Here's Olga on her walk yesterday morning -- checking out a mysterious round orange object the likes of which she's never seen before.
I think we're about to have some drama over the trees in the back garden. Remember how I said the caretaker of the apartments behind us allegedly knocked on Mrs. Russia's door to complain about them? Well, yesterday he left us a note with his phone number, asking us to call. So I did.
He said he's scheduled a tree service to visit TODAY to cut off all the growth overhanging the wall, and he plans to pile the growth IN OUR GARDEN! I explained to him that we have a tree service coming in February to handle the problem and I'd really rather he not pile a bunch of limbs and stuff on our property, because we have plants back there I don't want damaged. But he said that's the law -- they can cut off the material and "return it to the source."
This seems pretty confrontational, doesn't it? Especially given that he didn't talk to us at all until yesterday?
I did a cursory reading of British law regarding trees and it sounds like he is indeed supposed to offer us whatever cuttings come from our trees -- I suppose we own the wood and we might want to use it for some purpose. But if we don't want the cuttings, they're supposed to dispose of them.
Anyway, he said he would talk to the property manager and others and get back to me. I have no idea what to expect. It sounds like we might be living with a pile of limbs for the next three months. Not only that, who knows what he's going to cut off, deeming it an intrusion on the apartment complex property and their precious brick wall?
There are days Dave and I fantasize about living in a high-rise somewhere with no garden at all. This is one of those days.
In other bad/sad news (sorry to be so negative today!) I tried a couple of weeks ago to contact Gerry, the husband of my departed friend Christopher, to tell him we're coming to Los Angeles in February. I didn't get a response, which I thought was odd, and when I looked at his Facebook page yesterday I realized Gerry has also died. It's hard to tell when, but it seems like it happened a few weeks ago. He and Christopher both had cancer, which I knew, so this is not a total surprise, but I'm sorry I didn't get to see either of them again.
My Lex would have weed on that pumpkin! Not so easy for Olga.
ReplyDeleteIf this was to happen here, we would offer the tree cuttings for sale to anyone willing to come and collect. And they'd be gone in a day. People burn anything in fancy stoves or fire bowls these days. Hope you find a good solution. Maybe less tree at the end of your garden means better light for your plants?
ReplyDeleteIt was sad that the caretaker man who rang you had to be so aggressive. I suspect he was nervous about the call and unsure of himself. I hope that he calms down a bit when he has spoken to his property manager and it all works out better than it sounded yesterday. I would like to think that our law says he should at least have given you more than just one day's notice.
ReplyDeleteOh boy, you really did have a bad day yesterday. Hopefully that guy will be less confrontational the next time you speak.
ReplyDeleteThat is sad that Gerry so recently died. Bad timing.
ReplyDeleteTrees and fences are constant battles here but the law is clear. If the tree is on your property and overhangs a neighbour's, they are at liberty to cut off the branches on their side and chuck them over your fence. I see it as an issue between the neighbour and your landlord. You are just the innocent victim. No, it won't be great for you if the person does what he says he will do, but talking is a good thing, along with actually meeting whereby you suddenly become a real person.
OMG. What is that orange thing? I’ve never seen one either.
ReplyDeleteThe tree drama and nastiness is ridiculous.
So sorry about the news about Gerry.
So sorry for news of your California friends, sounds as though they left this life hand in hand. Puts tree drama into perspective. I agree that sometimes a high rise apartment sounds great! I loved staying in the glass step building , vauxhall. Never thought that I would enjoy being so far from nature but, yes, it was clean and easy!
ReplyDeleteYou're really having a shit week, Steve. I'm sorry. I hope the guy rethinks being so aggressive about the tree limbs. Can't people even be civil anymore?
ReplyDeleteOlga is darling, as always. So there's one bright spot!
My condolences on the loss of your friend. xx
Most legitimate tree services tend to put their cuttings in a mechanical chipper or they simply take it all away as part of the service. I think they should perhaps cut off the caretaker's limbs.
ReplyDeleteGood fences make good neighbours.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what bad neigbours make.
I am sorry to hear about Gerry. We are getting to that age.
Here, they are allowed to cut whatever growth crosses the fence on their side, but they cannot throw the cuttings and such back over the fence.
ReplyDeleteSad about your friend Gerry, but, as I like to think of such things, at least now he is cancer-free.
I hope you informed the apartment guy of the true reading of the law, that he can't just dump the debris over the wall into your garden. sounds like an unpleasant man. no need to be such an asshole about it. especially since he just now talked to the right person. and not even the right person since you don't own the property, just maintain it.
ReplyDeleteOof - how very annoying about the tree debris! Chill dude!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about your California friends :(
Oh, Steve. I am so sorry about Gerry. What a blow that must have been to you.
ReplyDeleteAs to the trees- you are surrounded by not-great neighbors. From Mrs. Kravitz to the Russians upstairs, and now at your back garden. Damn.
I'm so sorry about your friend. That's a hard way to find out, as I know from experience.
ReplyDeleteAnd the tree saga goes on. Does this caretaker realize he's talking to the wrong person? It's the owner he should be dealing with, who might have a word to say about dumping on his property.
