Neighbour intimidation over weeds/boundary etc - any ideas?

Why can't they cut it? I don't think I have ever heard anything so ridiculous. Perhaps you could speak to the council about your concerns - if they're threatening her, they're hardly great tennants.

AFAIK, I think they're jsutr trying it on. Able to cope or no, I don't think she's got any responsibility to maintain their garden for them. Be like Zammo, just say No.

Your poor mum, they sounds like utter horrors.

They could cut it, they just won't - I think they're making a point and seem to enjoy making her anxious.

Unfortunately they're not council tenants - they own their house. Hence why they seem to think they have some sort of power over her. I am at risk of going round there and exploding at them for being so bloody unreasonable at the moment!

As far as I know, and I'm sure someone will tell me if I'm wrong, they're allowed by law to cut off anything that comes over into their garden as long as they check it with your mum first or offer her the cuttings. I'm sure your mum would be fine with that, obviously. I'd double check the legalities of that though.

That aside they're being utter arses. If they threaten your mum again I'd get the police involved, house owners or not they have no right to threaten anyone, it's especially vile that they're threatening an elderly lady. Grrr, this sort of stuff makes me so cross, I hope your mum's ok.

If they are in their garden are they not their weeds? So their problem?

They sound like they have nothing better to do but make a mountain out of a molehill, and your poor mum is getting the brunt of it. I dont think the council would deem her unfit because of it, it is intimidation. What they may do though is send someone out to help with cutting the grass/hedges. I know my mum and dad get this free of charge because my dad had a heart attack a number of years ago. HTH.

I'd be going down to the solicitors and getting a letter - any further contact = harrassment, etc.

Thanks everyone, you've confirmed my thoughts on this that they are being out of order.

I think the worry for my Mum is that she is now living alone in a 3 bed property, and the Council do have a tendency to move people into smaller properties if they can. So she's scared to draw attention to herself for fear of this happening. Hence she won't really let me step in.

I've been googling for the legalities, and cannot see anything about 'having' to keep your plants contained. I will speak to my brother tonight and then may approach a solicitor for an independent view point, although I'm concerned that may be costly. But it's just not far to be like this with someone who is alone.

Bloody people...

WEES about harrassment. My neighbours on both sides have ivy and branches which trail into our garden and we just trim them ourselves. One neighbour came round once to trim the overgrowth from her garden and we told her not to be daft, we'd do it, so she insisted and we all ended up drinking wine in the garden. What a nightmare your mum's neighbours sound.

They sound horrible and intimidating an elderly woman is off the scale of being wrong and abusive. But I can also understand why she's frightened not only of them but also potential rehousing by the council if they think she can't cope with the property - at the end of the day their responsibility is her welfare and the condition of the property for future tenants. However an overgrown garden is clearly a very minor issue.

Her neighbours are partly wrong though as there's no legal requirement to stop weeds growing through and only maintenance of hedges/shrubs/trees that could obstruct public footpaths/roads have guidelines for health & safety reasons. HH is right, they can technically only cut back to their boundary and should offer the cuttings back but in practice no one does this!

I think a letter is a good idea, maybe containing the key facts from here and the council website. It may also be worth pointing out how considerate your Mum is as a neighbour compared to say a 3-4 child family who could occupy the house in the future - think noise, balls over fence etc...

Thanks Champagne - that's exactly what I had thought about pointing out the potential downsides of others moving in. I've just been looking on the Council website and it seems to have sold off all the properties to a private housing trust, so I think they'll potentially be more likely to want her to move (if it comes up). I don't know.

I'm waiting to hear back from my brother, but will start to word a letter I think.

Thanks everyone!

Contact her local Age Concern/Help the Aged (they've recently merged and I can't remember the new name but look for either of these in the phone book)

For one thing, they will almost certainly have a list of helpers who for free or a very modest sum, would help her out in the garden.

Secondly they may be able to alleviate your mum's worries and offer legal advice.

I know our local Age Concern advertise in a local booklet and they list that they help with shopping/gardening jobs etc, but also that they have a centre where you can go for legal advice, advise on benefits etc.

Also involve your local police community team. This is exactly the sort of stuff that they're equipped to mediate in- they won't make things harder for your mum and they'll show the neighbours that your mum isn't a pushover (as someone else said, they're trying it on). I also think they'd be ideally placed to inform your neighbours that a three bedroomed house could very easily go to "that sort" of single mother with three teenage yobs!!

The neighbours are being so very arbitary. Basically in simplistic terms the law is as follows: -

Any tree that overhangs/blocks sunlight is trespass

Any large plant with roots that potentially cause a problem is tresspass

But such things as normal plants, flowers etc iare not the responsibility of the owner - you are at liberty to cut them down as you wish.

I would fight fire with fire. Get your mother to write a letter to the neighbours saying "thank you for your conern over the plants, I give you permission to remove the offending parts as you see fit and do not require you to return the cuttings to me".

They will either agree and do the cutting or try and take it further in which case your mother has done all she can.

TBH though no solicitor (I am a Conveyancer) in their right mind would take on a paltry issue from their point of view. If they continue harassing your mother that needs to be made ino a police issue

That's fab PF Lyn - thanks so much.

Hadn't thought of Age Concern - I'll get onto them tomorrow. Had no idea they could offer that sort of help.

And the police community support hadn't occurred to me either, that could really make the neighbours think. Thank you!!

Hecate - thats excellent, just the sort of info I needed. Thank you ?. I'm going to make a big list of all the points from these responses and word something tonight. Am so relieved to hear that they are being pains, and it's not all up to my Mum (although she wants to do what she can anyway).

I hate the subtle intimidation they use.

My MIL get her grass and hedge cut for free by the council because she's a pensioner. Do your council run a similar scheme? Your poor mum, she doesn't deserve that.