Neighbours from hell

[DIY Stew]

Do you know that if your neighbours shrubs or trees overhang into your 'airspace' you have the right to prune them back to the boundry however you must offer back the cuttings!!!! The neighbour can refuse these so its your responsibility to depose of them.

I am registered disabled (pensioned out of fire brigade after 24 years due to several problems with my spine), I have to pay a gardener to prune nextdoors shrubs and pay for the disposal of the cuttings. I think the law is an ass, we dont speak to 'them next door' infact out of the seven houses in our close no one as anything to do with them, not sure if its her foul language the noise from the dogs or the smell of there waste (which is about 3 metres from our back door) which to be fair they tend to clean up about once per fortnight or perhaps its the problems he creates by parking his van infront of other peoples drives.

Has anyone suffered problems similar to us and do you think the law as it stands is a waste of time.

Forgot to say the shrubs in question are about 3 metres high and about 3 metres from our front window, they cast a shadow onto our window at 2pm yesterday, if we use the high hedge laws it may cost us a lot of money and where not gauranteed to win.

 

[Shane]

Rather than pay someone to trim the shrubs/trees, pay someone to bang a load of copper nails into em.

 

[thomvic]

If diplomacy doesn't work then a few night-time sprays with paraquat (Round-up) will cure the problem.

Richard

 

[Shane]

I presume you have you spoken to the local council?

if it were me and someone kept parking infront of my driveway I'd get it towed and charge to get it back, a good friend of mine has a recovery truck and he's a right traveller :lol:

 

[Lons]

Hi Stew

I agree with you.

I had occasion a few years to heavily prune some trees for a customer whilst I was building her an extension. Her neighbour was a real b****** and caused us all sorts of problems whilst building.
I served him with a notice of intent 1 hour before pruning and gave him until lunchtime to "ask me " to dispose of the branches otherwise I would dump (carefully stack) them in his driveway. Unfortunately he sent his wife out to ask so I had to take them away

Where in Northumberland are you BTW? You may know a freind of mine as he used to be deputy chief of NFB though he's been retired for a number of years.

cheers

Bob

 

[Pvt_Ryan]

Pour some diesel oil over the roots that'll kill everything in the ground.

 

[adidat]

If diplomacy doesn't work then a few night-time sprays with paraquat (Round-up) will cure the problem.

Richard

+1 :mrgreen:
adidat

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Isn't there some law if its blocking light??

 

[DIY Stew]

Hi All

Thanks for your positive replies, I will try to answer them in order,

Shane
I had thought of that but some of the shrubs are so thin and spindley it would knock them over before a copper nail took hold apart from which unfortunatley its illegal and at 51 years with not a blemish I dont intend to get a police record!

Thomvic
The same as above although this had also crossed my mind.

Shane
I have contacted the council I am awaiting a reply as I am led to believe that there is either a covenant or a planning restirction that front gardens be 'open plan'

Lons (Bob)
I dont know why some people like to create havoc for there neighbours, you get one chance at life so enjoy it, not sure what you BTW but the retired dep had got the old brain cells working it could be John from Morpeth, Davey from Blyth or the only other one I can think of would be Alan from some out by Hexham although there are others but they transferred to other brigades.

Pvt_Ryan
Again it had crossed my mind but also illegal.

adidat
See Thomvic reply

Hudson Carpentry
You are correct there is a law (referred to as High Hedge Law) but we are not gauranteed to win, it can be costly and will take a long time, one day when I am in consideable pain I will probably go wild with a chain saw and level the lot because these only so much I can take.

Thaks again everyone for your help and its nice to know that people on here are willing to help even if some of the advice may see me locked up ha ha :lol:

Stew

 

[Lons]

Hi Stew

Yep - John W. - VERY keen golfer

Bob

 

[Jacob]

go wild with a chain saw

Been there dunnit and ended up in court. Would have been OK except the judge was pi&&ed, and a .. I was hoping for a bench of magistrates who might take an interest.

If I did it again I would simply deny all knowledge, however firmly pointing the finger. They are unlikely to send out CID and a forensic team for a few dead bushes.

 

[Ateallthepies]

What is the law on heavily paraquat'ing your land near the offending shrubs?

Steve.

 

[thomvic]

What is the law on heavily paraquat'ing your land near the offending shrubs?

Steve.

Alas no good Steve. Paraquat gets to a plants roots but has to be applied to foliage. It becomes inert on contact with soil. That is paraquat's main feature and why it is so useful for killing weeds in fields or gardens prior to cultivating and re-planting.

Richard

 

[Jacob]

Sodium chlorate.

 

[t8hants]

Seem to remember this from somewhere (no liability excepted)
Write to them stating you will have the branches removed professionally at their expense in 28 days. If they do not agree to the terms of the contract they must contact you in writing within 7 days to say so, and arrange to have the branches trimmed and removed themselves within 6 weeks. You will have to grant them or their agents access to your property, tell them that if they fail to honour their agreement, the original contract applies, and you call in the gardeners.


failing that dig up a root on your property, and copper nail it. (hammer)

G

 

[gus3049]

All the above seem reasonable but as you say, probably illegal! Which does rather suggest that law is an ass.

However, my wife, who is a professional horticulturist has pointed out that the the roots for a shrub of that size will definitely have spread well into your property underground. I can see no problem at all with you killing a root system on your property. If it happens to be joined onto your neighbours bush - tough tittie!

Sodium chlorate is the stuff as already suggested or simply get a trench dug and cut them off which won't exactly help the plant, or fill the trench with oak shavings which have a load of tannin in which will also do the bush not a lot of good. Also if the ground is alkaline keep applying lime in large doses will push the pH up. Or if acid keep applying manure and eventually the bush will quit living due to incompatible conditions. All subject to what YOU have planted of course.

The problem with all these direct action schemes of course, is what these nice neighbours of yours might do in retaliation if they see that its is your action that have caused their bushes to wither. But it all depends how desperate you get.

 

[Tom K]

Chop 'em down to the height you are happy with toss the cuttings into their garden. If they challenge you shrug your shoulders and ignore. Seems to work for them. Any dispute will be a civil matter and I doubt they could be ar$ed to sue you.
If they park across your drive simply ask them politley to move the vehicle as you need to exit your drive (If you do this at around 3.15 am all the better) for an emergency trip to A&E perhaps..might be a false alarm though.

 

[studders]

With neighbors like that I'd want the tallest, densest plant going. In fact I'd be planting my own to reinforce what was already there.

 

[Jacob]

Chop 'em down to the height you are happy with toss the cuttings into their garden. If they challenge you shrug your shoulders and ignore. Seems to work for them. Any dispute will be a civil matter and I doubt they could be ar$ed to sue you.

Not so. It would be criminal damage.
You get arrested, finger printed, photographed, mouth swab, several hours in a cell without your shoes or belt, etc. etc. If you do it make sure there are no witnesses and simply deny all knowledge when you get the knock on the door. Better still - drop heavy hints to your mates and hope that they do it for you, behind your back and completely without your knowledge or agreement.

http://www.nfh.org.uk/forums

 

[studders]

IIRC If they overhang into your garden then you can remove that which overhangs but, you must give whatever you've cut off back.