Problem with the neighbours

[L33 LEG]

I'm a bit bored today so thought i may aswell ask you guys to help me solve a problem. Each house in our street has a driveway leading down the right handside of the house and with that a 3ft path for the neighbour.

Like so...(excuse the really old pic and the rusty nova lol)

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/L33LEG/new%20house%20project/house063.jpg

The problem i have is that at the top of my drive the gap between our garden wall and the neighbours trees is VERY tight. Ever since we have moved here we have had problems getting cars up and down the drive. Seen as i use it every day i am used to it but is still such a pain. The neighbours trees were overhanging my drive (you can clearly see where it hangs over as each drive has big concrete sections to show which land belongs to who). We politely asked them a few years ago if they could cut them down and that we would even pay for it, she basically said that she has the house up for sale and doesnt want to make it look messy (cant see why it would make a difference, but fair does).

Earlier this year we finally had enough and got the trimmer out and cut a good few inches off them all, we would of gone further (got another half a foot to go over our land) but all you would of been able to see is the inside of these ugly trees and the dead branches and would of looked a state from our side.

So what would you do? We are very tempted to cut away the rest that is overhanging our area but as said, it will look a big mess. We need them gone as my dad finds it very hard getting his car down without scratching the fcuk out of it or knocking a mirror off and im sure that the next car i buy is going to be wider than my current one and will have problems getting down it.

Is there anything legally to be done? The tree trunks are literally right next to my drive so the roots are under our land and anything to the one side of the trees isnt on their land. Other than that, what could we do to force them down? I keep asking my mates to come one night in a big van and knock them down and do a runner but im not sure how strong these trees are. Is there anything i can feed them to kill them? lol

Any help appreciated as i want these bloody things shifting.

[L33 LEG]

Also note that since that pic they havnt cut them once in 2 years and are very messy now. We had to cut our side (they have them running along the whole rear garden aswell alongside our rear garden/drive) to try and tidy it up (even though it's their job) but still look much worse than that pic.

[dj_wudgey]

you can leegaly cut anything that hangs over your land! thats all im shure off!!

[Mike]

Dont be tempted to try an flatten a conifier with a car. The car WILL come out a lot worser off!

[mowgli]

a core drill & some diesel poured in thru a funnel usually kills most trees..

[RossRog]

Yes i'm sure you can trim it if it is on your side

[Pistol Pete]

New pics needed. Trees dont look like they over hang that much TBH! And how much room do you want?? Driveway plus 3ft path is enough surely?

[Hoochie]

you can leegaly cut anything that hangs over your land! thats all im shure off!!

Yes...anything that overhangs into your garden you can legally chop down or cut back, there is laws regarding these conifers heights and width etc.... contact your local council, i'm sure they will help you out!

[Lewis.]

you are perfectly within your rights to cut ANY part of any tree (unless it has a preservation order on it) overhanging your property. this includes the roots

[dj_wudgey]

i agree with mowgli though the drill and deisel will kill it!!

[Pistol Pete]

you are perfectly within your rights to cut ANY part of any tree (unless it has a preservation order on it) overhanging your property. this includes the roots

Whilst this may be true...IMO there is nothing worse than falling out with your neighbours.

[Grey]

Yes...anything that overhangs into your garden you can legally chop down or cut back, there is laws regarding these conifers heights and width etc.... contact your local council, i'm sure they will help you out!

Exactly so they will be able to offer good advice, but as mowgli said the drill and diesal is a good one lol :thumb: known from previous experiance!

You could chop it all the way back as far as you can then put something up to stop the tree overhanging your drive so it grows there way....
BUT it does come down to expense on how far you would want to go! and maybe worth while speaking and buttering up the neighbours lol :thumb:

[Lewis.]

Whilst this may be true...IMO there is nothing worse than falling out with your neighbours.

