Gardening: Expert advises on growing climbing plants
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The summer has been a hot one for many areas of the UK, and with the warm weather continuing, many are enjoying their outdoor spaces. But there are certain rules Britons could be breaking without even realising it. Not knowing your rights could land you in a nasty row with the neighbours so it is important to know the boundaries when it comes to the garden.
According to legal experts at BPP University Law School, as well as not following hosepipe ban guidance, there are six other ways you could also be breaking the law.
1. Fruit theft
This includes fruit theft. The experts said: “It may sound strange, but it’s true. If you find fruit in your garden that has fallen from a tree belonging to your neighbour, they have the legal right to ask for it back.
“Not only this, but removing said fruit and keeping it would count as stealing.
“If you want to avoid this, the best solution is to return the fruit as soon as you find it, and avoid simply throwing it back into their garden. If you do this, it could be seen as garden waste fly-tipping or littering.”
2. Trimming branches
Britons should also be wary of trimming branches that don’t belong to them to avoid conflict with neighbours.
The experts said: “Do you ever find yourself trying to sunbathe but an annoying branch from the other side of your fence keeps blocking the rays?
“While this can be frustrating, you cannot simply hack off the branch of a tree if it doesn’t belong to you.
“Despite this, you are, in fact, allowed to cut branches up to your property line – which is essentially where your garden ends and your neighbour’s begins.”
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To avoid arguments or disagreements, it is always better to ask neighbours first before cutting.
3. Planting trees
For those spending more time in their gardens, they may want to make some changes to it, such as planting some trees.
However, the experts warned: “You’ll need to think twice about this as, under the Right to Light Act, if your neighbour has had natural light accessible via a window for 20 years or more, you are not allowed to block it.
“It is therefore always wise to plant trees and bushes out of the way of windows that do not belong to you, to avoid any confusion.”
4. Asking your neighbours to clean up their leaves
The experts continued: “If you have started to spend more time in your garden due to the summer months finally appearing, it is only natural that you would want it to be clean and tidy – but that is, unfortunately, on you.
“Strangely, your neighbours are not under any legal obligation to clean up leaves that may have fallen into your garden from their trees.
“While it may be tempting to ask your neighbours to get sweeping, as the tree belongs to them, it could be wise to invest in a leaf blower or a rake of your own. This way, your garden can remain pristine.”
Britons should also be careful about taking flowers from neighbouring gardens without permission.
5. Taking flowers from your neighbours
Just like with fruit, any flowers which may have fallen from a tree or shrub still belong to the neighbouring garden.
According to the experts, they will have every right to ask for them back. To avoid this, gardeners could order some seeds and gardening gear for themselves.
6. Taking land disputes into your own hands
The BPP University Law School added: “Finally, we come to the issue that has probably torn more neighbours apart than anything else: land disputes.
“Sitting in your garden more often, could lead to your thoughts wandering to topics such as ‘should my neighbour’s fence be that close to my house? Is that genuinely where the boundaries between our houses are?’
“Unfortunately, as boundaries can actually move over the years, this kind of confusion can usually only be settled by contacting HM Land Registry.”
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