Landlord won't let me remove one sycamore tree!

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Rudders74

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Argh! I have one massive sycamore which overhangs my ponys turn out area and one side of the paddock. I spent weeks hand picking the helicopter seeds last autumn and am now hand picking the seedlings. I've sent all the back up information on AM to the agent that manages our estate house and pleaded to let me pay for the removal of said tree. Agents wife is even an equine vet and has concurred with my information and still he would prefer not to let me remove it! I can't quite take it in!
 
If the estate don't want a large tree taken down it's difficult to see what you can do .
Can you get your hands on a garden tractor ? I wait till mine sprout them mow them up.
Can you fence off part of the field ?
 
Goldenstar said:
If the estate don't want a large tree taken down it's difficult to see what you can do .
Can you get your hands on a garden tractor ? I wait till mine sprout them mow them up.
Can you fence off part of the field ?
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Might be a stupid question but if you mow them, don't they just keep growing back and still be a threat?
 
have you made it clear that you will cover all costs? seems very odd that he wont allow you, could you contact him directly rather than through the agent as maybe they havnt stressed to him how hazardous/fatal they are to horses. maybe offer to replace it with a tree that wont potentially kill any grazing horses on his equestrian property, what an odd ball of a landlord :(

we have a large one bordering our summer and winter fields that since its decoded to spring back to life after 15yrs of no helicopters or seedlings (no idea, thought maybe it wasnt a sycamore afterall!) we are going to fell it without asking landlord but our landlord wont notice, he knocked an entire stretch of our fence down when replacing it without warning twice and let all the horses escape onto his newly sewn fields, he also removed all the small trees from the summer turnout because he thought the imaginary rabbits that lived in the roots were suddenly going to eat all his crops in neighbouring field and he just left a huge pile of them along with the ground totally trashed from the tracter and left us to clear the mess, again without warning! some landlords really are strange to say the least!
 
rowan666 said:
have you made it clear that you will cover all costs? seems very odd that he wont allow you, could you contact him directly rather than through the agent as maybe they havnt stressed to him how hazardous/fatal they are to horses. maybe offer to replace it with a tree that wont potentially kill any grazing horses on his equestrian property, what an odd ball of a landlord :(

we have a large one bordering our summer and winter fields that since its decoded to spring back to life after 15yrs of no helicopters or seedlings (no idea, thought maybe it wasnt a sycamore afterall!) we are going to fell it without asking landlord but our landlord wont notice, he knocked an entire stretch of our fence down when replacing it without warning twice and let all the horses escape onto his newly sewn fields, he also removed all the small trees from the summer turnout because he thought the imaginary rabbits that lived in the roots were suddenly going to eat all his crops in neighbouring field and he just left a huge pile of them along with the ground totally trashed from the tracter and left us to clear the mess, again without warning! some landlords really are strange to say the least!
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Yes I've definitely offered to pay all costs. When i say landlord, we have a managing agent and he is the only point of contact anyone has. The actual landlord is some Lord that lives elsewhere in the country. He owns the whole village and doesn't get involved.

Kind of wish I hadn't been so upfront and honest as most of my neighbours do what they like with their gardens and paddocks and never ask the agent! I thought I was doing the right thing. Should have just removed it ;)
 
Rudders74 said:
Might be a stupid question but if you mow them, don't they just keep growing back and still be a threat?
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If you mow a just sprouted seedling it dies it does not come back .
I also collect up all the clippings my mower brushes up what you collect so it's good at doing this .
 
If he doesn't get involved or see the property then can't the tree just 'fall down'?
You could then replace the fallen down tree with something else.
 
P.s I know my last post is totally wrong, absolutely wrong on every level. I'm sure HHO will have me hung, drawn & quartered for suggesting something so terrible
 
Goldenstar said:
If you mow a just sprouted seedling it dies it does not come back .
I also collect up all the clippings my mower brushes up what you collect so it's good at doing this .
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Ah right thanks, I can do this along the edge of the paddock then. Unfortunately the turn out area is rubber chip and hand picking in autumn was the only option. Seedlings are even coming through in the rubber chip area as they have germinated in the sand underneath!
 
glamourpuss said:
If he doesn't get involved or see the property then can't the tree just 'fall down'?
You could then replace the fallen down tree with something else.
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He he, perhaps there will be a particularly strong gust of wind soon 😄, although it is rather a large robust tree!
 
I live and work on a large estate and am a horse owner so can see both sides.

It could be that the tree is covered by a TPO and taking it down is not an option. We have hundreds of trees here which are either covered by TPO's or it really would ruin a Vista by chopping it down.

I have a sycamo're in my field (not on the estate) and now the seedlings. They've never been a problem for the horses.
 
You could be very devious and believe me it happens. Get an electric drill and carefully drill a few holes - if you make them very tiny bit deep - they can look like woodworm - then using a syringe inject neat weedkiller into the holes - it will then die!!!

Or you could have had a terrible time with hares and rabbits eating the bark - early settlers in NZ cleared acres of trees by ring barking the trees - cut away a band of bark from all around the tree - it will die!
 
Rudders74 said:
There's some very devious people on here ;) ;)
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I wanted to do the above to the evil tree in next doors garden, its roots got into my sewerage pipes and also lifted areas of my driveway.

However we have seriously nosey neighbours and knowing my luck someone would spot me. Finally Housing New Zealand accepted that the could be in for a big repair bill if they didn't sort it out and the tree was felled a few months ago

Yes!!! No leaves to collect up - they always ended up in my garden to clean up.
 
I am with the agent on this this random destruction of the landscape really upsets me those trees have history and are upwards of 100 years old If you are worried remove the horse not the tree. This vandalism is horrendous. I f I was the agent or landlord your tenency would get short shrift and you would be out quicker than you can tell me your name if it accidentally on purpose was damaged or destroyed in any way. Yes I have horses but also love the countryside as it is and nearly all the large trees are struggling enough with environment changes and disease they now have to contend with panic stricken horse owners who think it is ok to kill them
 
Tnavas said:
You could be very devious and believe me it happens. Get an electric drill and carefully drill a few holes - if you make them very tiny bit deep - they can look like woodworm - then using a syringe inject neat weedkiller into the holes - it will then die!!!

Or you could have had a terrible time with hares and rabbits eating the bark - early settlers in NZ cleared acres of trees by ring barking the trees - cut away a band of bark from all around the tree - it will die!
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Mmm I just might have done that a few years ago... had a very strange neighbour who had an enormous tree right next to our fence. It really overshadowed our side. He didn't live in his house, just came to mow the lawn (and always wire camouflage to do so!).

My then OH just might have accidentally drilled his tree and injected SBK into it....... ooopsie.
 
windand rain said:
I am with the agent on this this random destruction of the landscape really upsets me those trees have history and are upwards of 100 years old If you are worried remove the horse not the tree. This vandalism is horrendous. I f I was the agent or landlord your tenency would get short shrift and you would be out quicker than you can tell me your name if it accidentally on purpose was damaged or destroyed in any way. Yes I have horses but also love the countryside as it is and nearly all the large trees are struggling enough with environment changes and disease they now have to contend with panic stricken horse owners who think it is ok to kill them
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I agree.
 
windand rain said:
I am with the agent on this this random destruction of the landscape really upsets me those trees have history and are upwards of 100 years old If you are worried remove the horse not the tree. This vandalism is horrendous. I f I was the agent or landlord your tenency would get short shrift and you would be out quicker than you can tell me your name if it accidentally on purpose was damaged or destroyed in any way. Yes I have horses but also love the countryside as it is and nearly all the large trees are struggling enough with environment changes and disease they now have to contend with panic stricken horse owners who think it is ok to kill them
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Amen, sister. Easier to move the horse than the tree.
 
I'm with the 'let the tree stand' people. I can see both sides of the argument, but it may be more trouble than your landlord is willing to go to to get it removed. It may be that there is a preservation order on it, and if over a certain size or age, it more than likely is covered. Also it may be in a conservation area, or it may be old and large enough to require a felling licence in order to take it down. Either of those three would be a considerable pain in the bottom to sort out so the tree could go. Also, it's only a problem when the seeds fall, this year the wind could blow the majority elsewhere, or it could be one of those years when there are very few seeds and they are not a problem.

I do feel your pain OP, I have to clear up acorns every year, but I do think you are trying to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut in this instance. The advantages to having the tree unfortunately outweigh you being inconvenienced by clearing the seeds.

I know we all want the best for our horses, but we do have to live and let live as well. After all, we can't go around telling people not to drive on the roads because we want to ride!
 
3OldPonies said:
I'm with the 'let the tree stand' people. I can see both sides of the argument, but it may be more trouble than your landlord is willing to go to to get it removed. It may be that there is a preservation order on it, and if over a certain size or age, it more than likely is covered. Also it may be in a conservation area, or it may be old and large enough to require a felling licence in order to take it down. Either of those three would be a considerable pain in the bottom to sort out so the tree could go. Also, it's only a problem when the seeds fall, this year the wind could blow the majority elsewhere, or it could be one of those years when there are very few seeds and they are not a problem.

I do feel your pain OP, I have to clear up acorns every year, but I do think you are trying to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut in this instance. The advantages to having the tree unfortunately outweigh you being inconvenienced by clearing the seeds.

I know we all want the best for our horses, but we do have to live and let live as well. After all, we can't go around telling people not to drive on the roads because we want to ride!
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Yes see your point. I just think I would feel awful if something did happen to the pony and I'd been in receipt of all the facts about AM and done nothing. I shall just have to carry on with what I'm doing ! :)
 
I'm kind of in the 'let the tree stay' camp.

But could you get a tree surgeon in to trim it back and maybe look at netting it? Then fence off an area around the base.
 
You never know, fate may lend a hand.

One of the reasons cited against the building of the new bypass, was the removal of an ancient oak tree. Said tree was situated on top of a hill, overlooking the village and was certainly a very nice tree....

Until it was struck by lightning and destroyed.

Guess fate was on the side of the road builders that day.......
 
The land agent has declined your offer so you have 2 choices stay there or move. I am gobsmacked that people think it's ok to damage or remove trees against the owners wishes. If it was your field would you be happy for someone to damage your property.
 
jrp204 said:
The land agent has declined your offer so you have 2 choices stay there or move. I am gobsmacked that people think it's ok to damage or remove trees against the owners wishes. If it was your field would you be happy for someone to damage your property.
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I hope all these angry comments armt aimed at me. I did say when I started the thread I had communicated with the agent in the appropriate manner to ask the question and have to date been hand picking all the seeds and shoots. 😃
 
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