Neighbour dispute concerning overgrown trees

A millionaire businessman has been ordered to chop down 80ft trees in the grounds of his mansion after a neighbour dispute that they blocked out sunlight and could crush their homes.

James Turnbull’s £1.4million estate borders a row of gardens in the upmarket village of Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire. Neighbours claimed the trees were ruining their properties and stopping sunlight from getting into their homes.

One neighbour claimed he slept in his living room in case trees collapsed and fell into his bedroom and also stated that he was forced to switch on lights during the day due to trees blocking the natural light.

He took his complaint to the Scottish Government after Renfrewshire Council rejected his earlier application to have the trees cut down on the basis that ‘significant gaps’ within the hedge allowed sunlight to pass through and dismissed a bid to have them cut down.

However, Government reporter Robert Seaton has now ruled the trees should be chopped by October. He stated, “The removal of these trees should be sufficient to address the matters of sunlight and daylight to the appellants’ properties and their gardens as well as the issues of the dominance of hedge and needle fall.”

Although the above is a Scottish case there are many courses of action you can take when dealing with a neighbour dispute in order to maintain cordial relations.

Speak to Shalish Mehta in our civil and commercial litigation department or email sm@wrigleyclaydon.com. He can advise you on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur.

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Shalish Mehta

Shalish is an experienced dispute resolution solicitor who joined the firm in 2002 ago upon qualifying as a solicitor and provides a proactive approach whilst retaining the personal touch to help you achieve the best possible outcome for your case. He acts on behalf of both private individuals and commercial clients. He can assist and advise at any stage of a dispute including mediation through to court action and injunctions. Shalish is a keen sportsman, regularly playing cricket and five-a-side football and also watching live sport. He enjoys city breaks and takes great pleasure in sampling different cuisines from around the world. Shalish is fluent in Gujarati and will happily represent those for whom Guajarati is the first language, in English. He is also happy to offer his services as a translator to our clients as necessary. What clients say about Shalish: “We feel the service was perfect and found our solicitor, Shalish Mehta, very professional and helpful in all aspects”