Next door neighbor's pain-in-the-butt tree

[Batty]

I can't believe I have reached a point in life where I am writing a post about something like this. I think I may have crossed the line into grumpy old man territory at just 51 years of age.

 

My next door neighbor, a fellow westerner chap, has a tree whose branches overhang my property (my front drive)

 

No big deal. I don't care if a tree overhangs my property - I like trees and this is quite a nice tree, actually. This particular tree is about 10 meters high and 5 m wide. Around 1or 2m of the tree hangs over my property. Again, no big deal. 

 

The issue is, for the last year or so, it has been shedding leaves at a rate at which I can only describe as MENTAL. 

 

Our properties are not particularly big. They are just pretty average three-bedroom detached houses. While the tree is extraordinarily big for the size of the property, I believe it is the type of tree that needs pruning or clipping (whatever the term is) to stop it growing out of control. I might be wrong. The wife mentioned something about it needed to be clipped though. 

 

Anyway, it has always shed its leaves regardless of season. I don't care about a few leaves on my driveway. I would just wait a week or so untill every tile is covered and then sweep them up into a pile. The problem is that this has turned into a daily job, and I now spend about an hour every morning sweeping up tons of tiny little leaves. There are so many of the damn things you just can't ignore it - I mean they cover every tile and bit of concrete. 

 

I sweep them up. The next morning, every tile and bit of drive is covered.

 

They also stain the tiles when wet. Obviously the stain comes off but it does require a little bit of scrubbing - which is just more work on top of the hours worth of sweeping you are doing every day. 

 

What I want to know is, do I have a right to complain about this? Am I being a grumpy old man by even being concerned about this? 

 

In an Ideal World we would have a friendly neighborly chat about it but the problem is we fell out a few years ago, although we used to get on quite well. He is a nice enough bloke actually, but he does harbor a few daft conspiracy theories about the world and I got tired of him constantly banging on about them every day. It sparked a disagreement one day which would evolve and fester over the years into something bigger, and as a result we staunchly do not speak to each other. 

 

So, if I do complain about this I suspect I'm going to have to take it to the poo yai baan or whatever his name is - not that that would make any difference. Thinking about it, I don't even know if we have a poo ya baan. Thinking about it further, would the poo yai baan even give a sh*t? 

 

Or maybe pop a letter through his door politely asking him to sort it out. I don't know... I haven't thought that far ahead yet, but whatever my course of action is, before I embark on it, I want to know if I am being unreasonable to do so, before doing so?

 

I get so annoyed when I am sweeping them up every morning, but then a part of my brain goes "just chill out man, consider it exercise, live and let live". But then the other half of my brain goes "no, this is out of order, you are basically doing one hour worth of physical labor every day because of this guy - a guy who believes the royal family are our reptilian overlords". 

 

I guess the whole point of this long rambling post is to inquire, out of curiosity, which side of my brain I should side with?

 

[chickenslegs]

18 minutes ago, Batty said:

"just chill out man, consider it exercise, live and let live"

This.

[JeffersLos]

19 minutes ago, Batty said:

This particular tree is about 10 meters high

 

Just build an 11 meter high wall.

 

Problem solved. 🙂 

[Peterw42]

So cut back the branches that overhang your property, then there wont be anymore leaves dropping on your property. The law allows you to cut back the overhang at the property boundary.

A local Thai guy with a ladder and a saw will do it for a couple of hundred baht.

[brianthainess]

6 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

So cut back the branches that overhang your property, then there wont be anymore leaves dropping on your property. The law allows you to cut back the overhang at the property boundary.

A local Thai guy with a ladder and a saw will do it for a couple of hundred baht.

But Throw them over the neighbors wall as they are his property.

[simon43]

Do a 'Sycamore Gap' on it in the middle of the night! 🙂

[Doctor Tom]

39 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

This.

An unhelpful comment, typical of this forum. 

[Doctor Tom]

I have two trees close to my garden boundaries that regularly grow over the wall .  I make sure that each year they are cut back to the environs of my land.  Its called being considerate and I have excellent relationships with the near  land owners. Report it to the local Head Shed, if no action, a Lawyer's letter saying you will cut the tree back yourself, making sure that you don't trespass, and give the dick next door the bill. 

[patman30]

buy a decent cordless leaf blower

[Doctor Tom]

I forgot  to add to my post.  a report to the police could help.  It's not a criminal matter,  but they are often open to a civil intervention if an 'administrative fee' is paid. A conversation along these lines may assist.  Having explained the situation, words to this effect: 

"I know that this is not a criminal matter, more a matter of him disturbing my harmony. Perhaps you would be kind enough to have a word with him.  I understand that this is a civil matter and therefore an administrative fee may be charged in circumstances such as this?"  Two alternatives here: " perhaps you would be kind enough to tell me how much this fee is" or : " I have heard that the fee is usually 5,000 ( pick a number) Baht, is this correct?" 

Best to have this conversation with just one cop, not a group of them.

It worked for me once. 

Edited September 3 by Doctor Tom

[ricklev]

3 hours ago, patman30 said:

buy a decent cordless leaf blower

This makes such good sense! 

[NoDisplayName]

4 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

I have two trees close to my garden boundaries that regularly grow over the wall .  I make sure that each year they are cut back to the environs of my land.  Its called being considerate and I have excellent relationships with the near  land owners. Report it to the local Head Shed, if no action, a Lawyer's letter saying you will cut the tree back yourself, making sure that you don't trespass, and give the dick next door the bill. 

 

Before you hire a lawyer or bribe the police or take the pooh bahn hostage, maybe........just maybe........thinkin' outside the box and all.....perhaps you could, like, you know, talk to the neighbor?

