STANDING FIRM
I cut my neighbours’ tree EXACTLY in half – it’s divided our street but I don’t care… I’m still doing it years later
A HOMEOWNER who sliced her neighbours’ tree exactly in half has kept it perfectly trimmed - and doesn't care that her street is divided.
The dispute over the divisive tree erupted in Waterthorpe, Sheffield, in 2021.
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Drastic action was taken by Graham and Irene Lee, both in their 70s, after a year-long fight with their neighbours Bharat Mistry and his family.
The elderly couple are said to have complained about birds in the tree making too much noise and making a mess of their drive in Brier Close, a quiet cul-de-sac where houses sell for between £160,000 and £220,000.
Tree surgeons were called in to cut half the branches of the 16ft tall Fir tree that had stood for 25 years.
The tree is still standing today – but now it’s half its original width.
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A defiant Irene told The Sun: “We have no regrets about cutting it in half and can't believe this is still news.”
Asked if she was still at loggerheads with the tree’s owners, she replied: “We get on with everyone in the street. We’ve been here for a long time.”
Irene previously said: “The birds weren't really the problem, the tree was blocking our driveway.
“What you can see at the moment is a third of what the tree was - we had two thirds of it hanging over on our side.
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“We got it professionally trimmed, afterwards the tree surgeon told me "you know it's going to grow back?"
“If that's the case then I'll cut it again, especially if it grows out too much.
“The neighbours may own the tree but if it overhangs on our property then we are legally allowed to trim it back.”
According to , a neighbour can cut any branches that are overhanging into their garden as long as they only remove the bits on their side of the boundary.
However, it says it is best to try to resolve any issue informally and reach a compromise in order to keep a friendly relationship.
If an agreement cannot be reached it may be worth approaching a mediator who can help find a solution.
The local council should be able to put you in touch with one.
Local Pauline Kagtowski said though there's “still friction in the neighbourhood”.
The OAP told The Sun: “It’s a shame it had to be cut in half. It was always a perfectly shaped tree but it still looks nice. It’s unique.”
Pauline admitted: “It still causes friction in the neighbourhood and between the two households.
“We’re not meant to take sides, but secretly we do, because both families have lived here for years and we don't want to offend either.
“Everyone around here knows about the conifer cut in half and it’s put our street on the map.
“I thought it might have died off by now but it’s putting up a fight."
She claimed the two neighbours were still upset by the goings-on - but are "polite and pretend not to be".
Pauline continued: “They both keep their gardens looking beautiful, and I still admire the half tree when I walk by."
She said she calls it the Tree of Life, adding: "It keeps living and it keeps dividing us all."
But mum-of-two Mrs Mistry, in her 50s, hinted that there was still a bad feeling, saying: “We get on with our business and they get on with theirs.”
The supermarket admin assistant added: “The tree is still here, and we maintain it.
"There’s no friction with next door at this present time, there’s more important things in life.”
Other neighbours tried to play down any dispute, with one saying: “It’s dead and buried now, like the tree should be."
Another joked: “We’re not allowed to talk about that tree. We’re a close-knit community and we’ll get in trouble.”
One added: "It’s a lovely neighbourhood. I can sympathise with pigeon poo dropping on a car but I don’t want to get involved.
"We won’t say a bad word.”
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Irene’s daughter, who lives in the corner of the close but doesn’t overlook the tree, said: “We’ve forgotten about it.
"It’s all in the past and we want to leave it that way.”
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