Man criticised after he cut down neighbour's tree because it was blocking driveway

A gardener has sparked mixed reactions after sharing a video in which he cut down the branches of a tree that was overhanging from a neighbour's garden.

Typically, it goes without saying that you shouldn't touch someone else's stuff without permission - let alone take a big blade to it.

However, TikToker and professional gardener @smartgarden1982 didn't hesitate to fire up the hedge trimmer and start cutting away at the branches of a tree in his video, which he shared with his thousands of followers on TikTok.

In the clip, the gardener can be seen confidently cutting back the leaves which protruded over a fence which divided one property from another.

Standing in a driveway on one side of the fence, the TikToker cut the tree until it lined up perfectly with the dividing line, ensuring there was no overspill taking up space on the driveway where he stood.

He captioned the video, "What would you do if neighbours Tree was blocking your driveway[?]," but has received some backlash from viewers who shared their own thoughts on how to handle the matter.

One viewer wrote: "What is your problem with this little tree? We need more trees not less."

@smartgarden1982/TikTok

Another commented: "If it could be me i would never do that. It's just a tree beyond the fact it belongs to your neighbors [sic]."

Some TikTok users said they would have approached the neighbours before doing anything to the tree, though others argued the gardener was well within his right to tackle the branches.

In fact, in the UK it is legal to cut down overhanging branches as long as you don't trespass on to the neighbour's property.

Citizens Advice explains: "If your neighbour won’t cut branches hanging over your garden, you’re allowed to chop them off - but only the bits on your side of the boundary. Check if your neighbour will let you throw away the branches - legally they own them."

@smartgarden1982/TikTok

Responding to the gardener's video, one person wrote: "I would ask once or twice what we could do about it. If I get no answer I'll just cut it."

Another agreed, writing: "I literally cut them down if they don’t wanna maintain it then it’s gone I’m not there [sic] yard keeper."

The divisive video has racked up more than one million views since being shared online, and is one of many gardening videos the TikToker has shared documenting his work.

Topics: TikTok, Life

Emily Brown

Emily Brown is the Community Desk Lead at LADbible Group. Emily first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route. She went on to graduate with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University before contributing to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems. She joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features, and now works as Community Desk Lead to commission and write human interest stories from across the globe.