I have new neighbours who had a bonfire right next to my garden, and it has
now damaged my photinia (and other shrubs). What was lovely red new growth
is now brown and crinkly and dead! Should I cut it back to the undamaged
parts? Now?

They've also taken down half the adjoining wall without telling me, leaving
bricks and rubble in my beds and damaging other plants in the process and a
couple of trellises that are now no longer secured. I'm not best pleased
and needed a bit of a rant!

Thanks, Eleni.

"Eleni" wrote in message
k...
I have new neighbours who had a bonfire right next to my garden, and it has
now damaged my photinia (and other shrubs). What was lovely red new growth
is now brown and crinkly and dead! Should I cut it back to the undamaged
parts? Now?

They've also taken down half the adjoining wall without telling me,
leaving bricks and rubble in my beds and damaging other plants in the
process and a couple of trellises that are now no longer secured. I'm not
best pleased and needed a bit of a rant!

I also suggest trying to "have a word" (calm down, calm down!) when you next
see them.

Then if they carry on being a PITA, get a solicitor to send a formal letter.

--
Brian

On Sun, 03 Jun 2007 09:39:37 GMT, Eleni wrote:

They've also taken down half the adjoining wall without telling me,

Whose wall is it yours or theirs? You may have to go back to the deeds to
find out and even then it might not be clear.

leaving bricks and rubble in my beds and damaging other plants in the
process and a couple of trellises that are now no longer secured. I'm
not best pleased and needed a bit of a rant!

Calm down, take a deep breath and call round quietly, calmly and very
politely explaining that you are not happy about the removal of the wall
without being asked. Even if it is theirs common courtesy still applies.
In all counts they are responsible for any damage and the costs of "making
good" and also for clearing up.

Above all start with the softly softly approach before getting heavy with
facts and lawyers. You have to live next to these people and neighbour
disputes have a habit of getting very nasty.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"Eleni" wrote in message
k...

They've also taken down half the adjoining wall without telling me,
leaving
bricks and rubble in my beds and damaging other plants in the process and
a
couple of trellises that are now no longer secured. I'm not best pleased
and needed a bit of a rant!

Then it appears they broke the law. Check out the Party Wall Act 1996. ...

http://www.diydata.com/planning/part...y_wall_act.php

Quote:
"The Party Wall Act comes into effect if someone is planning to do work on a
relevant structure, for the purposes of the Act 'party wall' does not just
mean the wall between two semi-detached properties, it covers:
snip
A garden wall, where the wall is astride the boundary line (or butts up
against it) and is used to separate the properties but is not part of any
building.
Continues..

Eleni wrote:

I have new neighbours who had a bonfire right next to my garden, and it
has
now damaged my photinia (and other shrubs). What was lovely red new
growth
is now brown and crinkly and dead! Should I cut it back to the undamaged
parts? Now?

They've also taken down half the adjoining wall without telling me,
leaving bricks and rubble in my beds and damaging other plants in the
process and a
couple of trellises that are now no longer secured. I'm not best pleased
and needed a bit of a rant!

Thanks, Eleni.


Our new neighbours did something similar when they moved in,only in this
case they took down a shed which was acting as part of the boundary fence.
This let their two dogs run riot in my garden, c**p everywhere, inc on the
patio (god dogs are stupid!), anyway when I mentioned to them that it might
be nice to reinstate the boundary, he helpfully suggested an 18" high wall.

Well since they are neighbours, and since there's nothing worse than living
next door to people you're arguing with, we just went ahead and put in
place a 6" high fence.

Duncan

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
The message from dr contains these words:
Eleni wrote:

I have new neighbours who had a bonfire right next to my garden,
and it has now damaged my photinia (and other shrubs). What was
lovely red new growth is now brown and crinkly and dead! Should
I cut it back to the undamaged parts? Now?

They've also taken down half the adjoining wall without telling
me, leaving bricks and rubble in my beds and damaging other plants
in the process and a couple of trellises that are now no longer
secured. I'm not best pleased and needed a bit of a rant!
Thanks, Eleni.

Our new neighbours did something similar when they moved in,only in this
case they took down a shed which was acting as part of the boundary
fence.
This let their two dogs run riot in my garden, c**p everywhere, inc on
the
patio (god dogs are stupid!), anyway when I mentioned to them that it
might
be nice to reinstate the boundary, he helpfully suggested an 18" high
wall.

Well since they are neighbours, and since there's nothing worse than
living
next door to people you're arguing with, we just went ahead and put in
place a 6" high fence.

Well, a fence that's only six inches high isn't going to achieve much!

