Neighbour pushing ivy off wall

Zenify · 10-10-2018 7:03pm #1

So my neighbour at the back of my house is always complaining about the tress at the back of our house. They are high and we are south of her garden so it blocks the light at the top end of her garden. She has always asked us to cut them down but we like the privacy they give our garden. I told her she can cut anything over her garden and she did that during the summer. I also told her she can put the pieces and over into our garden. she also complains about the ivy growing over the wall which we usually cut at the top of the wall for her (i can't understand how bare concrete can look better than ivy). However recently she has cut the ivy back from our side and pushed it back to remove it's grip from the wall so it is even hanging over our side now. It has destroyed a lot of it from our side and it took years to grow. What should I Do?

evolving_doors · 10-10-2018 7:05pm

Video or it didn't happen

kylith · 10-10-2018 7:21pm

So she unstuck it from her side of the wall and shoved it back over and gravity now has pulled it off the wall on your side?

As for what you should do: you should keep your ivy trimmed so that it doesn't grow onto your neighbour's property.

Call me Al · 10-10-2018 7:22pm

Zenify wrote: »

So my neighbour at the back of my house is always complaining about the tress at the back of our house. They are high and we are south of her garden so it blocks the light at the top end of her garden. She has always asked us to cut them down but we like the privacy they give our garden. I told her she can cut anything over her garden and she did that during the summer. I also told her she can put the pieces and over into our garden. she also complains about the ivy growing over the wall which we usually cut at the top of the wall for her (i can't understand how bare concrete can look better than ivy). However recently she has cut the ivy back from our side and pushed it back to remove it's grip from the wall so it is even hanging over our side now. It has destroyed a lot of it from our side and it took years to grow. What should I Do?

So what you're saying is she came into your garden and cut the ivy on your side of yoir joint wall, or just pushed it off the top of the wall and t fell backwards and disconnected it's grip on your side?

I've a somewhat similar situation albeit that it's in reverse. I'm the one who wants a clean bare wall, no ivy (personal choice, I really really don't like it), and would love if my neighbour would maintain what he has growing on his side of our wall and keep it cut well back. Well he needs to keep most of his shrubbery trees briars bushes etc cut back. He never does any of it though which infuriates me.
I'd never dream of going into his garden and cutting it though.
I think you should approach her and ask her why she did what she did, and then politely but firmly tell her she is not to touch anything if it isn't touching the top of the wall. I'd try to pin it back up if I could but i would try to keep its height under the capping block if you can so she can't see it. It will reattach itself quickly enough. But try to keep it off the top of the wall.

Call me Al · 10-10-2018 7:28pm

By the way it would be manners on your part to actually maintain your own trees and not expect other people to pay to do it for you. Your property is encroaching on to the property of others. Getting this work done is not cheap. I should know. Did you contribute anything to her costs?

listermint · 10-10-2018 7:30pm

Have you considered trimming the trees at the top to give them back some sunlight.

What I like to do is always put myself in their shoes.

What way would you feel .

Teyla Emmagan · 10-10-2018 7:45pm

If you trim it to take a bit of the weight off it it should reattach itself. Then keep trimming it once it reaches the top of the wall so it won't grow over the top again. Or you could probably put a bit of wire or trellis on the upper part of the wall to give it some support until it reestablishes itself.

I don't think you can do anything about the fact she pushed it back over your wall though. Realistically if it hadn't been so heavy it wouldn't have peeled itself off. I can't see you getting anywhere by complaining about it, it doesn't seem wildly unreasonable action on her part. And ivy can undermine a wall I believe (though I would personally far prefer an ivy covered wall to one without).

Zenify · 10-10-2018 7:58pm

I wasn't planning on taking legal action or complaining to authorities. Just wanted to see what people's opinions were.

She didn't come into my garden but she did cut a lot on our side. The cuts are clearly on our side, I assume she put the trimmer over the wall. Do most people think I should cut the tops of the trees? I just love them so much and I'll be looking at her house rather than trees if I cut them.

accensi0n · 10-10-2018 8:01pm

Chop off her head.

uberwolf · 10-10-2018 8:01pm

Zenify wrote: »

I just love them so much and I'll be looking at her house rather than trees if I cut them.

is there an elevation difference?

