legality of overhanging trees into neighbours garden

While they are within rights to prune back whatever is encroaching into your their garden, I thought they had to deal with the 'rubbish' themselves. I was of the impression that you couldn't just throw it into the garden where the plant is growing.

They are correct in what they have done and have to offer/give the cuttings back to you as the cuttings are your property.

They are also pig ignorant.

The way I read this discused before was that while cutting back what is growing in to their garden is allowed they should offer to return the material to you if you want it. I think just throwing it into your garden is not very polite but there's not a whole lot you can do about it. Had a similar issue with neighbours when I lived for a while in my grandmothers old house and they left the cuttings from a shrub that was growing from my grandmothers front garden in the middle of the drive way. It nearly caused an accident when I was reversing into the parking space and stopped abrubtly when I saw what they had done and a car on the road nearly ran into the front of my car when I had to stop to avoid running over the material they left on the driveway.

I said nothing to them and a while later came back from work one day to find someone had been into my grandmothers back garden and completely defaced (probably with a chainsaw) some trees that they had been complaining about being too big and not leaving enough light into their garden. Only lived in my grandmothers place temporarily but if what you describe happened in a home you intend to live in long term with these neighbours I'd be inclined to use it as an excuse to call and have a friendly chat with them and see if there are any other aspects of the shared outdoor space they want to discuss. Old sticks and branches can be used to construct so called bug hotels or simple habitiat for wildlife if you have a spare corner to gather the material. Also read of some garden owners allowing gaps in their fences to allow hedgehogs in their area have more freedom to move about and hunt for slugs and snails if your looking for something else to talk about.

Happy gardening!

I'd probably go around with a bottle of wine, apologise for not cutting the branches and tell them if it happens again, let me know.

You don't have to, and as others have said it probably was a bit of an overstep for them to dump them back on your side instead of offering them to you. But on the other hand, plenty of long running disputes with neighbours start off with this stuff and get worse, so best to swallow some pride instead of standing on legal points and entitlements. It's a neighbour, not the defendant in a case...yet.

I suppose it is your tree, they’ve had to deal with it….Maybe they could’ve been better with their communication. We’ve had to deal with neighbours trees but fortunately we can dispose of them without too much trouble. That’s not always the case… Is it fair to expect them to deal with the cost of the disposal as well as managing the overhang into their land? communication on both sides is important….

What's wrong with calling over and saying thanks for cutting the branches but next time give me a call and you'll collect the trimmings rather than messing up the garden? Or even better you'll trim them when they think it's getting too big? No need to go legal when a friendly chat might do.

Sorry to revive an old thread, but didn't want to double post a repeated question.

I'm in a similar situation where the neighbours have a good few trees overhanging my garden. I know I can cut the overhangs but it's what to do with the trimmings that bothers me.

I understand that folks above have said to offer them back, but I mentioned to the neighbour that I'd be giving him back his branches and he said "well I don't want them, you dispose of them".

This is by problem. They are his high trees, and there are a lot and it's more than a brown bin load (which I need for my own waste).

It doesn't seem fair to me that I've to pay €30 or so at the dump (plus traveling time) because of his laziness. Surely if you own a tree you've responsibility as the tree owner to maintain all aspects of it.

I'm half tempted to throw the clippings over the wall anyways. It's just nuts that there's no laws around this and tree heights! I'm half tempted to plant the fastest and highest growing trees in my garden just in spite!

Thanks

(Rant over! 😂)

You are right about the liabilities of the trees but your neighbours home insurance does not cover falling trees ("act of God" they say) and my neighbours don't have tens/hundreds of thousands to rebuild my house if it got smashed.

I get the "good neighbors" vibe but on principal it's not fair to have to pay for their laziness and inconsideration. There's nothing to stop me (or anyone) planting dozens of tall trees in my back garden and blocking out the sun for everyone else. It's just mad that there's no legislation around this in Ireland. Other EU countries have this sorted decades ago!