[Closed] neighbour wars

I have pics..

By property is the red one..

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and this is what I just found..

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1. Dig up hedge
2. Build wall in its place

Edit: make the wall about 2' high, so it can't be seen properly when manoeuvring a car, but is still high enough to scrape doors/wings/etc.

Build a wall.

Maybe they've just trimmed hedge back to where the actual boundary is - it's fairly thick?

If it were me I'd put a fence/wall along there to mark the boundary more permanently.

Am I right in thinking this is the side that you can't see?

In which case I would just leave it, It'll grow back in the spring and re-green.

Build a fence along the bit he removed.

In relation to your property's border where does the outside of the hedge finish ?

what do you think I should do?

Dig a deep ditch .... That'll keep him on his toes as he comes out ....

Thunk. Sump deep. Then you'll know who it was 🙂

What a mess. Ask when he's doing the rest of it.

Am I right in thinking this is the side that you can't see?

The hedge was overhanging my border onto the lane by about 6inches. So I accept there's nothing stopping him coming along and stipping it back (although the lane isnt his property. but he's left me with a hedge about 4inch thick and cut about a foot into my property the bugger. :/

meh, move on with your life.

~18" spiked top, metal fence at ~45 degrees, pointing into the lane should do it. 😆

[i]The hedge was overhanging my border onto the lane by about 6inches. [/i]

Put up a 4ft fence on the boundary line, keep the hedge and keep it trimmed level with the fence.

That looks like it was pretty well kept before it was butchered. That takes quite a bit of effort over 12mths as we have bushes bordering where we live which the council are responsible for and its a 3 man job all day to sort. I take it you do it yourself or pay someone.

If it were me I wouldn't worry too much. That will regrow quite quickly and I would just choose not to maintain that section of the hedge. In 12mths time whoever it is will be having to do it again. Looks like they have cleaned up after themselves which again is a bit of a pita for someone without a van etc. Let them wind themselves up about it over the long term. As long as they don't kill the hedge and it doesn't effect your view, I would let it slide

low concrete posts are tricky to spot. 😈

Oh gawd, you realise the STW Perfect Neighbours Society will be along to tell you not to be so uptight? And something about shoes in the hallway..

[edit]crikey, they've been already! 😆

Put a fence up a 4ft fence on the boundary line, keep the hedge and keep it trimmed level with the fence.

I think thats the best option.. Any green fingered experts here know what the chances of the privet regrowing at the bottom are?

That not a neighbour war, it's not worth the bother

Build a great big beautiful wall and make him pay for it

Good neighbours are worth their weight in gold and bad relations with neighbours is a massive drain on your mental resources. He actually does have a right to trim any of your foliage that overhangs his land although this is public land. As long as he hasn't killed your hedge I would forget it and worry about something really serious like Trump the Impaler.

Hide something hard and immovable in the hedge once it grows back ?

Am I right in thinking this is the side that you can't see?

In which case I would just leave it, It'll grow back in the spring and re-green.

Also, by cutting that side of the hedge they have gone some way in accepting they are responsible for it so the next time it is getting overgrown go and ask them to trim it again.

I would go and have a word though – simply ask them to make a tidier job of it as it is a bit of a mess at the moment.

Privet will regrow fine, it's very tough. It'll likely be better for the regenerative prune.

Options

a. it'll grow back, lifes short.
b. a fence, cheap.. vulnerable to damage.
c. a wall, pricey, if damaged it tends to mark the culprit.
d. border markers, say concrete bollards every few meters.

b&c are likely to stimulate more blood boiling if they get hi.
c&d will leave damage on the culprits vehicle.

All comes down to how much you can be bothered.

I think i'd be inclined to go with D, its pretty easy....but in reality A is the easiest 😉

I've calmed now.. I was just annoyed he'd not even asked and worried he'd killed the hedge that's been there the life of the property probably. Concrete posts will be going in the hedge though now on the border.

If it was me, I'd (sympathetically) trim the rest of the hedge back to blend in what they've done, and then go and nicely talk to them about it, along the lines of mutually discussing and finding agreement on anything done to things in shared spaces.

The guy probably just didn't think about it very much beyond his own car...

globalti - Member
''Good neighbours are worth their weight in gold and bad relations with neighbours is a massive drain on your mental resources. He actually does have a right to trim any of your foliage that overhangs his land although this is public land. As long as he hasn't killed your hedge I would forget it and worry about something really serious like Trump the Impaler.''

