sweetness and light from then on and she let us put it up . A year later we changed tenants when the previous ones moved out and her whole fence was replaced and brand new and far more substantial, so small steps and try and work with the problem.

I moved to an idyllic retirement property only for the new occupant at bottom of garden to plant Leilani. Being a very keen gardener, which I wanted for health, keep fit reasons to pursue. Suddenly I lost 6’ of garden to dense shade and arid conditions little sun and a depressing sight. Sadly without falling out as the chap was not going to trim in any foreseeable future, I no choice but to move, and with the eyesore wasn’t easy to sell.
Whenever I plant anything along a fence I move it into my garden with a big enough gap to trim the back, my tree my task.
Please think what tall hedges are like on the other side.

We used to have hedge of Leylandi trees on the boundary. We never let it grow higher than 6ft and my husband trimmed it both sides without every year, and we disposed of the trimmings . We considered it our responsibility as they were our trees. When we couldn't be bothered with the upkeep any longer we paid to have them taken out. Our trees our responsibility

Our neighbours have a laurel hedge which encroaches into our garden by approximately five feet. Because it faces south, our side grows whatever is done to it, whilst their side is neat and tidy. It drives me mad as our borders are dry and denuded of nutrients by this hedge, however, the alternative is a fence and I don’t think that would look as lovely as the green hedge which is alive with birds. So, my border will suffer!

Goodness what a cheek.

We have conifers behind us and they're full of nests. They're also home to the squirrels, wood mice and millions of little creatures.

Legally as has been said your neighbour should return anything that he has cut off. So I wouldn’t pay but point that out to him. If you trim his side regularly then in that respect you are being a good neighbour. I wonder why he has done it if he knows you look after the trees? 16ft is very high and not really manageable without outside professional help so I would be tempted to cut them down to a manageable size. At a previous house We owned the neighbours wanted the trees cut down as they ruined their garden. We negotiated which trees and then went half on the price. They weren’t trees that should have been planted there anyway. So maybe consider having work done on the trees but you don’t have to pay his £100. Tips are open now.

Think you should offer half £50 as he didn’t ask you before he organised the removal sadly always will be problems here Next house as other person suggests fence is the way forward no arguments Mumstheword x

Just re read the posts. Does that mean you will now see his caravan? If so don’t put the fence up but keep the hedge at a height so you can’t see it! Think he’s being a bit cheeky !

He is obliged to return the clippings to you so I would have removed them. Sounds like the hedge is your responsibility so how about making it a more manageable size and regularly maintaining it. That is what I do with mine and happy everyone?

If it's your hedge, surely it's your responsibility. Your neighbour can indeed return the cuttings from his side to you but a 16 foot high hedge would produce rather a large amount of 'clippings'. Why do you have such a tall hedge in the first place? Must block out the light.

The neighbour is entitled to cut your bushes from his side and deposit the cuttings in your garden. He is not entitled to arrange collection and then charge you

High hedges are for privacy and yes birds do nest in them and provide shelter for wildlife. Why do I know as a neighbour trimmed his and nests with birds in them landed in my garden. The right to privacy is another factor if someone takes down a hedge or to a low level they must replace with a high fence which is not so attractive to look at and no good to any wildlife. I do not want to see into my neighbours gardens or the peering into mine