A MAN has called out his neighbour after he trimmed only half of the hedge in their shared garden in what appeared to be a “petty” dispute.
In a video uploaded to TikTok, BJ Nash showed the garden before zooming in on the half trimmed hedge, saying: “My neighbour is petty as f*ck.”
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He said the situation was “a joke”.
The TikToker went on to explain that the reason his hedge wasn’t trimmed was not because he was lazy, and insisted he usually pays a gardener to mow his lawn.
However, his video, which had comments disabled after it was initially published, divided opinions.
User april99sho seemed dubious about the pettiness in the neighbour’s behaviour, questioning: “Really?”.
User hiuser3796822374950, meanwhile, commented: “Aww he turned off his comments wants to complain and doesn’t want people to comment because he can’t take the heat [sic].”
Overgrown hedges are a common source of neighbourly disputes.
A hedge will typically become a problem when it becomes unkempt, when the roots start to spread, or it becomes too high.
You are allowed to trim back any branches or roots that cross into your property from a neighbour’s property or a public road.
But you can only trim up to what’s yours.
If you’re in a disagreement with your neighbours over their hedge, there are some steps you can take to try to get the situation sorted.
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A useful first port of call is the government guidance on hedge heights, which lays out the rules on when a garden growth has gotten out of control.
The term “high hedge” was defined in the the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 as a hedge being more than 2 metres high.
The legislation also defines a hedge as “formed wholly or predominantly by a line of two or more evergreens.”
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) suggests that homeowners should use this guidance first before involving lawyers.
It said: “Where you feel that a hedge is too tall and affects the ‘reasonable’ enjoyment of your house or garden, the first step is to negotiate with your neighbours.
“Keep a copy of any letters to demonstrate you have tried.”
If this fails, you can contact your local council to enquire about using the high hedges legislation.
You can find your local council using the Gov.uk website.
There is no guarantee your council will intervene, and there is a fee for making a complaint, typically £400, to deter frivolous applications.
Your local authority will consider both sides’ cases and make a decision.
If the council accepts your complaint, it will issue a notice for the hedge to be cut to a requested height by a set deadline.
Councils have the power to fine homeowners up to £1,000 if they refuse to comply with orders to cut hedges back.
But the neighbour is also able to appeal the decision.
Even if the hedge is within the legal height, your neighbour is responsible for maintaining it so it doesn’t damage your property.
You are also able to trim back any overgrown parts of the hedge that are covering your own boundary, according to Citizens Advice.
But don’t be tempted to trim the whole hedge down – if you are cutting it back you should also check if it’s protected by a tree preservation order.
There is also the option of getting legal advice and taking your neighbour to court if the issue can’t be resolved, but this can be pricey.
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