My answer would be that they should be maintained - you don't need to lose your tree, but if you can get a bit more light into her then that would be the neighbourly thing to do IMO

Flippyfloppy · 10-10-2018 8:05pm

Zenify wrote: »

Do most people think I should cut the tops of the trees? I just love them so much and I'll be looking at her house rather than trees if I cut them.

Yes definitely, give her some sun, the way things are she can’t even grow plants should she wish with no sunlight.

Murang · 10-10-2018 8:09pm

You should cut the trees and keep the ivy back on your side. Just because you like ivy don’t mean every one else does. As for the trees how would you like it if someone blocked on the sunlight in you

Wildly Boaring · 10-10-2018 8:13pm

Be nice. She's your neighbour. Trim the ivy every now and again. Trim the tree a bit. Have a chat over the wall about the weather.

salmocab · 10-10-2018 8:14pm

I’d agree that you should keep your tree trimmed, obviously without seeing all the relative sizes it’s hard to know but if it’s blocking their sunshine and making their garden dark then really you should do the neighborly thing.

10-10-2018 8:14pm

My neighbour grew ivy all along a shared back garden wall for years, we had to constantly cut it back. Now the wall is unsafe as the ivy grew through the wall. Nobody can go within 6 feet of the wall as it visibly moves, and the neighbour has no intention of making good the damage to the wall!

_Brian · 10-10-2018 8:14pm

Cut both the ivy and branches back before they cross the boundary line and it won’t agrivate the situation.

In fairness of the trees are indeed blocking light I think she can go to the council about it as there is an entitlement not to be overshadowed excessively.

Anyway, keep everything cut back, if it were me and overhanging branches were a continuous problem I’d be tempted to strip the bark and apply roundup/diesel which would permanently sort the tree problem.

Wildly Boaring · 10-10-2018 8:19pm

_Brian wrote: »

Cut both the ivy and branches back before they cross the boundary line and it won’t agrivate the situation.

In fairness of the trees are indeed blocking light I think she can go to the council about it as there is an entitlement not to be overshadowed excessively.

Anyway, keep everything cut back, if it were me and overhanging branches were a continuous problem I’d be tempted to strip the bark and apply roundup/diesel which would permanently sort the tree problem.

No entitlement to light and you cannot go around killing your neighbours trees. That will have you in front of the wig.

But as before....be nice, trim you trees and ivy

trihead · 10-10-2018 8:19pm

Put yourself in her shoes maybe for few minutes - do the decent thing and get the trees trimmed at the top.

Can't understand this common attitude that people want to screw their neighbours over or start WW3 over some minor issue which in the grand scheme of things does not matter much - yes there is a small few neighbors from hell (ending up in court like the lucan guy recently) but the vast majority just want to live their lives without crap like this.

_Brian · 10-10-2018 8:21pm

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

No entitlement to light and you cannot go around killing your neighbours trees. That will have you in front of the wig.

But as before....be nice, trim you trees and ivy

You’d have to prove it was me :;
It’s beem done many times before.

Teyla Emmagan · 10-10-2018 8:44pm

Going by what the OP says the sun is only blocked at the end of the neighbour's garden. And they are to the south so I presume the neighbour has sun at their back door/patio. Which is all you can ask for really. The sun is overhead for most of the day anyway, they would only be effected in the evening. Personally I think a bit of a trim might be a very reasonable compromise.

Kintarō Hattori · 10-10-2018 8:48pm

Be nice OP... you never know when you may need your neighbour for something.

macraignil · 10-10-2018 8:51pm

Zenify wrote: »

I wasn't planning on taking legal action or complaining to authorities. Just wanted to see what people's opinions were.

She didn't come into my garden but she did cut a lot on our side. The cuts are clearly on our side, I assume she put the trimmer over the wall. Do most people think I should cut the tops of the trees? I just love them so much and I'll be looking at her house rather than trees if I cut them.

I think you should say to her that you will thin out the tree branches a bit once the ivy has grown back on the wall as you don't want to just have a view of bare concrete at the back of your garden.

A good tree surgeon should be able to get some element of balance between letting some light into the neighbors garden and not ruining the appearance of the trees.

salmocab · 10-10-2018 8:52pm

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Going by what the OP says the sun is only blocked at the end of the neighbour's garden. And they are to the south so I presume the neighbour has sun at their back door/patio. Which is all you can ask for really. The sun is overhead for most of the day anyway, they would only be effected in the evening. Personally I think a bit of a trim might be a very reasonable compromise.

I read it as light at top of garden meaning the house, also being south of the neighbour would suggest the trees are generally between the sun and the garden.

castie · 10-10-2018 8:58pm

Who owns the boundary wall?

If your neighbour owns it then growing something up it that can cause damage could get you in some bother later.

macraignil · 10-10-2018 8:59pm

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

If you trim it to take a bit of the weight off it it should reattach itself. Then keep trimming it once it reaches the top of the wall so it won't grow over the top again. Or you could probably put a bit of wire or trellis on the upper part of the wall to give it some support until it reestablishes itself.

I don't think you can do anything about the fact she pushed it back over your wall though. Realistically if it hadn't been so heavy it wouldn't have peeled itself off. I can't see you getting anywhere by complaining about it, it doesn't seem wildly unreasonable action on her part. And ivy can undermine a wall I believe (though I would personally far prefer an ivy covered wall to one without).

A number of sources including a study detailed in this linked article claim ivy is not a problem for a structurally sound wall and is only a problem when there are already structural problems in the structure it is growing on.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 10-10-2018 9:01pm

You don't get the sun directly overhead in Ireland.

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Going by what the OP says the sun is only blocked at the end of the neighbour's garden. And they are to the south so I presume the neighbour has sun at their back door/patio. Which is all you can ask for really. The sun is overhead for most of the day anyway, they would only be effected in the evening. Personally I think a bit of a trim might be a very reasonable compromise.

Corca Baiscinn · 10-10-2018 10:02pm

Zenify wrote: »

. Do most people think I should cut the tops of the trees? I just love them so much and I'll be looking at her house rather than trees if I cut them.

When you say looking at her house do you mean looking at her kitchen/s room window/back door, a bedroom window or at her roof?

Were your trees fully grown when she moved in or have they increased in height in recent years? People have strange ideas sometimes of suitable trees for small domestic gardens.

As other posters have said can you balance your understandable need for privacy somewhat against the value of good neighbourly relations?

To other posters: the view has been expressed that ivy does not damage a wall. what about roof tiles anyone know?

macraignil · 10-10-2018 10:24pm

Corca Baiscinn wrote: »

When you say looking at her house do you mean looking at her kitchen/s room window/back door, a bedroom window or at her roof?

Were your trees fully grown when she moved in or have they increased in height in recent years? People have strange ideas sometimes of suitable trees for small domestic gardens.

As other posters have said can you balance your understandable need for privacy somewhat against the value of good neighbourly relations?

To other posters: the view has been expressed that ivy does not damage a wall. what about roof tiles anyone know?

From what I was reading it can grow through existing gaps in a structure so the small gaps between the roof tiles would probably be enough to allow ivy get into the roof space. Once growing through an existing space what I was reading suggested that it could over time widen this opening which could allow an entry point for rain and other elements that could be damaging to the roof eg. rodents, fungi, and insects.

Pawwed Rig · 10-10-2018 10:32pm

Anything my neighbours ask me to do that doesn't majorly inconvenience me gets done. It goes both ways. It is easier to get along than snipe at each other and life remains simple.

GreeBo · 10-10-2018 10:39pm

Dont cut the tops of the trees, it looks ridiculous and is not good for the trees.

Pay a surgeon to thin out the tree and then she will get nice dappled light into her garden...what height of tree are we talking about here btw?

Its unreasonable to have a huge tree in a residential setting unless you have acres of land.

Trim *your* Ivy before it becomes her Ivy. Ivy is a pest and she is entitled to not want it in her garden.
If I was her I would fix something to the top of the wall to deflect the ivy back into your garden, that way if you dont cut it it will pull it self down.

fritzelly · 10-10-2018 10:43pm

I have ivy growing on the opposite side of a wall and continually growing onto my side - to look at it's not an eyesore, but then it's seeding my side so constantly sprouting everywhere and near impossible to get rid of completely. And ivy is a voracious grower so I'm not surprised your neighbour might get a bit pissed off about constantly having to cut it back to your side.
There are far better solutions to covering a wall than ivy

Neighbour pushing ivy off wall

Comments