Letting Those Hedges Go? Think Again

If good fences make good neighbors, hedges may make bad ones, at least for some Southampton Village homeowners.

But, a new village law may change that. The last week passed a regulation regarding border plant cutting after hearing complaints from homeowners whose neighbors didn’t trim all sides of their hedges, leaving them with scraggly, overgrown brush on the perimeter of their property.

Hedge owners must trim all sides of their plants at least once a year, or their neighbor could take them to Village Court for a code violation, according to the new law. Fines for violating the code could be as much as $1,000.

The village is using the law as a guidepost and may tweak it in the future. Some neighbors of hedge owners wanted the village to add a setback provision for future hedge plantings and set a height limitation on the brush.

Village Trustee Nancy McGann suggested requiring permits for hedges. Homeowners installing fences must receive permits and hedges have the same function, she said.

Village Attorney Richard DePetris, who wrote the law, recommended the village see whether or not the new regulation helps existing problems in the village, and then re-evaluate it.

“This is a good start,” said Village Trustee Richard Yastrzemski.

The law requires neighbors of hedge owners give written permission allowing landscapers or the next door neighbor onto their property to trim. The hedgeowner must also cleanup and remove trimmings, the law states.

If the hedge owner has let the bush grow untended through July 31, the adjoining neighbor is required to send written notice demanding that the hedge be clipped within 30 days, along with a copy of the law. If the hedge owner still ignores the request, the village can intervene.

Homeowners may have to pay for property surveys showing that the hedge is not their own, DePetris said.

DePetris said the law addresses privet and arborvitae. Rows of any plant that serve to form a shield of some kind falls under the village’s use of the word “hedge,” he said.

Anthony Punnett of Hill Street questioned the board about a hedge height restriction. One of his neighbors maintains a hedge adjoining his property, while another does not, allowing it to grow tall. The leaves of the unkempt hedge have become sparse, and the plant no longer provides a screen, he said.

“I think he’d be happy if it reached outer space,” Punnett said.

Jack O’Connell, a resident of Rosko Drive, questioned whether the village could include a setback provision of around 3 feet, for example, for future hedge plantings.

A provision like that would not provide much help to homeowners now because 90 percent of the hedges are already installed, DePetris responded.