If you have fallen leaves on your property from trees in an adjoining garden, there are rules about who is responsible for cleaning them up.
When trees in a neighbour’s garden overhang onto your property, you are within your rights to snip them clear, as long as you don’t trespass on your neighbour’s property. This applies to trees planted by your neighbour, and those that were already there when they moved in. You can even climb into trees hanging over the boundary if needed – provided you don’t enter their land.
When trimming a tree in a neighbour’s garden you don’t need their permission, and can even do this without notifying them. If the tree is in a conservation area or covered by a Tree Preservation Order, you will need approval from your local Council. Any branches you remove must be offered back to your neighbour or disposed of if they don’t want them. So you can’t just throw them back into their garden!
Fallen leaves from a next door garden can be an absolute nuisance. But unfortunately, your neighbour is not obliged to clean up the leaves. One exception to this rule is if the leaves cause damage to your property, like with a blocked drain.
In such cases, it is important to notify your neighbour in writing, as they may be responsible for resolving issues that result from fallen leaves, like fixing a blocked drain that leads to flooding.
This can be a grey area, but understanding your rights and your neighbour’s responsibilities, can help avoid unnecessary disputes.
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