You've done it again you bounder, I wanted to say that!

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
The message from dr contains these words:
Eleni wrote:

I have new neighbours who had a bonfire right next to my garden,
and it has now damaged my photinia (and other shrubs). What was
lovely red new growth is now brown and crinkly and dead! Should
I cut it back to the undamaged parts? Now?

They've also taken down half the adjoining wall without telling
me, leaving bricks and rubble in my beds and damaging other plants
in the process and a couple of trellises that are now no longer
secured. I'm not best pleased and needed a bit of a rant!
Thanks, Eleni.

Our new neighbours did something similar when they moved in,only in this
case they took down a shed which was acting as part of the boundary
fence.
This let their two dogs run riot in my garden, c**p everywhere, inc on
the
patio (god dogs are stupid!), anyway when I mentioned to them that it
might
be nice to reinstate the boundary, he helpfully suggested an 18" high
wall.

Well since they are neighbours, and since there's nothing worse than
living
next door to people you're arguing with, we just went ahead and put in
place a 6" high fence.

Well, a fence that's only six inches high isn't going to achieve much!

--
AnneJ

Yes, got me wondering too why the neighbour would suggest an 18 inch high
wall. It wasn't until I got to the 6 inch high fence that the penny dropped
that the poster probably means feet not inches.
So to patronise a bit mo '=feet, "=inches :-) = me being smug.

David :-)

On Sun, 03 Jun 2007 09:39:37 GMT, "Eleni"
wrote:

I have new neighbours who had a bonfire right next to my garden, and it has
now damaged my photinia (and other shrubs). What was lovely red new growth
is now brown and crinkly and dead! Should I cut it back to the undamaged
parts? Now?

They've also taken down half the adjoining wall without telling me, leaving
bricks and rubble in my beds and damaging other plants in the process and a
couple of trellises that are now no longer secured. I'm not best pleased
and needed a bit of a rant!

Thanks, Eleni.

Have you tried talking to them? Friendly diplomacy is the best first
option. Like you I'd be wanting a rant. Hope you can get them to see
sense and neighbourliness!


Pam in Bristol

On Jun 4, 5:51 pm, Pam Moore wrote:

Have you tried talking to them? Friendly diplomacy is the best first
option. Like you I'd be wanting a rant. Hope you can get them to see
sense and neighbourliness!

I am about to try that, friendly diplomacy that is. For years, in my
French home, next door have a high hedge of conifers. Intertwined
amongst the conifers are all sorts of climbing weeds with tendrils and
I swear they jump from their trees into my shrubs. I have that sticky
stuff growing and also now that stuff with little berries and leaves a
bit like a maple leaf, I dunno what it is.

Every summer when the family next door come down from Paris, they
mutter and tut about the stuff growing on the trees and I mutter back
and smile at them as I pull off the offending stuff from my shrubs.
This year it has gone beyond a joke and their is a vine of the stuff
from their conifers growing about 12 feet high and it has attached
itself to a shrub of mine which in turn has attached to another shrub
ad infinitum. This summer I shall gently ask them if they would mind
felling their ruddy trees and giving my shrubs a chance.

Judith

Thanks for all the advice and just to update everyone.

I "had a word" with them tonight and got an apology for the photinia and one
of them came round and re-attached my trellises for me! So, I'm much
happier!

It is their wall btw, so I'm aware that I had no legal grounds, however, it
did only seem polite to let me know what they were going to do and no need
to burn my shrubs at all!

All the best, Eleni.

"Eleni" wrote in message
k...
Thanks for all the advice and just to update everyone.

I "had a word" with them tonight and got an apology for the photinia and
one of them came round and re-attached my trellises for me! So, I'm much
happier!

It is their wall btw, so I'm aware that I had no legal grounds, however,
it did only seem polite to let me know what they were going to do and no
need to burn my shrubs at all!

There is an obligation in English law to "maintain a boundary", but as this
can be honoured by a piece of string being hung between two sticks it's
hardly an effective law.

--
Brian

"Eleni" wrote in message
k...
Thanks for all the advice and just to update everyone.

I "had a word" with them tonight and got an apology for the photinia and
one
of them came round and re-attached my trellises for me! So, I'm much
happier!

It is their wall btw, so I'm aware that I had no legal grounds,

I agree that diplomacy is the best way but you DO have legal grounds even if
it is their wall.

