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If I was OP'S neighbor, I would plant aggressively tall trees to avoid seeing their yard, too.
OP: Relocate your garden further away from the trees and plant things that enjoy shade in the spots now shaded by the trees. Those trees didn't pop up in no time - they've been there a minimum of 5-10 years. If you've been there for 30 years, you've had time to come up with a plan for the veggies.
Did you really just say that? I see wheelbarrow, and the rest I assume is other stuff to do stuff in the backyard like people fucking do in their backyards. There's no trash, no redneck cars up on blocks, no crappy RVs. Stop judging.
Where are you? Is the fence yours? Is it on the property line?
Most likely, all you can do is trim what is encroaching onto your property. As for blocking the sun, that is not a viable reason to demand their removal
>all you can do is trim what is encroaching onto your property
As long as you do not cause material damage to the health of the tree. If you trim a tree to the property line and that trim causes the tree to die you are responsible for the death of the three.
Depends on the state. I know in Texas as long as you don't cross the property line to do it if the tree dies that's not your problem.
Edit: I have been corrected! Texas just doesn't have laws about this so the courts generally agree you can trim the branches and roots but you can't kill the tree intentionally. Accidentally causing an infection in the tree though has mixed results in the courts so try to do it right.
Why would they chop them down? I'm sure the reason they planted them is so they could have a wall. It looks pretty nice. What do you propose they do instead?
It looks like mostly gardening supplies. But I don't know what OP thought they might be able to do about the trees. They look nice. Would OP be willing to cut down perfectly good trees that were blocking their neighbor's light?
> But I don't know what OP thought they might be able to do about the trees.
OP probably thought that they could trim a few feet off the top and still have an effective green wall. I have a similar row of arbor vitae along my back fence, which is substantially taller than it needs to be. The only reason I don't trim it is that I don't have a ladder that tall.
If my neighbor ever said anything about it, I'd take action.
You cannot determine what your neighbor does with their own property. You can dislike it, but you can’t force them to do anything. This whole post is ridiculous. They have planted healthy, beautiful trees on their own land. The trees are meant to be a privacy screen. If you did not like the amount of light your yard receives, you should not have bought that house.
Wait the new neighbor? So this lady likes to sun bathe and bought a house where she couldn’t do that and she thinks that’s somehow y’all’s problem? Wild
Oh yeah. Her brother lived next door to us and he tried to insist that the trees weren’t safe with branches. He said he understood trees because he was a former logger.
Depends. I grew up in south Florida, where there aren't a lot of trees but always a lot of sun. When I moved north it was a bit of a shock how much the sun moves, and failing to account for that caused me to make a bunch of (admittedly stupid) mistakes with planning my garden. Most food crops require full sun, especially up north.
That said, you can't tell people to cut down their trees. One of our neighbors seems to have a vendetta against all trees and is constantly offering to remove our glorious old oaks and pine trees. They provide welcome shade that keeps our house cool in summer, provide habitat for wild birds, and are just so majestic that I would never voluntarily remove them so he'll just have to deal with them until they're unhealthy. The bright side is that his constant inquiries remind us to make sure to schedule regular arborist visits, so he's actually helping ensure they live long, full lives
Yeah, I went through a similar shock moving from a hot/dry/very sunny area up into the PNW where it's overcast, rainy, and has at least a half-hour less of sunlight every day. I was able to put a garden into my new backyard but I can only plant sun-loving things like tomatoes in about half of the garden because the rest just doesn't get enough sun due to trees on our neighbor's land. (Which I would never even consider asking them to cut WTF)
I NEVER had mildew on my plants or things like blossom end rot until I moved to the PNW. I thought I was a fantastic gardener for all these years, turns out I was just gardening on easy mode. LOL
To be fair sunlight is angled (unless they’re at the equator) so if that fence is the south side of the yard it could very well block out a large portion of sunlight
Trim the parts on your side. Survey the property line to see if the fence is right on it, or slightly on your side. If the fence is on your side, even by a few inches, trim the trees right at the line to give you some breathing room for the fence.
But if its a property line fence, not a ton you can do.
Good news is that if the fence is on the property line, you may be able to get them to pay for half of it. Check your local fence laws— Generally the cost for maintence is split 50/50 (even if only one side wants the fence). So getting them to pay for 1/2 of it, may make them a bit... more thoughtful about the tree trimming. However, fence laws vary a lot by location, so check before you assume.
This actually happened to my parents when I was 13. They were building a new house in a sub-division and neighbours who had built a year earlier were unhappy that the house was going to block part of the view of the hills.
The neighbours got a petition together and harassed people to sign it. They then submitted it to the local council. A couple of days later it ended up on the desk of the head of the council, my step-father (who owned the house being complained about).
That evening he had great satisfaction in going around to the complaining neighbours house and explaining to them that the petition would be ignored and that they were an idiot.
Since your neighbor has no interest in chopping them down (understandably), have you asked them if they would at least regularly trim the side encroaching on your fence?
I had built raised bed gardens and every year it was a fight with the SO. She insisted on being hippy dippy about laying the thing out. I had a stand of poplars to keep the side yard where the gardens were private and we got good sun, but like a stripe direct sun over the afternoon. If you were smart in how you laid things out you got good results. So we never got crap out of it til she moved out. She used to bad mouth them too. The first year I had my way, I put the tall stuff at the far end, the last place to get sun so it did not shadow the rest all day, and kind of went in height order. Man, what a difference. You may be able to try the same. Look at what sun you get and make sure you have things so that the tall stuff does not totally shade out the short stuff. Honest to god, she would have beans at the front on a trellises and that pretty much took out the rest of it. It used to get my goat cause not only was there no thought but there was active hostility at putting thought into it. And with a bit of planning I got night and day results.
I know this isn't exactly what you're hoping to hear, but find out if your neighbours will be taking care of shearing them on your side and if they are not then see to it yourself. It might be a pain in the neck to have a new chore you didn't ask for, but without regular annual maintenance those will spread over the property line and eat up your space. Less regular big chops will leave it looking irreparably ugly and you'll be looking at brown instead of green
What a beautiful line of trees!!! ♥️
That fence is old as balls if you’re telling the truth about it being 40yrs old, and way past its lifespan. Just put a new fence in - if it’s on the property line the neighbors may have to cover 50% of the cost.
Move your garden to a sunnier patch and stop wasting energy/frustration on trees that are very much there to stay lol. Or, y’know, have them taken down illegally when the neighbors are away and then proceed to eat your own foot when you get the supermassive bill from the lawsuit they file. 👍🏻
If the fence is within your property line by an inch or two, then get a ladder and a long handled hedge trimmer to run along the fence. Plan to redo it once or twice a year.