 

Crazy talk, i know,

[treetops]

44 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

.....perhaps you could, like, you know, talk to the neighbor?

 

Did you miss this?

 

6 hours ago, Batty said:

. . . . as a result we staunchly do not speak to each other. 

 

[Doctor Tom]

52 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Before you hire a lawyer or bribe the police or take the pooh bahn hostage, maybe........just maybe........thinkin' outside the box and all.....perhaps you could, like, you know, talk to the neighbor?

 

Crazy talk, i know,

I think he's done that already 

[Doctor Tom]

54 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Before you hire a lawyer or bribe the police or take the pooh bahn hostage, maybe........just maybe........thinkin' outside the box and all.....perhaps you could, like, you know, talk to the neighbor?

 

Crazy talk, i know,

Who said anything about bribing the Police.  Seriously, it's a proper  legal process, to pay administrative fees in Civil matters.  What happens to the money is immaterial,.  When I did it they actually gave me a stamped receipt. 

[it is what it is]

 

just cut it back. sorted.

[NoDisplayName]

20 minutes ago, treetops said:

 

Did you miss this?

 

 

 

No. 

 

Did you miss this?

 

6 hours ago, Batty said:

In an Ideal World we would have a friendly neighborly chat about it but the problem is we fell out a few years ago, although we used to get on quite well.

 

[treetops]

Just now, NoDisplayName said:

Did you miss this?

No.

 

"Used to" indicates it's no longer current.

 

6 hours ago, Batty said:

. . . . as a result we staunchly do not speak to each other. 

Is current.

[Batty]

11 minutes ago, Doctor Tom said:

Who said anything about bribing the Police.  Seriously, it's a proper  legal process, to pay administrative fees in Civil matters.  What happens to the money is immaterial,.  When I did it they actually gave me a stamped receipt. 

 

Can you read?

 

I said we had fallen out. We haven't spoke in years - I'm going to ring his bell and say hey mate, any chance of cutting down the tree that's spewing buckets of leaves on my drive, forcing me to climb up a ladder twice a week to clear the gutters?

 

I'm not going to reach out to a poo yai baan. I don't even know why I said that. I'm not a busy body who goes around complaining to 'village heads'....I hadn't even thought that far ahead. I don't know how I'm going to sort it, to be honest. 

 

I only wanted to gauge a little opinion from my fellow man to grasp if it's something I SHOULD be bothered about in the first place. 

 

And for the record, it's hardly the end of the world. I can live with sweeping up the yard for an hour every day. Sod it. But there is the odd moment here and there when I think "is this fair??" The thought most often occurs to me when I am teetering in the top rung of a stepladder, scooping handfuls of leaves into a sodding bucket.

 

That's the bit I'm struggling with. I can't decide if it's fair of me to be bothered by it. I just wondered what others thought. That's the whole purpose of this post. 

[NoDisplayName]

6 minutes ago, treetops said:

No.

 

"Used to" indicates it's no longer current.

 

Is current.

 

Sounds like a them problem.

 

Be mature.

Act your age.

Talk to your neighbor.

It's not so hard.

[Batty]

21 minutes ago, Doctor Tom said:

Who said anything about bribing the Police.  Seriously, it's a proper  legal process, to pay administrative fees in Civil matters.  What happens to the money is immaterial,.  When I did it they actually gave me a stamped receipt. 

Absolutely, everytime without fail, there is always one sarcastic cock, isn't there, on these forums. 

[Batty]

2 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Sounds like a them problem.

 

Be mature.

Act your age.

Talk to your neighbor.

It's not so hard.

Oh Jog on, Doctor Phil. What are you my life coach? 

 

It was a perfectly simple question. "Is it reasonable to be disgruntled". That's all I wondered. I didn't ask for life lessons on acting mature and responsible. 

[marin]

25 minutes ago, Batty said:

That's the bit I'm struggling with. I can't decide if it's fair of me to be bothered by it. I just wondered what others thought. That's the whole purpose of this post. 

Once again cut the branches that are over your property line. You can let him know in writing easily, he has a mail box. If he complains then you have a problem. I would pay someone to come cut it back. You just stand there and supervise. 

[Cardano]

Just get your Thai wife to go to the local Amphur and explain the problem they will then send someone to investigate.

[UWEB]

22 minutes ago, marin said:

Once again cut the branches that are over your property line. You can let him know in writing easily, he has a mail box. If he complains then you have a problem. I would pay someone to come cut it back. You just stand there and supervise. 

Best option, and for sure the Neighbor will not complain that you have his job.

[ballpoint]

Solved.

[chickenslegs]

On 9/3/2024 at 6:37 PM, Batty said:

And for the record, it's hardly the end of the world. I can live with sweeping up the yard for an hour every day. Sod it.

<snip>

That's the bit I'm struggling with. I can't decide if it's fair of me to be bothered by it. I just wondered what others thought. That's the whole purpose of this post. 

Of course it's not fair that you have to do an hour of sweeping up every day. However, if you let this fester, it could spoil the rest of your day too.- IMO.

I think your "hardly the end of the world" attitude is the way to go.

Try to do the sweeping at a time that your neighbour will see it. Who knows, he may realise that he should take better care of his tree.

You did say that he was a nice enough bloke before you fell out.

[mstevens]

Find out what the local law is and follow that. In my country, trees from a neighbouring property can be trimmed back to the boundary line and all the cuttings passed over the fence to the other property. I would not be surprised if Thailand has a similar law but best to check first before doing anything.

[SAFETY FIRST]

7 hours ago, ballpoint said:

Solved.

I would put money on it that 1 or 2 of our strange members here on AN forums have done this or similar 

 

Edited September 4 by SAFETY FIRST