If a neighbour’s fruit keeps falling in your garden, you might feel like taking it as a healthy freebie. But the law doesn’t see it that way, and it could lead to issues on both sides of the fence - including fines, disputes and legal battles with your neighbour.
Overhanging branches and fallen fruit
Overhanging tree and bush branches are common in older UK streets, especially if the trees and bushes were planted decades ago. Issues can be hard to ignore when trees specifically start dropping their fruit on the 'wrong' side of the garden.
From picking up 'free' apples, chucking them back, or eating them, there are a few surprisingly serious rules that can turn a harmless harvest into accusations of theft, fly-tipping, or creating a biohazard.
Historical roots of the problem
It’s a problem rooted in history. The UK Orchard Network claims that it was standard Victorian-era landscaping to plant apple, pear or plum trees in the long, narrow gardens of suburban terraces and semis.
And, for those looked after properly, many are still rooted to this day. But in 2026, what was once a stand-out garden feature can spark neighbour drama, especially if one household loves gardening and the other wants nothing to do with the mess.
Fallen fruit is not automatically yours
Even if the branches hang over your fence, the fruit is still treated as belonging to the person who owns the tree. That means keeping it without permission (even if it fell naturally) can be classed as theft under UK law.
There is one common exception to this rule. If fruit falls from a tree in a public space or on common land, it’s generally fine to take it under foraging rules.
If fruit drops into your garden, the simplest solution is to let your neighbour collect it, or gather it up and offer it back to them yourself. If this happens often, and you're getting sick of it, it can be tempting to launch the lot over the fence and make it their problem again.
Throwing fruit back could be fly-tipping
But that can cause a fresh problem. Hibberts Solicitors warns that throwing the fruit straight back without agreement could be treated as fly-tipping, which may result in fines and further legal hassle if a neighbour decides to pursue it.
When it becomes more than 'just annoying'
If next door won’t collect the fallen fruit and it starts rotting, creating a slip hazard or attracting pests, it can cross into 'legal nuisance' territory. At that point, it’s no longer simply a neighbourly misunderstanding - it can require official involvement.
A sensible first move is to send a polite written request asking them to clear the fruit or deal with the overhanging branches. Keep a copy so you’ve got a record.
If nothing changes and the situation becomes a genuine health or pest issue, your local council’s Environmental Health team may be able to help. Under the Environmental Protection Act (1990), a local authority can issue an Abatement Notice to the tree owner — typically where rotting material is drawing vermin or causing an offensive, unhygienic odour.