Oh I agree, I wasn't suggesting thet he napalm their front garden lol more politely ask/tell them that hes going to 'trim' their tree :thumb:
We currently don't get along with our neighbors and its a pain in the ****. but they are very petty, and very hipocrytical with their anti-social behaviour

[L33 LEG]

I know that it is legal to cut them if they overhang, the issue was that if i cut any more then it will look such a state, hence why i really want them going lol

And for whoever said that it doesnt look much of an issue and is loads of space, i challenge you to come here and reverse down my drive lol the pictures really dont do it justice, its very tight and gets a lot narrower the further up you go. the 3ft path is along side of their house, the trees are basically there instead of a path and is why i have a tighter drive than everybody else.

Thanks for the comments anyway, if anybody has a serious idea on how to kill these trees in a quick way then pm me. :)

[L33 LEG]

Gives a slightly better idea of the gap on this pic. You can see the line of my drive next to my car and that line runs under their trees and the gap is tight at the top. For me to get down my drive i have to follow my wall down and leave just a few mm between my mirror and the wall, any further to the other side and il loose a mirror on the trees. (again, excuse the old pic Lol)

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/L33LEG/new%20cars/e36cab008.jpg

Il get some more cut off and see how it goes.

[Mike]

Apparently copper nails are meant to kill trees, but TBH never tried it so dont hold me to that comment :S

[draper]

killing your neighbours trees is only going to end badly ime

personally id just cut them back untill there at the neighbours boundary line, **** what they look like

[L33 LEG]

IF that would work, would probably take an awful long time.

I sort of need an idea that my neighbour wont catch me doing lol

[L33 LEG]

killing your neighbours trees is only going to end badly ime

personally id just cut them back untill there at the neighbours boundary line, **** what they look like

Well we have asked to cut them down lol i suppose she should know that the next step is killing them :wtf: Il take some more off and when she basically has a row full of half cut trees she may let us cut them down. You will literally be able to see the full trunk with no branches on if i did it to my line of the drive.

[Pistol Pete]

I take it you have spoke to your neighbour? Is is this like you numberplate all over again?

IMO, a trim will sort it. To me, it doesnt look that tight!

[tony k]

you can leegaly cut anything that hangs over your land! thats all im shure off!!

as what dj wudgey said,we done the same with our house,the neighbours tree was over hanging in our garden,had a word with him and he didnt seem interested,so i went and rented a chainsaw and done it myself,he watched me do it,but didnt say much as i was going at it like a mad man lol

[Andy]

Arson FTW
"whoops,it seems it was a bad idea to extinguish my cigarette in that petrol can,which just so happened to be next to the trees,how silly of me"
Seriously,either ask them politely to chop it back,or get someone in to do so and send them the invoice.

[bazil]

Have a BBQ


Next to the trees


Oops a fire lol


lol Andy looks like we have a similar idea

[L33 LEG]

I take it you have spoke to your neighbour? Is is this like you numberplate all over again?

IMO, a trim will sort it. To me, it doesnt look that tight!

If you have read it you will have noticed that i have spoke to my neighbour. You will also notice that i have trimmed it and that it is not enough.

Maybe the pictures dont show the true gap but trust me, it is tight - hence me having a problem.

[Jack]

Gap looks mahoosive in those pics, more room than I have in my drive and thats between a wall and fence lol

I'd say ask the neighbours politely if they wouldn't mind trimming the bushes back as its giving you problems when trying to park your car. If that doesn't work, if you still don't have enough room, ask if they wouldn't mind you trimming the bushes back to the boundary, again as you are still having parking problems.

If that doesn't work tehn just get the choppers out and do it, there's nothing legally stopping you hacking off any branches on your side. However, don't forget to give them the waste back as this is their property so they are entitled to it ;)

[edit] Before you get all Tallahassee with the shears, check if there is a preservation order on the greenery.

[TeddyThom]

Wait til fireworks night and have a few beers and remember to advise everyone you have with you how "crap" your aim is, then ph dear, the treres have gone up... Best call the fire brigade... :thumb:

[Rich]

firebrigade wont get down the gap, its too tight!

[TeddyThom]

firebrigade wont get down the gap, its too tight!

Hahahahaha

[L14MNP]

I didn't think a Toyota Yaris was that wide.

