concerned for tree in garden

[Con]

12 hours ago, David Golding said:

Hello, this is my first post and I'm hopefully in the right forum. we went away for a long weekend a couple of months ago and we got back to find our neighbour had reached over and cut down most of one of our trees (not sure what type it is) said tree then sent out a huge number of shoots which died off after a couple of weeks. the tree is now looking very sorry for itself, the shoots have dried up and gone black, even some of the smaller branches are looking unhealthy and have turned a dark colour. this is in New Zealand so coming into spring and the rest of the garden is looking like spring has sprung with shoots and new growth everywhere else. not concerned about any legal matters with neigbour, way more concerned with the tree! do we just wait or look at replacing? any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks very much 

DG

Dave, You say you're not bothered about legal matters,  but just out of interest,  what are the laws in New Zealand? Your neighbour has obviously entered your property to do that extent of work,  I should say damage.

[Rough Hewn]

Is that your neighbours house in the picture?…
Might I suggest replanting with something native and extremely fast growing.
Maybe plant semi mature eucalyptus trees, a double row about 12’ tall.
Make sure to prune the growing tips so they bush out too.
Also as an added bonus…
Next time you go on holiday for a few weeks, leave several dozen bags of dead fish tied to the tree up high…
[emoji6][emoji106]

[Stubby]

18 minutes ago, Rough Hewn said:

Is that your neighbours house in the picture?…
Might I suggest replanting with something native and extremely fast growing.
Maybe plant semi mature eucalyptus trees, a double row about 12’ tall.
Make sure to prune the growing tips so they bush out too.
Also as an added bonus…
Next time you go on holiday for a few weeks, leave several dozen bags of dead fish tied to the tree up high…

I like your style R.H. 😁

[Vedhoggar]

I’m not familiar with tree species in New Zealand how is new shoots produced have died off and you are coming into spring you might wait and see what happens as it might not be dead (you could scrap the bark slightly to see if still green below the surface), do you get frost in the area you live? Unreasonable and anti-social behaviour on the part of your neighbour, in England a neighbour can cut back only to the boundary. 

[spudulike]

10 hours ago, Stubby said:

Its Newzeland Steve .

OK, missed that bit,  is there gun law there

[Patrick goulding]

💀 RIP 🪦 

[David Golding]

Hi. thanks for the comments. so, to elaborate a bit more - after we got back from this weekend away we looked in the garden and there were long 6/7/8ft branches all over the place. I was in the garden and my wife was in one of the bedrooms and I said look at the ####### tree, neighbour heard my voice, came bounding over and cheerfully said I've trimmed the tree Dave, you can just throw those branches over and ill get rid of them. I was gobsmacked and just didn't say much at this point, we spoke a couple of hours later "you had no right to do that" etc. He had reached over with a pole saw and taken off about 70-80% of the branches a few days later I tidied it up and gave it more shape and form than it had. we genuinely think that he thought he was doing us a favour and not being malicious (they're a simple bunch to be honest.) at the time he also said he had done it for the previous owner of our house over the years. We dont what the law for this is in NZ and am unsure about taking this path because of the money situation - I'm sure the cost will far outweigh a days work and the cost of a standard tree. we live in the North of NZ where there is no frost but it does get cold (about 8.c) in the middle of the winter - I know thats not cold compared to the motherland but heyho!

Again thanks for all the comments. 

[Vedhoggar]

You have expressed your opinion/dissatisfaction with your neighbour’s action, best to leave it that I would have thought on this occasion.

[Stubby]

3 hours ago, Vedhoggar said:

You have expressed your opinion/dissatisfaction with your neighbour’s action, best to leave it that I would have thought on this occasion.

Quite , but you need to be sure he understands he has done wrong and does not pop round and paint your house bright pink next time you go away .

[Rough Hewn]

Hi. thanks for the comments. so, to elaborate a bit more - after we got back from this weekend away we looked in the garden and there were long 6/7/8ft branches all over the place. I was in the garden and my wife was in one of the bedrooms and I said look at the ####### tree, neighbour heard my voice, came bounding over and cheerfully said I've trimmed the tree Dave, you can just throw those branches over and ill get rid of them. I was gobsmacked and just didn't say much at this point, we spoke a couple of hours later "you had no right to do that" etc. He had reached over with a pole saw and taken off about 70-80% of the branches a few days later I tidied it up and gave it more shape and form than it had. we genuinely think that he thought he was doing us a favour and not being malicious (they're a simple bunch to be honest.) at the time he also said he had done it for the previous owner of our house over the years. We dont what the law for this is in NZ and am unsure about taking this path because of the money situation - I'm sure the cost will far outweigh a days work and the cost of a standard tree. we live in the North of NZ where there is no frost but it does get cold (about 8.c) in the middle of the winter - I know thats not cold compared to the motherland but heyho!
Again thanks for all the comments. 

I’d wait til your neighbour goes on holiday.
Then you can return the favour.
By washing his windows.
From your garden.
With bricks.
[emoji106]