Neighbor’s Ivy
Wildflowers47
Posts: 5
I have a huge problem with my neighbors ivy.
The ivy covers the entire front of their house which is a semi with ours, except for a small window. It regularly creeps across the front of our house along and through the base of our fences. It houses hundreds of sparrows and the smell from it on a warm day is awful. Our neighbor will not do anything about this as she is “too busy and it’s the sparrow’s home. “
I have tried to reason that it’s a health hazard, an eye-sore and damages our property. I have pointed out that since the ivy also covers the side of her property and all her out-buildings, the sparrows have plenty of vacant space to colonise. To no avail. My husband recently had a stroke which left him disabled and at 70 I am left looking after our rented property an garden with just a little help.
I don’t want to fall out with my neighbors who are only a little younger than us and who don’t seem open to any reasonable conversation about the ivy (or incidentally about two cockerels who are also a great disturbance to any enjoyment we could have from sitting outside!). We spoke to their landlord, who we know and they have given me permission to go in and chop down or even poison anything growing that is causing us problems.
I am hesitant to take any drastic action because I am still unclear if there would be any comeback on me even with the landlord’s permission. Any advice would relieve me of a great deal of stress and anxiety.
Posts
I think that's a problem your landlord should be sorting out.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
"We spoke to their landlord, who we know and they have given me permission to go in and chop down or even poison anything growing that is causing us problems.
I am hesitant to take any drastic action because I am still unclear if there would be any comeback on me even with the landlord’s permission."
As an absolute minimum, I would get permission from their landlord in _writing_, signed and dated by their landlord, and preferably witnessed by someone.
The best solution, IMO, would be to persuade your neighbour's landlord to perform the work.
I would also talk to your own landlord to see if they can mediate between you and your neighbours through your neighour's landlord. After all, if it is damaging your rented house, it is in your landlords interest to intervene.
Also, expect ructions with your neighbours over this if the ivy is removed.
Those would be the steps i would start with.
I expect others on here may be some better suggestions and may have possibly been in your position before.
Use the cockerels they keep to teach your grandchildren (if you have any) about the 'Post hoc egro propter hoc' logical fallacy as the canonical example deals with cockerels .
Last edited: 09 January 2018 13:29:21
You are renting the house and by the sound of it unable to cut it yourself therefore it is the Land lords problem, he is supposed to keep rented property in good condition which includes the walls of the house. They may not be able to touch the property next door but should keep your walls free of ivy if you think it a health hazard, that would be your opinion against theirs and they may not see it your way. There are many reasons neighbours fall out and ivy would be top of the list, I would ask is it worth the hassle.
A cut back from your house once a year should keep it clear, have you anyone to do that for you if the landlord will not bother, it will creep back nothing will stop it without a full removal which your Neighbours will not allow. There will be a lot of small beetles in the ivy for the birds, it will be dry and safe for them to nest. Our Sparrow population has practically vanished and many people would welcome the sight of them, you have to think of all sides of the problem.
Ask the landlord to deal with it and see what he says, it is not going away any time soon if the neighbours landlord is not worried about it. As for the Cockerels there are laws against noise pollution and the local council could solve that one for you. Sorry to put it like that the law is on their side.
Frank.
In what way is it a health hazard? Has it dragged your grandchildren to their doom?
Chop it back each year and be glad that you live somewhere that increasingly rare sparrows are nearby.
Thankyou for all of your input.
Landlord inertia is quite prevelant as I am sure many tenants are aware and whilstever a tenant will try and solve the problem themselves.....the landlords will think that’s fine. Our landlord is very good in so many ways to us that this problem might seem minor to him!
If the hundreds of sparrows had nowhere to nest on so many other parts of the ivy and conifers surrounding our house I might see that there could be a problem. But over the last 10 years the sparrows have terrorised all the small birds we used to feed - all kinds - coal tits, blue tits long tailed tits, gold and green finches, wrens, tree creepers, spotted fly catchers, wagtails and even large thrushes and blackbirds. They have taken over bird tables and nesting boxes.....we have watched all this ourselves through our windows. We hardly ever see any other birds but sparrows now. I hope that settles down all the sparrow lovers out there!
The ivy with the old nesting matter and faeces IS a problem, this is well documented. Ivy DOES damage rendering etc, also well documented and personally observed. I don’t wish to upset anyone’s sensibilities, but balance is required and human intervention needed from time to time. Please don’t berate me for lack of care, Steve!
Thanks to all who offered their constructive advice.
It looks like I need to speak again to our landlords as this worry is beyond my capabilities and strength to deal with.
Ps.
Matt:
I do have grandchildren. If metaphysics was an app on the phone, I might have some success!?
Surely their landlord would do something if the ivy was causing structural damage through being so close to the wall ?
"I do have grandchildren. If metaphysics was an app on the phone, I might have some success!?"
LOL. Thanks for making me chuckle..
You may possibility have success as there is a lot of skeptical Inquiry and critical thinking information on the Internet these days but it's fighting all the nonsense on there
Anyway, I guess my main point with the cockerel was to urge you to pick only one battle if you want any chance of cordiality with your neighbours in the future. If you think something needs to be done then pick either the Ivy or the cockerel.
Last edited: 09 January 2018 16:56:09