A homeowner has expressed their dismay after returning home to find their garden had suddenly changed, claiming it was due to their neighbour's actions. Taking to Reddit's popular 'GardeningUK' forum page, a user called @Slinkysoft said their "neighbours mowed and strimmed the garden without asking".
What happened
Explaining the situation, the user said: "My partner and I just returned from visiting friends and a friend of ours has been house sitting and looking after the cat while we were gone. On the way back from the station he mentioned that the neighbours must have cut the grass because it was now suddenly shorter.
"I was already on edge because we like to keep the grass longer for wildlife and the lawn looked absolutely beautiful recently. But when I got home and it was way worse than I thought it would be."
The damage
Sharing what they saw upon arriving back home, they said: "ALL the grass had been cut so so short, one of my lovely potted ornamental grasses has been caught up in it and will probably never recover. And I’ve also been growing willow canes at the bottom of the garden and have been so excited about the growth on them, which has now all been sliced off, and the willow canes themselves completely destroyed."
Expressing how much the neighbours' actions affected them, the Reddit user said: "No this isn’t a ‘real’ problem but I use my garden as a way of dealing with the real problems and I’m certain the neighbours didn’t mean to do this but I’ve put time, money and effort into that garden... I’m so sad and angry."
Community reaction
In the comment section, one person asked: "How did they gain access?" The original author of the post replied: "Came in around the side. We’re in a semi-terrace."
A second put: "If you don't have fences/gates then now is the time to get them installed." A third wrote: "I am FURIOUS for you, OP. Just because someone thinks they’re making your place look better, doesn’t mean it’s not vandalism."
Offering reassurance, someone else said: "Everything will recover. Grasses are unbelievably resilient as they all grow from their base. Take a breath, console yourself that you’ve lost a couple of months growth and prepare for a rapid recovery. Nature will always recover if you give it time."
Legal perspective
Your neighbour doesn't have the legal right to come onto your property, plant things, paint your fences, cut down your plants, or make any changes to your garden unless you give them clear permission. If they do any of this without your consent, it could be considered trespassing or criminal damage.
Legally speaking, going onto someone's property without their consent to mow their lawn may constitute trespassing. However, police are unlikely to intervene unless there is damage involved.