Check out the "Party Wall etc Act 1996" - it doesn't just cover party walls.

http://www.diydata.com/planning/part...y_wall_act.php

Quote:
"The Party Wall Act comes into effect if someone is planning to do work on a
relevant structure, for the purposes of the Act 'party wall' does not just
mean the wall between two semi-detached properties, it covers:
snip
A garden wall, where the wall is astride the boundary line (or butts up
against it) and is used to separate the properties but is not part of any
building.
Continues..

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
The message from "Alan Holmes" contains these
words:
"Anne Jackson" wrote:
The message from dr contains these words:
Eleni wrote:

I have new neighbours who had a bonfire right next to my garden,
and it has now damaged my photinia (and other shrubs). What was
lovely red new growth is now brown and crinkly and dead! Should
I cut it back to the undamaged parts? Now?

They've also taken down half the adjoining wall without telling
me, leaving bricks and rubble in my beds and damaging other plants
in the process and a couple of trellises that are now no longer
secured. I'm not best pleased and needed a bit of a rant!
Thanks, Eleni.

Our new neighbours did something similar when they moved in, only
in this case they took down a shed which was acting as part of the
boundary fence. This let their two dogs run riot in my garden,
c**p everywhere, inc on the patio (god dogs are stupid!), anyway
when I mentioned to them that it might be nice to reinstate the
boundary, he helpfully suggested an 18" high wall.

Well since they are neighbours, and since there's nothing worse than
living next door to people you're arguing with, we just went ahead
and put in place a 6" high fence.

Well, a fence that's only six inches high isn't going to achieve much!

You've done it again you bounder, I wanted to say that!

Well, a six-inch fence doesn't take much 'bounding' either...

Ir does when you are as (in)active as I am!(:-)

"David (Normandy)" wrote in message
...

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
The message from dr contains these words:
Eleni wrote:

I have new neighbours who had a bonfire right next to my garden,
and it has now damaged my photinia (and other shrubs). What was
lovely red new growth is now brown and crinkly and dead! Should
I cut it back to the undamaged parts? Now?

They've also taken down half the adjoining wall without telling
me, leaving bricks and rubble in my beds and damaging other plants
in the process and a couple of trellises that are now no longer
secured. I'm not best pleased and needed a bit of a rant!
Thanks, Eleni.

Our new neighbours did something similar when they moved in,only in this
case they took down a shed which was acting as part of the boundary
fence.
This let their two dogs run riot in my garden, c**p everywhere, inc on
the
patio (god dogs are stupid!), anyway when I mentioned to them that it
might
be nice to reinstate the boundary, he helpfully suggested an 18" high
wall.

Well since they are neighbours, and since there's nothing worse than
living
next door to people you're arguing with, we just went ahead and put in
place a 6" high fence.

Well, a fence that's only six inches high isn't going to achieve much!

--
AnneJ

Yes, got me wondering too why the neighbour would suggest an 18 inch high
wall. It wasn't until I got to the 6 inch high fence that the penny
dropped that the poster probably means feet not inches.
So to patronise a bit mo '=feet, "=inches :-) = me being smug.

But would it be really practical to build an 18 feet high wall?

"Alan Holmes" wrote in message
...

"David (Normandy)" wrote in message
...

"Anne Jackson" wrote in message
...
The message from dr contains these words:
Eleni wrote:

I have new neighbours who had a bonfire right next to my garden,
and it has now damaged my photinia (and other shrubs). What was
lovely red new growth is now brown and crinkly and dead! Should
I cut it back to the undamaged parts? Now?

They've also taken down half the adjoining wall without telling
me, leaving bricks and rubble in my beds and damaging other plants
in the process and a couple of trellises that are now no longer
secured. I'm not best pleased and needed a bit of a rant!
Thanks, Eleni.

Our new neighbours did something similar when they moved in,only in
this
case they took down a shed which was acting as part of the boundary
fence.
This let their two dogs run riot in my garden, c**p everywhere, inc on
the
patio (god dogs are stupid!), anyway when I mentioned to them that it
might
be nice to reinstate the boundary, he helpfully suggested an 18" high
wall.

Well since they are neighbours, and since there's nothing worse than
living
next door to people you're arguing with, we just went ahead and put in
place a 6" high fence.

Well, a fence that's only six inches high isn't going to achieve much!

--
AnneJ

Yes, got me wondering too why the neighbour would suggest an 18 inch high
wall. It wasn't until I got to the 6 inch high fence that the penny
dropped that the poster probably means feet not inches.
So to patronise a bit mo '=feet, "=inches :-) = me being smug.

But would it be really practical to build an 18 feet high wall?


That baffled me too. 18 feet or 18 inches. Neither makes any sense.

David.