£80,000 Hedge Dispute

IT’S a story that has been played out through history, neighbours who struggle to live in harmony, from ‘the Troubles’ in Northern Ireland to the conflict in Israel and Palestine. However, in Bury Road, Rochdale, the cause of the rift wasn’t years and years of historical and cultural complexities, but rather a simple hedge.

Barbara Buckley faces court costs of almost £80,000 after a dispute over a pruned bush escalated into a High Court defamation action.

Buckley sued next-door neighbours James and Melanie Dalziel after Melanie Dalziel had originally complained to the police of their neighbours’ pruning of the vegetation which divided the two houses.

Buckley, who claimed that she only trimmed the branches which were overhanging into her garden, accused Mrs Dalziel of “nagging” the police and that the couple were being malicious.

However, with the case being thrown out, Buckley now must pay her own court costs of £50,000 along with the £27,000 bill incurred by the Dalziels, who are now planning to move.

I wonder if Blair and Brown had the same problems on Downing Street?

Anorak

Posted: 4th, May 2007 | In: Money Comment | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink