Looking for some tree root advice!?

[philmots]

I've a tree close to my boundary..

Next door have been round saying it's damaging their patio and small wall, they're not bothered about it but they don't want it to become a problem with the foundations of their house.

I've seen the damage, it's right in the middle of my tree, another tree next door but right next to a big Ivy root on their land. I'm no expert but it looks like that's what has caused the problem.

Now, they've offered to go halves with me on getting the tree removed. I'm happy to do this as it causes us other issues and the last thing I want is for it to cause problems to their house. If not they're looking at going through their house insurance for the damage (which may or may not of been cause by my tree) - which is their only other option really.

I want toI go ahead and have this tree looped down, but...

Am I admitting it was my tree that caused this problem and leaving myself liable to any further damages? If they still decide to tackle insurance after the trees down?

Or, am I showing a duty of care by removing the tree and I can't really do anything more?


This has all being quite amecable between us, with nothing in writing..

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[philmots]

Any Sunday folk?

[roofer]

If it's causing you problems as well as them, just get rid. Good point on the Ivy, I had one on the end of the garage that pushed the entire wall 2" along its foundations.

[herewego]

Presumably any claim would be covered by your insurance so it wouldn't be a personal issue for you but you could get a tree expert to survey and report on whether your tree is responsible for the disturbance and give a quote for removal at the same time. I thought your neighbour would only be able to blame you if you were negligent which would mean you had ignored warnings about the tree but I'm not so sure.
There's no way you could know what is going on in a neighbours garden so it would be strange but not impossible to blame you for any unseen growth.

Since patios and dwarf garden walls are transient things easily subject to destruction by nature I would never dream of blaming someone else if it was disturbed by a growing root. I wonder how long has he allowed it to happen before speaking up. Perhaps he has in mind getting a new patio out of it.

[Murph7355]

Sounds like you have decent, reasonable neighbours.

Why not take them up on the offer, get someone round to look at the cost of removing your tree and suggest to the neighbours at the same time you both ask about the ivy and the other tree - all kills several birds with one stone and you maintain the collaborative approach...your tree man may well help resolve the other bits for not a massive incremental cost if they're believed to be a problem.

[AC43]

Sound like a reasonable course of action all round. But make sure you get the stump ground out - you need to kill it properly and not leave live roots.