Here tree people chip cuttings to sawdust as part of the removal. I wonder if you can require that? Also if they'll give your landlord the courtesy of seeing from their side of the wall before cutting happens?
Once again I'm firmly on your side about this.
Sorry to hear about your friend, Gerry. That happened to me last year when I went on Facebook to wish an old friend a happy birthday and found she had died a month before.
ReplyDeleteSorry you are having a rough week. Hope you can "snap outta it" (quoting Cher) :)
I'm so sorry about your friend Gerry, Steve. It's like a bit of a punch in the gut to learn that. I think you need to get to your landlord first. That's pretty short notice. He sounds like a royal pain.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that I live surrounded by several acres of my own land. Much less drama.
ReplyDeleteMy condolences on the loss of another of your friends.
Such sad news about the passing of your friend Gerry.
ReplyDeleteI wish you and Dave could find another place to live that doesn't have such crabby neighbors. I'm sure something can be done with those tree limbs. Good luck with all of it.
Trees overhanging property lines can became an issue blown our of all proportion. I hope this works out.
ReplyDeleteWhy do people get so aggressive/headstrong? I would not like being left with tree limb debris. My tree guy chips limbs and takes away everything. If I want the chips, he leaves them. (Chips on a garden pathway are quite nice.) I am sorry for the loss of your friend.
ReplyDeleteReturning the material "to the source" doesn't have to involve piling it in your garden. Good grief! I hope it goes more smoothly than you anticipate. Good luck :)
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why the guy has to be confrontational about it; the world is becoming more and more like this, it feels. I would be stressed! I'm so sorry about Gerry. :(
ReplyDeleteSounds like he was having a crabby day of his own. Now that you know the law, I hope you can get it all resolved amicably. I love the photo of Olga, but what photos of Olga don't I love??
ReplyDeleteMy sympathy in the loss of another friend. 😔
Olga Girl Is Simply The Best - Smell A In February ???
ReplyDeleteBe Well,
Cheers
Oh dear, I just left a supposed-to-be-funny snarky comment on yesterday’s post, and now I’m sorry, reading that you have lost another friend. To me such losses of friends and family feel like threads pulled out of a tapestry. I am saddened for you.
ReplyDeleteI have a bug about people whose Facebook pages don't get taken down by somebody when they die. I got a notice of a birthday today for a good friend who died at least two years ago. Good luck with the tree fight.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about the loss of your friends. I think Olga would miss the garden if you moved into a high rise. What a shame that guy is so aggressive about the cuttings. They should be able to get someone to pick them up instead of tossing them in on your lovely plants.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Frances: Oh, she wees on things all the time! Not this time, though.
ReplyDeleteSabine: I'm not sure burning wood is legal in London. I think for reasons of air quality they don't allow it. Normally it all goes in a chipper.
Rachel: Yeah, I have no idea what the legal requirements are re. time. His tone wasn't aggressive, but I certainly think his threat to dump the stuff on our property was.
Sharon: I am having quite a week!
Andrew: I think the law actually DOESN'T allow them to chuck branches over the fence. It is sad about Gerry. I was really hoping to see him and trade Christopher stories.
Mitchell: This whole tree thing has turned into such a kerfuffle, from something that arose out of nowhere.
Linda Sue: Clean and easy sounds REALLY nice right about now!
Jennifer: I wouldn't say he wasn't civil. His tone was not angry. I thought it was crappy for him to give us such short notice and threaten to dump the stuff on us, but maybe that's his understanding of the law.
YP: Yeah, that's what ours does, and I hope that's what happens in this case!
Caro: It certainly does make me feel my own mortality!
Bob: Yes, that's true. There is no more suffering.
Ellen: Yeah, I made it very clear. I don't know why he didn't leave us a note weeks ago, rather than knocking on the wrong door and then vanishing.
Bug: Thanks.
Ms Moon: Oh my God. Do you think the problem is ME?! I really don't see how, given that my goal is to interact with all these people as little as possible!
Boud: I've written to the landlords and sent pictures, and then I sent a photo of the caretaker's note with his phone number. So the landlords can reach out to him if they're so inclined.
Ellen D: Even when you know someone is ill, it's a shock!
Jeanie: Yeah, I've let the landlords know, as I mentioned to Boud above. I think I've done my duty!
Ed: Thanks. And yes, having some space around you is a huge plus!
Robin: I fear the danger of neighbors anywhere is that they might be crabby! (My neighbors are probably saying the same about me.)
Red: It has gotten a little insane, and very quickly!
Susan: I know! As Rachel said above, he may have been nervous and prepared to argue with me on the phone, and then sort of overstated his case. In any case, I think we'll get all this sorted out.
Jenny-O: Exactly!
Margaret: Perhaps he was just a little too firm in making his argument!
Kelly: Olga is a very photogenic dog. :)
Padre: "Smell A" -- Ha!
Fresca: No worries. I didn't connect your comments at all. :) It DOES feel like a tapestry unraveling (a la Carole King).
Catalyst: On the other hand, some people WANT the pages to stay up. It's sort of a tribute to someone's life, with all their memories. I think Facebook has an "archiving" function that preserves a page but prevents people from posting or changing it.