[saloonwoody]

a core drill & some diesel poured in thru a funnel usually kills most trees..

this was gonne be my answer too lol

[matthew172]

i work as a tree surgeon and i can confirm that you can legally cut anything back that overhangs your property but you must throw any branches/clippings back onto the owners property or you are classed as stealing or at least ask if they want the trimmings before you dispose of them, that way you have covered yourself

matt

[dan23]

if you ask me the neighbours arent intrested because they dont have to drive down your drive so dont realise how much hassle the trees cause.

now you ve already trimmed thm once an they were happy so why not trim them again so they dont over hang your drive at all
if they say anything just say you trimmed more off cos your car got scratched if you ask them first theres a chance they will say no

my work got some new bonzi/ conifer type trees i once emptyed a bucket of diluted cleaning solution in the soil near it within a week the whole thing was brown an fell apart when touched

the land across from me is owned by some building company but has not be touched for over a year the nettles were waist height charging a old battery an emptying it on them soon sorted them out

[dj_wudgey]

i work as a tree surgeon and i can confirm that you can legally cut anything back that overhangs your property but you must throw any branches/clippings back onto the owners property or you are classed as stealing or at least ask if they want the trimmings before you dispose of them, that way you have covered yourself

matt

ive heard that you have to throw the clippings back in their garden its a dodgy law lol

[bmw156]

trim it back with a message in.

or in the shape of a cock

[Mike]

ive heard that you have to throw the clippings back in their garden its a dodgy law lol

Its called theft lol

[L33 LEG]

Thanks again for the replies. Il just trim it as far back as i can and then see what they say when they have half a tree stood up. I knew i could legally do that anyway, i really wanted an idea on how to get rid of them altogether but il leave that until after iv chopped them more.

[dj_wudgey]

Its called theft lol

lol i know it is! dodgy though lol

[Hoochie]

trim it back with a message in.

or in the shape of a cock

beat me to it.... LOL...:)

[mrT]

well this could be sorted with a five minute face to face with the neighbour tbf, ask him nicely to trim them back by monday and if it aint done you'll do it yourself, situation sorted:thumb:

[Jack]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TA56OMBmFyA/S8zG27VgHnI/AAAAAAAABNg/m_qLEm-C1WE/s1600/a10napalm.jpg

[draper]

well this could be sorted with a five minute face to face with the neighbour tbf, ask him nicely to trim them back by monday and if it aint done you'll do it yourself, situation sorted:thumb:

dont be silly, they'll be another 3threads and internet warrioring before anything gets done

[Pistol Pete]

dont be silly, they'll be another 3threads and internet warrioring before anything gets done

lol

[mowgli]

i've just been looking in a gardening magazine & there is a bloke claiming to have a line of conifers that are neat & tidy....

[Pistol Pete]

On the bog reading??!! lol

My parents have a line of conifers, kept neat. Well that was until the old chap cut through the cable lol Ooops!

[L33 LEG]

mrT and whoever else, try reading the thread and you will see that we have asked the neighbours and also that im not wanting to just trim them back more.

[dj_wudgey]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TA56OMBmFyA/S8zG27VgHnI/AAAAAAAABNg/m_qLEm-C1WE/s1600/a10napalm.jpg

well jack you could total them with napalm lol

[Jack]

Another meaning to "friendly fire" lol

[Danny mul]

Cut them back till they are off your bound line....put up a 6ft fence and your drive and cars will never be bothered again......your land is your business and if cutting them back is not enough for you its up to you to do something else to sort the problem.....burning down trees on your neighborer's land will result in an unsolved problem

[mowgli]

Danny, english property law is a lot more complicated than that....

[dj_wudgey]

Another meaning to "friendly fire" lol

pmsl freindly unfreindly fire lol

[Danny mul]

Danny, english property law is a lot more complicated than that....
True that I know SFA about English land law but surly you can erect a fence on your land....and if planning laws means you need your neighbors consent the fact they wount be able to see the fence with there trees in the way they shouldnt have a legit complaint to stop it going ahead

[mowgli]

if they plant something, and it overhangs your property, if you cut it down, you must by law, give it back to them...

millions of pounds have been wasted on neighbour to neighbour court cases over conifers.........

i'm lucky, i get on great with my neighbours & if something needs sorting, i go & ask them, and we work it out. some people are not that lucky

[Danny mul]

Ye I under stand that but can he erect a fence to stop it over lapping his drive when it starts growing again???????