I second the above. It's quite important to peace of mind to have good relations with neighbours. Putting the concrete posts in might mean they're less agreeable about something else in the future which pops up, something potentially more important?

'bad relations with neighbours is a massive drain on your mental resources'

This is so true, I'm in court with mine next week!

The guy obviously values his car, if you put the concrete posts in, it'll be something which will make his life that little bit more difficult during the times he's driving past the hedge with the front of his car close to it.

If he was to damage his car, too, that would be a big thing he'd feel annoyed at you for.

Having good Neighbourly relations sometimes strike me as being a bit like global politics, with homes being akin to countries with a mixture of mutual and conflicting interests. It's important to maintain harmony so agreement can be more easily found when it's needed. 🙂

( If the hedge didn't grow back, which is unlikely, you could always ask him to pay for some replacement stock to plant, and within time one wouldn't know anything had happened. )

As above, In the spirit of neighbourly relations, I'd try to just leave it. It'll grow back and green up, and stuff like this is not worth falling out with neighbours over. Neighbourly battles make life miserable for everyone and doubtless escalate.

Failing that, this is the perfect excuse for a moat.

I'd keep my eye on him from now on though...

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A way of keeping peace as well as protecting your hedge could be to put wooden posts in with reflectors on, and tell them that you noticed they'd cut back the hedge, presumably through struggling to see it at night (wink wink), and say you'd put them in to be helpful?

They'd be less likely to damage his car, and would do the same kind of thing as the concrete posts.

I would probably just leave it if it was me though...and bill him for replacement stock in the slim chance it doesn't grow back.

Surely he'll just be cutting it again as soon as it grows back?

If it was me, I'd (sympathetically) trim the rest of the hedge back to blend in what they've done, and then go and nicely talk to them about it, along the lines of mutually discussing and finding agreement on anything done to things in shared spaces.

I'd agree with this. You've got to say something or do nothing. An unspoken war of actions isn't going to go well even though everything you're doing is on your land (he might not realise).

There is a real possibility he turns out to be a complete @rse about it though. He has made a complete mess of a well trimmed hedge that he doesn't own.

A lot of these old passageways are way too narrow for modern cars, but he could have (wrongly) entirely blamed your inconsiderate hedge for his inability to drive down there easily and big quite narked off at you.

Concrete posts seems like sending a big 'up-yours'...
Why bother? 🙄
Go and talk to the bloke, explain the situation and explain that you are concerned about damaging the hedge long term.
Don't just go and put up posts. Unless you want a neighbour war that is...

Yeah, don't put posts in, that's passive aggressive wind-up territory.

The other alternative is a cockerel. Then they'll want the thickest, highest hedge imaginable. A bantam with a high pitched crow would be best, as the hedge will have most effect, the lower frequencies of a larger man-bird wouldn't be attenuated as much so the perceived benefit wouldn't be there.

Or in a similar vein, start sunbathing naked. All hours. All year.

It's a right pig's ear but it'll grow back. It wouldn't if it had been some sort of conifer. If you are feeling vindictive then a bit of underplanting of holly/blackthorn would be more in keeping than concrete bollards. I'd also cut it back to the boundary all along, to blend in, but that looks like a long way. Lucky man. I wish I had a garden that big.

I'd be wary about being too fussy, a friend had a similar hedge in a similar position.
A neighbour reported it to the council and it had to be cut down in height to allow visibility splays for vehicles leaving the lane to ensure they don't know down pedestrians

Concrete posts? Please. Land mines - that'll learn 'em.

can I just congratulate the Op on a well presented thread, it's rare to get decent pictures and .... a map accompanying the rantette. Well done, thread of the day. 😀

The other alternative is a cockerel. Then they'll want the thickest, highest hedge imaginable. A bantam with a high pitched crow would be best, as the hedge will have most effect, the lower frequencies of a larger man-bird wouldn't be attenuated as much so the perceived benefit wouldn't be there.

Guinea Fowl would be better. They properly make a high pitched racket. Get half a dozen. Cockerels are just too ignorable.

I'd be a bit annoyed at that. They've waited until you've gone to work and butchered the hedge.
A simple chat with you asking if you'd mind if they cut the hedge back a little as it makes it tricky to pull out of their drive would have prevented all this.
Although they have gone in pretty deep, its green privet, which actually responds well to a good chopping back every now and then, so it will grow back. I'd be inclined to tidy the rest up a little, just to even up the depth and regrowth.
But I would say something to them and a reasonable, non-argumentative manner that next time please ask me first.

