Neighbour won’t let me cut down my own tree?

[Routemaster93]

Back in 2004 I bought and planted a Eucalyptus tree at then top of our garden slightly on the border between our house and the neighbours house. Because of their big trees the Eucalyptus is leaning almost at 45 degrees over our garden. It’s now about 20 foot tall and the trunk only about 5” diameter. It looks hideous as it is.

So today I came out and started to rope the tree to control its fall and begin cutting, only for the neighbours annoying son to come out and tell me it’s their tree. So I told him i bought it and planted it in 2004. But knowing nothing about gardening he said it had been their much longer. Ffs it’s a Eucalyptus they grow fast! He knows nothing about gardening. Doesn’t even know what type of bloody tree it is.

If I don’t do anything it will become a monster that will require expensive professional felling as it will become dangerous and unstable.

Point is it’s my bloody tree on the border. I told the son that, but his father was out all day so had to down tools I’ve wasted a full day.

So my question is am I in my rights to cut down my own tree on the boundary that’s leaning right over our garden, I ll even leave a 5’ stump with one branch remaining if it satisfies them?

Edited by Routemaster93 on Friday 23 February 21:32

[Routemaster93]

Pericoloso said:

Your tree ,why did you down tools ?

What was son going to do ,call the tree police ?

I agree but there the kind of people who’ll tell the Council and get a tree preservation order put on it. And it will cost me fortune in solicitors fees to get permission to cut it down. It’s not even a native species and is only 14 year old.

[Routemaster93]

blearyeyedboy said:

If it's on your side of your boundary, you can do what you like.

However, I'll share my story. I once got the hump with a neighbour who wouldn't let me replace "my" fence, which was 30 years old and had holes in. I kept my grumbles to myself and my wife, who is far wiser than I am, asked me to double check where the boundary lay.

I'm glad I did.

Rather oddly, several houses were built in my part of town with a thin cable separating them. Many occupants erected fences on their side of the boundary... and this chap was one of them. "My" fence was really his, and further up the street I could see several fences built right up against each other.

So I joined them and built my own fence adjacent to my neighbour's, hiding his monstrosity.

TL; DR: Check where the boundary really lies before taking action.

Good point. So even though I bought and planted the tree and it happens to be more on their side of the boundary they could claim it as theirs? That wouldn’t surprise me as they can be awkward like that next door. Even though they would never plant a tropical Eucalyptus tree themselves as they only like native species.

Surely though over 80% of its over hanging our garden and I just cut off the overhang and leave behind the straight stump few feet high with a branch coming off it then techinically all I’m doing is pruning it and anyone has a right to prune trees and shrubs overhanging their own garden?

It’s crazy I’m having this problem for a tree that cost me £4.50 in 2004.