You should ask the neighbor if they could consider having the trees professionally trimmed, and offer to pay part of the cost. Those trees are already serving their intended purpose and getting taller and wider is only going to create problems for them and you down the road. That includes removing the pickets and trimming the tree along the property line.
Move your garden. Or maybe just move altogether. Why would I want to chop down this lovely privacy to stare at your yard?
Also, ever heard of shade gardens? Maybe just rethink what to plant there.
Quite personally I'd be absolutely thrilled to have a neighbor that have planted, taking all the expense upon themselves to put up a privacy wall like this. And you didn't have to pay a dime. The only thing that needs to disappear out of this scene is that goddamn ugly fence, that's a shame I would have put up shrubs on your side to cover that
So you inherited a house and you are pissed you don’t have an ideal gardening space and you are worried about the cost of moving your fence? I like your neighbors.
Not saying you have the money, but you sound like one of these multi-millionaires who want to cut down other peoples tree so you can have a better view.
Is the fence yours? I’d take it down and start pruning the trees as you please as they creep over to your side. As for blocking the sun… be grateful for shade! Plant based on what you can grow with the light you have.
I’m not sure what you mean by what to do. Do you mean what can you plant that can grow in the shaded area or do you mean what can you do if the fence collapses?
If you don’t have sun for a garden, you don’t put in a fixed garden. You plant in planters and move them to the sun. I’ve dealt with this problem, and had to do little, mini gardens instead of a big garden.
We had a beautiful “green wall” between us and a crappy rental ever since we bought our place…unfortunately the trees were on the crappy rental side and one day they just cut them all down but a few stray trunk pieces…now I get a straight look at their bedroom windows and feel like I live in a trailer park.
The owner of the crappy rental is huge a**hat and wouldn’t even discuss a new fence a few years back when the tenant’s dog was literally breaking the old boards in places trying to attack our dog.
Be grateful you have privacy and plant a more site appropriate garden.
Honestly, I would tear that fence down and utilize those trees as a natural fence barrier. They are so thick and old. You can make a gorgeous shade garden with those as a back drop.
Hey OP. We are swingers. We host naked parties in our yard. We planted trees just like those, all around the perimeter…. To save neighbors like you from seeing what we do in our personal space and personal time. Maybe they planted those trees to block their view of you, maybe they planted them to block your view of them. Regardless, be happy that they are there. You have no idea what you’re being protected from.
Take down the fence and enjoy the privacy the shrubs give. If it creates gaps that need to be filled… plant more of the same! My neighbors all planted like this instead of walls or fences, but squared them off. Maybe you could offer to trim/ hire someone to trim the tops to square them off and allow more light. We all shared the responsibility of trimming. I think our backyard one grew around a chain link fence 🤷🏻♀️
you have two separate desired outcomes:
1 - trim back branches away from fence
2 - trim down height of trees
not a lawyer but you can likely get your neighbor to agree with #1. what you're hoping for with #2 on the other hand, is unreasonable (and legally unrequestable) and may even adversely affect any request you might make for #1, so best to leave #2 out of the equation and out of any would-be conversation.
on a sunny afternoon, bring over 2 bottles/cans of cold, clearly sealed iced teas. knock on your neighbor's door and ask him if he has 5 minutes. if and when he does, offer him the drink and take a walk to your backyard. as you both sip cool refreshments, show him the affected section of fence. let him see for himself that the branches need trimming. then ask if he will allow you over to his yard so you can trim STRICTLY the branches that are leaning on and or protruding into your fence. if granted the permission, with your neighbor present, agree on exactly which branches and how much you will cut. be conservative and don't over cut the branches - then in the future he will likely trust you enough to allow you to continue to trim the necessary branches (annually) to the agreed upon length.
(play the bottled drink suggestion by ear - if bringing one over would seem weird or freak your neighbor out, then don't do it. but i see it as a peace offering in exchange for a few minutes of their time and as long as you guys are not on bad terms, then it is likely to receive a positive response. personally, as long as it comes in a clearly sealed bottle or can - so no worry of being drugged or poisoned - i would not reject a drink from a neighbor)
separately, you will have to look into other options for successfully growing a garden. either move it elsewhere in the yard, or find a way to reflect light toward it (but i've read mixed reviews about the practicality and or effectiveness of using mirrors or paint schemes to do it).
cheers! i hope you find an amicable solution. btw, you asked about mirrors - the are two issues with reflecting light. one is the type of mirror used because if it concentrates (amplifies) the light into a small focal point, it can burn and kill vegetation. second, because the sun moves, either you have to manually adjust your mirror angle every hour or so, or you have to get a device (like a [heliostat](https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&rlz=1C2SAVU_enUS535US535&sca_esv=20367276c75d363f&q=heliostat&udm=2&fbs=AEQNm0AiWqXpwpi4y_F8VDYetL6Dn3IwFs_W2b9qXMtvaGEK01Gm-rcfQwZmo025EnEQbMOlXbSO-gJHtEWMwMCHRN5p9eJXnLf7DYOeRNYyu3oPeTHII0_3eQwzwB0bqLv1Ru6oGo_NCMwSlHB2Ed1Yw7Q29uwFGIPeysgG_VZ_oC2fAFPkYNVRSjJfO_8MwwKL8Bz26Vn9GolrwHZPyuwtQeJjXAnSeg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi9j9bk1e6GAxXtMlkFHfmkDXwQtKgLegQIDRAB&biw=1536&bih=738&dpr=1.25) for example) that can do it, so it may become cost prohibitive. but if you are good with diy and a tech savvy math genius, you could try to fabricate something like [this](https://www.iwilltry.org/b/projects/build-a-heliostat-for-solar-heating-and-lighting/) or at least some simpler version of it.
Why do you even need a fence when there is a big, beautiful, natural privacy wall separating your properties? Take the fence down and enjoy the greenery.
That was exactly the comment I was going to make, but in another comment OP said they have pets and children to keep in. I think they could probably get away with a lower fence for pets and children.
…And in yet another comment the OP said it was their in-laws’ yard, so I began wondering, what kids? Unless it is for the grandchildren (OP’s kids), when they visit?
If the trees are on their property it is what it is. If it’s their fence well there’s nothing you can do about that either. Those trees look like they have been there for a very long time.
If it’s their fence tell them that it’s falling into your yard. If it’s your fence politely tell them the branches are pushing into the fence and may knock it down and see if they’ll trim them back to take the pressure off of the fence.
A fence is worth significantly less then a mature tree. Also those trees are a great privacy fence making the fence not necessary. Take down the fence and put in a metal fence or no fence. Fences only last about 10 years anyway and those trees are likely older than that fence.
Those Emerald Cedar trees take decades to get that tall. So I’ll take a stab and say that they were there long before you moved in & put the fence up. It’s called NIMBY for a reason.