Then set fire to his car and house that night.

At least he's made a nice tidy job of it.

Any green fingered experts here know what the chances of the privet regrowing at the bottom are?

If it's anything like mine, it'll depend whether it's facing the sun or not. Sunny side grows thick and fast as soon as it gets a whiff of sun and rain in succession, the non-sunny side grows but nowhere near as thick.

Use a shovel to clean the mud and leaves from the driveway surface, so it's obvious where the edge is. Leave it a day or two then put some white-painted wooden posts right on the edge of your property. If anyone asks or comments, mention a possible block-work wall that you're thinking about, because you'd like a secure boundary again.

PS, on the photo it looks like someone has cleared the leaves to see where the edge of the surfacing is.

it could be argued successfully i feel that the hedge is indeed the boundary. and that has not been breached as the gardener has not touched any of the 'trunk' of the hedge only the branches that overhang the lane over which he presumably has a right of acess

They've waited until you've gone to work and butchered the hedge.

Does he actually know it's your hedge, or does he just think of it as "the hedge down the lane", that might be owned by the council, or anybody, so nobody really minds? I wonder if he's blissfully ignorant as to what he's actually done...

If he's damaged anything that's on your land use you house insurance legal cover to sue him, first legal letter usually shits em up.

If it's not on your land then why should others have the inconvenience of your overgrown hedge scratching their cars.

It will probably grow back better if you trim it back all the way to the top so the overhang doesnt shade the lower stuff

If he's damaged anything that's on your land use you house insurance legal cover to sue him, first legal letter usually shits em up.

Really ?

Does he actually know it's your hedge, or does he just think of it as "the hedge down the lane", that might be owned by the council, or anybody, so nobody really minds? I wonder if he's blissfully ignorant as to what he's actually done...

Oh he knows.. he's been there 40+ years and I've been there 26. Just never really had any contact other than the odd nod.

What you cant see from that photo is that the first 15m of the border from the road is a brick wall.. then there's about 30m of hedge then the rest is made up of about 25 fence panels. I've always kept the hedge neatly cut to within about 6inch of the wall/fence. What was a nice 2-3ft thick hedge bordering my patio is now just a few inches thick.. he's hacked a good foot and a half of depth from a very old and established hedge.

Although very annoyed I'm just more concerned that he's not killed it as I actually liked it and would prefer it to grow back. There is also an added concern that my garden is a good foot lower than the lane and the only thing holding the lane up at that point was the old hedge. If anyone drives onto the soft ground on that photo the whole thing is likely to collapse into my garden.

Crap in his eyes and shave his cat.

I have to say though, he's done a bloody horrific job... I'd be knocking and having a chat about it.

There is also an added concern that my garden is a good foot lower than the lane and the only thing holding the lane up at that point was the old hedge.

so if the lane now collapses into your garden, meaning the lane isn't useable for vehicle access, who is responsible for fixing it ?....

In these days of overcrowded and over-parked suburban streets it's refreshing to hear of people wanting to park on their own land via a back alley rather than abandon it 2ft from their front door. The neighbourly thing for you to do would make it easy to do and encourage it happening more. Your hedge, whilst previously well maintained is unnecessarily thick and very close to the tyre track. The whole lot needs a good hack back.

Somewhere on another thread is another ranter saying 'for years he's let his hedge getting thicker and thicker with no consideration to our car getting scratched up so yesterday I went mental with a pair of shears - can't wait to see his face when he sees it. I'll bet he's out there with a camera taking photos to show to his online buddies'.

Dress as a hedgehog, go to his house and beat him whilst claiming he destroyed your house

Your hedge, whilst previously well maintained is unnecessarily thick and very close the tyre track. The whole lot needs a good hack back.

It is thick.. but it's thick on my property and wasnt encroaching onto the lane more than a few inches.

I get what you're saying though, that track is about 6ft wide and a hell of a squeeze for cars. Unfortunately I dont feel it's my place to donate some of my garden so they can drive comfortably to the rear of their property.. I'll sell them some of course 😀 They are all 4 story 7 bed Victorian villas so they can certainly afford it.

Unfortunately I dont feel it's my place to donate some of my garden so they can drive comfortably to the rear of their property.

Your garden? Come on! Can you bbq in the middle of your hedge? Have you ever sat in a deckchair reading a book in the middle of your hedge? In fact have you ever even stood in the middle of your hedge? The useable bit of your garden is the edge of the other side of your hedge - if it's fresh air or leaves on that bit of land is just semantics.

