Tricky Laylandii - Tricky Neighbours

High Nellie

This is an unusual scenario re Laylandii. They are on my property and I want to cut them, but the neighbours are 'a bit tricky'. The trees are about 30 years old and very high, and the neighbours moved next door about five years ago. I'm afraid one of them might fall on their property.
They are not communicative or friendly.
Is it possible to get them felled into my property - there is plenty of room.

Ophiopogon

Are you doing it yourself?

If you really worried, hire a tree surgeon and than there should be no problem.

looksee

Even a tree surgeon would not bring them down in one. They would strip branches then top the trees and bring them down in sections.

planetX

I was so hoping you were my neighbour - but I am friendly:D
They may be delighted to be getting rid of the eyesore/shade/greedy roots. I would be so thrilled...

john t

Very possible and not too hard too fell your trees and land in your garden..

Sgt Pepper 64

Dont you just have to shout "Timmmmmmmbbeeeer"?

slowburner

High Nellie wrote: »

This is an unusual scenario re Laylandii. They are on my property and I want to cut them, but the neighbours are 'a bit tricky'. The trees are about 30 years old and very high, and the neighbours moved next door about five years ago. I'm afraid one of them might fall on their property.
They are not communicative or friendly.
Is it possible to get them felled into my property - there is plenty of room.

If the trees are within one hundred feet of your house, or if they are considered to be a threat to property - there is nothing in law to stop you from felling them. It might do no harm to advise the neighbour of your intentions.

Discodog

If you are inexperienced then get someone in to do it. The felling is the easy part - getting rid of the waste is the pain. If there is a building close by then you have to progressively reduce them from the top. I can drop a tree to within a few feet of the intended area but I can never be 100% certain so it can't be risked.

Be careful who you choose & insist on seeing their insurance - I would even ask for it in advance & phone the company to check. Especially during the recession there are a lot of totally unqualified people felling trees.

magicbastarder

Discodog wrote: »

The felling is the easy part - getting rid of the waste is the pain.

keep the chunky stuff for firewood - someone will take it even if you have no use for it, and hire or borrow a mulcher to deal with the foliage, it makes a decent mulch.

shawnee

Can't see where the problem is if they are on your land !

slowburner

And they're welcome to the firewood - sparks and creosote with next to no heat and the risk of a chimney fire if the wood is too dry - that's what you'll get with Leylandii.
A good, professional tree surgeon will mulch the whole lot for you.
Well chipped mulch is the only value of Leylandii as a wood, apart, that is, from dividing neighbours, acidifying the soil, blocking out light, robbing the soil of nutrients and removing large areas of potentially productive ground.
They keep tree surgeons in business though.

greenfingers89

slowburner wrote: »

.
Well chipped mulch is the only value of Leylandii as a wood.

we've burnt leylandii at home and it's burning without a problem as long as it gets two summers to dry

doctor evil

My dad and his cousin over thirty years ago removed Leylandii by removing the branches at the bottom, digging a bit and cutting the roots then he climbed up and attached two ropes, at this the cousin was in the next door neighbours garden. They rocked the tree while keeping tension at both ends I think and this broke the rest of the roots. I'm not sure what height they were.

Discodog

That type of technique can work but it is risky especially around buildings. I have seen many cases where people have relied on ropes & cables that snap. Also Leylandi are not so predictable. I have had quite a few that try to fall the wrong way or that crack & snap too early. You can only fell in a particular direction if the weight & balance of the tree is suitable. No matter how well you cut your wedge you can't defy gravity.

magicbastarder

greenfingers89 wrote: »

we've burnt leylandii at home and it's burning without a problem as long as it gets two summers to dry

i'm burning year old stuff - it's nice and dry, has been sitting in a storage box in the sun.

greenfingers89

magicbastarder wrote: »

has been sitting in a storage box in the sun.

sun? what country were you storing it in

Pataman

slowburner wrote: »

If the trees are within one hundred feet of your house, or if they are considered to be a threat to property - there is nothing in law to stop you from felling them. It might do no harm to advise the neighbour of your intentions.

Where did you source this info. I have neighbours who refuse to engage with me about 3x100 poplar trees 60 feet from my house. I have tried the council but they are not interested. I have contacted them several times but am being ignored.

Thanks

greenfingers89

Pataman wrote: »

Where did you source this info. I have neighbours who refuse to engage with me about 3x100 poplar trees 60 feet from my house. I have tried the council but they are not interested. I have contacted them several times but am being ignored.

Thanks

as far as i know trees within 100 feet of a dwelling don't need a felling licence IF they are YOUR trees and YOU want to cut them down, i dont think you can use this 100 feet exception to force neighbours to fell trees

slowburner

Pataman wrote: »

Where did you source this info. I have neighbours who refuse to engage with me about 3x100 poplar trees 60 feet from my house. I have tried the council but they are not interested. I have contacted them several times but am being ignored.

Thanks

From here,
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/treefelling/legalrequirementsfortreefelling/

You don't say whose property the trees are on. If they belong to your neighbour and you have problems as a result of the trees, then you are in to a whole other set of thorny issues beyond the scope of this forum.

There is no 'right to light' in law, for example. Theoretically, a property owner is perfectly within their rights to plant trees or shrubs which completely obscure light from another neighbour.

So in your case you would probably have to demonstrate that the poplars were a threat to either life or property and that's not easy.
(see here)
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=225

To be honest, I am out on a limb here (:p) as far as the legal stuff is concerned, you'd do just as well researching the matter yourself.

Pataman

They are on a neighbouring property and they have just ignored our letter. My next step is to send a stronger letter by registered letter putting them on notice that is any property damage occurs as a result of these trees they will be liable.
Cheers

slowburner

Pataman wrote: »

They are on a neighbouring property and they have just ignored our letter. My next step is to send a stronger letter by registered letter putting them on notice that is any property damage occurs as a result of these trees they will be liable.
Cheers

I wish you well but I wouldn't be too optimistic. For added gravitas, you could show evidence that Poplars are one of the species of tree which should not be planted within a certain distance (not sure of the figure) of any wall or building. This is a building recommendation rather than a legal requirement AFAIK.

brian_t

Pataman wrote: »

My next step is to send a stronger letter by registered letter putting them on notice that is any property damage occurs as a result of these trees they will be liable.
Cheers

If they ignored your first letter they will ignore this one too.
In my opinion this type of letter needs to come from a solicitor.

slowburner wrote: »

For added gravitas, you could show evidence that Poplars are one of the species of tree which should not be planted within a certain distance (not sure of the figure) of any wall or building.

According to here http://www.gardenlaw.co.uk/trees.html it's 35 meters (115 feet) although a second list on that page says 20 meters (65.6 feet)

Pataman

Interesting reading. I know I dont have a leg to stand on, i was appealing to his decency. I will send the registered letter and then when ignored send a solicitors letter, but I know it wont go any further.
thanks for the advice
Pat