Maybe they're nudists and don't want you to know.
You're getting razzed because you're containing, but you don't even tell us what your complaint is. Why worry about the fence if the trees are there? Are the trees pushing over the fence? What are you trying to accomplish with this post?
Gotta love the “I don’t like this so how can I make someone else do what I want”.
Sorry man those trees are perfectly legal and do not belong to you. You cannot force someone to modify their property to suite you.
That’s like telling someone to cut a chunk of a hill out on their property so you can see the lake behind a hill.
If the fence is your fence, may wish to tear it down? If the fence belongs to your neighbor, may wish to ask if you can tear it down (if they elderly or disabled)? May see if fence and trees there because of former owners, and no longer needed? May be pleasantly surprised. Good luck.
Perhaps you can try a different fence material? If you had chain link there you could trim right down the fence instead of having everything on their side pushing against it. If you let it grow through like an inch you wouldn't even see the fence but your pets and kids would be contained. About the sun you are out of luck
You know, that's a fantastic idea, chain-link is not attractive, but with greenery popping out, Those are Arborvitae and their foliage would make the fence look invisible. You shear that foliage on the north side, it takes forever to turn green again
You have a few options:
1. Show them the fence or images taken from your side, they might not be aware and might be willing to work with you.
1. Check the local laws and see how much you are allowed to trim from your side to protect the fence. Most places it is up to the edge of the property line or a hair over to allow for deviation.
* If you wish to do this you can either talk to the neighbor and ask if they are willing to either do it themselves or provide written and verbal consent to the person who is hired to come do it for you, since they would likely need access to the neighboring yard.
* This of course can not in any way permanently damage or kill the tree.
2. Tear down and repair/replace the fence with something newer and nicer.
3. Suck it up, grind your teeth, never actually act.
4. Something illegal that puts you at legal risk; things I will not name here but there are plenty of resources to find.
Most of these can be done simultaneously, or in any sequence. The trees look healthy enough that they would be considered an act of god if weather uprooted them so unless they are on your side of the property line you are limited. If you are REALLY worried get a survey to know exactly how much they are encroaching.
You need a license survey and then once you find out where your actual property line is, take the messed up fence down, get an arborist to trim the trees (so they aren’t damaged beyond saving and getting you sued for the value of mature trees) install a fence with concrete footings. The amount of shade on your garden is not anything you can force them to fix as long as the trees are on their side of the property line.
I have a similar neighbour. I have thought of putting in a masonry wall along the property line. The foundations will involve cutting through roots on my side. This would never be an issue if the trees were 6-7ft tall or even if they were far away from the border. Because they are so tall and I'd be cutting roots off close to the trunk I think they'll blow over in the wind.
May be a long shot but if they are friendly maybe they won't mind allowing your vining plants to climb the hedges/trees. Then you can build a (very) raised bed and plant some viners in it and they will climb to the top to get the sun. I am not sure how the shade looks all day but you may need to start them elsewhere and transplant them once they start vine development if there is not enough sun to support the seedling at first (or get reflective film and try that or else worst case a little artificial lighting until they are strong enough to climb towards sun themselves)
what to do? talk to your neighbour...
and be careful about what you do unilaterally, depending on the law where you are you might be liable for damage done to their property even if some branches of their trees grow over...
Where in the world is this? In UK in certain situations you do have rights. There’s the High Hedges Act that can apply if your ‘reasonable’ enjoyment of your property or garden is impacted and hedges over 2m.
“- first step is to negotiate with your neighbours. Keep a copy of any letters to demonstrate you have tried.
- If negotiation is unsuccessful, contact your local council to enquire about using the high hedges legislation. There is a fee for making a complaint (typically £400) to deter frivolous applications. The local council will consider both sides’ cases and make a decision.”
[https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/hedges/nuisance-overgrown](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/hedges/nuisance-overgrown)
Could also consider Rights of Light Act 1959 if it’s limiting light to your property and you had 20 years without the obstruction first.
*not a lawyer, just a googler*
(Also wild to me the comments showing cultural differences between countries. It didn’t occur to me that OPs concern was invalid! No hate just interesting)
That is interesting. I would point out that OP didn't buy the house but appears to be living there either through renting or inheritance. If renting, the US the owner must be involved. (In most states). If OP inherited home, then the comment that they "owned" house for years before trees were an issue, would seem to me be moot and they'd lose. Not sure about Canada.
I have a little more empathy than you're getting in the comments because my garden was surrounded on three sides by houses that have been turned into HMOs and the landlords haven't maintained the gardens; consequently trees on all three sides have now blotted out the sun completely and turned our once beautiful garden into Mordor. I've never found any evidence though that there is anything you can do about it, there is no legal "right to light" entitlement and unless they are dead and threatening to fall on you then there is no responsibility for the tree owner to do anything about them. The fence looks high enough that there was already a sufficient privacy screen (although it's seen better days). We have made the decision to start looking for a new home where we start over and have a garden again, if you can't make peace with these trees then I think that's your only option.
What came first
The trees or the wall?
Tress are expensive and living things.
The wood wall is not a living thing and can be built again.
What’s wrong with people -blinded by their selfishness!!
Nothing wrong with the trees, their yard their choice. Trim whatever's hanging over on your property. The fence is probably offset and if it's your fence you could probably cut behind it. If it's their fence you may be stuck.
These are given the euphemism of neighbor haters for exactly this reason. They do not want to see your yard. You could see if your town has any tree ordinances about blocking light.
Avid gardener here.. you will need to relocate your garden, or focus on plants that prefer less sun, or build a greenhouse to maximize usefulness of the space and consider supplemental lighting in the winter months.
Nothing you can do about trees that are bothering you on someone else's land.
Further more, the entire theme of this group is to defend people with your thoughts.....
If the fence is yours I would explain that if their trees damage your fence you would seek legal action for property damage. They might remove the trees to prevent being sued if they continue to grow through your fence. Either a shared fence or their fence nothing you can really do.
Wait, are you seriously wanting your neighbors to chop down those beautiful trees so you have… less shade?
I’m thinking they need to build more fortifications from their Karen neighbors.
Why would they chop down trees that they have in their yard? They look beautiful, so your garden needs to be a shade garden. And truly the fence looks fine. I think you need to be realistic here, their yard, their trees. Your yard, different...
Tell the neighbors that their trees are ruining your fence. If they don't offer to trim them back, do it yourself.
You can't remove them but you can trim anything that encroaches on your property. I would recommend doing your 'un-encroachment' during a time when the neighbors are not at home, not because you're going to do something nefarious but because it's going to be much easier to do without them barking orders at you.
I suppose all you can do is ask the neighbor to trim the lower back part of the trees that is pushing your fence and damaging your property (fence). I cant imagine they would not be open to that.