[MattBrown]

a core drill & some diesel poured in thru a funnel usually kills most trees..

3rd roundup, 3rd deisel and a 3rd kerosene.

Will be dead in afew weeks.

If its overhanging cut it, but FFS make sure you throw all the branches into their garden otherwise its theft.:thumb:

[Mike]

There actually a few do's & dont overs simply erecting a fence believe it or not. Also depends on what boudary side its on, apparently?

[mowgli]

thats when the lawyers get involved... you see, in ireland, being neighbourly is part of the way of life

in england, if someone wants to be a completely antisocial ar$ehole who makes his neighbours suffer over a tree, he can.....
there is even a tree preservation order, which you can get put on any tree in the land, even if you don't own it....i know of people who have done it because a house in their village has been bought & the new owners put in a planning request for an extension...

[mowgli]

3rd roundup, 3rd deisel and a 3rd kerosene.

Will be dead in afew weeks.

If its overhanging cut it, but FFS make sure you throw all the branches into their garden otherwise its theft.:thumb:

matt, i think you should avoid roundup, as it is a soft plant killer, it is ace at burning off weeds, but wood is a lot harder, also roundup biodegrades in about 24hrs...

diesel or kerosene will pretty much kill off anything organic

[bmw156]

thats when the lawyers get involved... you see, in ireland, being neighbourly is part of the way of life

in england, if someone wants to be a completely antisocial ar$ehole who makes his neighbours suffer over a tree, he can.....
there is even a tree preservation order, which you can get put on any tree in the land, even if you don't own it....i know of people who have done it because a house in their village has been bought & the new owners put in a planning request for an extension...

we put some TPO's on some of the big older tree's when the land developers bought our house (amoung others). certainly put a spanner in the works.

i also under stand once its on, its very hard to remove the TPO.
and bigs fines for ANY damage to said tree.

[mowgli]

i know of a complete bastid who got one on a weeping willow that was less than 15 years old on someone elses garden out of spite....

weeping willows have 2 ambitions in life, 1. to jam up every single drain in a 100yd radius, 2. to drop dead & fall over at the worst possible moment, and you can't even burn it safely on an open fire cos it spits....

[Danny mul]

Its all the same over here if next door want to go to war but what im saying is surely he can erect a fence on his side(a foot back in his side if needs be) to avoid all the nonsense of preservation orders and the likes...Then his garden will be clear and he doesnt need to confront his anti social neighbours...........It seams that its a thorn in his side and he wants it sorted so surly a quick read of local planning laws and it could be sorted without going to war with next door...

My first post in this thread seams to have come across to some of you the wrong way so sorry for that wasnt trying to be smart or tell you all how your country works just a suggestion to help sort the thread authors issue

[Hobbit]

matt, i think you should avoid roundup, as it is a soft plant killer, it is ace at burning off weeds, but wood is a lot harder, also roundup biodegrades in about 24hrs...

Glyphosate (round up) does work on big tree's if drilled into the trunk, it works by being absorbed into the plant, unlike a contact herbicide that will do **** all.

What you really want is Timbrel. Not something you can buy down your local B&Q though lol

I used to work for these lot driving one of these bad boys :d

http://www.languard.co.uk/spraying-equipment/images/equipment-mini-tractor-spraying-kerbside.jpg

[pikey1986]

dont take it to heart danny :thumb:

[Danny mul]

dont take it to heart danny :thumb:

Sobbed myself to sleep last nightlol

Getting good crack and info on here the short while im on so said id say it as no one on here knows me so dont want to came across as another internet warrior that knows it all...

Im just a good old drunkin Irish leprechaun:d lol

[mowgli]

the trouble with 'domestic' grade roundup is that it is so weak that it won't do it... knowing a farmer always helps

[Jack]

So, gone straight to the end of this thread without reading anything since my last post. Has he napalmed the trees yet? And if not, why not

[maddogdaz666]

you well within your rights to cut away anything that is overhanging into your land but you must offer the trimmings back to their owner.