Vacant house next door completely overgrown

Lord Trollington · 26-09-2024 10:36am #1

Hi All

Just a quick question in relation to a vacant house next door. The front and rear garden hedge, trees and grass is completely overgrown and has not been maintained in years. The trees in particuar in their back garden are massive, haven't been cut back in years. They have in the last year blocked sunlight on large parts of my house and property. The owner I believe is in a nursing home. I haven't seen anyone around the property , I assume there was before I have lived here.

What can be done about this? When I say overgrown - I mean really out of hand overgrown. Not just a poorly maintained garden. This has been allowed deteriorate including the house itself.

looksee · 26-09-2024 10:49am

In theory the Council should know who owns this property, including whether it has been registered as derelict, they have responsibility for derelict properties.

My suggestion, though I have no real idea of the regulations or requirements, would be to write up a short report on the visual situation (ie don't go into the property). Don't focus on sunlight but do talk about any safety risks you can come up with, trees within 30ft of a property, not maintained, danger of falling trees or branches. Invasive weeds, concern about rats, house becoming hazardous - is it boarded up? Keep it all very calm and not attacking the owner, sympathy with them being in nursing home etc, but concern for safety. Ask is there anyone in the family you could discuss it with.

Find out who deals with derelict properties in the council and have a chat with them, with some written material to give them.

You might not get anywhere but I think its about all you can do.

enricoh · 26-09-2024 1:46pm

Why don't you mow the front garden keep the place looking half right, probably take you an extra 10 minutes to do along with your own. Lob a few branches off trees if you are up to it out the back

magicbastarder · 26-09-2024 2:12pm

if the front lawn is completely overgrown, it won't be a ten minute job to cut it. from the OP's description, it was already vacant before he arrived, so was probably already overgrown by then.

anyway, apparently you can report a vacant home on this site, and it (in theory) should prompt your local authority to investigate; i haven't found the online form yet, but if you click on the 'officers' link you should at least be able to get the details of the relevant officer for your county.

https://vacanthomes.ie/

also some info here:

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/vacant-homes/vacant-homes/

looksee · 26-09-2024 2:50pm

I don't think its a good idea to go onto the site, not as a first resort anyway. Though I imagine cutting the grass out the front would be harmless enough.

Its the usual balance between 'the poor auld thing's in a nursing home, wouldn't you think the neighbours would cut the grass for him' and 'ye have no right going onto the property, its trespassing and you are not insured'.

I'd suggest going down the official route first.

Lord Trollington · 26-09-2024 4:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122656252#Comment_122656252

Well there is any number of reasons. One being it's not my property to do anything with it. If anything goes missing from the site or any damage is done to anything on the site, I am not going to take the blame for it. I've no permission to do anything to trees , flowers or grass there so why would I leave myself open in that regard. I have no permission to enter the site for any reason. The overgrown nature of it is becoming a health and safety concern due to the potential to attract rodents. The house is in Dublin by the way.

I should point out I've a very busy job and 2 young kids, it's not my responsibility - nor should it be.

enricoh · 26-09-2024 10:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122657018#Comment_122657018

Someones hardly going to sue you for mowing the front lawn. It's not your responsibility but if you want it sorted you may do it yourself.

We bought a holiday home 2 years ago that had been vacant 7 years between nursing home n probate. It's a semi d n the neighbour mowed the front garden to keep the place from looking derelict. We share a gutter with him n he kept that clear too.

Small front garden probably took him an extra 10 minutes 10 times a year n kept his corner of estate looking well.

Jim_Hodge · 26-09-2024 10:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122658187#Comment_122658187

Did you read the OP? This is a bit more than an uncut front lawn.

Vacant house next door completely overgrown

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