Party fence issues, trees and vermin!

Party fence issues, trees and vermin!

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Discussion

thebullettrain

Original Poster:

1,038 posts

240 months

Thursday 15th April 2010
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Party fence issues, trees and vermin!I don’t think there is any nice way to put this but the fencing on either side of my house is in various states of disrepair. The house on one side doesn’t concern me too much – the fence is acceptable and they have a very low maintenance garden which is pretty clean.

The house on my other side belongs to a ‘keen’ gardener. However, her garden looks like a mini jungle - it’s an eyesore and unkempt. The fence in various places is broken. At the back it is totally rotten and has fallen down. In addition, she has a mature tree which didn’t shoot up straight but significantly kinks into my garden before shooting up. This means I cannot put a fence there to board up the party boundary – unless you can get one that moulds to the tree!

In addition I saw a rat in the garden last night – okay it was a baby but must have parents. In all fairness it could be a mouse. My garden is clean and neat and contains no junk or rubbish so they don’t live there. I did notice it decided to leave and went through a small hole (that I didn’t know existed in to the dirty neighbour’s garden). This makes me think it is homed there. Now my questions are:

1) How to deal with the vermin; and
2) how to deal with the bent tree and ensuring things and people cannot enter from her garden into mine.

I have a decent relationship with my neighbour and will speak to her tonight about the party boundary and shared costs but I would like to know the above before I approach her.

robinhood21

30,788 posts

233 months

Thursday 15th April 2010
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How to deal with the vermin? Well, I would go and have a quite word with her. Is the fence shared or does it belong to one of you? 'Tis usual for the fence to belong to one or other and not shared, that's not to say it isn't shared, just that it is unusual. I believe one can chop down any overhanging branches, etc, but one must offer the offending spoilage back to the owner. Oh, and would not worry too much about the rat, as they say, one is never more that a few feet away from them. Unless of course there is a buildup of rubbish that is enticing them into the neighbours garden. If so, have a word with the neighbour and, if nothing is done then would get in touch with the local council pest control. Good luck!

SPR2

3,184 posts

197 months

Thursday 15th April 2010
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Similar problem for me. Neighbour with a 'mini jungle'and it is my fence that needs attentionfrown
Said neighbour has compost heap lodged against it and a very overrun clematis amongst other stuff. I had to saw off some mature shoots to get access to fence for repair as my dog was getting through and out into the Close. He unfortunately is not the easiest person to get to speak with, rarely seen or answers the door and then away every alternate two weeks.

henrycrun

2,454 posts

241 months

Thursday 15th April 2010
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in the meantime start planting a hedge (but not leylandii)

Defcon5

6,193 posts

192 months

Thursday 15th April 2010
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Why not leylandii? I was going to plant some of them this year

SAGgy chef

125 posts

169 months

Tuesday 20th April 2010
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Leylandii has a name for growing very quick, getting out of control, and inevitably getting cut down and leaving a big gap where you once had a screen of green. If managed and controled properly it can create a good barrier from neighbours or prying eyes. I have a 90ft long and 12ft high hedge behind a 6ft high wooden fence. The Leylandii gets a trim in Spring and Autum, works well for my needs.

Hope this helps.

GKP

15,099 posts

242 months

Tuesday 20th April 2010
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Why not chop the offending part of the tree off? Sure, there's a chance that the rest might fall down, but that's not your concern.

jet_noise

5,665 posts

183 months

Tuesday 20th April 2010
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Dear thebullettrain,

GKP said:
Why not chop the offending part of the tree off? Sure, there's a chance that the rest might fall down, but that's not your concern.
[father dougal]careful now [/father dougal]

IIRC if any pruning kills the plant you are liable,

regards,
Jet