We have a hedge between our house and our neighbours this acts

Thanks.

If this is a jointly owned boundary, you are correct that it does need the consent of both parties to remove it or reduce the height dramatically.

However if it is evergreen as is usually the case with a hedge, and you refuse to reduce the height of it, they can apply to the local authority and the local authority can order it cut down to as low as 2 m.

If they are cutting it down just over half of that, you can apply to court for an injunction to stop them doing the work although if they carry on regardless, you are going to have to make an emergency application via a solicitor to get it in court in hours rather than days.

If it has already been cut down, there is obviously nothing that you can do other than put a fence up to restore your privacy.

The cost of putting the fence up is actually going to be much less than it's going to cost to take this matter to court although there is also of course the alternative of ripping the hedge out altogether and replacing it with a fence along the same boundary line.

How you deal with this really depends on what you want to achieve because it is unlikely that the court would make them replace the hedge with one which was 2 m high or replace it with a fence.

I am sorry if this is bad news.

Can I clarify anything for you?

Jo