What To Do If Your Neighbour Complains About Your Tree
Posted on: 25 July 2022
Trees on your property can bring you a number of benefits, such as shade on hot days, increased privacy and more wildlife visiting your garden. You may love having a tall tree in your yard and it can help you feel closer to nature when you're relaxing outdoors, but what if your neighbour doesn't love your tree quite as much as you? While there's no requirement for you to pay any attention to your neighbours' grumbling about your tree unless it's causing damage to their property, you may want to try and come to an amicable resolution to prevent your relationship from turning sour. It's always more pleasant spending time in your yard when you're not at war with your neighbour. Here are some tips for when a neighbour complains about your tree.
Communicate Openly
It may be tempting to get defensive when a neighbour suddenly decides they want you to chop your tree down. There's a cost involved in having a tree removed, and if you have no problem with the tree, you'll naturally feel like that would be a waste of money. However, try to get to the bottom of why the tree has become a problem for your neighbour. Open communication is the easiest way to get to a resolution, and you may be surprised by their reasoning. They may fear your tree is unstable and could cause damage to their property, they may not be able to cope with cleaning up leaf debris from your tree that falls into their garden, or the shade provided by the tree may be hindering the growth of their plants.
Consult A Tree Surgeon
Once you understand what's concerning your neighbour, ask a local tree surgeon to assess the condition of the tree. It may be that your neighbour is right and the tree is unhealthy and at risk of coming down in a storm, or your tree may be fine but the tree surgeon can suggest some viable options for easing your neighbour's concerns.
Suggest A Compromise
Based on the assessment provided by your tree surgeon and your understanding of what's bothering your neighbour, there may be a compromise you're willing to make to keep the peace. This may mean you have the tree removed if it is dangerous, or you may have the branches on your neighbour's side removed, using a technique called lopping, to reduce the shade and leaf fall in their garden. Alternatively, you may have the top of the tree removed if the height is causing concern.
It's not always possible to find a compromise when there's a neighbour dispute over a tree, but utilising the experience of a tree surgeon can help you understand your options before you begin trying to resolve the problem.
Reach out to a tree removal company for more information.
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