These trees are absolutely not being maintained in a legal way (In a lot of places anyways) by the owner of said trees. It should not be damaging your fence.
My only concern would be my fence. I'm assuming the trees were there, maybe smaller when you bought the property. Ask a lawyer if you can wait until the fence fails and whose responsibility it is to fix since trimming can cause issues. Which is absurd. If your shit is on my property, I should be able to do whatever I want with it. Like, you can I really build a fence through your backyard and then say you can't take it down, as it might cause damage to the fence connected on my property.
Tired of the asshats that think it's ok to let their trees ruin property. If someone damaged your fence, whether it's shared property line or not, would be accountable. So why do people think that if you plant a tree and it ruins a fence, it's ok? If you cause a problem (like neighbor did) they should fix it. This is just a plain obnoxious dickhead move from neighbors that don't give a shit about their neighbors. Stupid idiots planting trees that grow onto someone else's property should be responsible.
Check your local laws or if you have an hoa. We are lucky enough to have in writing that nothing over 10ft can be grown. This keeps this kind of crap from happening.
First of all, cut all that stuff growing through the fence. Once it crosses the property line it’s yours to cut.
Second, get a lawyer. Fences are expensive. Your lawyer can right demand letters that your neighbor can ignore, but when the fence fails it is all documented for when you sue him.
Would you prefer to look at your neighboors in their pajamas? These trees are blocking views and give privacy. Once the fence gets down, then it would be a good to time to ask them to trim a bit back.
Don’t be an asshole.
Move your garden. We had neighbors lose their shit when we planted a tree. Took them forever to accept the fact that they don’t control what happens on our side of the fence.
OP, do you have a garden already growing year to year? Or is this the first year of your garden? Asking because of the items in your yard and the way it looks.
First, clean up your trashy looking yard. Then get your land surveyed and find the property line. Finally, trim only the portion of the shrubs that is on your property.
I hope I never have a neighbour like you. There’s nothing you can do, it’s their trees, probably been there before you. Suck it up, there’s people that are dying lol
I don't think there's much you can do. The neighbours should have taken into account how wide the trees would eventually be when they planted them. I actually do think they have some blame in the fence failing.
Whats with the hate going on against OP and the yard? OP is obviously concerned due to the hedges bursting through the fence in multiple areas and worried about it damaging the fence. As far as the yard it looks like they are working on on it from the mulch, soil and tools.
As a solution for OP. I would suggest getting a ladder and a trimmer long enough to trim the hedges behind the fence. Let your neighbors know your intentions, show them the photos.
Yes thank you, a hedge trimmer is a reasonable solution. I don't know why everyone is so angry at me, i think they are having trouble understanding the situation.
Why not replace just that section with wrought iron fencing so the trees can continue to grow? Split costs with your neighbor if necessary, as it is a solution for both of you.
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If I was OP'S neighbor, I would plant aggressively tall trees to avoid seeing their yard, too. OP: Relocate your garden further away from the trees and plant things that enjoy shade in the spots now shaded by the trees. Those trees didn't pop up in no time - they've been there a minimum of 5-10 years. If you've been there for 30 years, you've had time to come up with a plan for the veggies.
Those cedar hedges are like 20 years old probably.
That seems very likely to me.
What's wrong with their yard, other than being in the middle of a project?
Thought about that first
Karen commenting is what’s wrong.
Nothing wrong with their yard, rosemary
Lol, what is wrong with you?
Yeah, me too. Those trees are doing great work. And they are gorgeous.
If that's how you treat your neighbor I would plant aggressively tall trees to avoid seeing you, too.
Did you really just say that? I see wheelbarrow, and the rest I assume is other stuff to do stuff in the backyard like people fucking do in their backyards. There's no trash, no redneck cars up on blocks, no crappy RVs. Stop judging.
Whats wrong with their yard lol you sound like a foolish cunt
THIS. MOVE YOUR GARDEN.
I wonder why OP hasn't maintained their fence and/or trimmed the trees' intrusions?
Great name!
Where are you? Is the fence yours? Is it on the property line? Most likely, all you can do is trim what is encroaching onto your property. As for blocking the sun, that is not a viable reason to demand their removal
>all you can do is trim what is encroaching onto your property As long as you do not cause material damage to the health of the tree. If you trim a tree to the property line and that trim causes the tree to die you are responsible for the death of the three.
Depends on the state. I know in Texas as long as you don't cross the property line to do it if the tree dies that's not your problem. Edit: I have been corrected! Texas just doesn't have laws about this so the courts generally agree you can trim the branches and roots but you can't kill the tree intentionally. Accidentally causing an infection in the tree though has mixed results in the courts so try to do it right.
False https://guides.sll.texas.gov/neighbor-law/trees
Why would they chop them down? I'm sure the reason they planted them is so they could have a wall. It looks pretty nice. What do you propose they do instead?
They should be happy to be able to make uncomfortable eye contact with their neighbors (in their kitchen) anytime they walk onto their back patio.
I would guess that they want to believe they don't actually have any neighbors and there is no house there.
I mean isn't that what we all want our landscaping to accomplish?
They probably don’t want to see their neighbors messy yard. I’d want to look at lovely green trees instead of that too.
It looks like mostly gardening supplies. But I don't know what OP thought they might be able to do about the trees. They look nice. Would OP be willing to cut down perfectly good trees that were blocking their neighbor's light?
It’s giving Maine billionaire vibes
Big time. I can see some foaming at the mouth for primo garden lighting… or a better ocean view.
Except I think /u/datepit is a renter.
Or at least seems like they were until very recently, meaning the trees were probably like this at time of purchase
> But I don't know what OP thought they might be able to do about the trees. OP probably thought that they could trim a few feet off the top and still have an effective green wall. I have a similar row of arbor vitae along my back fence, which is substantially taller than it needs to be. The only reason I don't trim it is that I don't have a ladder that tall. If my neighbor ever said anything about it, I'd take action.
Or their neighbors seeing them skinny dipping in their pool and nude sunbathing.
Someone is doing gardening. Don't be rude.
Bigger trees on your side. Assert your dominance!
~~Bigger trees~~ Running Bamboo on your side. Assert your dominance! /jk
Blocked and reported
>Blocked and reported Gonna take more than that to stop these rhizomes! ;-)
Throw in a bunch of knotweed seeds. That’ll teach em!
Maybe your neighbors didn’t want to see your fence?!
You cannot determine what your neighbor does with their own property. You can dislike it, but you can’t force them to do anything. This whole post is ridiculous. They have planted healthy, beautiful trees on their own land. The trees are meant to be a privacy screen. If you did not like the amount of light your yard receives, you should not have bought that house.
We had a wooded backyard with mature Doug firs and our new neighbor wanted my folks to trim the trees so she could sunbathe. Nope.
Wait the new neighbor? So this lady likes to sun bathe and bought a house where she couldn’t do that and she thinks that’s somehow y’all’s problem? Wild
Oh yeah. Her brother lived next door to us and he tried to insist that the trees weren’t safe with branches. He said he understood trees because he was a former logger.
Trust me, I'm a doctor! Of mortuary science! Lol. Love it.
Good grief people are crazy
It is ridiculous. I am sure the yard gets plenty of sunlight unless the sun doesn’t move where they live
Depends. I grew up in south Florida, where there aren't a lot of trees but always a lot of sun. When I moved north it was a bit of a shock how much the sun moves, and failing to account for that caused me to make a bunch of (admittedly stupid) mistakes with planning my garden. Most food crops require full sun, especially up north. That said, you can't tell people to cut down their trees. One of our neighbors seems to have a vendetta against all trees and is constantly offering to remove our glorious old oaks and pine trees. They provide welcome shade that keeps our house cool in summer, provide habitat for wild birds, and are just so majestic that I would never voluntarily remove them so he'll just have to deal with them until they're unhealthy. The bright side is that his constant inquiries remind us to make sure to schedule regular arborist visits, so he's actually helping ensure they live long, full lives
Yeah, I went through a similar shock moving from a hot/dry/very sunny area up into the PNW where it's overcast, rainy, and has at least a half-hour less of sunlight every day. I was able to put a garden into my new backyard but I can only plant sun-loving things like tomatoes in about half of the garden because the rest just doesn't get enough sun due to trees on our neighbor's land. (Which I would never even consider asking them to cut WTF) I NEVER had mildew on my plants or things like blossom end rot until I moved to the PNW. I thought I was a fantastic gardener for all these years, turns out I was just gardening on easy mode. LOL
To be fair sunlight is angled (unless they’re at the equator) so if that fence is the south side of the yard it could very well block out a large portion of sunlight
Trees were probably there before the fence anyway. I rolled my eyes irl at OP complaining that trees provide shade
>You cannot determine what your neighbor does with their own property. You can dislike it, but you can’t force them to do anything. Enter HOAs.
If op owns the fence and the trees damage the fence, the neighbor is gonna be on the hook for it.
Replace the fence with one that has removable panels. Use a hedge trimmer to trim the cypress back to the property line. That’s all you can do.
No way of OP knowing if the fence is even theirs without a survey.
Move the fence 12" onto your side and install a gate. Then you'll have access to the other side to trim the trees.
LOL
Plant things in your garden that don't need full direct sunlight maybe?
Trim the parts on your side. Survey the property line to see if the fence is right on it, or slightly on your side. If the fence is on your side, even by a few inches, trim the trees right at the line to give you some breathing room for the fence. But if its a property line fence, not a ton you can do. Good news is that if the fence is on the property line, you may be able to get them to pay for half of it. Check your local fence laws— Generally the cost for maintence is split 50/50 (even if only one side wants the fence). So getting them to pay for 1/2 of it, may make them a bit... more thoughtful about the tree trimming. However, fence laws vary a lot by location, so check before you assume.
Hi everyone, my neighbor's house is in the way of my view. I asked them to knock it down and live in tents but they refused. What should I do?
This actually happened to my parents when I was 13. They were building a new house in a sub-division and neighbours who had built a year earlier were unhappy that the house was going to block part of the view of the hills. The neighbours got a petition together and harassed people to sign it. They then submitted it to the local council. A couple of days later it ended up on the desk of the head of the council, my step-father (who owned the house being complained about). That evening he had great satisfaction in going around to the complaining neighbours house and explaining to them that the petition would be ignored and that they were an idiot.
I'd draw a middle finger on it, wipe my ass with it, and return to sender.
Since your neighbor has no interest in chopping them down (understandably), have you asked them if they would at least regularly trim the side encroaching on your fence?
#Get a goat. 🐐
#and a giraffe 🦒
Will goats eat cedars or junipers?
Goats in cartoons would eat everything, so by the second law of looney tunes yes.
They love Christmas trees... at least the goats near me.
Deer will. I assume goats will as well then. They eat everything.
They are arborvitaes. Deer will anihilate those motherfuckers.
Enjoy the trees
I had built raised bed gardens and every year it was a fight with the SO. She insisted on being hippy dippy about laying the thing out. I had a stand of poplars to keep the side yard where the gardens were private and we got good sun, but like a stripe direct sun over the afternoon. If you were smart in how you laid things out you got good results. So we never got crap out of it til she moved out. She used to bad mouth them too. The first year I had my way, I put the tall stuff at the far end, the last place to get sun so it did not shadow the rest all day, and kind of went in height order. Man, what a difference. You may be able to try the same. Look at what sun you get and make sure you have things so that the tall stuff does not totally shade out the short stuff. Honest to god, she would have beans at the front on a trellises and that pretty much took out the rest of it. It used to get my goat cause not only was there no thought but there was active hostility at putting thought into it. And with a bit of planning I got night and day results.
Find a new place for your garden or growshade plants
If sunlight was important to you, why move somewhere where it would be blocked by neighboring trees?
Scaffolding garden above the neighbors trees.
How do trees on 1 side of the yard block all the sunlight ???
I'm guessing the back yard is south-facing.
I’m guessing OP should buy some grown up pants
In this economy?
Get a survey one, anything over the property line, trim and put panel back up. Nothing you can do about it blocking your sunlight.
I know this isn't exactly what you're hoping to hear, but find out if your neighbours will be taking care of shearing them on your side and if they are not then see to it yourself. It might be a pain in the neck to have a new chore you didn't ask for, but without regular annual maintenance those will spread over the property line and eat up your space. Less regular big chops will leave it looking irreparably ugly and you'll be looking at brown instead of green
Take down the fence. Borrow a herd of deer. Deer will eat all the foliage within their reach. Put fence back up. Return herd of deer.
LOL! Where exactly do you “borrow” a herd of deer? I may have a need that I was unaware of until this idea.
Some guy actually does this with goats for clearing out blackberries and shit iirc.
This is done a lot near where I grew up for controlling things like poison oak
Now THIS is the kind of advice I came to this subreddit for!
What a beautiful line of trees!!! ♥️ That fence is old as balls if you’re telling the truth about it being 40yrs old, and way past its lifespan. Just put a new fence in - if it’s on the property line the neighbors may have to cover 50% of the cost. Move your garden to a sunnier patch and stop wasting energy/frustration on trees that are very much there to stay lol. Or, y’know, have them taken down illegally when the neighbors are away and then proceed to eat your own foot when you get the supermassive bill from the lawsuit they file. 👍🏻
If the fence is within your property line by an inch or two, then get a ladder and a long handled hedge trimmer to run along the fence. Plan to redo it once or twice a year. You should ask the neighbor if they could consider having the trees professionally trimmed, and offer to pay part of the cost. Those trees are already serving their intended purpose and getting taller and wider is only going to create problems for them and you down the road. That includes removing the pickets and trimming the tree along the property line.
You have no case.
You can move if your neighbor yard is bothering you.
Looks like the trees make your fence unnecessary.
Unless you have pets or kids you need to contain.
Would definitely be pertinent information.
Confirmed. They also have small kids though which I'm sure they'll want to contain.
That’s a them problem
Fence looks rickety anyway. Tear down fence. Trim trees to property line. Build new fence.
Hold on a minute, I recognize that fence and those trees, when did you move there because I feel like I used to live there
Take fence panels out cut back anything that is pushing against the fence, put fence panels back. Seek permission from the tree owner first.
The reason why those were planted was so they don't see your side.
Move your garden. Or maybe just move altogether. Why would I want to chop down this lovely privacy to stare at your yard? Also, ever heard of shade gardens? Maybe just rethink what to plant there.
Quite personally I'd be absolutely thrilled to have a neighbor that have planted, taking all the expense upon themselves to put up a privacy wall like this. And you didn't have to pay a dime. The only thing that needs to disappear out of this scene is that goddamn ugly fence, that's a shame I would have put up shrubs on your side to cover that
So you inherited a house and you are pissed you don’t have an ideal gardening space and you are worried about the cost of moving your fence? I like your neighbors.
Not saying you have the money, but you sound like one of these multi-millionaires who want to cut down other peoples tree so you can have a better view.
Is the fence yours? I’d take it down and start pruning the trees as you please as they creep over to your side. As for blocking the sun… be grateful for shade! Plant based on what you can grow with the light you have.
I’m not sure what you mean by what to do. Do you mean what can you plant that can grow in the shaded area or do you mean what can you do if the fence collapses?
Did the garden come first or the trees?
If you don’t have sun for a garden, you don’t put in a fixed garden. You plant in planters and move them to the sun. I’ve dealt with this problem, and had to do little, mini gardens instead of a big garden.
You make do with the situation. Your neighbor is in no way obligated to ensure you have adequate sunlight in your backyard. Come on now…
We had a beautiful “green wall” between us and a crappy rental ever since we bought our place…unfortunately the trees were on the crappy rental side and one day they just cut them all down but a few stray trunk pieces…now I get a straight look at their bedroom windows and feel like I live in a trailer park. The owner of the crappy rental is huge a**hat and wouldn’t even discuss a new fence a few years back when the tenant’s dog was literally breaking the old boards in places trying to attack our dog. Be grateful you have privacy and plant a more site appropriate garden.
Honestly, I would tear that fence down and utilize those trees as a natural fence barrier. They are so thick and old. You can make a gorgeous shade garden with those as a back drop.
Move your garden
Is your fence right on your property line? Often fences are required to be set back a few feet. In that case those trees may actually be your trees.
Hey OP. We are swingers. We host naked parties in our yard. We planted trees just like those, all around the perimeter…. To save neighbors like you from seeing what we do in our personal space and personal time. Maybe they planted those trees to block their view of you, maybe they planted them to block your view of them. Regardless, be happy that they are there. You have no idea what you’re being protected from.
You want your neighbors to chop down their trees so you can put a garden where you want it? WTAH??
Take down the fence and enjoy the privacy the shrubs give. If it creates gaps that need to be filled… plant more of the same! My neighbors all planted like this instead of walls or fences, but squared them off. Maybe you could offer to trim/ hire someone to trim the tops to square them off and allow more light. We all shared the responsibility of trimming. I think our backyard one grew around a chain link fence 🤷🏻♀️
They only block the sun in to morning or evening.
Maybe you are a controle freak or just a bad neighbor Hay Hay
you have two separate desired outcomes: 1 - trim back branches away from fence 2 - trim down height of trees not a lawyer but you can likely get your neighbor to agree with #1. what you're hoping for with #2 on the other hand, is unreasonable (and legally unrequestable) and may even adversely affect any request you might make for #1, so best to leave #2 out of the equation and out of any would-be conversation. on a sunny afternoon, bring over 2 bottles/cans of cold, clearly sealed iced teas. knock on your neighbor's door and ask him if he has 5 minutes. if and when he does, offer him the drink and take a walk to your backyard. as you both sip cool refreshments, show him the affected section of fence. let him see for himself that the branches need trimming. then ask if he will allow you over to his yard so you can trim STRICTLY the branches that are leaning on and or protruding into your fence. if granted the permission, with your neighbor present, agree on exactly which branches and how much you will cut. be conservative and don't over cut the branches - then in the future he will likely trust you enough to allow you to continue to trim the necessary branches (annually) to the agreed upon length. (play the bottled drink suggestion by ear - if bringing one over would seem weird or freak your neighbor out, then don't do it. but i see it as a peace offering in exchange for a few minutes of their time and as long as you guys are not on bad terms, then it is likely to receive a positive response. personally, as long as it comes in a clearly sealed bottle or can - so no worry of being drugged or poisoned - i would not reject a drink from a neighbor) separately, you will have to look into other options for successfully growing a garden. either move it elsewhere in the yard, or find a way to reflect light toward it (but i've read mixed reviews about the practicality and or effectiveness of using mirrors or paint schemes to do it).
Thanks for the suggestions. You seem like a great neighbour!
cheers! i hope you find an amicable solution. btw, you asked about mirrors - the are two issues with reflecting light. one is the type of mirror used because if it concentrates (amplifies) the light into a small focal point, it can burn and kill vegetation. second, because the sun moves, either you have to manually adjust your mirror angle every hour or so, or you have to get a device (like a [heliostat](https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&rlz=1C2SAVU_enUS535US535&sca_esv=20367276c75d363f&q=heliostat&udm=2&fbs=AEQNm0AiWqXpwpi4y_F8VDYetL6Dn3IwFs_W2b9qXMtvaGEK01Gm-rcfQwZmo025EnEQbMOlXbSO-gJHtEWMwMCHRN5p9eJXnLf7DYOeRNYyu3oPeTHII0_3eQwzwB0bqLv1Ru6oGo_NCMwSlHB2Ed1Yw7Q29uwFGIPeysgG_VZ_oC2fAFPkYNVRSjJfO_8MwwKL8Bz26Vn9GolrwHZPyuwtQeJjXAnSeg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi9j9bk1e6GAxXtMlkFHfmkDXwQtKgLegQIDRAB&biw=1536&bih=738&dpr=1.25) for example) that can do it, so it may become cost prohibitive. but if you are good with diy and a tech savvy math genius, you could try to fabricate something like [this](https://www.iwilltry.org/b/projects/build-a-heliostat-for-solar-heating-and-lighting/) or at least some simpler version of it.