I'd also be amazed if the deeds on a property of that age are accurate enough to show where within the hedge line the actual boundary is- it won't be the edge of the tyre track.

end his life now......

or.... i completely see how you would be upset, im not one of the 'hey get a life' super cool dudes here. But... I would take a breath, think, pause for thought. Leave it a couple of days try not to think about it, and think about what you want to do after that. Maybe drop a note in his house and mention that you are happy to trim the hedge a bit further back, could he/she discuss it with you in future? If it has gone past the boundary of your house then I would consider trimming the hedge back and erecting a fence to be clear of the boundary. I don't think that is being unreasonable.

Trimming away the overhang of what he's left sounds like a good idea.

He's done an awful job, but I agree about the possibly of putting posts in
being seen as a 'passive aggressive wind up' kind of move by him. Whatever you decide, peacefulness has got to be the best way ahead so he's more likely to agree about something you want his cooperation with in the future...

It was 6" into the lane and now you're saying its 3" into the lane... Basically if you knew it was taking up more space than was strictly yours for all those years I think you have been asking for this day as the neighbours probably think you are a bit of an ass hat for making their lives harder.

Problem with neighbourly tiff's is that grown men are scared to talk to each other and it all becomes ridiculous...

If you don't see that side of the hedge or use that lane... but others do want to drive down it then why not sell it to them like you mentioned and put a fence or wall up or whatever you want on the new boundary.

They get the access they need to a property they've had all their lives.. you make a few quid and get a proper boundary and no one thinks you're a dick (whether you are or aren't).

It'll save some hassle all around... if the conversation with the neighbours goes sour then go to plan b.. land mines, dog shit bombs, razor wire, shitting on his cat ect..

Did he return/offer to return any of your hedge that he removed? IANAL but I'm sure that before you go chopping anything that doesn't belong to you that overhangs/grows on to your property that you must return it

I'd be asking for it back to be petty and annoying (but right)

Oh and key his car too, that'll learn him

*Also to be fair it looks like he's done a shit job on purpose so that you can finish it so he doesn't have the hassle to do it all himself.

I do also agree it looks like he's scraped back to see where the line was and has taken the growth off and left the trunks

I'd be asking for it back to be petty and annoying (but right)

That will end well.

Property boundaries cause some many problems.

I would go and speak to him and agree a way forward. Trim it back neatly together?

I#m not sure why you think it's reasonable to have your hedge over hanging a shared access road that doesn't belong to you?

*Also to be fair it looks like he's done a shit job on purpose so that you can finish it so he doesn't have the hassle to do it all himself"

....or, hes fed up waiting for the hedge to be trimmed back to the boundary and has just done the job as quickly and easily as he can.

ps. I'd still install boundary markers, if only to make sure things dont encroach over time 😉

Has he got the landowners permission to use the lane ?

stop being a pussy and make a statement!

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this what you want 😉

hahaha

.. Any green fingered experts here know what the chances of the privet regrowing at the bottom are?

Very high, 2 years ago I butchered mine back from 10 foot to 12" stumps, they're approaching 4 foot again and will need trimming this year. Only way you'll kill them is by pulling the roots up.

Move on, your stressing over bushes, you must have something more important to do/worry about.

Needs moar watchtowers

Move on, your stressing over bushes, you must have something more important to do/worry about.

The fact that the hedge is the only thing holding up the garden structurally, for instance?

Having good Neighbourly relations sometimes strike me as being a bit like global politics, with homes being akin to countries with a mixture of mutual and conflicting interests. It's important to maintain harmony so agreement can be more easily found when it's needed.

I think this is the key statement, I do try to avoid any conflict as its the last thing you want to deal with in your own place. Having said that, I agree its worth knocking on his door and asking him if he was aware that he had destroyed a hedge on your property? Nothing aggressive there, just puts him in a position to explain himself whilst feeling uncomfortable about it.

The fact that the hedge is the only thing holding up the garden structurally, for instance?

It'll be the roots doing that, though.

It's privet. You should see how much we massacre it in the local park, it always comes back, and bushier than before.

how about something like....

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Just make a feature out of it...

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I'd go for Jamie's solution, but with the razor wire. It's your boundary, and you want it to be reasonably secure.

Writing as an old git, if you leave it too long he'll assume he has the right to drive over your patch.