Overhanging trees - etiquette

[terry37key]

How do you handle the problem of neighbours trees overhanging your garden. I know you can cut them back but has the neighbour the responsibily of getting rid of the cuttings. I have heard about throwing them over the neighbours fence but this does not sound very neighbourly and would certainly give rise to some resentment.

[chokkie]

I have no qualms about trimming the overhanging foliage from my neighbour's shrub/s. But I do get rid of the stuff myself. I would think that the only responsibility your neighbour has as far as those trees are concerned, is to ensure they are kept properly pruned - which the neighbour evidently isn't doing!

[Eve]

Are you able to talk to your neighbour and work something out between the two of you? It's often the easiest and most amicable way of doing things and you always then have the law to fall back on if needs be.

[LoftyLottie]

No the neighbour does not have the responsibility of getting rid of the cuttings. However, you do have to ask if he wants the cuttings back because they are his property. It is not just unneighbourly to throw them back over the neighbours fence and what's more it isn't lawful.

If the neighbour doesn't want them back then it's your responsibility to get rid of them.

[LoftyLottie]

There is no responsibility in law for the neighbour to keep trees properly pruned unless they are causing obvious damage to your property.

[LoftyLottie]

As Jenna says, best to talk to your neighbour about the situation.

[ChuckFickens]

Check there is not a tree preservation order on it before cutting back anything otherwise you may find yourself in trouble.

[LoftyLottie]

Oh yes, with fines of up to £12,000!

[terry37key]

Many thanks for your most helpful answers.

[andy-hughes]

I think in the interests of good neighbourly relations, you should pop round and advise that you are 'thinking of pruning the parts of his trees on your side ...'.

This takes any confrontation out of the situation - yes you are entitled to prune, but why not give the impression that you are checking it's OK first? It makes your neighbour feel good, and he is hardly likely to refuse, but will think well of you for having the thoughtfulness to ask first.

Of course, you get rid of the cuttings.

[askyourgran]

~We are having the same problem terry. Our neighour has a bungalow whose garden runs the length of the back of four houses in our street the lleylandi is about 30ft tall.
He's trimmed of the tops from his side, but couldnt reach to do our side, thus we have drooping branches 20-30ft up we would have to pay someone to tidy it up on our side, and I'm not sure where we stand. It looks as if he isn't going to bother doing our side.

[dennisb66]

"What You Can and Can’t do About Overhanging Branches"
If the branches of a neighbour’s tree start to grow over to your side, you have every right to cut them back to the boundary point between you and your neighbour’s property as long as the tree is not under a tree preservation order, if it is, you’ll need to seek further clarification. However, the branches and any fruit on them which you may have cut down on your side still belong to the tree owner so they can ask you to return them.