Tree-Felling Siblings Hit with £209,000 Bill, Risk Losing Childhood Home
Tree-Felling Siblings Hit with £209,000 Bill, Risk Losing Childhood Home
A bitter boundary dispute over felled Leylandii trees escalates into a massive £209,000 court bill for three siblings, threatening their family home.
In a cautionary tale illustrating the perils of neighbourly disputes, three siblings are facing the daunting prospect of losing their childhood home after being ordered to pay a colossal £209,000. The hefty sum stems from a bitter "fence war" that saw them unlawfully fell their neighbours' 33-foot cypress trees.
The saga unfolded in Nazeing, Essex, between building boss Robert McCarthy and his wife Amanda, and their neighbours Foulla Bowler, her brother John Barberis, and sister Mary Englishby. What once seemed a harmonious co-existence fractured in 2018 over a boundary dispute. The siblings, claiming the towering Leylandii trees were "overshadowing" their garden, took matters into their own hands, removing a back fence and hiring tree surgeons to hack down the disputed greenery.
The McCarthys, deeply affected by the "systematic destruction" of their garden, testified in court that the act had eradicated their home's privacy. They recounted being unable to use their back garden for years, forced to live in the front of their house, and even prohibiting their children from having friends over. Amanda McCarthy's mental health significantly deteriorated, leading to depression, as a direct consequence of what she described as the neighbours' "oppressive behaviour."
At Central London County Court, Judge Alan Saggerson delivered a damning verdict in 2025. He sided with the McCarthys on the boundary's true location, concluding that the "bullying, high-handed" siblings had "trespassed" into their neighbours' garden. The judge condemned their "unilateral action to re-order the disputed boundary," characterizing the conflict as part of the wider "fence wars" between the properties.
Following a recent hearing, the financial repercussions for the siblings have been finalized. They are now liable for approximately £30,500 in damages to the McCarthys, alongside a staggering £178,668 to cover the McCarthys' legal bills. This amount is in addition to their own substantial court costs, placing their family home at significant risk. The case serves as a stark reminder of how quickly seemingly minor disputes can spiral into financially devastating legal battles.