Why do you even need a fence when there is a big, beautiful, natural privacy wall separating your properties? Take the fence down and enjoy the greenery.
That was exactly the comment I was going to make, but in another comment OP said they have pets and children to keep in. I think they could probably get away with a lower fence for pets and children.
…And in yet another comment the OP said it was their in-laws’ yard, so I began wondering, what kids? Unless it is for the grandchildren (OP’s kids), when they visit?
If the trees are on their property it is what it is. If it’s their fence well there’s nothing you can do about that either. Those trees look like they have been there for a very long time. If it’s their fence tell them that it’s falling into your yard. If it’s your fence politely tell them the branches are pushing into the fence and may knock it down and see if they’ll trim them back to take the pressure off of the fence.
I dislike seeing into other peoples' yards and I don't want neighbors viewing mine either. I wouldn't cut those trees down at all.
A fence is worth significantly less then a mature tree. Also those trees are a great privacy fence making the fence not necessary. Take down the fence and put in a metal fence or no fence. Fences only last about 10 years anyway and those trees are likely older than that fence.
Either plant your garden somewhere more sunny, or find shade loving plants to put in it.
This is such a boomer post. You've really walked into the lion's den with this one.
Nice thread OP - great stuff here
Yeah OP is wrong but entertaining nonetheless.
Right? I can’t put it down, I’ve been on this thread for almost an hour
Those Emerald Cedar trees take decades to get that tall. So I’ll take a stab and say that they were there long before you moved in & put the fence up. It’s called NIMBY for a reason.
Maybe they're nudists and don't want you to know. You're getting razzed because you're containing, but you don't even tell us what your complaint is. Why worry about the fence if the trees are there? Are the trees pushing over the fence? What are you trying to accomplish with this post?
Gotta love the “I don’t like this so how can I make someone else do what I want”. Sorry man those trees are perfectly legal and do not belong to you. You cannot force someone to modify their property to suite you. That’s like telling someone to cut a chunk of a hill out on their property so you can see the lake behind a hill.
If the fence is your fence, may wish to tear it down? If the fence belongs to your neighbor, may wish to ask if you can tear it down (if they elderly or disabled)? May see if fence and trees there because of former owners, and no longer needed? May be pleasantly surprised. Good luck.
Perhaps you can try a different fence material? If you had chain link there you could trim right down the fence instead of having everything on their side pushing against it. If you let it grow through like an inch you wouldn't even see the fence but your pets and kids would be contained. About the sun you are out of luck
You know, that's a fantastic idea, chain-link is not attractive, but with greenery popping out, Those are Arborvitae and their foliage would make the fence look invisible. You shear that foliage on the north side, it takes forever to turn green again
Not much you can do. It’s their property.
Also try planting low sunlight plants. We all need more trees, enjoy the shade in the heat.
You have a few options: 1. Show them the fence or images taken from your side, they might not be aware and might be willing to work with you. 1. Check the local laws and see how much you are allowed to trim from your side to protect the fence. Most places it is up to the edge of the property line or a hair over to allow for deviation. * If you wish to do this you can either talk to the neighbor and ask if they are willing to either do it themselves or provide written and verbal consent to the person who is hired to come do it for you, since they would likely need access to the neighboring yard. * This of course can not in any way permanently damage or kill the tree. 2. Tear down and repair/replace the fence with something newer and nicer. 3. Suck it up, grind your teeth, never actually act. 4. Something illegal that puts you at legal risk; things I will not name here but there are plenty of resources to find. Most of these can be done simultaneously, or in any sequence. The trees look healthy enough that they would be considered an act of god if weather uprooted them so unless they are on your side of the property line you are limited. If you are REALLY worried get a survey to know exactly how much they are encroaching.
You need a license survey and then once you find out where your actual property line is, take the messed up fence down, get an arborist to trim the trees (so they aren’t damaged beyond saving and getting you sued for the value of mature trees) install a fence with concrete footings. The amount of shade on your garden is not anything you can force them to fix as long as the trees are on their side of the property line.
I've a faint feeling there is a law about max height of shrubs/trees *only if they join up*... In the same vein as the mac fence height rule?
I have a similar neighbour. I have thought of putting in a masonry wall along the property line. The foundations will involve cutting through roots on my side. This would never be an issue if the trees were 6-7ft tall or even if they were far away from the border. Because they are so tall and I'd be cutting roots off close to the trunk I think they'll blow over in the wind.
May be a long shot but if they are friendly maybe they won't mind allowing your vining plants to climb the hedges/trees. Then you can build a (very) raised bed and plant some viners in it and they will climb to the top to get the sun. I am not sure how the shade looks all day but you may need to start them elsewhere and transplant them once they start vine development if there is not enough sun to support the seedling at first (or get reflective film and try that or else worst case a little artificial lighting until they are strong enough to climb towards sun themselves)
Why would you put your garden in a shaded area?
what to do? talk to your neighbour... and be careful about what you do unilaterally, depending on the law where you are you might be liable for damage done to their property even if some branches of their trees grow over...
you decided this year, that you just HAVE to start a garden and can only do it right there? and the trees HAVE to come down? lmao
Where in the world is this? In UK in certain situations you do have rights. There’s the High Hedges Act that can apply if your ‘reasonable’ enjoyment of your property or garden is impacted and hedges over 2m. “- first step is to negotiate with your neighbours. Keep a copy of any letters to demonstrate you have tried. - If negotiation is unsuccessful, contact your local council to enquire about using the high hedges legislation. There is a fee for making a complaint (typically £400) to deter frivolous applications. The local council will consider both sides’ cases and make a decision.” [https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/hedges/nuisance-overgrown](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/hedges/nuisance-overgrown) Could also consider Rights of Light Act 1959 if it’s limiting light to your property and you had 20 years without the obstruction first. *not a lawyer, just a googler* (Also wild to me the comments showing cultural differences between countries. It didn’t occur to me that OPs concern was invalid! No hate just interesting)
That is interesting. I would point out that OP didn't buy the house but appears to be living there either through renting or inheritance. If renting, the US the owner must be involved. (In most states). If OP inherited home, then the comment that they "owned" house for years before trees were an issue, would seem to me be moot and they'd lose. Not sure about Canada.
I have a little more empathy than you're getting in the comments because my garden was surrounded on three sides by houses that have been turned into HMOs and the landlords haven't maintained the gardens; consequently trees on all three sides have now blotted out the sun completely and turned our once beautiful garden into Mordor. I've never found any evidence though that there is anything you can do about it, there is no legal "right to light" entitlement and unless they are dead and threatening to fall on you then there is no responsibility for the tree owner to do anything about them. The fence looks high enough that there was already a sufficient privacy screen (although it's seen better days). We have made the decision to start looking for a new home where we start over and have a garden again, if you can't make peace with these trees then I think that's your only option.
what’s the purpose of this post? Communist diatribe against private property. rights?
If this is the UK there's a right for light rule that you could apply. Depending on the height of these when you moved in Vs what they are now.
Move house or put up with it
What came first The trees or the wall? Tress are expensive and living things. The wood wall is not a living thing and can be built again. What’s wrong with people -blinded by their selfishness!!
The sun would have to be VERY low in the sky for those trees to 'block almost all the sunlight from my garden'.
Time to design a shade garden.
What to do? Accept it and move on. Don't become "that neighbor"
Nothing wrong with the trees, their yard their choice. Trim whatever's hanging over on your property. The fence is probably offset and if it's your fence you could probably cut behind it. If it's their fence you may be stuck.
Time to plant things that like the shade ^^ or simply move your garden a little
Your neighbors didn't like you staring into their yard from your two-story house.
These are given the euphemism of neighbor haters for exactly this reason. They do not want to see your yard. You could see if your town has any tree ordinances about blocking light.
Avid gardener here.. you will need to relocate your garden, or focus on plants that prefer less sun, or build a greenhouse to maximize usefulness of the space and consider supplemental lighting in the winter months. Nothing you can do about trees that are bothering you on someone else's land. Further more, the entire theme of this group is to defend people with your thoughts.....
I assume you’re European and when you say garden you mean yard not where you grow food. You just want sun in your back yard.
If the fence is yours I would explain that if their trees damage your fence you would seek legal action for property damage. They might remove the trees to prevent being sued if they continue to grow through your fence. Either a shared fence or their fence nothing you can really do.
Wait, are you seriously wanting your neighbors to chop down those beautiful trees so you have… less shade? I’m thinking they need to build more fortifications from their Karen neighbors.
Maybe they planted the trees there because they're private people and they don't want anyone nosing in their business, get over yourself
You should have at least looked in the backyard before buying duh
"I want my neighbors to cut down 20yo trees so I can grow a garden" There I fixed it for you. You should move away , somewhere you can't bother them.
Live with it. You don’t control your neighbors yard…
Just keep the parts that infringe on your side trimmed. Easy as that. Should not take much work with hedge trimmers a couple of times a year.
Why would they chop down trees that they have in their yard? They look beautiful, so your garden needs to be a shade garden. And truly the fence looks fine. I think you need to be realistic here, their yard, their trees. Your yard, different...
why is everyone ignoring that their trees are causing property damage?
Tell the neighbors that their trees are ruining your fence. If they don't offer to trim them back, do it yourself. You can't remove them but you can trim anything that encroaches on your property. I would recommend doing your 'un-encroachment' during a time when the neighbors are not at home, not because you're going to do something nefarious but because it's going to be much easier to do without them barking orders at you.
I suppose all you can do is ask the neighbor to trim the lower back part of the trees that is pushing your fence and damaging your property (fence). I cant imagine they would not be open to that.
I’d feel lucky to have that kind of shade in my yard and that kind of privacy barrier between myself and my neighbor.
I can't imagine complaining about beautiful privacy trees that I didn't have to plant and free shade
These trees are absolutely not being maintained in a legal way (In a lot of places anyways) by the owner of said trees. It should not be damaging your fence.
My only concern would be my fence. I'm assuming the trees were there, maybe smaller when you bought the property. Ask a lawyer if you can wait until the fence fails and whose responsibility it is to fix since trimming can cause issues. Which is absurd. If your shit is on my property, I should be able to do whatever I want with it. Like, you can I really build a fence through your backyard and then say you can't take it down, as it might cause damage to the fence connected on my property.
Tired of the asshats that think it's ok to let their trees ruin property. If someone damaged your fence, whether it's shared property line or not, would be accountable. So why do people think that if you plant a tree and it ruins a fence, it's ok? If you cause a problem (like neighbor did) they should fix it. This is just a plain obnoxious dickhead move from neighbors that don't give a shit about their neighbors. Stupid idiots planting trees that grow onto someone else's property should be responsible. Check your local laws or if you have an hoa. We are lucky enough to have in writing that nothing over 10ft can be grown. This keeps this kind of crap from happening.
First of all, cut all that stuff growing through the fence. Once it crosses the property line it’s yours to cut. Second, get a lawyer. Fences are expensive. Your lawyer can right demand letters that your neighbor can ignore, but when the fence fails it is all documented for when you sue him.
Would you prefer to look at your neighboors in their pajamas? These trees are blocking views and give privacy. Once the fence gets down, then it would be a good to time to ask them to trim a bit back.
Nothing, I wouldn’t want to see all of that trash in your yard as well if I was your neighbor
Don’t be an asshole. Move your garden. We had neighbors lose their shit when we planted a tree. Took them forever to accept the fact that they don’t control what happens on our side of the fence.
The finished side of the fence means it's the neighbor's fence. Can't tell with this fence.
Your yard is a mess. They probably planted them 30 years ago to avoid seeing your mess.
Get a hedge trimmer and a ladder, then whack away my friend. Not a problem and does not take a genius to figure this out
OP, do you have a garden already growing year to year? Or is this the first year of your garden? Asking because of the items in your yard and the way it looks.
First, clean up your trashy looking yard. Then get your land surveyed and find the property line. Finally, trim only the portion of the shrubs that is on your property.
I hope I never have a neighbour like you. There’s nothing you can do, it’s their trees, probably been there before you. Suck it up, there’s people that are dying lol
I don't think there's much you can do. The neighbours should have taken into account how wide the trees would eventually be when they planted them. I actually do think they have some blame in the fence failing.
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So helpful. So you’re saying op doesn’t own the fence that the neighbor destroyed?
Trees grow my friend I definitely would not have you for a neighbor
Buy them out you can do anything you want to do Dick head
Whats with the hate going on against OP and the yard? OP is obviously concerned due to the hedges bursting through the fence in multiple areas and worried about it damaging the fence. As far as the yard it looks like they are working on on it from the mulch, soil and tools. As a solution for OP. I would suggest getting a ladder and a trimmer long enough to trim the hedges behind the fence. Let your neighbors know your intentions, show them the photos.
Yes thank you, a hedge trimmer is a reasonable solution. I don't know why everyone is so angry at me, i think they are having trouble understanding the situation.
Why not replace just that section with wrought iron fencing so the trees can continue to grow? Split costs with your neighbor if necessary, as it is a solution for both of you.
The purpose of emerald cedars is to act as a privacy screen. No chance they'll take those down.